TIME OUT FOR KARMA

  NOT EXACTLY REINCARNATION

 

   When we die, is that the end? No, it isn’t. But yes, it is. The answer is not as simple as either you or I would prefer. Why not? Because this is not a yes or no Multiverse – it is a yes and no Multiverse. 

   We live this life to experience one of a practically infinite number of possibilities resulting from at least all the different choices we might make in any of the different situations we might find ourselves. When we die, that particular life lives on as would one of our memories – but only as a “memory.” The Us that made all those lifetime choices makes no further choices. That Us dies, which is tragic.

   It may be, however, that the Soul (or Higher Self…) who lived that life also lives each of the other possible lives that would result from making each different decision. And that Higher Self is not limited by the time constraints that are really just constructs of this one, limited, merely 3-Dimensional possibility. Our Souls live beyond time. So, each moment is eternal. Each moment of all our lives is eternal.

   Sort of.

   I think.

 

   To clarify my “limited, merely 3-D” comment, imagine taking a 2-D horizontal cross section through a tree’s branches (length and width but no height). Then, from your 3-D perspective, look down on the 2-D reality of those tree branches. You would see a bunch of flat, apparently unconnected, discs. The 2-D beings who might exist in that “Flatland” would have no logical reason to suspect that those seemingly separate disks were all connected parts of the same tree.

   Similarly, our merely 3-D existence makes us unaware of all the connections apparent to our Higher Selves, who exist in a more multi-dimensional Multiverse. “Time” is something we imagine in order to measure movement within 3 Dimensions. (Something that exists at both point A and point B must have taken “time” to get from A to B.) To our Higher Selves, there is no “time” separating the thing at A from the thing at B – the thing (as a larger, more multi-dimensional thing) coexists at A and B.

   We do not reincarnate. We coincarnate – eternally.

   Sort of.

   I think.

 

   You might be thinking, “That’s all well and good. But here, within this 3-D reality, successful navigation requires applying the concepts of Time and Movement – no matter how illusory they might be.” You are absolutely correct.

   Which brings me to what I suspect is an incontrovertible truth of the Multiverse: We are here to be here. Similar to how it is hard or impossible for us to appreciate the realities of living in Flatland, it is hard or impossible for our Higher Selves / Souls / God to appreciate the realities of living in 3-D Land. It is only through us living our lives that God is able to experience what it is like to be here. And since God is by definition omniscient, God must be able to experience this. So, even given our limited perception, and even though the realities of the Higher Planes are beyond our understanding, we are necessary. God would not be complete without us. We are here to be here, where God (through us) also is. This, I think, gets to the core of the way in which we are co-creators with God.

 

   Though I might sound too sure of this “multiversal manifesto,” please accept my assurance that I know I don’t know. Because my perception and thoughts derive (almost?) entirely from my 3-D perspective, I am (like the Flatlanders) incapable of understanding more multi-dimensional realities. So whatever model I might come up with to explain reality is at best inadequate. “All models are wrong. Some models are useful.” I would like to think that my model is less wrong and more useful than others. But I can’t be certain.

 

 

         WHAT ABOUT EVIL?

 

   God is Love. Love is good. Evil can only exist where God isn’t. But God (the conscious, empathetic force of multiversal oneness, if you prefer to think in those terms) is everywhere. It is only here, within the 3D illusion of separation from God, where the evils we have all seen can sprout from the imaginations of those who choose to separate themselves from God. Like Milton’s Satan, who chose to rule in Hell rather than serve with God, those who deny God’s omnipresent unity by choosing to elevate themselves over others, are creating Hell on Earth. From the higher perspectives, evil and Hell do not exist. But down here, satanic choices sure seem to have evil effects. The Flatlander who sees only unconnected disks instead of the wholeness of a tree is unable to navigate above what is seen as separation. As long as we remain stuck in 3D Land, we cannot elevate ourselves above the evil that, for all practical 3D purposes, is real. Evil does not exist… except that it does, here. Anything that fosters a sense of separation, superiority, or privilege is and creates evil.

