Tag: Buddhism

Who or What is God?

Who or What is God?

On By Andrew FreedmanIn Beliefs, Personal and Professional Development, Religion

We can never know the answer to that question

The thing about God is we can neither prove nor disprove His existence. You might think this convenient for those who believe in Him. Perhaps you’d be right with that. For those who do believe in God The Creator, all they need do, is look around and see proof of His existence, everywhere. The belief is sufficient for them to totally negate the realities of evolutionary processes.

And then we have the dilemma of who started that process. Who’s to say it wasn’t God, who planted that first seed, triggering what resulted from a few amino acids, some billions of years ago. To some it’s simply a game of numbers: enough suns with exoplanets, mixed with a lot of heat, chemicals etc., and eventually you’ll get life. But who’s to say it wasn’t a being of higher consciousness, that created the gases and chemicals, that made all the suns to begin with. We could go on forever with that argument, couldn’t we?

The Believers

At the end of the day beliefs are all it comes down to. Beliefs will always be blind to evidence for or against. Think of the web of beliefs, relating to God or Gods, that have been created by man. Over thousands of years they’ve been constructed as a means of explaining the unexplainable: who we are, why we’re here and so on.

“Beliefs are a means of explaining but also a means of shifting responsibility. A means of empowering some, and at the same time, disempowering others”

Think of those who believe that God is in some way responsible for their suffering. They say: “I’m suffering and this is God’s will.” In other words they’re saying: “I have no choice.” To believe that a higher force has control over what happens to us during our lives, is defeatist for some, and empowering for others. Those who are in control of the rules, the religious leaders, live off the back of these kinds of beliefs. It’s useful, for these particular human beings, for their subjects to feel they have no choice; that it’s God’s will no matter what’s happening to them.

On the positives of beliefs in God

Think of those who believe they are in some way chosen; that their good fortune can be attributed to the grace of God. Such people have been hated all through history. To make such a claim no doubt causes the claimant to stick out somewhat. A bit like the proverbial sore thumb hit with a hammer wouldn’t you say? They feel they’re looked on favourably by God. The advantage to this is, if you actually believe it, then you will be. Your mind has reason to believe that you will have a blessed and fortunate life. It is God’s will that you should prosper. Perhaps we should all have some of that!

Just yesterday I became engaged in conversation with a fellow blogger. Obviously a very intelligent young man who, even after some well placed argument, still insisted that God is responsible for suffering. I told him how I understood suffering to be a choice. How suffering has been devised by man for the control of other men.

For example, if we lock a man in a cell, and because isolation is against the instincts of man, he will suffer. However, if he trains his mind sufficiently, he can actually adjust to his isolation. He can begin to accept and potentially even enjoy it. But until this is the case, he’s at the mercy of his captors; totally under their control. Ask yourself this: Is a homeless man, who has adjusted to life on the streets, free or as trapped as we are? The average man has many, many chains, to bind him.

It is always a choice as to whether we suffer or not.

To my fellow blogger I also mentioned the flip side of all this. How those who suffer are teaching guilt. How they’re telling the rest of us: “I am suffering, so you must help me.” Their suffering is buying them something. It’s getting them a level of control over the people who surround them. Much in the same way a child will gain attention from its carers when in pain.

The child will learn that pain gets attention. Occasionally such a child will grow to adopt the “I’m suffering” angle as an adult. They do this in order to gain the illusion of power over others. To gain power over a system. It is of course a nonsense and an illusion; a fragile one at that. What the sufferer doesn’t realise is, their choice to behave in such a way, is to behave as a child all their life; so very wasteful wouldn’t you say? To waste a life. To then claim, their suffering is God’s will, is just another means of not taking personal responsibility. “It’s not my fault” they say.

I told my fellow blogger the tale of man I once new whose wife had died unexpectedly young. All this widowed man did was mope and moan. He suffered for years in his grief. I told him about choice and he shouted: “Oh, so I chose for my wife to die?!” I said: ‘No but you are choosing to maintain your suffering.’ He didn’t thank me, that’s for sure, and yet probably changed at a later date.

A Childish Concept

When we take a step back and consider the kind of things said, relating to God, we can see them as a construct from the childish human mind. The idea of prayer. An afterlife (there is one of sorts, think of the lifespan of an atom, it’s a very, very long time). Virgin births without medical explanation; that our destiny is out of our hands. Remember, many of these beliefs only suit those in power. Religions keep us in our place. Religions keep us powerless and subservient to the antiquated beliefs, that are serving to maintain the easy lives, of the powerful. Royalty and religious leaders live of the back of our continued ignorance.

