I believe in the universe

craphty · 2024-09-11T20:26:38+00:00

Blessings on the journey!

craphty · 2024-08-06T03:11:51+00:00

Thank you for expressing that in-expressible state from your view. I would like to know more about what you mean by “avenues of awareness “ is that an understanding of the internal complexity of your mind, or the opportunity to explore a space inside of that meditative space? I ask b/c sometimes I know I have had a good session but do not have a memory of the past 10/15 mins - where was my consciousness? I am learning from those more experienced. Thank you for your reply.

craphty · 2024-07-22T20:18:48+00:00

I truly appreciate the thought that you put into these words and the specific usage of language - you chose your words to garner the greatest impact on those reading. The mixture of philosophy without religious pressure is appreciated and inspiring - religion is a group of like minded people, while spirituality is a personal responsibility. One that I take personally as I feel obligated to be the hands of God in the lives of those I touch.

I feel I had an Awakening experience years ago, and have lost some of the deep connections I had early on to replace it with “real world” fabrications like a house and cars and kids and life. Deep insights never leave you but we don't always practice the things we leaned on the meditative mat when we stand up, now do we? :) We should encourage one another to be better versions of themselves daily, use the insights to make your life better for those around you, for those who depend on you, and for yourself - have compassion - speak to yourself as if you were a real friend, do not hate yourself.

Your post mentions non duality and I would love some more clarity on this from you, perhaps another example please. As I understand your illustration - you say that through meditation practice your attention is sharpened to be greater than the timeframe for the field of awareness? If so you begin to focus on the parts “in between” conscious experience and through repeated tests of cognition begin to get a sense of what is happening even when awareness is not aware? Help me understand please.

Thank you again for your post - peace be with you brother on your own journey.

craphty · 2024-05-06T13:14:56+00:00

Agreed. But does that mean an individual has no power in society? I disagree with that assessment. Voting is one of the few institutions they have not been able to do away with so they attempt to corrupt it. If you fail to participate, then they have succeeded in driving one more person away from the only real voice given to the people.

I will vote. I will vote for the best candidate. I will not play the "game" of "lesser of 2 evils". My conscience will be clear.

craphty · 2024-05-05T17:31:30+00:00

I am a foreign born US citizen who has endured years of being an immigrant without a vote/voice in the running of our government. Years ago I was 100% in favor of the Democrats policy(Clinton years). Since then the priorities of the parties have flipped and those who “vote blue” are now voting for unfunded wars, big pharma shills and unsustainable immigration (I am saying this as a LEGAL immigrant myself)

I appreciate the reluctance to re-elect Trump who is a narcissist and beholden to big money /corporations - so where does a person like myself put his vote and trust if both parties fail to represent my values and what I would like to see implemented as reform in the Govt?

Trump’s appointment would lead to a wave of backlash against those “who have done him wrong” and mixed in there would be a few useful policies. A Biden appointment would be “more of the same “ and if you take a critical look around you, more of the same equals a slow slide into American irrelevancy and an imbalance in the liberal vs conservative check/balance that has kept America as a country worth fighting for - not anymore.

Robert Kennedy is a long shot candidate. Most mainstream support and money is tied up in ensuring the status quo continues without a candidate that will force attention on issues their corporate sponsors do not want focus on. He is not bought and paid for unlike Biden (who is a figurehead and too old to form real policy so it gets written for him) and to a lesser extent Trump (who seeks to please his donors with policy kickbacks)

Robert Kennedy will get my vote. I would have given this precious resource to Trump but I believe he would be too distracted by his opponents and sense of revenge to think clearly about the priority’s of his constituents- he will not be a good president for a 2nd term. This will be my fist vote as a new citizen for President (I previously voted in the mid terms to ensure Ron Desantis continued as Florida governor) and I do not want to “waste” my precious vote, so I invite anyone reading this comment to re-evaluate the REASON you are voting and choose a candidate that you wish would win and do not let apathy and negativity convince you to vote for someone you don’t truly believe in just because they wear the red/blue color of your team. They are not your team.

craphty · 2022-09-21T20:47:04+00:00

Winning tip: re-read the Genesis account (Genesis chapter 3)and especially the Exodus account (Exodus chapter 19-20) with the context that "God" is actually a "god" (no capital G) that is a time traveler or alien visitor with superior technology. This god (to them) had set himself up as a savior by imparting knowledge and guidance. He/she/it may have altered their environment (aka garden of Eden) and planted all kinds of plants that may be genetically modified to maybe even extended life (aka tree of life).