   We are not born evil. We are born ignorant. If, as our higher selves can, we could see and accept that everything is connected, evil could not survive. But because our 3D reality makes us ignorant of our connections, and because we have free will, we sometimes make Godless choices. Only then does evil result. Within 3D reality, evil is not only possible – it is inevitable.

   We are here to be here. So, being here, how do we deal with evil? Some advocate a “turn the other cheek” approach. If they are motivated by love, I am not going to say they are wrong. Personally, however, I think there are better choices than turning away when evil threatens to exploit another, or expecting us all to turn our cheeks when some of us are being exploited. To me, The Golden Rule is another loving but perhaps preferable choice. I would not want to be marginalized, manipulated, maligned, or maimed. I would not want to be abused or enslaved. If evil attacked me, I would be grateful for help. So I feel I should “do the same way” for others.

Evil should be called out for what it is, wherever it is – even within me. I’m sure my higher self would not want me to rape others. So please – should I start stooping so low, stop me.

   Please don’t misunderstand. I believe in your freedom to do whatever you want – as long as you are not hurting others. But for the sake of all the rest of us, when your misuse of freedom harms others, then you have separated yourself from God and deserve to be held accountable. Because God gave us free will, God will not interfere in our choices here. So holding you accountable for and preventing your evil is up to us.

   Evil, left alone to fester in the dark while hiding from the light of truth, will expand, like proliferating environmental destruction. Sometimes, revealing evil for what it is can defeat it. So that is the preferred first action to battle it. But there have been times when evil so successfully perverted truth that the light of reality could not penetrate the shadow world embraced by evil’s expanding minions. At such times, more forceful action may be necessary. Though radiation therapy can stop cancer, sometimes, in order to save the body, the cancer must be cut out. If more aggressive efforts to stop Hitler had not been undertaken, the Nazis would have slaughtered millions more innocent people and we would likely be enduring an age of unimaginable darkness – a price for not fighting back that I’ve been unable to accept.

   The characteristics of both social and individual development demonstrate many parallels. Insights into one can often be gained by examining the other. Individually and collectively we all have the potential for both good and evil. To manifest the best within ourselves as individuals, it is often necessary to suppress our baser, unevolved, more selfish and hurtful tendencies in order to foster an environment in which our better selves can thrive. And so it is with Society. For our society to live up to its best potential, we must identify and suppress the most selfish/evil among us. And yet, since God is everywhere, if you search thoroughly enough you will find God even within the Hitlers among us. So if, while battling evil, you do not “love your enemy,” then you will have made a Godless choice and will, therefore, have embraced the evil you sought to defeat.

   Loving those who perpetrate evil can seem almost impossibly difficult, especially while struggling against them. Overcoming the ignorance we are born into when the truths of the higher planes is beyond us is also practically impossible. And yet, here we are – where we must be, for now. Is there any hope for successfully dealing with our seemingly “born to lose” situation? Yes. God, being everywhere, is within us. (Imagine the Multiverse as a hologram: everything exists within each little piece of everything.) So if we can quiet our egos enough to pay attention to the source within, then we can know what is right and good despite the ignorance of our 3D perceptions. Also, though often difficult, finding God within ourselves gives us access to all the love we could ever want or need. And be assured - if we fail, we are forgiven.

   Though our 3D ignorance can make discerning which choices are most consistent with God’s reality problematic, it should be reinforced that in some circumstances the choice between good and evil is relatively easy. “Whatsoever You Do to the Least of My Brothers You Do unto Me.” If you believe there are certain favored individuals or groups of individuals, and you use that belief to justify the mistreatment of or discrimination against anyone, you are fostering Godless evil. If you choose to do something that fosters separation instead of celebrating oneness, if you insist on being exclusive instead of inclusive, you are creating evil. This is not a difficult concept to understand. And if, despite the practically universal teaching of this simple “Golden Rule” truth by the World’s religious and humanist leaders, you insist on deifying yourself or some other false god, and you continue to demand that your personal convenience trumps the common good, you are responsible for that choice and you are not just fostering evil – you are evil. In such a case, even forgiveness won’t save you from the hell you are creating. (The “freedom” to enslave or exploit others, currently pushed by the elitist, entitled, super-wealthy authoritarian class through their “trickle down” deregulation propaganda, and mindlessly swallowed or conveniently applauded by their Confederate-flag-waving victims and enablers, is just one example among many.) As such, even when your soul joins mine and the rest of God’s children in the Higher Realms, while here you are an evil sociopath. And it is entirely just for me to say so. Evil must be identified before it can be fought. And I will fight you – while also loving you.

