The Fungus

A ‘Think Tank’ blog that promotes the spreading of Peace, Love, Creativity, Awareness, Knowledge, Wisdom, Happiness and Purpose

Posts Tagged ‘spirituality’

Craig Smith: ‘What are we so unhappy about?”

Posted by thefungus on June 25, 2008

My mom recently sent me this email explaining how 67% of Americans are dissatisfied with the way their country is going. The author explains that Americans are ’spoiled brats’ because we have so much to be thankful for (electricity, running water, freedoms etc.) and that rather than look at the bigger picture we should be grateful for what our leaders are doing for us. Here is my response. I encourage you to check out the original email from Craig Smith, but essentially it’s neatly disguised pro-bush propaganda. Remember folks, interpret all the information you are exposed to and then come to your own conclusions; don’t let anyone think for you.

Dear Mom,

I like the emphasis on seeing the good and appreciating all that we have. We are truly blessed to be alive in the most exciting time in all of human history. Life is an amazing gift and to be able to truly live in the magic of the moment is what God asks of us. Re-read the 9 steps of spirituality by Brother Wayne Teasdale (I believe i sent this to you a long time ago… i’ll look for it again and re-send it to you)….. When you truly achieve oneness with yourself, with the universe, you have reached step 8. At this point you realize that selfless servitude to others to help them along their spiritual journey so that they may also achieve the oneness/satori/the zen etc… is part and parcel of our own spiritual quest. This means making a difference in the people’s lives that mean the most to you… family and friends can gain much strength from each of us…. However, it also means creating change on a more massive scale. Analyzing the politics/policies/laws/ etc. that impact our fellow man’s ability to be free, to have their basic needs met, and to realize that a MUCH better future is very easily possible if we actually become active members of society is how we can influence change on a major scale that ultimately can help more and more of us wake up from our daze and start to live life passionately again.

In many ways the average canadian/american lives life more comfortably than the wealthiest kings of past eras. In many ways our culture/lifestyle is preventing many of us from fully realizing our potential. There is a massive rise of anxiety and attention deficit disorders, depression, suicide, workplace violence, addiction… According to a 1992 World Health Organization study we are 3 times more likely to become depressed than our grandparents were at our age. A quarter of the US population will experience some symptoms of depression during their lives. While we may have adequate drinking water, police protection, clean hotels, etc. we as humans are still in a state of evolution. We work 8-10 hours a day (many of us in a job that we despise), we come home exhausted, put a microwave dinner in the microwave, turn on the reality t.v. and deep inside wish we were alive. Sure this cozy lifestyle is better than a lot of places in the world that experience great political and military turmoil. But are we truly better off and more ‘free’ than that tribe that was recently discovered in brazil that may be one of the last tribes that has not been exposed to the ‘real world’? The old evolution has always been about the efficiency of society… the agricultural revolution, the industrial/scientific revolution…. the new evolution is about the evolution of the individual… the new evolution is about the individual’s growth in the spiritual, emotional, mental and physical realm. Quantum mechanics (science) has come full circle… science originally branched from religion to seek truth and rationality and to get away from faith based logic….. what science is telling us now is that the power of our minds, the power of love, the power of living life in harmony with ourselves and with each other is helping us to realize the potential of our evolution. We are in the dawn of the new era… the age of aquarius is upon us… the spiritual prophets and visionaries have spoken about this time since the beginning of time. This is a new era of human consciousness…. We need leaders who are truly in tune with humanity, with the planet, with themselves to guide us. The policies of George Bush and Stephen Harper are steeped in corruption and evil… they are not true leaders…  They are not spiritually in tune with themselves, with the planet, or with humanity as a whole…George bush can go to church every single sunday but it doesn’t take a prophet to recognize that he is spiritually empty. We are all spiritual beings and we are no better or worse than any one else, therefore we cannot judge. However, we can recognize when someone is ‘in tune’ and we have to use our judgement when electing leaders, especially the leaders who make the most impact on all of humanity and the planet. We have much to be extremely grateful for, but if our good fortune is at the stake of someone else’s than we can not be truly satisfied until everyone has the same opportunities to be free and to pursue their spiritual journey. Killing the taliban and replacing them with warlords is not the solution… how long will it take before we wake up and learn from our mistakes? A visionary like Depak Chopra makes wonderful arguments about the political force of love and spirituality, and 4 years under the guidance and leadership of a man like him could make the whole world wake up. Big business, big agriculture, big pharma, big industry, big oil have benefited from spiritually inept, corrupt, dishonest, deceitful, evil ‘leaders’ like bush, reagan, harper etc. for too long. Unfortunately when a visionary leader comes into power in a country like venezuela or guatemala and tries to free their people from the chains of american ‘big’ interests, they get assassinated. The CIA has mingled in the affairs of every leader who displays courage, a desire for change, a desire to truly help the poor and disenfranchised and the CIA has readily admitted to doing unspeakable things. Read the book “Confessions of an Economic Hitman” to learn more about this, and to verify any doubts you may have. The countries that we love so much have done many horrible and unspeakable things around the world because of the greed and lust for power that our system creates. I love life to the brim; without living in a location as free as Vancouver I likely would not have evolved into the person that I am today. That being said, I think we need to look at the direction that we are headed in as a country and find the strength to do what is right…. in our day to day lives as well as on the political scene.