“All in all, to think we can have any idea – of the what and who of God – is an absurdity”

Staying with childish thoughts for a moment. If there was a higher being, able to create the universe and everything within it, how could we, with our level of consciousness, ever possibly understand this. With our minds, as they currently are, we can only just touch on the realities of what surrounds us. We are simply not conscious enough to properly conceive of a consciousness that could create all that we see. At the present time we can only guess, with our childish notions, of what this is really all about.

One thing we can conceive of is time. We have a small sense of its passing. The universe is old, very old, and it’s true to say, a lot can be achieved if you have enough time. Perhaps that’s all we’re really dealing with. After all, there are very good odds of extraordinary things happening, when given enough time. Time is all we have. Be the master of your own destiny. Contact Us.

Teach Me Passion – Award Me A Beautiful Life

On By Andrew FreedmanIn Personal and Professional Development

“Prompted by an earlier conversation I feel it’s time to talk about passion once again”

How would a Buddhist describe his beautiful life? A Buddhist would no doubt go into talking about Buddhist philosophies and beliefs. He would assert that beauty is found through following his beliefs and philosophies. The Buddhists believe they have the answers. Because they believe this, they have.

I believe, when we take matters down to their grass roots, we’re awarded a much clearer understanding of things. At this level, we can see the reason why Buddhists believe they have beautiful lives. We clearly see it’s because of their passion for Buddhism. The same goes for anyone who’s successful in fully believing their own useful and positive beliefs and philosophies. And this is the case no matter what they may be. 

To further explain, let’s say we asked Elon Musk or Richard Branson whether their life was beautiful, and if so, how they’ve achieved it. It’s quite possible they’d also go into the realms of their beliefs and philosophies. Once again though, we can nail this on the head by recognising something very important about wealth and success: it’s passion that brings it.

“Whether Buddhist or businessman, happiness, and the prospect of living a beautiful life, comes as a byproduct of passion”

Both of the above examples highlight what lies at the root to happiness, wellbeing, and beauty. Never get strung up on the detail of why people are living beautiful lives. It’s all relative to their particular philosophies and beliefs, and they’ll no doubt be happy to fill you in, on all the details. The thing to remember is this: In the example of Buddhist, or wealthy businessman, both believe they’re living beautiful lives. And this is even though they live at opposite ends of the spectrum.

 

And so, it comes as no surprise to say, once you find a useful and positive philosophy to believe in – and be deeply passionate about – you’ll be on the path toward finding a beautiful life. It has nothing to do with status, wealth or standing, and has everything to do with passion.

“In whatever you choose to do with life, learn how to be passionate, about it”

This brings me neatly to a gentle reminder of what lies beneath passion. Oh yes. For just as with quantum mechanics, we’re also able to reduce human drivings down many levels. What lies beneath passion is love. Once you’ve learnt what love really is, you will effortlessly, Create, A Beautiful, Life.

Want to learn more? Contact Us     

The Locksmith Series #2

On By Andrew FreedmanIn love, Personal and Professional Development, Personal Development, World Affairs, World MattersLeave a comment
Meditation helps to focus the mind as we seek answers to questions the mind wouldn't ordinarily reveal. There are many benefits to meditation.
Meditation helps to focus the mind as we seek answers to questions the mind wouldn’t ordinarily reveal. There are many benefits to meditation.

Meditation. He was sitting in a darkened room, cross legged, a firm cushion raising him slightly from the floor. His back was straight, he sat perfectly balanced with no perceptible tension in his body at all. As he gently breathed in, through slightly parted lips, tongue gently tucked behind his front teeth, his mind spoke the word: Shamatha, an old Sanskrit word meaning “Dwelling in tranquillity.” And as he breathed out, his mind spoke the Sanskrit word: Shunyata, meaning “Emptiness, void.”

He found that using these old words for a short time, at the start of his meditation, helped to rid his mind of all the chatter and the sounds of the world around him. He could remember a time when it was so, so quiet, and how they told him, he’d hear God’s plan. Beliefs in God, as was prescribed to him then, as a child, had long since faded though. There was a new God in his life now; one of his own making.