     Life is hard.

 

 

 

         FINAL THOUGHTS

 

   To claim there is no free will is to suggest we are not responsible for our actions. (A convenient excuse for sociopathic types.) But I reject that notion. It simply does not fit with the other requirements or implications of this model. In my reality, we are responsible for our choices. We do have free will. As co-creators, we must be able to choose. Even if it is true that for God to truly be omniscient and omnipresent, each possible reality must exist, I can decide that in this reality, my life, evil will not win - not in the long run. Though I will make mistakes along the way, we are forgiven our mistakes, once they’ve been acknowledged as mistakes. And I will be free to choose again, hopefully empathy instead of ego.

 

      By the way, according to experts, roughly one of every 20 people is a sociopath. (That often seems to me like an underestimate and certainly does underestimate how many sociopaths exist in the corridors of financial and political power from international to local levels.) Though they are not all as obvious as Hitler, Trump, Putin, and DeSantis, you will regularly come into contact with them, and they can seem charming. So they might manipulate you before you realize they are a threat. Therefore be vigilant. But nineteen out of twenty people are not sociopaths. So be kind as well.

   We are here to be here. Perhaps unfortunately, so are sociopaths. But one potential upside to the existence of that evil is that it provides a contrast to help more virtuous people clarify who they want to be while here. So, thanks Adolph. Thanks Donald. Thanks…

     I think.

 

   In this world, there is potential for both Good and Evil in everything – even within our fight against Evil. The imperative to fight Evil can be misdirected by sociopaths to serve their godless, selfish greed – if they succeed in convincing the otherwise righteous to misbelieve that selfless motivations like caring for others (or even some of those others) are evil. Socialism is not evil. Being Jewish or Black or Brown… is not evil. But there are Black sociopaths. And even socialism (though its underpinning motivation to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number makes it less susceptible to abuse compared to a system focused instead on accumulation of private profit) can be perverted if we don’t remain vigilant to prevent it from (as Martin Luther King, Jr. put it) forgetting that people are individuals. My hope is that government can be an effective tool for fighting back against the sociopaths. Certainly it would seem to be one if not our only tool, which is why the sociopaths want you to mistrust government. And if the sociopaths manage to take over our government, then that government needs to be reformed. Currently, in the USA, it does not appear that the Democratic Party is an effective enough force to fight back against the growing, anti-democratic evil of today’s Republican Party. So…

 

   Connections are eternal.

   The loss of a loved one is undeniably tragic and painful. But since the passage of “time” is an illusion based on the limitations of 3-Dimensional perception, if you ever had someone then you still do and always will. I believe that if you look inside carefully enough, you will find that at least part of whom they were is still within you.

     Likewise, each choice we make will always be with us. Giving gives forever. Hurting hurts forever. So even though the illusory nature of “time” means there can be no Karma in the “present” resulting from deeds of the “past,” in a way… there is karma.  And yet, I like to believe that though we are responsible for how we react to circumstance, it is often others who are responsible for the circumstances we find ourselves in. And we are all others – except that we aren’t.

 

 

Love,

jeff

Is Clinton stupid, or...?