I have hope for obama. he sounds like he speaks the truth. I am also hesitant to place complete trust in him. I know that he is backed by a lot of very powerful men. I also know that he is upsetting a lot of very powerful men. I hope he is able to initiate major change, and I hope he is able to open up the eyes, the minds and the hearts of the American people to help America as a whole lose their ego. Disconnection from our ego is a very potent spiritual message delivered by many very wise spiritual men and women, and America as a whole needs to lose its ego. Gorbachev referred to it as America’s “winning complex”, the idea that America believes it is the best and needs to always win and be the best. This is a horrible trait in an individual…. arrogant, snotty, ignorant, bullyish, naive….. and it is very evident to the rest of the world that America displays these same traits in both their domestic and foreign policies. Neither America or Israel are any more God’s chosen people than the Australians, the Argentinians, the Bangladesh, the Rawandans, etc. and it is blasphemous to believe that. We are all God’s children, and until America the great wakes up, realizes that, and truly starts to act like that I will continue to be critical.

Yes we are extremely lucky… Yes there is a lot more goodness in our lives than bad… However, the arguments made by Craig Smith are redundant, superficial, and are part of the ‘old-paradigm’ evolution that  needs to be subject to de-emphasis. Sure, pumping money and fear into a war on terror might protect us from terrorists this year, maybe next, maybe even the next year. But eventually we need to take a step back and critically analyze the real issues that are causing terrorism because this ’shield’ is artificial and will crack.

There are many authors, visionaries, poets, politicians etc. that communicate on a very deep level and are very worthy of all of our attention.

Posted in Human Rights, Sessions-Reflections, The Goodness, USA 2008 election, love, machine, poetry, resistance, science, spirituality, terrorism | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

My mom sent me this… advice for living (some relevant stuff here)

Posted by thefungus on April 8, 2008

Not to sound too preachy… but I think one of the goals in life is to be internally happy, healthy, fulfilled, wise, at peace etc. and perhaps this ‘advice’ can help you attain inner freedom. With all of the crazy issues that we think are important to be conscious about, we can’t forget that freeing our soul, body, and mind are extremely important in our quest for inner fulfillment and purpose. Neglecting our personal health and happiness should not be compromised for any reason. If you can find relevance in your own life to these suggested ideas, and if they benefit you, then try implementing some of them in your own daily life….feel free to share with others too!

