Spirituality

47 posts

Why Are Immortals Always So Miserable?

Immortality, which seems like it might be something of a blessing, is often portrayed in books and movies as an abject curse.

From Tuck Everlasting‘s accidentally immortal family, unhappily traipsing through time…

to Wild Seed‘s crazily intense power-play between two African immortals: Doro, a shape-shifting, seemingly evil male and Anyanwu, the quietly wise woman who tragically loves him through the eons…

to Oscar Wilde’s brilliant cautionary classic of unchecked immortal hubris that leads to self-destruction…

to the spellbinding tale of a gorgeous immortal couple implausibly tainted by decidedly mortal problems…

to the story of sword-wielding immortals who must duel each other to the death, because only one of them can be immortal.

The exception to the “miserable immortals” rule is this book.

It is a joyous, sexy romp through the ages with deposed King Alobar and his lady love, Kudra, master of dance and perfumes. Together (along with the goat-god Pan) they travel the world in search of the guardian of a flask containing a mysterious beet-extract elixir which holds the secret to their continued everlasting life.

Tom Robbins has crafted the only story of immortality that I’ve ever encountered that has a delightful end (and the beginning and middle are equally wonderful). These immortals laugh, play, and make highly erotic, gymnastic, deeply passionate love.

To me, that sounds like a much better way to spend eternity.

Here are a couple ditties about immortality:

“Immortality” by Pearl Jam

“Eternal Life” by Jeff Buckley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU97rdGYbBI&feature=related

Following are links for those interested in the books and movies mentioned above:

Tuck Everlasting

Wild Seed

The Picture of Dorian Gray (book review)

The Fountain

The Highlander

Jitterbug Perfume

The Spirit of Animals

“May all beings everywhere plagued with sufferings of body and mind quickly be freed from their pain. May those frightened cease to be afraid, and may those bound be free. May the powerless find power, and may people befriend all life. May those of all species who find themselves lost, the young, the aged, the unprotected, be guarded by beneficent celestials, and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.”

—Buddhist Prayer for Peace

I received an email from a dear friend this week informing me that six weeks ago, she had to have her precious 9-year-old Silky terrier – a joyful little girl named named Mattie – euthanized, due to multiple health problems. Although it had been years since I’d seen Mattie, I wept for half an hour straight. They were tears that hadn’t come that forcefully since I had to have my rescued Schnauzer Lucky euthanized at the age of 2, also due to multiple, unresolvable health problems, last August.

When I finally thought I had composed myself enough to call my friend Bobbie, I found that I was reduced to tears again at the sound of her voice. Then she cried, as she recounted the excruciatingly difficult journey of losing her beloved and devoted pet child. Through the tears and commiserating, I came to an insight that has stayed with me: the only reason I can think of that precious animals should have such short lifetimes is so that we may be able to love more of them: to provide uniquely loving homes for the animals who are meant to be our companions. In my case, I have a passion for supporting animal rescue, since so many are unwanted, but no matter where an animal comes from, the important thing is that he or she is adored and cared for throughout whatever time it has on this earth.

So I invite each of you who are present or past pet-parents to join with me in a timeless prayer for the spirit of animals, in memory of all beloved animals who are no longer physically present with us. Rest in peace, precious Mattie (12/20/01-1/10/11).

“Hear our humble prayer, o God, for our friends the animals who are suffering; for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry…. We entreat for them all Thy mercy and pity, and for those who deal with them we ask a heart of compassion and gentle hands and kindly words. Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to animals and so to share the blessings of the merciful.”

– Albert Schweitzer

(pic of Mattie courtesy my friend Bobbie’s Facebook page)

Spirituality Corner: God, the Devil and the Void

“I believe that we are all spiritual beings having a human experience, and not the other way around.” — This is the fourth Spirituality Corner post in an ongoing series.

This post begins with the prologue to a novel I wrote in 2005 called We Are Stardust. It’s the story of a psychic who discovers via her visions that the Antichrist is the President of the United States. The President is equally psychic, and the two of them get locked in a battle of wills that sometimes is more of a tango of divine adversaries. I’m using this prologue as the starting point of a dialogue I’d like to open up, regarding (as the title says) God, the Devil and the Void. (The “Void” part is designed to let atheists and agnostics know that they are most welcome in this discussion.)

“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” (1 John 3:18)

According to Christian prophecies of the End Times, the Antichrist in human form will function as Satan’s second in command during the apocalypse. It is widely assumed that he will ascend to a position of great worldly power through his promise of peace in a volatile era. Like his immediate superior, Lucifer/Satan, the Antichrist is frequently depicted as someone of infallible personal charisma.

