The True Gospel

“From now on, then, my son, return to your divine nature. Cast from you these evil, deceiving friends! Accept the Word, this true friend, as a good teacher. Cast from you death, which has become a father to you. For death did not exist, nor will it exist at the end.” -From The Teachings of Sylas

I believe that if you are interested in knowledge and wisdom (which in my opinion is the ONLY true gospel) then you must consider the panacea of life and YOUR relationship to it, and not constrain yourself to the agreements of others. In other words, you must believe in yourself, and think for yourself, or else all else has no frame of reference and will become but lies that trap you in a life of illusion and purposelessness.

It seems that wise men (or gods) throughout history have tried to tell us these things, but most of us didn’t understand. We instead just resorted to worshipping them and creating cults around them by twisting their words.

There are two main reasons I think we did not follow their advice:

1) Doing so requires us to take personal responsibility for our own existence, as well as everything and everyone else in our realms of influence. This is a very difficult and uncomfortable task. It’s much easier to assign this kind of responsibility to someone else, especially an all-powerful G¹od.

2) Those that would like to wield great power and influence over people and maintain it, realize that if you know the truth–that the only real power lies within each of us–then you are dangerous to their order. To keep us subjugated, they MUST disallow us from exercising such Will by feeding us lies and keeping us addicted to the security of their control. This applies to almost ALL groups whether they be governments, churches, businesses or social groups.

I have realized that it is my responsibility (as it is all of ours) to spread this message, and ACT upon it in my own life. Because, the reality is that it is the only way that anyone can actually effect a change and potentially divert us from the continual cycle of life and death that plagues us, and which will ultimately lead us to a very painful end of our existence (a.k.a Hell.)

Just “believing” in someone or something can never be the answer. So, even if I cannot “save the world” (which I do not fool myself into believing) I can at least hopefully pass on this wisdom to those I love, or anyone else who might listen and understand. And maybe as a result they can live a better life and forge a better future for themselves and the ones they love.

The Teachings of Sylas

“My son, listen to my teaching, which is good and useful, and end the sleep which weighs heavily upon you. Depart from the forgetfulness which fills you with darkness, since if you were unable to do anything, I would not have said these things to you. But the Word has come in order to give you this gift. Why do you pursue the darkness when the light is at your disposal? Why do you drink stale water, though sweet wine is available for you? Wisdom summons you, yet you desire folly. Not by your own desire do you do these things, but it is the animal nature within you that does them.

“Wisdom summons you in her goodness, saying, “Come to Me, all of you, O foolish ones, that you may receive a gift, the understanding which is good and excellent. I am giving to you a priestly garment which is woven from every kind of wisdom.” What else is death except ignorance? What else is darkness except familiarity with forgetfulness? Cast your anxiety upon God alone. Do not become desirous of gold and silver, which are profitless, but clothe yourself with wisdom like a robe; put knowledge on yourself like a crown, and be seated upon a throne of perception. For these are yours, and you will receive them again on high another time.

“For a foolish man usually puts on folly like a robe, and like a garment of sorrow, he puts on shame. And he crowns himself with ignorance, and takes his seat upon a throne without knowledge. For while he is without reason, he leads only himself astray, for he is guided by ignorance. And he goes the ways of the desire of every passion. He swims in the desires of life and has sunk. To be sure, he thinks that he finds profit when he does all the things which are without profit.

“The wretched man who goes through all these things will die, because he does not have the mind, the helmsman. But he is like a ship which the wind tosses to and fro, and like a loose horse which has no rider. For one needs a rider, which is reason. For the wretched one went astray because he did not want advice. He was thrown to and fro by these three misfortunes: death as a father, ignorance as a mother, and evil as counsel. He acquired them as friends and brothers. Therefore, foolish one, he should mourn for himself.

“From now on, then, my son, return to your divine nature. Cast from you these evil, deceiving friends! Accept the Word, this true friend, as a good teacher. Cast from you death, which has become a father to you. For death did not exist, nor will it exist at the end.“

[From one of the books found in the Nag Hammadi library, generally dated around 150 AD.]

Note: “Word” (logos) has been substituted for “Christ” as the incarnate Word of God (ref: John 1:1).

