more awakenings?

[Guest guest]

Jerry:

> Question: Is it merely a coincidence that Awakening and the

> coming demise of seeking, parallel the growth of the

> Internet? It's a side question that some of us may care to

> ponder. Clearly the Internet plays a role. Without the

> Internet, it might be asked, would Awakenings spread so

> quickly and broadly?

>

 

>From where I sit here in the heart of

Missouri, it would be a rather large

leap to state that Awakenings are

accelerating.

 

I wonder if maybe the fact that now those

of similar interests from all over the globe

can all be linked together gives an

illusion of there being more awakening

now than at any other time?

 

Or maybe it is as you say, and I ought to get out

of town more often. :-) I've noticed very little change

in consciousness.....as a whole....here now than when

I lived in this area 25 years ago. If anything it seems

more 'fundamentally' Christian than ever before.

 

I wonder what others have noticed (outside of California).

 

Melody

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 02/17/2000 11:42:52 PM Eastern Standard Time,

melody writes:

 

<< Or maybe it is as you say, and I ought to get out

of town more often. :-) I've noticed very little change

in consciousness.....as a whole....here now than when

I lived in this area 25 years ago. If anything it seems

more 'fundamentally' Christian than ever before.

 

I wonder what others have noticed (outside of California).

 

Melody

>>

Hi Melody,

 

Currently, I am reviewing submissions of "intros" of several

hundred people a day on the internet on AOL. There is

everything from students to physicians to single mom's at home.

 

What I am seeing, which I find very heartening is that at least

80% of people are saying they are "spiritual" but not tied to

a specific religion and are exploring inter-spirituality. (As a side

note, almost everyone puts music at the top of their list of interests.)

 

Considering that most of the wars of the world have been fought

around religious based beliefs, this is an incredible step forward and

I do think the internet allows people to explore more widely.

 

I also would think that since there is a collective unconscious that

there is a possibility that the collective is moving forward, as one

person enlightened tends to shed light around her/him, yes?

 

Perhaps this is part of Pluto's journey through Sagittarius. Pluto in

Scorpio was about everyone being in therapy, and now that it is

in Sag, it seems to have moved to a focus on Spirituality. Some

fairly interesting people in history have carried this placement,

Michelangelo, Mozart, Leonardo da Vinci. But this is the first

time since it's "discovery" so, I think the energy is now available

for seeing.

 

Are more going to be awakened? One can certainly hope so :-)

 

 

The eternal optimist,

Bo

[Guest guest]

On 2/17/00 at 10:37 PM Melody wrote:

[...]

¤I wonder what others have noticed (outside of California).

¤

¤Melody

 

Some time ago it could be read in the papers (Canary Islands) what is

keeping people's mind busy: if I remember well, family life came first,

then money and last was religion, at a shared place with politics. During

the almost 7 years of living here, I only noticed one (K. ) awakening boy

(abt 12 yrs old). In a population (resident plus tourist) of some 750.000,

not much and as a lot of time isn't passed at home (this goes for most

inhabitants), the Internet isn't widely in use. As a large part of the

inhabitants of Northern European countries is having holiday in winter here

(in the course of years), that should have resulted in some "hits" too: it

is unlikely every one awakening/awakened will only visit Asian countries

 

 

Jan

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 02/18/2000 7:17:50 AM Eastern Standard Time, melody writes:

> ¤I wonder what others have noticed (outside of California).

 

Here in Florida, it seems as if I am surrounded by beautiful people, some

awakened, some not. To share in all of their lives is like heaven/home to

me, no matter what we do -- play cards, watching movies, singing by the

piano, or just talking. Being alone is wonderful too.

 

I moved back to Florida last summer from a year's stay in a small town in NW

Georgia bible belt. The people surrounding me, mostly oodles of wonderful

relatives (my dad had 15 brothers and sisters, most of which still live

there), were kind, generous, loving, and went out of their way to help each

other, to help their neighbors and friends. They even went out of their way

to help strangers. Rarely was a mean thought spoken. Gatherings together

were many, and sharing of their ordinary happenings in their lives with much

laughter was always the case.

 

I had been confused to why I felt 'not at home'.... separated... in the

midst of all the kind and loving energies. I thought it was because of the

bible belt thing and not being with 'like minded people' I could discuss my

own interests with. I missed 'home'' and my friends in Florida. Again,

this confused me, as I knew I was looking outside of myself for peace, but

could not for the life of me, find it within.

 

Although it was very peaceful and loving there, I eventually began alienating

myself from everyone as much as possible... yet peace still did not come no

matter what I tried. My son Joshua's healing (the reason for the move) was

done, and I now felt comfortable enough to move back to Florida, thinking it

would make a difference in my life. ie, 'going home'. It didn't. The

peace could not be found, I was still surrounded by beautiful loving people,

yet I couldn't connect to myself.