Contrary to unrelenting dramatic portrayals in popular culture, the Antichrist will not arrive bearing the countenance of a maleficent, horned demon. Instead, since he is the shadow realm’s reverse doppelganger of Christ, he will incarnate fully prepared to emulate convincingly the hallowed, human qualities of Jesus Himself. Using a wealth of Christian aphorisms and references, the Antichrist will deliberately lead all but the most perceptive of his followers down the path of wickedness.

The term ‘Antichrist’ may also be associated with a collective or collaborative energy: dark forces or forces of evil. These malevolent influences fulfill an essential purpose in the cycles of creation. Corresponding to spirit collapsing into matter, they epitomize the proverbial fall from grace. The dark forces prevent humanity from rising up towards the exaltation of spirit, symbolized by the idea of ascension into heaven.

This spellbinding drama of Good versus Evil is universal. Throughout the ages, it has inspired some truly great theatrical performances (e.g., the collective works of William Shakespeare), as well as enduring philosophical debate, bewildering political diatribe and trite blockbuster action films that range in quality from abysmal to mediocre.

People who believe in the concept of Heaven endeavor to identify themselves with the principle of good. However, there are others without a moral or religious bias. While not condoning evil deeds or evildoers, these individuals’ inquisitiveness may predispose them to seek an objective comprehension of the motivations of evil actions.

Rejecting the concept of sinners consigned to Hell, these free thinkers subscribe to the belief that contrition and forgiveness are every human being’s birthright. They are the disciples of a radically extremist notion that preceded formal Christianity: the kingdom of heaven is within you – a quote widely attributed to the rebel Jesus.

Although good and evil are often considered polar opposites, more precisely, they are counterparts: the existence of one validates the other. Creation’s full spectrum unfolds in a cyclical synthesis of light and dark; life and death; heaven and hell; good and evil… each individual pair designed in perfect complement of each other.

Regardless of whether you believe in God, the Devil, or/and the Void, you most likely have empirical opinions about other absolutes: life and death, light and darkness, good and evil, love and hate/indifference, truth and deception, etc.

I believe that life is never black and white: it is varying shades of grey, and all polarities in manifestation. So while there may be a need for religious people to believe in an absolute good (God, heaven) and an absolute evil (Satan, hell), non-religious people may view the world through a completely different prism. To them, the concept that all we are is stardust, free-floating in the void, makes rational sense. As someone who believes in God but has never been a member of any religion, I find that I am often standing in the balance between these two worlds.

Witnessing the agony, turmoil, brutality, hatred and hopelessness that seem to be omnipresent, I have frequently questioned how any all-powerful creator could ever allow this. But witnessing the stark nihilism of some – very far from all, I must emphasize – non-believers seems equally nonsensical to me. For me, the middle ground is accepting my human insignificance while embracing the blessing of my human experience. I am fascinated to discuss spiritual subjects with people on every point of the spectrum of belief, because I want to understand what brings people to believe what they do.

What I’d like to know in the comments – in addition to any critique regarding this post – is:

What are your beliefs regarding the concepts of God, the Devil and the Void?
How have your current beliefs been influenced by the inculcation of parents, teachers, clergy, etc. in childhood?
What other spiritual influences shape these beliefs in these “ultimate” themes?

The Meaning of Life

spirituality

Spirituality Corner: “I’m Sending You Love, Asshole!”

“I believe that we are all spiritual beings having a human experience, and not the other way around.” –

This is the third in an ongoing series of Crasstalk posts regarding spirituality.

In the comments of another post, I joked that I could write this column while being an asshole. I got so much encouragement for the idea that I decided to try. Since I’m really not that good of an actress, instead of being a bitch, I decided to write about when spiritually-oriented people are assholes, and vice versa.

First, I’d like to dispel the myth that people on a spiritual path must be kind, nice and even-tempered 100% of the time. A great teacher of mine once told me that her path to loving all beings was fraught with challenges, and that the most spiritual she could bring herself to be in traffic was to flip off drivers who cut her off and scream, “I’m sending you love, asshole!”

Personally, my patience is tested when it comes to anything political. It is a Sisyphean task for me to not profoundly judge people who are anything other than liberals (to the left of Dennis Kucinich). The most intensive challenge for me is acknowledging our common humanity. In truth, my boyfriend has had to remind me numerous times that hate is not a spiritual tool.

The greatest obstacle of anyone endeavoring to pursue an inner life is anyone or anything that tests his or her longstanding beliefs. Paradoxically, your worst enemy may turn out to be your most profound teacher, because those most unlike ourselves often teach us more than those with whom we have much in common. A good friend of mine has a favorite line that he uses on people who either come at him with unbridled animosity or adoringly heap praise upon him. He replies simply: “I’ll bet you say that to all the mirrors.”

