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Nondual Highlights #2072 - Friday, March 4, 2005 - Editor: michael


Dear Friends,

Some time has passed since I have last edited an issue of the
Highlights. The rumors of my discorporation and ascension have been
greatly exaggerated. <grin>

Anyhoo, what follows is a bit of an op-ed piece. A ramble and rant
of thoughts, observations and what-not.

be well,

michael

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Mark Twain - http://www.twainquotes.com/index.html

The Impartial Friend: Death, the only immortal who treats us all
alike, whose pity and whose peace and whose refuge are for all--the
soiled and the pure, the rich and the poor, the loved and the
unloved.
- Mark Twain, last written statement; Moments with Mark Twain, Paine


We are in a very real sense all the same. Whether we are happy or
sad, brilliant or dim, tall - short, black - white, etc. the
mysterious and wonderful power that gives us birth, life and
dissolution treats us as one.

Hmmm... Well, I could have put it this way - The rain and sun falls
alike on the rich and the poor, the well and the lame, the good and
the bad. But, death is a wee bit more of an attention getter than
the weather. After all, the weather is so changeable.

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"The kingdom of heaven is within you." - Jesus

So is a hot fudge sundae, if you eat it. We can imagine and
fantasize about hot fudge sundaes all we want. Until we actually get
a taste all we do is undulge ourselves in speculation and conjecture.

When we first look inside for the 'kingdom of heaven' what we often
first find are the hopes, fears, dreams and ideas that are common to
folk in general. These are the things that we believe we are.
Underneath them is something quite astonishing, beautiful and
breathtaking.

----------------------------------------------------

"Religion is the opiate of the masses." - Karl Marx

What?! Karl Marx!?! Wouldn't a quote by, say, Mahatma Ghandi be more
appropo? Perhaps. Marx was a bit of an idealist. He envisioned
a 'perfect' state; one that truly treated all people equally and
fairly. History (of the Marxist-Lenin communist Soviet Union) proved
that the ideal (communist) state didn't quite pan out.

For most of human history religion and govenment were one and the
same. During Europe's middle ages (also called the dark ages) any
viewpoint other than that of the Church was punishable by either ex-
communication or death (the one often followed the other with some
alacrity.)

Today there are nation states wherein government and religion remain
one and the same. The Dalai Lama is the secular and spiritual leader
of the nation in exile, Tibet. Many Muslim states strictly enforce
laws based on that religion. The US of A often opens its
congressional and senate sessions with Christian prayers; even
though one of the founding premises of America is the separation of
church and state.

+++++++++++++++++

Imagine - by John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven,
It's easy if you try,
No hell below us,
Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people
living for today...

Imagine there's no countries,
It isnt hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
No religion too,
Imagine all the people
living life in peace...

Imagine no possesions,
I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say Im a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.

+++++++++++++++++++

For many this song by John Lennon was and is very inspirational.
Yet, in its own way it is as idealistic, and as unrealistic, as old
Karl's manifesto.

Consider this, if you will, the wonderful and mysteriouos power that
makes our hearts beat doesn't care what our religious affiliations
may or may not be. Nor, does it care what political party one may
support, what one's nationality may be, what race or ethnic
background is, what gender, etc.


-----------------------------------------

You are what you seek. - various gurus

Hot fudge sundae, anyone?

----------------------------------------

Well, that's it for now, friends. And if this edition seems like
nothing more than a load of crap, remember - the Tao that can be
spoken is not the true Tao.

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