To the observer, seeing the Locksmith, sitting as he was now, in a darkened room, incense burning, he would potentially have been instantly labelled as Buddhist, yet looks can be deceiving. He didn’t hold to many of the Buddhist’s beliefs, just those he found useful. And he knew about labels, he knew about the label an observer would place on him, and how that flew directly in the face, of so much of what the Buddhists believed. Hypocrisy and nonsense so much of it. No, he was happy to have an identity all of his own, not Buddhist, yet not quite fully anything you could easily label. Human of course, just as human as the Buddhists, who’d even like to lose that particular tag; a tag all humans carry, right up until they die. No escaping that.

As the chatter of his mind stilled so did the need for the repetition of his Sanskrit words. Only aware of his breathing now: the sound and feel of it, a slow steady inhalation followed by that inevitable, yet no longer fully automatic, exhalation. Becoming more and more relaxed with every out breath, drifting down and down into that comfortable place of calm. It was then that the Locksmith heard and felt the name; the name of his next inquisitor: Emily. His mind felt the sound. He would patiently wait.

To be continued…

The Language to Speak

On By Andrew FreedmanIn love, Personal and Professional Development, Personal Development, Wholeness, World Affairs, World MattersLeave a comment

I know English isn’t my first language, and yet, strange as it may seem, if I heard it now, I’d no longer understand the language of my homeland. It’s been far too long since I’ve heard or spoken it; a rapid staccato of clicks and other sounds, too fast for my mind to process. I’ve gotten slow in my old age. Besides, it seems to me, my first language, if you could call it one, is that of feel.

“I speak the language of feel. For instance, I feel, in the world today, empathy is currently on the wane. Perhaps empathy always ebbs and flows? Everything is reactionary, defensive or attacking. There’s no: let’s just feel what’s happening, notice the feeling, forgetting reacting.”

All that buried emotion, within each of us, finding an outlet through reactionary activity, as opposed to pausing, so understanding may find its way. It’s like the Dalai Lama saying, as he did: “I don’t feel like there’s anything special or different about me.” What he’s failed to hear, is the feelings he has, are only one sided. It would seem, to most, he’s been conditioned in the feeling of joy, and nothing else. Perhaps, it’s even a mocking joy, no one above, is failing to feel deeply enough, so as to stop disrespecting our efforts. No one needs disrespecting mockery.

The time of Siddhārtha Gautama was one of feeling. He would also feel it now. Predominantly, what the masses felt, was suffering and pain. No doubt, if you’re living in a time of pain and suffering, you’ll come to believe that this, is all there is. And so it is, the language of feel, is always on the precipice of dying out completely.

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Tones and Colours of Pleasure

“You cannot fully understand this language if all you know are the pleasurable tones and colours. You cannot fully understand this language if all you know are the tones and colours of pain and suffering. You need to know all the tones and all the colours, or else, how can you expect to understand what anyone is saying? Especially those in need.”

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Tones and Colours of Pain

People talk of the language of love and I laugh. The language of love is the hardest of all. Imagine staring into the eyes of love and hearing its song. Can you hear that song the language of love is singing? It’s very soft, very calm and very, very quiet. You really need to be listening to hear it. Not listening hard, you understand. No, it’s about no listening at all. No longer actively blocking out, those around you, like so many do. Feel the sound as you look into my eyes.

“Is there any effort required to sense the language of feel? Or do you just feel it? Do you know how it feels to wash yourself in the river everyday? Do you know how it feels when there is no river?”

If you want a response from me, first, you must learn the language of feel. Can you feel the silence?

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“Only Human” The Biggest Cop Out of all.

On By Andrew FreedmanIn love, Personal and Professional Development, World Affairs, World Matters

“I’ve gotta tell ya it’s an expression I’ve never found myself using. It’s a cop out and it’s cowardly. It’s a way of saying “well I’ve fucked up but you know what? It doesn’t matter, because after all, I’m only human.” How about upping your fucking game instead of gently fading out.”

What exactly does the expression “I’m only human” actually mean anyway? Does it mean: because we’re human, it follows that we’re flawed and weak? And by this mentality it’s okay to accept defeat? To just give in and fade away, to give in to the majority of people who don’t listen because they’re looking for the easy way out. The bullshit way, so they can escape their responsibilities to themselves and others? Human beings have conquered the fucking planet and its not been an easy journey. Show your ancestors some respect. Only human indeed.

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Masters of our environment

Don’t ever say to me “I’m only human” I don’t wanna fucking hear it.

There are those of us that take life and our future rather seriously. We don’t give in, we don’t make excuses, we just get on with the job of swimming against the current tide of ignorance and failings.