Employee vs. Business

“The only difference between a rich person and a poor person is how they use their time.” – Robert Kiyosaki

I think we all need to get out of the “employee” way of thinking: “time is money.” Because, in my opinion, that is a falsehood perpetrated to exploit the workers of the world. It is not how you actually make money in business.

An employee gets conditioned to believe that time spent at the workplace itself is valuable, that his mere presence entitles him to be paid. That’s due of course to the fact that his paycheck is tied to a time clock. However, in my opinion that’s self-imposed slavery! Because, that way of thinking then requires a “master” to force you, whether by encouragement or threats, to actually do something.

I know that I may be “preaching to the choir” as all of this probably seems obvious. However, bear with me because I will try to explain how it may not be as obvious as it seems.

What most people don’t see is that it is the EFFORT exerted that’s valuable, NOT the employee’s time. It is the effort that is put into getting work done, that can then be exchanged outside of the company, that is what actually makes the profit. The reason that people don’t really see this is because they’ve been conditioned to believe that effort is something that is painful – something that you suffer – rather than something that is rewarding in itself. Because, they don’t really enjoy what it is that they are doing, i.e. “their heart isn’t in it.”

The problem is that real effort requires purpose and responsibility, which can’t be given by a whip or another’s direction. That is why you typically have the problem of cross purposes between “labor” and “management” in most businesses. They are never on the same page due to the different ideas about exchange (how money is made). Management is always trying to exploit the labor to get more effort for less pay, and workers are all trying to do as little as possible while asking to get paid more for their time.

I understand how tough it is to break out of the conditioning of this time-based way of thinking. Especially, in a business like I’m involved in (construction) where everything is billed by the hour! It’s also something that has been drilled into us since our school days where we had to sit in classes from bell to bell regardless of whether we got our assignemts done or not. I think we all struggle to some degree to free ourselves from this trap, which is why we see spending time doing nothing or taking a vacation as so rewarding. Yet, none of us could truly take a vacation forever without feeling worthless and going stir crazy eventually. Because, that’s a backwards way if thinking!

As a business owner you must change that thought process for yourself and others if you really want to be successful. You have to truly believe in the value of EFFORT EXERTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, and be willing to spend as much time as it takes to see profit without any exchange ($) at all. It’s often not comfortable, especially in the begining of a business venture. But, you must maintain this belief system to become successful. Because, if you fall back into the idea that your time spent is what entitles you to exchange, then you are guaranteed to fail!

So, how do you force yourself to enjoy working? Most people try to solve this by looking for some magical profession that is their “calling” or try to turn some hobby into a business. While that’s not a bad idea, rarely do such things actually work out in today’s economy, since “value” or the exchangeable quality of your product is driven by another’s demand or desires. So, unless you are extremely good at manipulating somone else’s desires, then you have to adjust what you offer to fit the market. And this might not always be whatever your own choice of work may be.

Instead, I think the answer lies in learning how to enjoy the “game of life.” The truth is that effort (often translated in our minds as suffering) is the real commodity that we have as human beings to offer. And the true reward is WHATEVER we can willfully direct that effort to accomplish, as long as it achieves ANY purpose that we can agree to. Because, if you really think about it, does it not feel the best when you decide to do something, and then you actually get it done, whatever it takes. Is that not winning the game?

The trick is that YOU have to be the one who decides. It doesn’t matter if whatever “it” is that you are trying to accomplish started out as another’s idea. YOU have to take ownership of it as your own and then overcome whatever barriers present themselves in order to accomplish it. And if you do, you will find reward in the effort itself, because you will be fulfilling your own goals and you will be learning all kinds of new things along the way. And that effort will most likely be valuable, as long as it is exerted in a direction that is able to be exchanged with others.

It is my belief that the more people you can get to work together in a business with this point of view, the easier it will be to profit, and the less problems you will have. In this way, you can truly foster a sense of ownership in everyone involved, instead of a single owner (or group of investors) who just try to exploit the efforts of the majority of “workers” beneath him.

This in my opinion is how we all as a team will win!

