God is as natural as breathing.

smalWe are like fish swimming in the ocean. Every now and then, a fish breaks its head above the surface, and realizes there is something else out there than just water. But for the most part, we are oblivious to the ocean in which we live.

Do not hide the intensity of your faith. When God calls, we must show ourselves, to testify to God's presence, and speak His Word. The weak will crumble and hide. Those who are of true faith will stand strong, unbending, and die for the good of this world, that old knowledge not be lost, and new thought not be squandered.

God, you're so funny.

We must grab our faith with both hands, use it, wear it, become it. Faith is Truth, but it is also a tool. We need to learn how to make it work for us. Don't be hesitant. Plunge head first, apply it, see what works and what doesn't. God loves us. God will show us His ways if we apply ourselves.

When Christ returns, by all means, He will not be Christian.

You know you have reached a plateau when one day you realize that you need God more than you need yourself.

Why do you think that you do not deserve good things? Have you asked for them?

If you have, then be patient.

To change the world, we must change our vision of God.

To unify ourselves, we must become unified under God. In many ways, we are already; the same basic truths are practiced in every major religion. Every religion is valid, as are the words of every prophet. No religion was ever started to deceive, but rather, to lead its followers to the highest truth. When we look past the minute differences between religions, we see a far larger picture unfold: that the divine has been present in every culture, every community, through a myriad of profound teachings that all lead to the same basic principle. The purpose of our existence is to reach a union with God.

“Don't you know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”
1 Corinthians 6:19

"He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye."
Buddha

"And when a man sees that the God in himself is the same God in all that is, he hurts not himself by hurting others. Then he goes, indeed, to the highest path. "
Bhagavad-gita

I am not seeking answers. I am seeking a method of teaching.

It is said that the Buddha would not speak of who he was before Enlightenment, because the man he had once been was now dead. As the Buddha, he was given new life.

"A little while, a moment of rest upon the wind, and another woman shall bear me."

- Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Bad Programming

Do not allow yourself to be hurt by another's "bad programming."

We learn behaviors. Sometimes, due to circumstances beyond our control, we learn very bad behaviors. When we love another human very much, we can be hurt by their "bad programming" because we have exposed our hearts out of trust. Sometimes, the people we love can be mean and hurtful... but if we can take a step back and recognize their behavior as learned programming, and not as a personal attack, we are better able to forgive the ones we love.

The metaphor of an arrow is used in Buddhism. Buddhism teaches that when people act toward you with mean or selfish intention, their words and actions are like arrows being shot at the ground in front of us. We have the choice to either leave the arrow lying on the ground, or we can pick the arrow up and stab ourselves with it. We allow the actions of others to effect us. We allow the mean words of those we love to penetrate our hearts, even when we know better.

Remind yourself that when someone you love is acting selfishly towards you, it is not your fault, but their own bad programming. Distance yourself from the situation, give them time to "run the program" and wind down. Once they are back to their normal, loving selves, forgive them. They know not what they do -- and some learned behaviors are very old and ingrained, and difficult to overcome.

Your soul is not your human programming. The body suit you wear can be programmed through will power, mental focus, and prayer. You can either bring your body and programming into alignment with God, patience, kindness, sincerity... or you can allow your body to program itself, to be at the mercy of the influences around you, and become enslaved by your senses. Do not forget that both you and the ones you love are at the mercy of your programming. Continue to love and forgive. The slightest change in your actions can rewrite your program, and can profoundly change the programming in others.

Here is the flaw that makes perfection,
like a rose grown wild.

We are
so much more
than we think we are.

If only
we could hold it tightly
and become it.

The hardest part is overcoming one's fear.