      I am not going to vote for Trump. To me he is at best an egotistical blowhard who lacks empathy and is almost certainly dishonest. He's so bad that despite believing that a Clinton presidency would be little more than a means for maintaining a status quo in which We The People are kept financially enslaved by the uberwealthy, I WAS actually considering voting for her. But what can one say about someone who, after being diagnosed with pneumonia, insists (as her campaign has claimed) upon not drinking water? That is either stupid, or arrogant to an extreme of ignoring wise council of capable advisors – both of which are unacceptable in a chief executive with their finger on the trigger of nuclear destruction. And calling half of your opponent's supporters deplorable?! When Romney did something similar in the last election, Democrats (rightly) chastised him. Even if she could support such an inflammatory, mud-slinging accusation, is it not stupid to so reinforce the reputation she knows she already has for unfeeling, arrogant divisiveness – stupid to alienate a quarter of those she will be called upon to lead if she should become president?

      Or maybe she's not stupid. Maybe... I have been saying for decades that the uberwealthy who really run things have been successfully finding ways to keep We The People divided among ourselves so that we will blame our problems on Blacks, or Whites, or Mexicans, or Jews, or Muslims, or welfare moms, or Republicans, or Democrats, or Progressives, or environmentalists, or gays, or rednecks, or Government... instead of on the one common enemy we all have – the uberwealthy who redistribute our wealth and power to themselves. We can't fight back against what they are doing as long as we are fighting among ourselves. Maybe THAT's what is behind the divisiveness being perpetrated by both trump and clinton.

      Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe she is stupid.

      Remember the hopeful days of the Bernie Sanders campaign when, despite apparent philosophical differences, he went to speak at Liberty University where, while acknowledging differences that some might inflame to be divisive, he focused instead on the issues which should unite us - and drew respect and applause. How many in the Liberty University community do you think would now applaud or respect Clinton?
To clinton supporters - if trump wins, don't blame me because I voted for Jill Stein. Blame Clinton. And blame the DNC and yourselves for insisting, even with the clear anti-establishment sentiment across the political spectrum, that the establishment candidate be the Democratic nominee despite all her other flaws.

Wearing my Kilt on Tartan Day - WHY?

It's April 6th - Happy Tartan Day. 
Here I am proudly wearing my Clan Davidson kilt and my bonnie blue bonnet with the white cockade. Clan Davidson is one of the oldest families in the world. One source suggests they trace their lineage back to the biblical David ("son of David"). I don't know about that, but I do know that the Davidsons were Picts. The Picts were the people living in what is now Scotland when The Roman empire first invaded Britain. The Romans never conquered the Picts.
The Blue Bonnet with a white cockade was worn by the "Jacobite" Highland Clansmen fighting alongside Bonnie Prince Charlie against the English Government in 1745-46. Clan Davidson was one of the Jacobite Clans in "the '45." The Prince wanted to restore the Stewarts to the Throne of Britain (which had been "illegally" taken from them by the english Parliament). The clansmen fighting alongside him were probably more interested in keeping Scotland (or maybe the highland clans) independent of an english political-financial system which threatened their more traditional way of life. To be fair, this english "economic feudalism" (which I think evolved into capitalism) had already changed the highlands. And some of the clan chiefs (the wealthier ones) decided to fight with the english against The Prince and his Blue Bonnets. After successfully threatening London, the Jacobites were chased back to Culloden outside Inverness where they were slaughtered by the english government forces. Once this resistance to their objectives was removed, the english government pursued a policy of cultural (and arguably physical) genocide against the highland clans, culminating in the forced removal of people from the land to make room for sheep herds - because sheep were more profitable. But Jacobite sympathizers remain. And the battle of "we the people" against "government for private profit" continues.

God - A Personal Friend of Mine

     First of all, let me assure you that I do not claim to be among God's chosen few - one who has been granted special understanding of or access to the divine and therefore feels uniquely qualified or entitled to tell you how you can be saved. I am not building an ark, establishing a mission, or trying to sell you a plastic Jesus for the dashboard of your car. In fact, the childhood faith instilled in me by my good Baptist parents had devolved to agnosticism before I even reached puberty. By adulthood I avoided even mentioning the G-word, as if shunning was an entirely justifiable sentence imposed after I found Him guilty of ignoring our prayers (or maybe just not being there to hear them). And I am not “born again.” So relax. I know how little I know. And the little that I do know - well, I know it is just my truth, not a truth which necessarily works for anyone else, or a truth which I could have any expectation at all of converting you to. 

