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Click here for tips to avoid spam filters. Question: Is there any point in leading an ethical life. As I understand it, no one has any choice anyway, so there is no one to act ethically. That seems depressing. Would the world be any different if it was full of realized people?
Response: Like the rose will be a rose, the one inclined to ethical behavior will behave ethically.
There is no reason to feel depressed on account of the idea that no one has a choice: It is not that 'you' do not have a choice, but there simply is no independent 'you' to choose. The 'good news' is this also implies there being no 'you' to be a helpless puppet. Whatever 'you' do is the One doing it AS you. Only from the assumed perspective of being an individual can this seem depressing, but even this is nothing but the One appearing as an apparent individual. When this idea of separation is let go of -again by the One AS you- this same insight seems liberating. In the end both ideas evaporate for where there never was anyone to be bound, there is no need for liberation either.
The paradox in the idea of 'realized people' is that so called realization shows that there are no individual people: only the One appearing as All. That One is you, and You are that One: 'You' -as used here- does not mean an individual character, but points to the same One saying 'I AM' in all characters.
The world 'full of realized people' is an idea and there is no way of saying what that might be like. Perhaps the world would be like an utopian dream, or perhaps the game would be up, leaving the One being One without manifesting as the apparent many. Who knows? But whatever it will or will not appear to be, it always IS This Presence only; the same Presence right now, being aware of the reading of these words, the breath going in and out, and so on.
This Presence will never be more or less IT, as IT is all there is and all there is not. And so IT IS right now. From this perspective the world could be seen as a play of hide and seek for One, wherein S-HE apparently loses and finds HerSelf in countless ways; a play which -by its very nature- unfolds as the interaction between the plus and minus poles of good and bad, up and down, yin and yang. And although it can seem depressing at times, it also appears as amazing beauty.
From the Tao Te Ching:
When everyone recognizes beauty as beautiful,
there is already ugliness.
When everyone recognizes goodness as good,
there is already evil.
'To be' and 'not to be' arise mutually;
Difficult and easy are mutually realized;
Long and short are mutually contrasted.

In this manifestation we can't have 'this' without 'that', 'one' without the apparent 'other' as this polarity IS the 'act of manifesting' in which there are no one sided coins. Obviously, trying to get rid of the left by turning to the right will not work and so, all that can be 'done' is whatever will be done, which gives new meaning to the words
"Thy will be done"
And the prayer continues with this same polarity:
"on earth as it is in heaven."
When the labeling of the mind subsides for a moment, it may be seen that there is neither ethical or unethical, heaven or earth, me or you, but always and ever just This As It Is.

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The Supreme Lord said: O Arjuna, now I shall explain to you My prominent divine manifestations, because My manifestations are endless.
10.20 O Arjuna, I am the Atma abiding in the heart of all beings. I am also the beginning, the middle, and the end of all beings.
10.21 I am Vishnu among the (twelve) sons of Aditi, I am the radiant sun among the luminaries, I am Marici among the gods of wind, I am the moon among the stars.
10.22 I am the Sama Veda among the Vedas; I am Indra among the Devas; I am the mind among the senses; I am the consciousness in living beings.
10.23 I am Shiva among the Rudras; (I am) Kubera among the Yakshas and demons; I am the fire among the Vasus; and I am Meru among the mountain peaks.
10.24 Among the priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Brihaspati. Among the army generals, I am Skanda; I am the ocean among the bodies of water.
10.25 I am Bhrigu among the great sages; I am the monosyllable OM among the words; I am Japa among the Yajna; and I am the Himalaya among the immovables.
10.26 I am the Peepal tree among the trees, Narada among the sages, Chitraaratha among the Gandharvas, and sage Kapila among the Siddhas.
10.27 Know Me as Uchchaihshrava, born at the time of churning the ocean for getting the nectar, among the horses; Airaavata among the elephants; and the King among men.
10.28 I am thunderbolt among the weapons, Kaamadhenu among the cows, and the cupid among the procreators. Among the serpents, I am Vaasuki.
10.29 I am Sheshanaaga among the Naagas, I am Varuna among the water gods, and Aryamaa among the manes. I am Yama among the controllers.
10.30 I am Prahlaada among Diti's progeny, time or death among the healers, lion among the beasts, and the Garuda among birds.
10.31 I am the wind among the purifiers, and Lord Rama among the warriors. I am the shark among the fishes, and the Ganges among the rivers.
10.32 I am the beginning, the middle, and the end of the creation, O Arjuna. Among the knowledge I am knowledge of the supreme Self. I am logic of the logician.
10.33 I am the letter ``A'' among the alphabets, among the compound words I am the dual compound, I am the endless time, I am the sustainer of all, and have faces on all sides (or I am omniscient).
10.34 I am the all-devouring death, and also the origin of future beings. Among the feminine nouns I am fame, prosperity, speech, memory, intellect, resolve, and forgiveness.
10.35 I am Brihatsaama among the hymns. I am Gaayatri among the mantras, I am Maargsirsha (November-December) among the months, I am the spring among the seasons.
10.36 I am the fraud of the gambler; I am the splendor of the splendid; I am victory (of the victorious); I am resolution (of the resolute); I am the goodness of the good.
10.37 I am Vaasudeva among the Vrishni, Arjuna among the Paandavas, Vyaasa among the sages, and Ushanaa among the poets.
10.38 I am the power of rulers, the statesmanship of the seekers of victory, I am silence among the secrets, and the Self-knowledge of the knowledgeable.
10.39 I am the origin or seed of all beings, O Arjuna. There is nothing, animate or inanimate, that can exist without Me.
10.40 There is no end of My divine manifestations, O Arjuna.

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No Water, No Moon
When the nun Chiyono studied Zen under Bukko of Engaku she was unable to attain the fruits of meditation for a long time. At last one moonlit night she was carrying water in an old pail bound with bamboo. The bamboo broke and the bottom fell out of the pail, and at that moment Chiyono was set free!
In commemoration, she wrote a poem :
This way and that way
I tried to keep the pail together,
hoping the weak bamboo would never break.
Suddenly the bottom fell out.
No more water!
No more moon in the water!
Emptiness in my hand!

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One matter, one energy, one Light, one Light-mind,
Endlessly emanating all things
One turning and burning diamond,
One, one, one.

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~Rumi~
From: 'The Rumi Collection' by: Andrew Harvey
Art by: Clare Goodwin Title: 'Jewel of Wisdom'
Found at: http://www.abgoodwin.com/mandala/
Fair Use Notice


Never argue with a woman
One morning the husband returns after several hours of fishing and decides to take a nap.
Although not familiar with the lake, the wife decides to take the boat out. She motors out a short distance, anchors, and reads her book.
Along comes a Game Warden in his boat. he pulls up alongside the woman and says,
"Good morning, Ma'am. what are you doing?"
"Reading a book," she replies, (thinking, Isn't that obvious?)
"You're in a Restricted Fishing Area," he informs her.
"I'm sorry, officer, but I'm not fishing. I'm reading."
"Yes, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment. I'll have to take you in and write you up."
"If you do that, I'll have to charge you with sexual assault," says the woman.
"But I haven't even touched you," says the game warden.
"That's true, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment."

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Sent to me by Mahima
Art by: Pierre-Auguste Renoir Title: 'Woman in a Boat' - 1867-
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