Love Always Endures

ἀγάπη πάντα ὑπομένει 
“love always endures”

From Paul’s 1st Letter to Corinthians, Chapter 13:4-8

Ἡ ἀγάπη μακροθυμεῖ, χρηστεύεται, ἡ ἀγάπη οὐ ζηλοῖ, οὐ περπερεύεται, οὐ φυσιοῦται, οὐκ ἀσχημονεῖ, οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς, οὐ παροξύνεται, οὐ λογίζεται τὸ κακόν, οὐ χαίρει ἐπὶ τῇ ἀδικίᾳ, συνχαίρει δὲ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· πάντα στέγει, πάντα πιστεύει, πάντα ἐλπίζει, πάντα ὑπομένει.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always endures.”

Agape usually refers to the love of God for man and of man for God. But, the Hebrew word ahev, which agape is derived from, has a slightly wider semantic range, and is also extended to include a brotherly love for all humanity.  Thus, Agape arguably also draws on elements from both eros (erotic love) and philia (brotherly love) in that it seeks a perfect kind of love that is at once a fondness, a transcending of the particular, and a passion without the necessity of reciprocity. [Philosophy of Love]

Orders vs. Responsiblity

An “order” is THE DIRECTION OR COMMAND ISSUED BY AN AUTHORIZED PERSON TO A PERSON OR GROUP WITHIN THE SPHERE OF THE AUTHORIZED PERSON’S RESPONSIBILITY.

By implication an ORDER goes from a senior to juniors. But, to those persons who do not conceive of an organization larger than a squad, they tend to lump all seniors into order-issuers, and anything a senior says into the category of order, and then tend to lump all juniors into order receivers.

This may be the way it works for squad tactics in the field; however, it is not sound leadership in my opinion.  Actually what it does is make all seniors into sergeants and all juniors into privates. It is an oversimplification that we are all taught by Drill Sergeants who do not want to stretch the imagination or sprain any mental muscles of new recruits.  

Unfortunately, such an organizational arrangement holds good for the rifle squad, but it fails to take into account more sophisticated or more complex organizations. And it unfortunately requires a more complex organization to actually accomplish any mission. 

Where one has a squad mentality in an organization, one easily gets all manner of conflict, and usually does.  As few sergeants ever waste any time in trying to explain to the “rank and file” what the mission is or ultimately what is their responsibility in it. “Ours not to reason why, ours but to do and die!” was the battle cry of the Light Brigade.

“Responsibility” on the other hand means: THE STATE, QUALITY OR FACT OF BEING ANSWERABLE OR ACCOUNTABLE FOR SOMETHING UNDER ONE’S POWER, CONTROL, OR MANAGEMENT. 

Responsible in the context of leadership means: 

• Legally or ethically accountable for the care or welfare of others
• Personally accountable or able to act without guidance or superior authority
• Being the source or cause of something
• Capable of making moral or rational decisions on one’s own and therefore answerable for one’s behavior
• Able to be trusted or depended upon; reliable
• Based upon or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking

The bottom line is that essentially responsibility means that a leader DOES NOT WAIT FOR ORDERS TO ACT. He is the one who, guided by policy, acts on his own initiative to handle and supervise his area and others and does not himself require supervision.

Orders are required where responsibility has failed. Non-Compliance only occurs when orders have had to be issued in the first place. False reports only occur where ignorance or avoidance of orders exist. And the tailspin begins only when responsibility has failed in the first place.

This does not mean that orders are unnecessary, as there are many situations where a ship may need to be steered off a disastrous path. And any mission requires an overall direction, i.e. an operational order with a mission statement, in order to provide an intent for what needs to be accomplished. However, all such an order really does is assign responsibility. HOW that responsibility is fulfilled is entirely up to the juniors receiving the order.

It is very interesting that one can examine the above definitions and analyze any leader’s general competence. Where any of these things are missing in one’s character or duty or general conduct, there is very likely to be a flaw in the activity under that leader’s authority. One could go over these items one by one for oneself or for another, and should see at once what had to be improved and what was satisfactory in one’s leadership activities.

I challenge you to look over this for yourself, and to measure my leadership by it as well.

Odin’s Riddle

“Now Odin strode through the shallows and gripped the gunwale. He climbed into the boat and stood over the body of his dead son. For some time he gazed at him. Slowly he took off his arm-ring Draupnir… and slipped it onto Baldur’s arm. Then Odin bent down and put his mouth to Baldur’s ear. Again he gazed at his son; then he left [the pyre].” —from The Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland

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What did Odin whisper in the ear of his dead son?