     On the other hand, after decades of reflection I have developed a model of how things might be which often seems to work - for me. So maybe some of it will work for someone else - someone or perhaps some few among the many who, if they were to be honest with themselves, might be willing to admit to just a bit of uncertainty about eternity. 

     Some will dismiss any necessity to even consider my particular “God model” by proclaiming a faith which rises above the need for examination. I want them to know that I do not dispute the validity of their faith. Indeed, I concede that there are non-logical ways of knowing. And though some may label me a non-believer because there are examples of Dogma which simply do not work for me personally, I am not necessarily without faith. As I already suggested, there are things which I know and, arguably, have faith in. 

     Others will want to reject everything I suggest which can not be logically proven and physically measured. To them I say I acknowledge the power of logic. I consider myself to be a generally logical person and even have a degree in Mathematics. Logic is a tool which is at times not only desirable, but absolutely necessary. However, logic is just a tool – it is not God. The Universe is a big place. There is more in the universal toolbox than just logic and (believe it or not) more to eternity than can fit within the bounds of human logic. 

     So, back to the things which I know. Foremost among them is this - there is more to me than my physical body. Call it my soul, or my spirit, or my higher self, or perhaps the multidimensional being which both interpenetrates and expands beyond what my purely physical senses are capable of measuring. I know this because I have experienced some of it, and because I believe that experience to be true. If you want me to prove the reality of spirit, I can not do that. It exists beyond logic and despite the denials of those who would limit reality to that which can be understood via the chemical reactions within someone's brain (theirs, presumably). The acceptance of spirit or even the possibility of spirit, if it ever comes, must be personal. 

     That there is more to us than our physical selves does not mean that the physical world is unreal. If you cut me I will bleed. So the physical world is a reality which must be dealt with. And while we exist within this physical reality, we do the best we can (each with our unique combination of genetic and learned capabilities) to navigate its currents. Predictably, because our physical reality is but a small piece of a much bigger picture which we at best get mere glimpses of, we make mistakes all along the way. But despite our inevitable mistakes, our lives within this reality are worth living. More on this later. 

     Since each one of us is unique, we each perceive the world around us in our own, unique way. This is why I know I can not expect to convert you to my truth. If there is One ultimate truth (and I think there may be - call it God if you wish), then our individual existences within this physical reality pretty much force us to perceive that One truth differently. Our perceptions will likely overlap - but they will be colored by our glorious individuality. So as physical beings (which we undeniably are despite the fact that we are also more than that) the best each of us can come up with is an approximation of the One truth, an approximation of the Bigger Picture which we each experience our own unique piece of, an individual approximation which (while sharing some aspects of other people's models) will be unique to each of us. 

     I have already touched on some features of my particular approximation, or my model. Before filling in more of the details, I would like to remind you of a quote attributed to the great statistician George E. P. Box: “All models are wrong, but some are useful.” I proceed in humility with the hope that you might find something useful in what I say. 

     As important to me as my physical existence is and should be, I know there is something beyond that which, though I am unable to adequately define or fully understand it, I am part of. It is not “out there.” It is everywhere. Let's call it “God.” God is beyond place and beyond time. (“Time,” after all, is really just a concept our brains have invented to help us keep track of movement within the physical dimensions.) Everything that ever was or ever will be, always is. There is no thing and no place and no time where God isn't. God unifies everything and is that unifying force. God is Love. Through God, we are all connected. 

     You can choose to worship the “Christian God” or the “Jewish God” or the Prophet Mohamed. But though Islam differs from Christianity, the one God is there in the hearts of those who practice Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, as well as all religions that ever were and ever will be. God is not on one side or the other. 