There is so much confusion in the world today with no absolutes and exacts. No correct meaningful guidance and it seems chaos prevails. It’s as if everyone is running around with no real idea or sense of direction and purpose. Make a plan. What do you want to achieve in life? And don’t make it so fucking predictable that I could simply pick it out of your fucking brain. Make a fucking difference by swimming against the tide. Yes you’ll feel alone. Yes you’ll feel ostracised. But these are the things that don’t matter. Be alone because without that – your ability to be in solitude – we’re all buggered. Mass approval is worthless.

I read a book recently that suggested that there really isn’t such a thing as individuality and the self. Well, here’s the thing, that doesn’t fucking matter either. What matters is that you continue to believe that there is, because without individuals, who show the strength, tenacity and courage, to break free from the crowd, my time here is empty. Besides, the author was only reiterating what the coward-buddhists have been saying all along: Life is suffering blah, blah, blah. Fuck em. A crowd of people who gave up on life thousands of years ago. It was bullshit then, and it’s still bullshit now.

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If you’re scared to be in a crowd, that doesn’t matter either. It doesn’t matter because there’s a reason for this: you don’t need the crowd and be assured, in the long term the crowd will need the individual. Crowds can be dangerous. They seem to attract psychopaths; the most recent: a fucked-up misogynist, and little else, who decided it would be a good idea to blow himself up. As someone I used to know said: “Well there’s one less nutter in the world for us to worry about.” So sad he took innocent lives with him. If it was up to me I’d hunt his inept, bastard parents down, and hang them up from the fucking yardarm.

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freeform-poppy-300pxThere are people, alone in the world, who are this way, simply because they’re powerful individuals. Individuals who love others and want the best for them. They want the same happiness and love they’re able to experience, without the crowd, for others too. Their aloneness, is strength, never illness. Stop believing the bullshit propaganda from the fearful-needy crowds. 

Buddhism: Is this the Answer to Inequality, Poverty, and Injustice?

On By Andrew FreedmanIn Beliefs, love, Personal and Professional Development, Philosophy, The Future, World MattersLeave a comment

Solutions

“If you’ve ever reached a point in your life, where you seem unable to find the solution, to calming your reactions to the everyday struggles of life, you may find yourself turning to Buddhism.”

The reason I say this, is because the belief systems associated with Buddhism, and its many divisions, give us all an excuse, or reason, to simply cease the struggle and quest to reach a better meaning to our lives. If we’re to seek greatness, and leave some kind of legacy for the benefit of humanity, Buddhism must be rejected, just as Buddhism seems to reject humanity itself.

Non-attainment, non-attachment, the belief in ‘emptiness’ – that we have no identity and are simply all as one with no individuality – that life is suffering, due to our constant craving for more stimulation and more of the things that make us feel, are all within the remit of Buddhism. As such, the often seen images of laughing Buddhists, are a contradiction in themselves. Laughter is an antidote to guilt and fear, emotions the successful Buddhist, would never carry.

There are many contradictions throughout life if we look for them. It could be said, any good philosopher is likely to be filled with contradictions, as this is due process to his craft, as such, contradictions can be beneficial to some. However, when a belief system claims to be the path to Nirvana (death and freedom from suffering), or in the case of Christianity, Heaven (something better than life) is filled with contradictions, the only word that comes to mind is hypocrisy. And once we see hypocrisy, this is reason enough, to dismiss it, entirely.

“If we’re not very cautious, the need to escape struggles, and find greater meaning, becomes the need to escape life and our humanity altogether.”

Frustration is a necessary means to seek the solution. Without the emotion of frustration we will fail to advance. Without wanting to free our minds from our negative emotions: frustration, or fear, or guilt, for that matter, we simply fail to want betterment. To just exist for the sake of existing; to just wake everyday, eat, work and then sleep, is to be half dead. If we fail to feel – even if these feelings are considered negative – we fail to advance.

“I cannot imagine for a moment, if all of humanity were to adopt the beliefs of Buddhism, or any spiritual ‘way’ or ‘path,’ for that matter, that we’d advance beyond the death of our star.”

We may have been born here, yet I refuse to believe, we’re meant to die here. I believe we must strive to understand our minds better – in terms of the need for our emotions – rather than look to be less of a human through believing life is suffering.

We may suffer for a short while, until we realise, that suffering, is in fact, a choice. We choose to seek the solutions, because we suffer, without suffering, we’re nothing. It is simply unacceptable to say the solution to feeling frustration is to remove it by ceasing betterment. 