Since I was very young, my innate tendency has been to try to understand where other people are coming from. I don’t revel in confrontation, and if someone attacks me personally I will usually try to diffuse it: a kind of spiritually tolerant aikido. But I don’t suffer fools gladly, and if someone crosses me after I’ve given them the benefit of the doubt and the magnanimity of my kindness, I unceremoniously cut them out of my life without looking back.

I am always pleasantly surprised when someone whom I have perceived as intrinsically shallow or bitter turns out to have become that way purely by circumstance. As with the examples above of when spiritual people are assholes, when assholes are spiritual it’s often out of character and somewhat jarring. Just as I laughed at and learned from my teacher’s self-deprecating admission which now titles this post, I’ve also received rich insights from people whom I thought for sure wouldn’t know a burning bush if it blew up in their face (Don Henley’s lyrical turn of phrase).

Thanks for reading and commenting, assholes.

Spirituality Corner: Tao Te Ching

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The Tao Te Ching is the best-known and most-translated work of the Taoist spiritual philosophy. Even in ancient China, the work enjoyed a great popularity and was studied both by Taoists and Confucians. For those that don’t speak any of the Chinese languages or dialects here is a pronunciation guide.

*Chinese*	*Sound*	*Meaning*
	Dao	The Way
	De	Virtue
	Jing	Book

The Book

The book consists of 81 short chapters. The goal of the Taoist philosophy as explored in the Tao Te Ching is to become one with Tao – loosely translated as “the way” or “the flow” of life – inwardly attaining a cosmic return to the source. For this purpose, the seeker has to achieve a state of emptiness and to consciously practice non-doing.

I first discovered this book when I was 19, and nearly a quarter century later, it still resonates deeply within the heart of me. Following are some of my favorite chapters. I have taken the liberty of putting them in the order than best conveys the crux of the spiritual teaching that I am seeking to share.

I recommend anyone who is interested to get the translation by Gia Fu Feng (with stunning black-and-white nature photographs by Jane English). In my estimation, this captures best the essence of the philosophy of “following the flow.”

Without going outside, you may know the whole world.
Without looking through the window, you may see the ways of heaven.
The farther you go, the less you know.
Thus the sage knows without traveling;
He sees without looking;
He works without doing.

The softest thing in the universe
Overcomes the hardest thing in the universe.
That without substance can enter where there is no room.
Hence I know the value of non-action.
Teaching without words and work without doing
Are understood by very few.

Look, it cannot be seen – it is beyond form.
Listen, it cannot be heard – it is beyond sound.
Grasp, it cannot be held – it is intangible.
These three are indefinable;
Therefore they are joined in one.
From above it is not bright;
From below it is not dark:
An unbroken thread beyond description.

It returns to nothingness.
The form of the formless,
The image of the imageless,
It is called indefinable and beyond imagination.

Stand before it and there is no beginning.
Follow it and there is no end.
Stay with the ancient Tao,
Move with the present.

Knowing the ancient beginning is the essence of Tao.

Pronunciation credit from here.

The difference between Christianity and Judiasm

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My girlfriend has a couple who is her best friend. They’s good people, with two great kids. They’re going skiing with us next weekend up in the Sierra Nevadas. The kids are coming as a matter of circumstance, not by choice. Neither of their parents can watch them because the dad’s parents are taking care of his grandfather who just entered hospice. The mother’s parents can’t take them because her mother’s sister just died. She had some disorder where the body produces too much blood. She bled out of all of her orifices because her stomach ruptured due to the excessive blood production. That’s a horrible fucking way to die.

My girlfriend’s friend is getting her Master’s. There’s some screwup with her enrollment, and last week, she wasn’t able to attend class. The friend calls this a blessing, because she was able to go to her mother’s house for her birthday instead of class. This is when her mother found out that her sister was being taken to the hospital. We live in Bakersfield, CA. The mother and the aunt live in Tehachapi, which is 45 minutes east. The hospital they were taking her to is in Bakersfield. It’s a blessing because this woman was able to drive 45 minutes east, just to turn around and drive back to go to the hospital. It’s a blessing that she was able to run laps.

Here’s where the difference hits. If you’re familiar with the Old Testament, it’s a rough book. The Jewish outlook on life seem to be, “It’s all shit, but when you die it gets better. But make no mistake about it, it’s all shit. And God is a prick.” The Christian outlook is, “It’s shit, but when you die, provided you adhere to these rules, it gets better. But make no mistake about it, it’s all shit. And God loves us, so any modicum of happiness you’re able to get out of this is thanks to Him.” Anything good, He gets the credit. Anything bad, well that’s how it goes. Judiasm is “My parents got shot right in front of me, and now I’m alone.” Christianity is “My parents got shot right in front of me, but I was given this candy bar, so I got that going for me.”

This is one of the main reasons I don’t believe in God.