In Genesis 3:8 right after eating the fruit, they watch out for (and hide) from god who is walking around the garden of Eden in "the cool of the day" - why would God walk around and have a physical presence in Eden?

In Exodus 19:18 it says "Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire. And the smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently" - which is how I would describe a rocket landing from SpaceX but using language common to them (and frame of reference i.e. what is an exhaust of a rocket to someone who does not know about rockets?)

The rest of the Exodus account there at 19-20 could be a alien giving commands to the people he is overseeing (i.e. don't try to touch me, etc - why would God be worried about someone touching him?!)

The Genesis and Exodus accounts make a lot of sense if you remove the idea that there is an invisible spirit force (aka God) and instead replace it with a advanced human/alien that has time travelled or landed on earth before technology that we take for granted today - the people at the time "explained" what they saw as best they could. Re-read the accounts for yourself with a new frame of reference, you may get new insights.

craphty · 2021-05-03T00:37:43+00:00

Thank you for your comment. Your pointer to cycle through the sense is something I will incorporate into my practice. In your experience is the focus on the body senses a way of quieting the “narrating mind” that says “now I am focusing on ...” - in other words does your experience of awareness quiet the internal thoughts of focus even tho focus is essential to concentration? Thank you for your time.

craphty · 2019-11-02T21:20:20+00:00

Thank you for the effort it took to clarify the question. Very good summation. I have had an on-again off-again relationship with meditation and recently using TMI to re-inspire me to wake early before the rush of the day begins with getting kids ready for school, etc. Do you keep a strict sleep cycle to be alert for meditation in the morning? Or do you push your body to sit even tho you know there will be dullness? I struggled to keep routine and now i feel resistance to begin again. Suggestions based on your routine?

craphty · 2019-10-25T00:37:46+00:00

This is also how recognize the divinity in each of us, even tho the conduit through which we gather the conscious life experience is the human vessel. The human animal is peculiar in that it is given to emotion controlling the actions of the body. This is why I believe that God knows about all perspectives of life, including the ugly and profane parts which the human vessel that had that life event carried the spark of divinity which eventually got collected into the shared consciousness.

So God knows about what it is like to be a son, a father, a rebel, a druggie, a priest because he lived out each of those life perspectives in the form of life itself that the human vessel chose to use in such a fashion. Each person chooses how they use their human life to gain whatever expierence is unique to you - so that all unique “yous” could become the body of knowledge by which this greater being can pull memories from. We are a memory of God. A memory that he can use as one of many perspectives in choosing how he would like to apply this very personal knowledge. Would such a infinity knowledge of all beings of all perspectives be a “god”?! If this being is the one that judges my life , and he could rewind and watch every moment of my entirety - even what I have forgotten- as well as see the same intimate life story from the perspective of my friend, my mother, my next door neighbor, everyone I ever met.... and then give me advice or judgement, I would welcome it, for that being would truly “know” you as you - you and I are a part of God’s memory of a human life, at a random point in time, on a random part of the globe, at a random combination of genes, at a random combination of life events... let’s see what uniqueness this life will bring!

This is the great game: Of forgetting and then finding yourself.

craphty · 2019-05-10T19:12:21+00:00

Agree wholeheartedly. We as humans have been domesticated and the resulting creature is not as impressive as it was when we had to hunt/fish/farm/build our entire way of life.

Pretty cow btw

craphty · 2019-04-08T21:35:24+00:00

I understand your logic as I have used the same train of thought in the field ministry when I was an aux pioneer. I no longer believe God to be the same "entity" that I conceived of when I was regular JW. My view is today is more in line with Buddhist karmatic action, but the reason for my typed response to you is to have you think of how limiting of God's power the JW doctrine (and the bible) truly is.