As the story goes, the first person to ask this question was Odin himself, disguised as a wanderer, in a contest with the wise Vafthrudnir.  When Odin posed this riddle, “Vafthrudnir looked long at his guest, and recognized him.  He said in a low voice, ‘No one can tell what, long ago, you whispered in the ear of your son…I’ve pitted myself against Odin.  You will always be wiser and wisest.’” (Crossley-Holland)

Apparently, no answer to the riddle was given in the Lay of Vafthrudnir, nor anywhere else in the sagas. Some suggest that Odin promised his son resurrection, since it was foretold that Baldur would rise again after Ragnarök. Others say it is impossible to know, and that mankind will be wondering until the end of time.

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Odin Whispers…

I am the binder ‘n’ breaker;

I am the beginning and end.  

On the edges of realms, I am—

A wanderer of the thresholds, 

Far above into airlessness, 

Far below into nothingness. 

I am he that parts the waters;

I am the creator of nine worlds;  

He that makes oaths and enforces, 

He that separates and divides.

But, I am also the oath breaker, 

The smith of lies and shape changer.

I am my brother and destroyer, 

And he who shall be my savior. 

I built a mighty throne to sit;

Yet, he will be who fells it.

My brother, who is closer than kin, 

May be trickster and conniver;

Yet in the end, his bitterness 

Shall be what finally prevails. 

Yea, though he caused death to my son, 

‘Tis no fault of his own doing. 

I placed all things at the table,  

Without a place for him to sit.

His heart never fully evil, 

As is no one in my image.

T’was but twisted and delighted

In its power and cleverness.  

So, how could I cast him out, 

Any more than reject myself?  

Thus, he became the erosion 

That wore away at my stronghold.

As the dust falls at my own feet,

The fault can be but mine alone

When my son dies, as surely as 

If my own hand were on the spear. 

For, I was set to preserve 

All the good in all the world;

Yet, I am destined to fail

To protect him from the evil.

For, t’is my “good” son that’s placed

On the pyre, by which I kneel, 

Awaiting the final journey

On the ocean of tears save one.

I lay hand upon the gunwale

Prepared to send him to yonder,

At his side, for one last time,

I bend to whisper in his ear

My rune of frith and kinship,

A final wyrd of eternal love.

For, at last, when the sun rises

Beyond Ragnarök and renews,

There will be no breaking apart,

Nor a gathering together. 

The waters will mix with fires; 

The good will be turned to evil.

And below it a New World stands

With no walls between men ‘n’ gods.

The weave goes on as this one ends,

By the light of Baldur it be!

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Love is the Law

There is one word that is written, and surely interpreted, in as many ways as there are hearts. But, what is “Love”? Affection, attachment, passion, desire…it is what poets grasp at and lovers trample upon.

It has been said that “Will is the Way.” But, the nature of Will is Love. Love is a byproduct of Will — it does not contradict or supersede one’s will — but is a complement. And, if in crises an apparent contradiction should arise, it is Will that guides one back aright.

While Love is the law that smooths one along the Way, there is no thought of sentimentality. Hate itself is almost the same as Love. Fighting most certainly is a form of Love! “As brothers fight ye!” Any true warrior understands this.

True Love is always bold, virile, even orgasmic in itself. It is delicate, but it is the delicacy of divine strength. Mighty and terrible and glorious as it is; it is the inscription upon the sacred lance of Will.

ᛚᚤᚡ᛫ᛁᛊ᛫ᚦᚤ᛫ᛚᚪᚹ

Will is the Way

Will is the faculty of conscious and deliberate action; intention or the power to determine one’s own actions: the freedom of choice.  Will can also be defined by its antithesis: “restriction” which is the path to ruin.

You have the inalienable right to do as you will. Do that, and no other shall say that you cannot. For…

PURE WILL, WITH PURPOSE UNASSUAGED AND LOVE OF RESULT, IS PERFECT IN EVERY WAY.

This is the meaning of true freedom!

Consider this carefully; it implies a theory that if every person did their true will, then there would be no conflict. There would be a perfect harmony of simultaneous individualism and collectivism.  For every person is unique, and there is plenty of room amongst the stars for all. It is only the disorder of purpose that creates confusion.

From these considerations it should be clear that “Do what you will” does not mean “Do whatever you feel like.” That is the apotheosis of Freedom.  But, it is also the strictest of bonds, as Will is the essence of beingness.