Peace and Love,

D-F(ng)s

1.  Take a 10-30 minute walk every day.   And while you walk, smile.   It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2.  Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.   Buy a lock if you have to.
3.  Buy a DVR/TIVO, tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4.  When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, “My purpose is to ______today.”
5.  Live with the 3 E’s:  Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.
6.  Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.
7.  Make time to practice meditation and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8.  Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9.  Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water.  Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk, and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control.   Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more.   It will keep the energy vampires away.
18. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don’t take yourself so seriously.  No one else does.
21. You don’t have to win every argument.  Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
23. Don’t compare your life to others’.  You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie.   Don’t save it for a special occasion.   Today is special!
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will.  Stay in touch.
32. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
33. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
34. The best is yet to come.
35. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
36. Do the right thing!
37. Call your family often.
38. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: “I am thankful for __________.  Today I accomplished _________.”
39. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
40. Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don’t want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

Posted in The Goodness, love, poetry, spirituality | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Letter to Eddie Vedder to be given tonight at solo show

Posted by thefungus on April 2, 2008

Dear Mr. Eddie Vedder,

I’d like to commend you for your efforts in living and promoting the messages and ideals of LOVE, peace, hope, human community, environmental stewardship and spiritual awareness. Collectively we need more cultural icons devoting energy to these worthy causes, and I’d like to thank you for staying true to your principles and not compromising your integrity, even as you have undergone both incredible scrutiny and success both in your career and personal life.

As you are well aware, our planet is facing many serious political, social and environmental issues. It is becoming more and more apparent that the coproratocracy – the alliance of corporations, governments and military- are leading us down a very dangerous path. It is also becoming more apparent that a non-partisan spiritual revolution/re-awakening is necessary now more than ever. The messages of LOVE and peace are universal and throughout the ages have been modeled by prophets and spiritually inclined wise men and women of all ethnicities. Every living organism is capable of experiencing the beauty and energy of an existence that is steeply rooted in love, and for those that still doubt the power and authenticity of love’s potential quantum mechanics is providing us with verifiable, scientific evidence that the power of the heart and mind are much greater than many of us have given them credit for. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Environment, Human Rights, Sessions-Reflections, The Goodness, downtown eastside, empire, fungus, homelessness, love, machine, resistance, spirituality | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Djwhal Khul Speaks to the Children

Posted by thefungus on March 27, 2008

Well, blessings to you, Beloved Ones! You have traveled many different planes (of existence) and many existences in your Earth and beyond your Earth. You are like a little time traveler. You are one to be honored and one to be cherished. For you are a divine child of God. And yet living on the Earth is not always easy for you. But then you chose this. You asked to be present on the Earth at this time. And you asked to be able to bring a certain focus that may be slightly different. In other words, the focus on the Earth and the perspective of many who live there, what is expected of you by many and what is desired of you by some, is NOT your focus. Is that so? You have a different gift to bring to the Earth. And you are an Indigo Child. You may not be an indigo child like some; you are a variation, for they are not all the same.  Perhaps you have brought in the indigo heart and the indigo need for truth and the need for beauty.  Perhaps you have brought in the indigo sensitivity that only wants to be about love. It wants to circulate love and create love. Maybe you have brought in the artistic perception of an Indigo. Or even the Grand Intelligence and Deep Scientific Calculations of an Indigo who is at home with computers and devices of intricacy.

 

There are things for you to learn
and there are things for you to teach.


This does not make you better than anyone else. Nor is anyone else better than you are. All are of GOD. It is like a grand garden. There are many flowers that grow in this garden. The seed that sprouted your particular flower has come from a long way away. And yet it has seeded in the garden of the Earth. So know that you are in your right place for now because you are here. You need to be here. There are things for you to learn and there are things for you to teach. You need to be here. So do not waste your time dreaming of leaving. Because in your dreams and in your visions and those that are forthcoming, you may see and catch glimpses of other worlds. They are worlds that you have lived in. But it does not mean that there is any mistake that you have come here. For you have come here to open the heart. Even if it is in a rather unique way, as seen from the perspective of some on the Earth.


And I shall not tell to you all the things that you will do. For you are a flower that grows upon a vine. And what does that mean? It means that you grow intertwined with others. And there are others that shall come and they will join you. And you shall grow together. And you shall find the others that are like you. And then you will not feel so alone.