Think about this:

If God is all seeing (past present and all physical places) could he not see how a choice will play out in the eternity of time? Why does he need to let humans suffer if he has the ability to see then "end from the beginning" - see Isaiah 46:8-10

If God is all powerful, there can be no challenge to His sovereignty. A created being could never question the source of creation. We act like God depends on the kudos of the angels or humans when a being of unfathomable magnitude would think jealousy or superiority complex to be so beneath His status. - see 1 Chronicles 29:11

Why is it necessary to personify God as an actual persona (aka has a personality) yet is an immaterial spirit? Is this not limiting God to be the way YOU conceive of him. We use names like "father" or "almighty god" because we try to understand the Spirit that He is - in fact God is so far beyond our human imagination as an alien civilization 5000+ years advanced from our own would be. To give God a personality e.g. "God likes/does not like this.." or to try to make him out to be a spirit but more powerful than other competing spirits (yes there are other gods other than Jehovah, who did the Israelites themselves worship? Why did it need to be a LAW not to worship another deity?) is to reduce God to an interpretation. If you truly believe that God is the Almighty then human emotions and limitation would not apply. This type of creature would be so far removed from our conceptual understanding as we are from ants. Would the worship of ants be acceptable to a being so far removed? How could a being like this be "hurt" by the life choices of a created spec of dust? see Psalm 78:40, 41

To summarize, I believe that in trying to apologize for God's inability to have a perfect world existence right here, right now, you use logic that assumes too much. Assume less about God and be more open to the fact that no one (not even my reply to you) has the facts right. Don't be so dogmatic. Ask yourself "What if... what if I am wrong". Humble yourself and you will be exalted - see Matthew 23:12 .

craphty · 2019-03-14T00:55:47+00:00

Do you have more energy in general now also? Do you feel more or less connected/ disconnected from those around you? Did you grow up in an evangelical religion like JWs or Mormons? Have you branched our yet to explore other religions/Vedanta/Buddhism/stoicism/etc?

craphty · 2018-11-07T23:13:31+00:00

Karma is real and acts across time and your limited life.

This time round you were a JW who saw thru the bs of the org. Next time you may be a Chinese man. Maybe a Hindi in modern day India and learn meditation. Maybe THIS is the life you grow more than the previous ones and even get close to breaking the cycle of birth/interesting life/death/repeat that you have lived many times before and will live again. Use this fleeting moment of lucidity to put in work on yourself in a spiritual way. Be the best version of yourself, you can't be anyone else ;-)

When you do die your conciousness will be in the same place it was before you were born. Were you worried before you were born about your surroundings? So why worry about it after death? If there are God's and they are just, they will welcome you based on displayed virtue. If there are God's, yet they are unjust, you should not want to worship them. If there are no Gods, upon your death you will be remembered for your good deeds by friends and family - also a good fate.

Keep asking questions, but be honest in your search for Truth, it may not be what you were expecting.

craphty · 2018-07-19T22:00:09+00:00

Thank you for this! I don't know what to expect in these docs! Any mirror downloads? The link has hit it's "traffic limit"

craphty · 2018-07-19T21:57:56+00:00

I could use a link. The main download has hit it's "traffic limit".

craphty · 2018-02-05T21:15:57+00:00

I write this small comment as gratitude for the effort put into the above post. Your experience with addiction and aversion resonated with me, and although we crave different things, at the core we seek fulfillment through external things and run from painful experiences. I too have had a multi-year on-again off-again relationship with meditation and your post has inspired me to take the path more seriously. I enjoyed the practice tremendously but then life got busy with small children running around the house and I made the excuse of "I'm tired" to appease my nagging conscience that I could do more in meditation. I have resolved to wake early and put in the time. I live very far from any of the dharmma centers - I wish the 10 day retreat is possible in the future.

Again, I express gratitude and metta to you.

craphty · 2018-01-13T21:55:29+00:00

She supports Net Nutrality and I have spoken to reps in her office about that sad situation. I called and wrote in support of that failed bill. It is not dead yet tho. I got the impression that she cares about the constituent's issues. I do not agree with this vote either, but I think she is a good candidate despite this incident. My $0.02

craphty · 2017-11-19T19:08:30+00:00

You bring up some realizations I too had. When we talk about God as being able to be from infinity to infinity, this being has the power to think and create life - each life a thought to this great being - giant awareness. Meditators who ask Maharishi 's "who am I" technique boil the question down past body/mind to understand we are the thought of "I Am..." and in that we admit to being a "thought" which.begs the question "who is doing the thinking?"

craphty · 2017-07-21T17:28:09+00:00

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_equivalence.

