t-bone left a comment that inspired this post. he wrote about a common misconception about "new age" spirituality: that there's no respect for life, nor a sense of personal responsibility. you know - free-for-all, sex in the streets stuff. i do know what he is talking about, and this mindset lived for a while in the 60's and 70's. think woodstock!
but the stuff i am studying actually teaches that everything that happens in your life is your direct responsibility. the illnesses you have, the relationships you're in, the joy and the sorrow you feel was chosen by you to experience, whether you are aware of what you're doing or not. i've learned to stop blaming others, society, or "the system" for my problems because the cause can be found in the mirror.
it also teaches a very deep respect for life. it gets annoying, really. we have a mouse problem in our attic, and i was given the task of buying rat poison. i looked at the poisons at the store, but ended up crying at the picture of the dead mouse on the box. i couldn't buy it. i'll even admit here that i got upset when i heard that saddam had gotten the death sentence. mosquitoes actually have a chance at survival in my house!
so there you go.
"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." -- Albert Einstein
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Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?
-- Marianne Williamson
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4 comments:
I noticed T-Bones's comment, and it made me think, but because you're the owner 'round these parts I'm glad it was YOUR responsibility to answer. ;-)
Now I pause to wonder what it was I meant to say. Let me reread your entry. Oh, yeah!
Respect for life: I can't help thinking that if people like Saddam showed no respect for life, why should it be shown to him? Sometimes, and I admit it OUT LOUD (!), I am very much in the eye-for-an-eye camp. And wasps? What GOOD DO THEY DO TO ANYONE?!
Taking responsibility: Oh, I'm SO with you on that one. I am SICK TO DEATH of people who blame their lives on everything and everyone else and use the past as a crutch. Yes, I know, some people have had to live through real trauma; I'm actually talking about the recent rash (good word) of survivors of EVERYTHING, from psoriasis to lipstick that's not long-lasting enough.
I'd better stop here, because I'll never stop.
Oh, and the rat poison? I hear ya. I think you read about our mouse population. I wrote a new post about it last Sunday (?) but haven't published it yet. Imagine me standing with rom at the store, examining glue traps. It kills me.
I was very surprised at myself for getting upset about Saddam. Usually I would say FRY HIM. But I see the hypocrisy and senselessness in killing yet one more person in the name of justice. What justice does it really bring? Saddam will not suffer - but those left behind will.
As someone who no longer believes in hell, I can't appreciate death as a punishment anymore. I think it would be more effective to torture him or something (not that I would condone that either).
As someone who hasn't believed in hell for about 15 years now, expect repercussions from that statement. Or maybe not. Hopefully your readers are more enlightened and less judgmental.
Have you noticed, or is it just I that notice how many ways that one belief changes almost everything else that I believe?
About Saddam: I don't think that putting him to death says much of anything about us as a society. After all, it's almost expected that we would execute him. As an individual, I have mixed feelings about executing him or any other condemned killer.
Bring it on. :)
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