Xxdr's story of the The Holy Man at the Grocery Checkout & the 100th Monkeyprovided a way to share some life lessons I was unable to figure out prior, but wanting to with all my heart. Thank you Xxdr Zombiexx!
And good timing! Just in time for the Giving Season. So, with courage I lay the gift of my heart and soul beneath this Universal Tree for all the world to see.
That's how Universal Consciousness works, by the way.
Who will be the 100th Monkey in 2011? We could probably use a million or so.
Dear xxdr zombiexx (is this pronounced shder zombiesh?):
This is offered for you from this aging crone who desires nothing more than to share some of her journey hoping it might shed some helpful understanding of the Dreadlocked Sage at your wonderful hippie market. I have wanted to share this for a long time, but didn't quite know how.
Your WONDERFUL DIARY provided the direction. Thank you!
I read the 100th Monkey (a 1970s study, read in the 1970s) which now seems like 100 years ago.
Here's what the book was about. Btw, this is the only honest summation I found on "teh internet" (noticing a bit of a tear down in quality lately, btw. Sad. Good news. Principles can't be eradicated, which is what this blither is about).
I highly recommend reading this article.
And this article was written in 1999! Just before BushCo dealt the world, our country, democracy, and the rule of law a near fatal blow.
The author must have been psychic. But wait! The Indiana Dreadlock Sage knows a few things that can help us all. More after the quote:
Special interests will always exist while addressing global concerns, but should have no power to abuse guarantees that ensure life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness ...
To operate in such a framework requires a global intent based on common awareness.
It requires the phenomena of the 100th monkey to take hold. When, on remote islands, one island of monkeys was taught by human beings to use a stick for opening coconuts, the ease of obtaining food increased. Squabbling and social disruption decreased. More amazingly, at a certain number of more knowledgeable monkeys, say the 100th, monkeys on the surrounding islands developed the technique spontaneously. (Keep in mind, the monkeys observed using the new technique on other remote islands had no way of contact with the monkeys on the island that were trained by humans. The collective knowledge of the island of trained monkeys was transferred globally. I call it, as do others, Universal Consciousness*, my insertion here.)
We have not reached that mark on world cooperation. Too many of us are still swinging through trees paying attention only to the exhilaration. Too many are desperate for enough food. Others are still intent on having all of the nuts.
Disclosure: I spent over a decade as a member of an Ashram, the world having lost it's glitter for me at the ripe age of 26 (long story).
But the behavior of Corporate America, for which I served in a Management capacity, was partially to blame as well as an incredibly mind/heart altering, life changing, and completely randomly offered "Spiritual Experience".
I refer to the experience as "God tapped me on the shoulder and said 'Pretend you are 80 and looking back, what would you change'. I guess you would have to have been there.
Anyway, I quit corporate America, spent a year as galley cook in the Bahamas, came back to the city, gave away my earthly possessions, and became an Ashram monkette (they never saw the humor in my feminizing the term 'monk').
Shared because these decisions permanently altered my outlook on life in many good ways, albeit socially challenging ways.
I learned that there are Universal Laws/principles. Up precedes down. There is no way of avoiding life's ups and downs. It's delusional to think otherwise.
I have found that there is little patience in the world for child-like altruism, which is, more often than not, perceived as socially awkwardness and or intellectual ignorance.
I joke that I have 'social tourrettes syndrome' as good intentions are often irritating to others, or so it seems. Sigh! So, transcendence** has become very helpful, but not without a price. We live in a world of duality.
That said, and the book 100th Monkey proved, there are principles that were learned by the scientists that can't be measured by them.
Principles are Truths that don't change over time regardless of tribal differences. They are universal.
*1. There is a Universal Consciousness. It can be 'tapped into'. We call it inspiration. When we use it to ask for something, it provides. When this happens, some call it a miracle. I call it principle. When we ask, we can receive. Worthiness isn't part of the equation, but feelings of lack of worthiness is a huge impediment for too many people. I say "We are, therefore we are worthy."
And it can be transmitted if there are either enough people working together to do so (the 100th Monkey) or enough energy/concentration by a truly dedicated person or group with the intent to do so. Some call this 'prayer'.
Others call it power. It can be used for both good and evil, sadly.
I picture it as a stratosphere. It's there for us to use, but we have to put in some effort to either receive from it, or to affect it. It's malleable, to a point, and for lack of a better word.
Here's one of my daft rhymes to demonstrate:
UNIVERSE
We are each uninotes of the Universe
We are here, on earth, to rehearse.
What will be our collective uni-verse?
This would be a good song for us all to sing, in our hearts, day and night:
**2. Transcendence: In short, meaning to 'rise above'. In fact, really, really difficult to do.
In theory, if we muster up enough grit, we don't have to wallow in the pain, suffering, and insanity of the world within and around us. It is helpful to achieve a modicum of this transcendence ability. If we ask, the Universal Consciousness will help us. Regardless of our self-imposed judgement of 'worthiness'.
Ask: When a ball is thrown up in the air by either the holy man or the murderer, what is the outcome?
Desire impacts the interaction with the Universal Consciousness (you can ponder this for quite a while, btw). The old addage, "be careful for what you ask" comes to mind.