For you have come to build a new society

      Deep inside of you you know why you have come, for your heart knows. And you have come to seed a New Kind of Being. And it does go against the grain of your society. For you have come to build a new society. You have come to become a builder of a new focus and a new society. And it is as if there is a prism and you have come to polish one of the colors on the prism. But I say to you in order to accomplish that which you have come to do – your job – your gift – it is important for you to honor the other colors in the prism. And it is important that you achieve a certain amount of balance in your world, so that others might listen to you. So that you might learn about many things. So that THEN you can bring your own gift, and others will listen to you. For they will not always understand you, but when you understand them, by dabbling, you might say, a little bit in all of the things that are important to them, then you shall bring them to you, endear them to you. And then they will not be afraid of you. And they will not be put off by you. And they will come closer to you. And then they will be able to see your gift. And those things that you create, you will then be able to share with them, because you have not separated yourself from them.

It is important that you learn something about
everybody.  That is why you are in school

      And it is not that you should separate yourself from any other, but that you would bring the Gift of Unity and Oneness. Perhaps you are a golden thread. But then there are threads that are silver and threads that are white and there are threads that are green and gray.  And you have come to take a needle and unite all of the threads. And not to be superior and not to be inferior. And not to stop listening to your own heart either. But in order to gain the heart and the ear, so that others will see your works and listen to you, it is important that you learn something about everybody.  That is why you are in school.


You have already come with a gift and you have a purpose. It is to restore beauty on the Earth. To restore the heart. And to hold a focus of the Divine Feminine. And the Divine Feminine comes forth from you like a fountain. Much beauty and much flow of harmony, for you are all about harmony and love. And where there is no harmony, you do not understand it. And where there is no love, you do not want to be there. And where it does not make sense to your heart, your mind wants to leave and not be there. And that is why the dreams are so strong within you. And that is why the force of love is so strong within you.  But in order to grow and strengthen your stem and build your leaves and branches as the bright flower are, it is important, since you are planted in the soil of the Earth, to understand something of the Earth.  And that is why you are in school. To understand something of things that you may not choose to be with for very long. But go through the learning of it. And learn something about it. Why? So you can speak with many people. So you can love many people. So you can share your gifts with them and learn from their gifts.  And it doesn’t mean that you will lose the wondrous gift that you bring.

You are different but you are also the same


You are different but you are also the same. Because everything is united. That which created Everything. Every flower, every bird, every planet, every universe, every little dog and every little human and every little angel. The Creator of All put a thread of Unity through all so that everything moves altogether. On your Earth, it is not so easy to see the threads. They look invisible, but they are not. Everything is united.


So please, Beloved Indigo Child, please honor and love yourself


So please, Beloved Indigo Child, please honor and love yourself and know that you are honored in Heaven, even as you shall be honored on Earth. And there is unity there as well! Heaven and Earth are really one. Everything is really connected. This you will see before too long, if you do not already see it.

      Earth is a little bit of a school itself. You may not like school and you may not like Earth at times. But please honor Her. Know that She is alive. She isn’t just a big ball that you walk on. She is alive. Every little part of Her. Even as you walk on Her Big Body, She is conscious and She is growing. And She is, in one sense, in Her own school of development, of expansion. She is spinning through space and doing many things. And She shelters you. And She is one of your mothers, for She nourishes you. Her elements are in your physical body and Her soils, although depleted by Humanity, give you food to eat. Her waters give you drink.


So, please, Beloved One, honor your heart for it is full. And honor your mind as well. For it is full. They go together. The mind follows the heart; let the mind keep pace with the heart.

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Indigo Child ‘Quiz’

Posted by thefungus on March 27, 2008

How can you tell if you are an Indigo?
A good way to “test” yourself is to answer the following:


Are you always searching for your greater purpose in life but feel like the world isn’t set up for your kind?

Do you sometimes feel wise beyond your years?

Do you have trouble conforming to the ways of society?

Do you feel out of place in today’s world?

Do you perceive the world very differently than most people around you?

Do you have strong intuition about certain things that most others do not?

Do you often feel misunderstood when you try to talk to people about what’s real?

Are you a truth seeker?

Do you feel like you were born to accomplish a special mission in life?

Do you feel isolated and alone in your beliefs?

Misunderstood by family?

Do you feel anti-social unless you are with people of like mind?

Are you emotionally sensitive?

Did you have a difficult childhood?