The obvious practical task you must do first then is to discover what your Will really is, so that you may do it in this manner. This is the Spiritual Journey you must embark upon to place your planet into the proper orbit.

It should therefore be perfectly simple for everybody to understand what “God’s Plan” must be:

(1) Find out what is your Will.

(2) Do that Will with single-mindedness, purpose, and Love.

Then, and then only, will you be in harmony with the movement of the universe, your Will a part of “God’s Will.” And since Will is but the dynamic aspect of self, and since two different beings could not possess identical wills; then, if your Will be God’s Will, then “Thou Art What Thou Art.”

Will is the Way!

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How to BE Happy

Here are some thoughts on the subject of “happiness” after assimilating and applying advices given by some of the great thinkers of the past and present.

1. Happiness is the most important thing in life.  This includes your own happiness, as well as the happiness of others.
2. Only YOU control whether or not you are happy – not your significant other, or your family, friends, teachers, bosses, co-workers or government.
3. Happy people make the world a better place; unhappy people make the world worse. Therefore, you owe it to yourself and everyone else to BE happy.
4. Happiness is not the same as fun. Fun is what is experienced temporarily while doing pleasurable things. “Happiness” is the sense of joy and fulfillment felt when you are living life with passion and purpose.
5. People can have lots of fun and still be unhappy. But, it is possible to be happy even if one isn’t having much fun.  This is a good thing; because, life is not usually fun. Life is rough and relentless, and it often feels like a person can’t get a break.
6. So, how can you be happy even if life is unfair? One way to be happy is to be grateful. There are always things in your life to be grateful for. Never forget this.
7. Another way to be happy is to recognize that there really is no such thing as “failure” — there are only RESULTS.  Whether the results are good, or whether the results are bad, it is always possible to improve results in the future.  Live and learn.
8. Ultimately, the path to happiness lies in finding meaning in life. No one is happy leading a meaningless life. If life is meaningful, you can be happy even when times are hard.
9. Thousands of years of human experience, thought, and inspiration have taught us that the meaning of life is that we are meant to help others; that we are meant to treat our fellow human beings as we would want to be treated ourselves. This is probably the best definition for the concept of “good.”
10. Therefore, our mission in life is to be good or help others. No one will make you be good — not your parents, the police, or even God. In fact, it is your inherent or true nature to WANT to be good.
11. It is human nature that stands in the way of actually being good. To be good, you must exert willpower to control your own negative emotions, selfishness, hostility, fear, laziness, irresponsibility, and feelings of victimhood. This is your personal battle; only YOU can fight it.
12. If you choose to BE good, then you must also BE happy. Few people care about your internal struggles, but everyone cares about your behavior. So, don’t inflict your bad moods on others. Just as you would put on deodorant to save those around you from your unpleasant odors; so you can put on a friendly, grateful attitude to save them from your unpleasant moods.
13. This does not mean being fake.  It does mean that YOU can be in control of your own negative emotions.  You can simply decide to be happier.  Give it a try.  You may be surprised how much control you actually have.
14. There are also things you can do to improve your mood, such as breathing deeply, or taking walks. Getting sufficient rest, or improving diet also helps tremendously.  An added benefit to this is that when you find ways to be happier, you will also feel better as a result.
15. In summary, life’s meaning is found in being good or helping others, whether this be your friends and family, your community, or all of mankind. If you embrace this challenge by exercising self-control over your negative impulses and treating people decently, you will find the strength to BE happy in the bad times as well as the good. And you WILL make the world a better place.

 

What Jesus Means

A great Christmas quote! Peace on earth.

Moving On Up a Little Higher

Here are some thoughts that may make Christmas more meaningful.

by Mohandas K. Gandhi:

My Christian friends have told me on a few occasions that because I do not accept Christ as the only son of God, it is impossible for me to understand the profound significance of his teachings.  I believe that this is an erroneous point of view, and that such an estimate is incompatible with the message that Jesus gave to the world.  For he was certainly the highest example of one who wished to give everything, asking nothing in return, and not caring what creed might happen to be professed by the recipient.  I am sure that if he were living here now among men, he would bless the lives of many who perhaps have never even heard his name, if only their lives embodied the virtues of which he was a living example on earth:…

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