However, if one dedicates all energy to this goal of Transcendence, it can become a bane instead of a boon because it can become too 'self-focused' and/or selfish, imo. (the yogis who bury themselves in ant hills in order to transcend the flesh comes to mind). Siddhartha tried them all.
In the end, the second Siddhartha let go of his selfish desire to achieve nirvana and tossed himself into the Ganges, he achieved his goal.
Remember, Siddhartha (later to be knows as the Buddha*) was a wealthy pampered Prince of status that, when confronted w/the suffering of those outside his protective Palace, was heartbroken. Their pain became his pain. He was overcome by empathy and a desire to help others. He wanted to overcome suffering and help others to do the same.
The phrase "Let Go and Let God" comes to mind. Or, for those who choose to not believe in a God, Let Go and connect with the Universal Consciousness of Love and Selflessness.
Either way, become the kinetic conduit of Universal Love/Consciousness: This is nirvana or higher consciousness.
We, or our "I" have to 'step aside' for this to happen and here lies the challenge.
And here I will insert one of my first daft rhymes, written by the Ashram monkette:
Goodbye My "I" by Sonja
A friend of mine, let's call her "I"
Once laid down and proceeded to die.
Too weak to rise, no strength of her own.
All peace, all solace, no need for a home.
She will be missed, these tears say to me.
She tried to be fair, while working to be free.
"Freedom, she said, is not of this earth
A fact you've known since the moment of birth
And forgotten."
Acknowledging there is a Power than can help us, whether it is called Universal Consciousness or God, that is outside of us and requires us to seek it and ask for something/somehelp, is just too much of an ego abasing stretch of imagination for so many, especially the "intellectuals". Well, the greatest intellectuals I have had the pleasure of interacting with understand these Time Honored Principles.
Some call it "Faith". Some call it "Luck". I call it 'the courage of a healthy ego" to be able to acknowledge and ask for outside help.
But only if the desired goal serves goodness. If the desire is to enrich the self with power, I call it selfish and destructive. Some would call it 'evil'.
Either way, the energy spent debating might be better spent uniting in purpose and asking, thereby creating the better world most of us seek.
Wholesome transcendence is a delicate balance, much more easily attained especially if there is a goal towards an 'outer achievement and intent' to do good for others: reasonable selflessness.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE: All good principles have their dark alternatives, as we can now see operating in our world. Sadly, those who seek power and attain it do so all too often by tapping into the Universal Consciousness' dark energy alternatives.
BURNING QUESTIONS:
- Can the roadblocks of belief in the above be overcome sufficiently as individuals first, so that the road to working collectively can be opened?
May I share that there are two roadblocks for most of us that keep us from the great gifts that are ours to claim. They are:
Not feeling 'good enough' or unworthy; and
Not feeling 'loveable' or worthy of the Universal Consciousness' attention/fulfillment of our 'asks'.
Bollocks: Those are the two most destructive questions to our progress. And the negative impact on our peace and happiness too destructive to even entertain them.
We are set up from the moment of birth to have these two questions block our potential and fulfillment. We simply have to transcend them. Let them go. Get over feeling 'less than'.
If not, you are simply giving away your power, which is vested in your ability to transcend feeling 'less than/not good enough/not loveable'.
THINK: Aren't those using the Principles destructively, doing everything in their power to foster these negative feelings?
Oh, yes they are. And they keep succeeding because the true principles of power are hidden in divisive tactics like religion, beauty, and material wealth.
Well, I am here to tell you that
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, just as you are.
YOU ARE A MIRACULOUS UNI-NOTE, and are no less worthy than others.***
And the world needs you, just as you are.
However, it needs you to
First, know your greatness (no one is better or worse than you, just at different stages of learning. Is a senior in high school better than a kindergartner? No, just more learned);
Second: Dare to Ask. Believe and find your courage to ask; and
Third: Join others to create The Verse needed to save this planet and it's people from the present trajectory that is being led by those who know the principles, but are, in the wisdom of the lady in front of the school in the movie Mr. Mom, are DOING IT WRONG.
If I haven't learned anything else, I have learned that the Universal Consciousness or God provides when we ask AND do all we can do IF we keep our hearts, minds, and eyes open.
A ball falls back to the ground, regardless of who tosses it into the air.
DARE!!!
Can the 'cat herd' put aside all the contrariness, decide on a common goal, dare to believe, and ask for help from the Universal Consciousness, and then once enough of that power is attained AND we become focused like a laser beam on on issue (perhaps proper health care for all worldwide), use our collective power to change the Universal Consciousness sufficiently to unseat the powers of those who are, quite frankly, doing so IN THE WRONG WAY? To overpower their harmful use of the collective Universal Consciousness?
***There are some less palatable principles that can help or deter from our success. Clean living is helpful. Clean mental, physical, and emotional living. These can be achieved by asking, as well. We all have things to overcome. It's human!
Some call living poorly SIN.
In closing, yet one more daft rhyme:
S.I.N. The Acronym
S incere
I integrity
N egated
Tomorrow, we will become the person we decide we are today.
We will make mistakes everyday. Let yourself and others be a new person every morning. Think "Groundhog Day". Let go of blame, admit mistakes, brush it off and be new. It's Good Morning, not Good Mourning!
Namaste
Peace, the true goal of humanity, not happiness.
I am greatly thankful for spellcheck.
Now, let's create Policy Check, to keep them from drifting further away from good and Universal Principles.