Do you often feel disempowered by too much authority?

If you can answer yes to many of these questions,
then you are most likely an Indigo.

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Indigo Children

Posted by thefungus on March 27, 2008

Posted in The Goodness, Video, love | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Indigo Children

Posted by thefungus on March 27, 2008

Indigo Children – Indigo Child – Crystal Children
In the spiritual community, there are many who anticipate the Emergence of a Golden Age to come. An important part of this awakening that is occuring is the coming of Children with an awakened Consciousness. These childrens have been called the Indigo children.

Are the Indigo children, (variously called the Indigo children, Crystal Children, the Children of Oz) the ones who will launch humanity into a new era of consciousness, laying the groundwork for the emergence of a Golden Age?

“The Indigo Child is a boy or girl who displays a new and unusual set of psychological attributes, revealing a pattern of behavior generally undocumented before. This pattern has singularly unique factors that call for parents and teachers to change their treatment and upbringing of these kids to assist them in achieving balance and harmony in their lives, and to help them avoid frustration.”

Lee Carroll & Jan Tober

In an epic poem, Savitri, the late master Sri Aurobindo of India vividly describes a coming new race of humanity emerging on Earth. Was he reffering to the Indigo Childrens?

“I saw them cross the twilight of an age, The sun-eyed children of a marvelous dawn, Great creators with wide brows of calm, The massive barrier-breakers of the world, Laborers in the quarries of the gods The architects of immortality.”

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Neale Donald Walsch

Posted by thefungus on March 27, 2008

A few members of the fungus attended a Walsch lecture recently. I thought I’d copy and paste a little about him (courtesy of wikipedia). Check out his books on his approach to spirituality if this piques your curiosity.
Peace,
D.

Neale Donald Walsch was born in Milwaukee on September 10, 1943, and brought up as a Roman Catholic by a family who encouraged his quest for spiritual truth. He studied The Bible, the Rig Veda and the Upanishads. He says his books are not channelled, but rather that they are inspired by God and that they can help a person relate to Him from a modern perspective. The God in his books, for example, says that “there is nothing you have to do.” Walsch believes in a pantheistic God, who tries to communicate Himself as being unselfish. His vision expressed is of a New Spirituality: an expansion and unification of all present theologies; a refreshing of them, rendering all of our current sacred teachings even more relevant to our present day and time. He created Humanity’s Team as a spiritual movement whose purpose is to communicate and implement New Spirituality beliefs, particularly that we are all one with God and one with life, in a shared global state of being.

Philosophy:

There are parallels with Walsch’s philosophy and that of the Bahá’í Faith, although the Bahá’í Faith does not believe in pantheism. A possibly stronger connection is with Zoroastrianism, whose divinity Ahura Mazda carries many similarities with Walsch’s God, including the pantheistic angle. Also, there are similarities with early Gnosticism.

Career:

Before starting to publish these books in the early 1990s, Walsch suffered a series of crushing blows — a fire that destroyed all of his belongings, the break-up of his marriage, a car accident that left him with a broken neck. Once recovered but alone and unemployed, Walsch was forced to live in a tent in Jackson Hot Springs, just outside Ashland, Oregon, collecting and recycling aluminium cans in order to eat. At the time, Walsch thought his life had come to an end. Despondent, Walsch began his writings after working his way out of homelessness following a short-lived job as a radio talk show host.
In 2003, the film Indigo, written by Neale Donald Walsch and James Twyman and directed by Stephen Simon was released. It chronicled the story of the redemption of a grandfather, played by Walsch, through his granddaughter, who is an indigo child.

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John Frusciante

Posted by thefungus on March 10, 2008

I remember buying my first chili peppers album in 1991, and listening for hours to Frusciante’s guitar playing. He was just 21 when he wrote and recorded the album, along with the other RHCP members. An amazing artist who is able to create music that truly comes from the soul, I thought I’d post this video/ photo collage that someone made to his song, “Anne” to bring back a little bit of real music in our lives. The photos definitely reveal a lot about Frusciante, providing a little insight into the mystique of the man who’s music reflect a tortured yet beautiful soul. He has come a long way on his personal journey, and if you’re interested more in Frusciante and his unique approach to music and life in general, I recommend you check him out more.