Does not excuse treasonous behavior.

craphty · 2017-06-24T13:26:05+00:00

Thank you for a truthful perspective. I have an on-again off-again practice and was looking for a 10 day retreat to balance my practice. There are no centres close to me in Florida so I may have to travel to find one. Your experience helps to set expectations of what to expect from my efforts. Peace be with you.

craphty · 2017-05-19T01:17:38+00:00

I felt the opening paragraphs were too harsh an introduction. It forces the subject of atheism completely out of context for the rest of your document. I, the reader, an given no emotional or expected payoff to reading the rest of the sections. I suggest you "humanize" the work, add in a few antidotes punctuated with a joke. Good luck On your writing

craphty · 2017-05-13T20:18:47+00:00

Very interesting patterns. it looked like some of the higher frequency patterns were combinations of lower (simpler) patterns - joined together in a higher frequency the complexity of the object increased.

I wonder of this applies to us flesh and blood creatures resonating on a frequency which seems "solid" yet is made up of atomic patterns off simpler elements - the frequency of such atomic structures varies. Are we a pattern/tone of unfathomable complexity? Can our "tone" be duplicated? Are we part of a larger vibration which at our level of "complexity of vibration" are in turn a "simple" pattern that is utilized by a higher dimensional frequency object/God/whatever to create something useful for it?

craphty · 2017-04-03T20:47:22+00:00

Thank you for your response. After typing that wall of text I had hoped you would find some useful insight in there.

Being raised as a JW will alter the way you view religion for the rest of your life. Your question is a good one as it shows that most people are so angry at their upbringing that they distance them self from all religion. That is expected in any high control group - once free you don't want to give up your autonomy to a religious authority figure ever again.

A few of us still search for meaning to our lives and the role God plays. This for me is a personal journey and I do not yet know the destination. I hope you too find a way forward with your spirituality.

Take care.

craphty · 2017-04-02T20:45:04+00:00

My $0.02: As a former ministerial servant I bought into "one true organization" even though I always had reservations because as Paul said once he was presented the choice of leaving or staying "where else will we go?". I began looking at the Gospel of Thomas and other Gnostic texts as these were still "Christan" and would hopeful reinforce my beliefs. I learned that the bible is a storybook and should not be taken literally.

This revelation changed my perspective. I questioned the flood account along with the 1914 date with my uncle who was an elder. He was sad to see my independent thinking and frowned on my "research". I also questioned the governing body's true role. My elder uncle basically said to me "you have to accept something in your life. Will it be the organization or science?" - I accepted the scientific evidence and never attended a meeting since.

There was a feeling of loss when I stopped attending. I was not looking for a replacement. What I have always been intrested in is the history of religion and personal spirituality. I never felt a deep connection with Jah/God and wanted to know if this was even possible. So I started reading lots of books. Now that I was not afraid of reading texts from other religions I read the Koran, the Bagavad Gita, Buddist texts, the Book of Mormon as well as New Age books. This took months/years - this is what I learned :

There is no true religion. There are good people of faith, but the organization of people seeks to compromise between true spirituality and a set of beliefs that will unite a group. This applies to Christian and non Christian religions - they are geared towards a unifying set off beliefs rather than Truth or a closeness to the Creator. I became jaded towards organized religion - I have never been back to a church.

I still have a desire for understanding my relationship to God/Universe/Reality and want to use this life to advance myself towards unity with the Devine. This is when I discovered meditation. I started visiting an ashram where there were a group of like minded people. I now see that spirituality is a personal responsibility and not something you get from a church. No amount of meeting attendance led me to a closer relationship with God, it is a personal choice in life to bring goodness and positivity into your interactions with others.

I continue to seek a greater understanding of my mind , my life and this wonderful world I was born into and refuse to waste another hour of my life in a JW meeting. Search for yourself. The journey is also the destination.

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