It may seem an odd interpretation (that there is purpose to suffering) however it’s a similar situation to the child who has little control over their emotions. From moment to moment they seem to shift: happy and giggling one moment, crying and screaming the next. It’s our job, as adults, to help the children temper and tame their unruly emotions. We do this through better understanding their purpose. For example, if we fail to be angry, at the injustice and inequality in the world, we fail to change it.

With this said:

“The elite are likely to be very happy with Buddhist beliefs because it excuses their inability, or unwillingness, to do anything truly constructive about inequality and injustice. To encourage spiritual ‘ways,’ I feel, is to fail. This relates to my revulsion to sentimentality: it helps no one.”

The availability of modern medicine, clean water and good education, will never become a global phenomena, when we continue to encourage charity and sentimentality. The belief systems that seek a solution to poverty and inequality, by simply rejecting our humanity, are just as ineffective in the long term.

Alternatively, encouraging the adoption of belief systems, that give us all purpose to strive onward, and indeed upward, are the solutions to encouraging advancement.

We will never achieve true greatness when there are parts of the world where people remain with limited access to clean drinking water, or modern medicines, or where billions are trapped, living in abject poverty, with a fortunate few having control over all the wealth. We must see this as unacceptable.

“We will never have true greatness when we fail to follow good examples of leadership.”

We will never have true greatness, whilst parents continue to believe it’s okay to have lackadaisical attitudes, to their responsibilities, to a fellow human being. Inequality continues to exist when we fail to feel and empathise in a constructive way.

Solutions

Once we’re all consciously aware of our real, meaningful purpose (to improve the quality of life for all and to become the masters of our minds and environment), our first objective must be equality. Without this we continue to carry the limiting guilt associated. We could all just laugh about it though, and then carry on as normal. Or better still, watch a sentimental documentary or news report, and be guilted into giving some cash to charity.

“You see, guilt, as with anger, can be used in a positive, constructive way when we better understand it.”

Charity is in direct opposition to equality and will only ever be a short term fix to our guilt. Properly understand the purpose of our emotions, and we make permanent, constructive changes. Reject that which rejects your humanity.

Fishing for the Moon

On By Andrew FreedmanIn Change, Personal and Professional Development, World Matters
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Equality: Fishing for the moon?

For some, there’s a simple solution to inequality. It goes like this: If you’re poor, suffering and underprivileged, held at the merciless hands of inequality, simply change your thinking.

When it comes to thinking, you could say Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) came up with a fabulous solution to inequality, poverty, and the suffering this brings. Buddhism states: Suffering is the process of grasping for pleasure and comfort, and because this is only ever fleeting, we suffer due to the constant need to grasp for it over and over again.

The only issue I have with this, even if it were possible for us all to adopt the same belief system, is that it’s impossible for all of us to live in monasteries – gathering alms on a daily basis – even if we wanted to. The main reason, we might not want to live as Buddhists, is its similarity to being half-dead. Just an opinion you understand.

“The beliefs of Buddhism do hold part of the solution to inequality, the other parts depend on our ability to adapt, and change our current thinking.”

So the solution cannot depend entirely on a belief system that controlling men have developed into a religion, it depends on a meld of beliefs and understandings; a formula if you will.

The first understanding comes from nature itself. Does nature (the universe) promote equality or is inequality within the natural scheme of things? One thing’s for certain, when we acknowledge that inequality is simply the necessary counterpart to equality (we can’t have one without the other) we empower ourselves to change. In other words, acceptance, can lead to removing the limitations of entitlement, martyrdom and charity.

Charity, is a subtle method, for the further disempowerment of the underprivileged: we remain in control and powerful at our, and their, expense. We pay for our power over them, they pay for our power over them.

That said, if you’re feeling charitable, why not contribute to a school that teaches leadership skills in underdeveloped countries. Why not indeed, however, you may need to look long and hard to find that particular school.

Entitlement and martyrdom are simply a product of the underdeveloped mind. Show people the limitations of these things and you empower them to change – unfortunately we’re now back to that non-existent school.

We choose how we feel about our lot in life. We also choose whether or not we escape poverty and inequality through seeking the necessary tools and information. If those tools and information aren’t readily available, you’ll need to look harder. Sound tough? You bet, it’s a violent universe my friends, violent indeed.

Part of the solution? Global access to accurate information.