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We are in the beginning of an environmental/spiritual revolution…

Posted by thefungus on February 10, 2008

Humans have the most fully developed intelligence and self-awareness of all animals. At times this has been used to distance us further from nature. Ever since we have believed in a soul separate from the body, or in a special role allocated by God, we have seen ourselves as superior to the material world. We have seen nature as there for our use only, to deal with as we please.

But full consciousness does not have to mean separation. It may give us an opportunity that is denied to other animals – the chance to embrace a conscious re-unification with nature and the universe.

When we began our journey we were hunter-gatherers. We were part of nature and subject to her rules.

But once we began to assert control over nature through agriculture, we ceased to be a harmonious part of nature. And when we began to burn fossil fuels on a mounting scale, and to disrupt every ecosystem on earth through pollution and interference, we started to undermine nature.

Two revolutions – the agricultural and industrial – set us over against nature.

A third, environmental revolution, now in its early stages, will begin the process of re-integration into nature. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Environment, empire, machine | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Does nature experience love?

Posted by thefungus on December 15, 2007

I think it does….  a few of us went down to the beach today when the rain stopped and the clouds kind of cleared, and we brought along a camera. As we started taking some sweet shots of the sunshine breaking through the dark clouds and reflecting off of the wet sand, we noticed a seagull that was just chillin. It was standing in a shallow pool and his (her?) body remained completely still for at least 5 minutes. Was he merely taking a moment’s break in his ongoing quest for safety, security, and satisfying his basic needs? Or was he pondering, perhaps contemplating the meaning of life? Perhaps he was as awestruck as we were at the amazing symmetry found in nature. As we stared out into the water, we noticed a family of ducks just chillin out in the water. They were bobbing up and down, back and forth,  completely in rhythm to the lull of the ocean. Completely at peace….

The pace of life of nature is wonderful. How different our lives are…. perpetually rushing through the hyperactive business culture lifestyle that we feel is natural, yet in reality is completely out of touch with nature.

The incredible beauty found in nature and in life is anything but ’simple’… but the ’simple’ life (as our society loves to derogatorily call it) is so much more vibrant, gentle, compassionate, organic, and fulfilling than a life clung to material desires.

Peace and Love,

Danimallove.jpg

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Aldous Huxley

Posted by thefungus on December 13, 2007

Aldous Huxley is an intellect of the highest order… I thought I’d re-read some “Doors of Perception” after watching the huxley interview posted. Here’s an excerpt from that book:

“The sum of evil, Pascal remarked, would be much diminished if men could only learn to sit quietly in their rooms. The contemplative whose perception has been cleansed does not have to stay in his room. He can go about his business, so completely satisfied to see and be a part of the divine Order of Things that he will never even be tempted to indulge in what Traherne called “the dirty Devices of the world.” When we feel ourselves to be sole heirs of the universe, when “the sea flows in our veins… and the stars are our jewels,” when all things are perceived as infinite and holy, what motive can we have for covetousness or self-assertation, for the pursuit of power or the drearier forms of pleasure? Contemplatives are not likely to become gamblers, or procurers, or drunkards; they do not as a rule preach intolerance, or make war; do not find it necessary to rob, swindle or grind the faces of the poor… The arhat and the quietist may not practice contemplation in its fullness; but if they practice it at all, they may bring back enlightening reports of another, a transcendent country of the mind; and if they practice it in height, they will become conduits through which some beneficent influence can flow out of that other country into a world of darkened selves, chronically dying for lack of it”. (The Doors of Perception, p.44)

Posted in The Goodness, love, poetry, quotes | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

LOVE truly is the answer my friends

Posted by thefungus on December 8, 2007

This is an article I wrote. The ‘beautiful game’ refers to soccer:

If the majority of scientists and economists are correct in their analysis of global warming trends, the planet is facing a significant environmental and socio-economic crisis in the years to come. If what we are told is true, we have a very short window of opportunity (scientists estimate 10 – 20 years) in which to eliminate our bad habits in order to save the planet. We have a purpose; we are, and I say this very humbly, the most important generation to walk the planet. Think of ten years over the course of human history: It is merely a momentary blip; a blink of an eye over the course of a cosmic millennium. And you and I, for whatever reason, are alive and breathing during this most precious and scary and exhilarating of times. The way our generation conducts business as well as the way our generation conducts our own individual lives is integral to the success or the demise of the planet. Still don’t think you have a purpose? Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Articles, Consumption/Consumerism, Environment, Human Rights, Sessions-Reflections, The Goodness, USA 2008 election, buy nothing day, empire, love, machine, racism, resistance, terrorism | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Explanation on recent spiritual posts

Posted by thefungus on December 6, 2007

As more and more of you read this blog, I felt it necessary to explain my decision to post spiritual material. First of all, for all intensive purposes, I am a ‘recovering Catholic’. Read the rest of this entry »

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Wayne on the spiritual perspectives of America’s role as sole superpower

Posted by thefungus on December 6, 2007

Hear the brotha speak….

http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/audio_library/ram/wv/wv_030512b.ram

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A monk’s perspective on the joys and value of FRIENDSHIP

Posted by thefungus on December 5, 2007

A long read, but if you’ve got time this is a well written excerpt from “A Monk in the World: Cultivating a Spiritual Life” by Wayne Teasdale.

All of us realize, I think, that friendship is one of the greatest, most fulfilling human joys. Each of us has, or should have, many friendships, and each of us can probably look back to a particularly important friendship in our childhood, a friendship that greatly nourished us in our need for companionship and acceptance, a friendship with someone with whom we could share our secrets and our dreams. Read the rest of this entry »

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HOPE…

Posted by thefungus on December 3, 2007

“A broad, interspiritual American culture is being born and is becoming increasingly conscious, aware of a horizon of meaning and spiritual life that can overpower the predominant culture of entertainment, consumerism, and an essentially heartless capitalism. Under the surface of this society, with the intense meditative discipline being observed by several millions of spiritual seekers, a torrent of consciousness is rising in American humanity and other nations as well that will have its effect in time.”

-Wayne Teasdale, Roman Catholic monk

Taken from an essay included in “Spiritual perspectives on America’s role as Superpower”… a fantastic  book containing 16 essays written by profound religious and spiritual teachers of multiple faiths (Catholic, Muslim,Jewish, Buddhist, Vedantist, Protestant, interfaith traditions). More quotes to come as I read more and more…

PS. Great insights on ’security’ a few posts ago! Reminds me of Pearl Jam lyrics in “I’m Open”:

A man lies in his bed in a room with no door
He waits, hoping for a presence, something, anything to enter
After spending half his life searching
He still felt as blank as the ceiling at which he stared
He is alive, but feels absolutely nothing, so is he?

When he was six, he believed that the moon overhead followed him
By nine, he deciphered the illusion, trading magic for fact, no trade-backs
So this is what it’s like to be an adult?
If he only knew now what he knew then

Posted in Consumption/Consumerism, Environment, The Goodness, empire, love, quotes | Tagged: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

D-fungus on spirituality

Posted by thefungus on November 30, 2007

I challenge you to become spiritual; I want you to believe in Bhudda, I want you to believe in Allah, I want you to believe in Jesus. More importantly, I want you to believe in love, believe in the power of humanity, I want you to believe that you have God in you, I want you to believe that I have God in me. I want you to feel the power of nature, to feel the power of living in harmony with that nature. I want you to believe in magic, in miracles, in forgiveness, in divinity. I want you to learn to discover the inherent beauty in everything in life, I want you to believe in the sacred balance of the universe, the beauty of the stars and the galaxy, the beauty of the diversity of the life existing in the blue seas, the magic of each new dawn, and each new evening.

Does your spirituality allow that you be happy, be free, be beautiful, be loved? And does your spirit truly allow you to LOVE everyone and everything in this universe?. Does your spirituality allow you to connect to the Earth? Does your spirituality allow you to totally remove your desire for greed, for power, for injustice, for hatred, for dominance? Read the rest of this entry »

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