     You can choose to deny that there is any unifying force, perhaps worshiping ego instead, or money, or many gods instead of one God… You can even choose to worship a god that DOES take sides, using that belief to justify hate or violence towards people within whom you mistakenly think God does not exist. It is through such denials of the One universal, unifying God that we impose upon ourselves the “Hell” of separation from God. But since God is omnipresent, that separation is an illusion. 

     Our physical reality is composed of three dimensions: length, height, and width. That's it. God, however, is not limited to just those three dimensions. The “higher” or “less dense” dimensions (as they are referred to in some traditions) are also part of God, and are what makes the Big Picture so difficult for beings such as ourselves (whose focus is on the lower, most dense, physical dimensions) to fully understand or even appreciate. But since God is everywhere, including within each of us, we can experience flashes of the higher dimensions even if complete understanding of what we are experiencing eludes our logic. Also, though God exists in more than just the three physical dimensions (how many more - I have no idea), our three-dimensional reality is also part of God. So in a way, our three-dimensional reality is holy. Though limiting ourselves to physical existence can be said to “separate” us from the fullness of God, that separation is, again, illusory, for God is with us. Indeed, the physical part of God is (along with the supra-physical dimensions) a necessary part of God and we (by simply living our lives) are manifesting that necessary part, serving as absolutely vital co-creators with God of the ever-expanding universal experience. Because God is infinite, anything that even might exist must exist. The lives that each of us live must be lived, and it is our job - our holy duty - to live those lives. And we must have free will in order to make the choices which enable us to live, to create unique lives. Our lives and our choices are not PRE-destined (time is an illusion) - they are eternal. 

     I know this can be a lot to swallow. So let me restate it in a slightly different way. God is the infinite, ever-expanding, unifying consciousness of all that ever was and ever could be. Some of what “could be” is created by each unique one of us and the choices we make as we live our lives. Like a hologram (in which the whole is contained within each piece of the whole), God (and every piece of God) is within each of us. We really are One. And we are co-creators with God, enabling God to experience our own unique parts of creation, enabling God to experience God. 

     This might be a good place to stop. But there is always more. So... 

     Besides, I really do not want to stop before at least touching on the importance of Forgiveness. 

     As has already been suggested, given free will and incomplete understanding, poor decisions are inevitable. Someone might even base their entire life on poor decisions. But would that life then be a “mistake?” Would such a person be evil? Well, since everything that could be must be, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say no - that life was not a mistake. Whether or not the person who lived that life was evil, however, is a bit more problematic. Within my model, there is no place where God is not. Evil is only the illusion of separation from God. Yes, people make horrible decisions – decisions which we would be justified to judge as being “not what I would want to do” - decisions which, if resulting in repeated harm to others, would deserve condemnation and perhaps even punishment. But the person doing those things is not by nature evil, for God is there. 

     If an evil nature is illusion, what is good? I think that both good and evil are behaviors, or choices made by physical beings. An evil behavior is one which is inconsistent with what would be done if one was fully aware of and celebrated the oneness of all things. Good behavior celebrates that oneness. The Golden Rule (a form of which can be found in most if not all major religions) is one guide offered us in our pursuit of being good. But what if we fail to be good? Well, first of all, because beings living within physical reality can not be fully aware, it is a virtual certainty that we will so fail. Secondly, as I already suggested, it is through our failures as well as our successes that we make our own unique and necessary contributions to creation. So our failures are and must necessarily be Forgiven. What could be the alternative? Banishment to Hell? I don't think so. God is part of us as we are part of God. So I just don't see God banishing God to someplace where God isn't when God is everywhere. 

     We will make evil choices, and we will be forgiven. More accurately - we are making evil choices, and we are most assuredly being forgiven. The lives we are living must be lived. Once beyond living them, the illusions of separation from God (which we experience as part of living those physical lives) drop away – leaving us aware of our greater interconnectedness, our eternal oneness with God, which is, I think, the definition of essential, inevitable forgiveness. Eventually, we even have to forgive ourselves.