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Reading 13--The Importance of Feeling

Love and the Soul by Robert Sardello is a challenging book, and I'm not very far into it yet, but already I have a sense that it is the kind of eye-opening work that will have a deeper effect than words on a page usually do. For one thing, Sardello makes distinctions between words that we often confuse, such as feeling and emotion, and these differences help point to something deeper in ourselves. This passage comes from a chapter in which he discusses the importance of individuality.

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After what I can only call a shitstorm of a week in politics and world events, I find that I need some way of thinking about my place in the world that keeps the exercise of hope alive. Here are some thoughts I recorded before running off to bury my head in the ground.

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A reading from Tolstoy's Calendar of Wisdom, reminding us that the most important work we can do to combat evil is to address it in ourselves. Just what that truly means, of course, could be a lifetime's work to figure out. If only our churches and religious "leaders" would help....

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To shake things up a little, here's a very silly naughty bit from a gathering we went to. In her defense, Kathy was tired, and she is not responsible for anything she says or feels (ahem!) in that condition. (Music by David Bowie and Sinead O'Connor)

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Looking into An Endless Trace by Christopher Bamford again. This passage is interesting because it suggests that in reading the natural world and in reading the Bible, we are learning about events that take place within ourselves. Again, we're trying to crack the glass that makes us feel as if we're separate from the past; trying to see all of creation as wise and deeply involved in humanity.

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Japa, the man and mind behind www.pythabacus.com, sat down at the end of last summer to talk of many things. In this piece of the conversation, he talks about the different kinds of death, all of which involve surrendering our consciousness to something outside of us, be it Luciferic or Ahrimanic in nature. The deed of Christ that our churches tell us about begins to come into sharper focus as we consider what "victory over death" might mean.

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This one is more of a commentary than a reading. I'll admit up front that I haven't done full justice to Erik Reece's book An American Gospel by picking select passages to respond to. Still, there is a tendency among those who (rightly) criticize religions for being corrupted to throw out the original message along with the corrupt messengers, and I'm trying to pull some of it back from the scrap pile.

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I'm no scholar, theologian or historian--just a simple caveman, really--but I've heard that the truth of reincarnation was widely known and accepted in earlier times. Did something happen to stamp out this knowledge? I don't pretend to know. But I can't see anything demonic or anti-Christian in exploring how the idea of reincarnation and Christianity can be compatible. Maybe this kind of exploration can even enliven our understanding of the more difficult (and misused) texts.

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Thanks to our friend Bill Wells for giving us a copy of this prayer of gratitude. It has a kind of "bread and roses" feel to it for me, as it acknowledges that we can love both our labor and our leisure. Happy New Year, everyone!

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I am disappointed that the (somewhat) more progressive leadership we now have in the US has kept the terminology "War on Terror" intact. I've rejected that term from the start, because we cannot eradicate ideas, animosities, and practices by force. We may never attain true peace, but if we do it will not be through war. We should not use the language of a Holy Crusade to describe what must be an internal change for all of us!

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This is a somewhat longer reading, again taken from The Universe in a Single Atom. Rather than viewing evolution as the results of random variations that compete for survival, we look at a different idea based on the interplay of energy and consciousness. The result is karma.

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Just a few songs from some carolers who showed up, to our great surprise. I think it's a nice old tradition.

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There is a lot to consider here in this short passage from a lecture by Rudolf Steiner. I think there's a connection to the earlier themes of sacrifice, in that we're asked to give love in the greatest measure possible without any personal reward coming from it.   (Musical lead-in from Tears for Fears)

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All the big hairy questions about the mind, matter, the reality of reality, trees falling in the forest, consciousness, and so on will probably not be fully answered (not even by these podcasts)for a long time to come. Still, it's interesting to see that science often has to step outside its own borders to develop explanations for the newer discoveries, and how close this sometimes takes it to the territory of philosophy and spirituality. In this passage, the Dalai Lama points to a way of a ...

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This reading comes from An Endless Trace by Christopher Bamford. This being autumn, maybe our thoughts turn naturally to images of releasing and transforming. I'm thinking now about sacrifice, both the outer, visible kind we may make and the inner, invisible kind Bamford suggests we are always experiencing.

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This reading, from a book by The Dalai Lama, concerns mental activity and what it means to have awareness. He is fascinating because his wealth of ancient learning and his interest in modern technology help him stand astride two worlds, and he is comfortable being that bridge.

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I (Fred, that is) am starting a new thing with this installment. I plan to post some readings of written passages that appeal to me, or spark my interest in some way or another. The idea is not to preach but to sow ideas around in a way that gives people food for thought, or for play, or imagination. There is enough intellectual debate already on the Internet. There are a lot of scholars and would-be theologians poised to flex their well-developed arguing skills and back their opponents in ...

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Play along with our Puzzle Segment and win valuable prizes! This week we have a well-traveled but gently used sack of corn, a flightless goose, and a dim-witted fox, all going to our lucky winner. Please note that YOU are responsible for pickup and transportation. The over-the-fence voices in this episode belong to Kris and Terrie, our neighbors. You'll also hear a little of Car Talk and some Cacklin' Sax by Boots Randolph.

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Our good friend Doug told this tale from his days on board ship in the later years of the Vietnam war. Boys will be boys....

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My parents' house was robbed a few weeks ago, evidently in broad daylight. The thieves knew what they were after--silverware and nothing else. The job was neat, quick, not too thorough, and overall creepy. Music: Been Caught Stealing by Jane's Addiction

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