 

I discovered after moving, that the whole year I was in Georgia, I had been

empathizing with one of my dearest friends, Hardy, who had been hospitalized

for 11 months before his death. I went through every emotion he did --

restlessness, loneliness, thoughts of 'wanting to go home', abandonment,

missing my friends, many more. Even after moving back home, I still felt

separated from myself and connected to Hardy's emotions instead. I still

could not reconnect, but with the new awareness of what really was occurring,

I now could be aware of the process, and surrender my/his thoughts. It was

only a few days after his death, that I finally reconnected with myself. I

knew I was home and at peace again, and I knew he was too.... wherever he

was.

 

I offer this, not as an answer to your question, but as a possibility of what

may be occurring in your own life. I know me, and I know I can feel at

peace with myself no matter where I am -- alone, or with many people,

awakened or not. It is the empathy with another that disconnects me to

myself, and connects me with their feelings of joy or suffering instead. I

had no one in Georgia to point that out to me, so I could be aware that this

was occurring. It was only when I moved back to Florida, did I discover

this via a good friend that understands this empathic processes. Because he

is as sensitive as I am, we now help each other out when we are not at peace

-- and every time discover it is not our own feelings of separation, but

another's!

 

And that is when 'like-minded' aware people come in VERY handy! Like-minded

people to me, now means 'aware'.

 

Love,

xxxtg

[Guest guest]

This discussion brought to mind this old story....

 

 

In the evening when the work was done, the boy liked to sit on the front

porch with his grandfather and try to see the world through the old man's

eyes. About an hour before sundown, a team of mules pulled the first wagon

even with the house and the driver called from the road.

 

"We're just moving here. What kind of neighbors can we expect?"

 

The old man took some time, examining the wagon load of furniture, and the

driver, before he asked "What kind of folks was there where you are coming

from?"

 

The driver spit a long stream of tobacco spit and said "Damndest bunch of

people to talk against you, plot against you, that I ever saw! Not a decent

one among them."

 

The old man nodded. "Yeah, well, that's the way you'll find them here."

 

Before long, the second wagon with his family pulled up in front of the

house, and the second driver asked the same question. "What kind of people

are we going to have for neighbors?"

 

Again, the old man asked "How was it where you come from?"

 

The second driver shook his head and said, ''The finest people you can

imagine. Always ready to pitch in and help out. We hated to leave on their

account."

 

The old man nodded. "Yeah, well, that's the way you'll find them here."

 

Before the last wagon was out of sight, the boy's mother called from inside

the house that their supper was ready. The old man stood up, checked his

pocket watch to see what time it was, and then followed the boy into the

house.

[Guest guest]

tg wrote, in part:

> I had been confused to why I felt 'not at home'.... separated... in the

> midst of all the kind and loving energies. I thought it was because of

the

> bible belt thing and not being with 'like minded people' I could discuss

my

> own interests with. I missed 'home'' and my friends in Florida. Again,

> this confused me, as I knew I was looking outside of myself for peace, but

> could not for the life of me, find it within.

>

> Although it was very peaceful and loving there, I eventually began

alienating

> myself from everyone as much as possible... yet peace still did not come

no

> matter what I tried. My son Joshua's healing (the reason for the move)

was

> done, and I now felt comfortable enough to move back to Florida, thinking

it

> would make a difference in my life. ie, 'going home'. It didn't. The

> peace could not be found, I was still surrounded by beautiful loving

people,

> yet I couldn't connect to myself.

>

> I discovered after moving, that the whole year I was in Georgia, I had

been

> empathizing with one of my dearest friends, Hardy, who had been

hospitalized

> for 11 months before his death. I went through every emotion he did --

> restlessness, loneliness, thoughts of 'wanting to go home', abandonment,

> missing my friends, many more. Even after moving back home, I still felt

> separated from myself and connected to Hardy's emotions instead. I still

> could not reconnect, but with the new awareness of what really was

occurring,

> I now could be aware of the process, and surrender my/his thoughts. It

was

> only a few days after his death, that I finally reconnected with myself.

I

> knew I was home and at peace again, and I knew he was too.... wherever he

> was.

>

> I offer this, not as an answer to your question, but as a possibility of

what

> may be occurring in your own life. I know me, and I know I can feel at

> peace with myself no matter where I am -- alone, or with many people,

> awakened or not. It is the empathy with another that disconnects me to

> myself, and connects me with their feelings of joy or suffering instead.

I

> had no one in Georgia to point that out to me, so I could be aware that

this

> was occurring. It was only when I moved back to Florida, did I discover

> this via a good friend that understands this empathic processes. Because

he

> is as sensitive as I am, we now help each other out when we are not at

peace

> -- and every time discover it is not our own feelings of separation, but

> another's!

 

 

Thank you for offering this, TG, as well as your others from these past

few weeks. Though I often do not respond, I certainly hear them, and

am changed is some way by them. I read this one with interest as it

touches so many notes already at play within me. Maybe we can

explore a bit together?

 

Your offering reminds me of the time all sense of "me-ness" was

dropped while focusing completely for an extended period of

time on others. It was bliss. Pure Bliss. Even in the midst

of suffering and confusion.

 

I suspect in retrospect that what I was experiencing at the

time could be called compassion. So what I'm wondering

aloud is: How is compassion different from empathy?

 

Compassion led me to a state of bliss, to 'no-self'

 

while empathy leads you to a 'disconnect' from self,

and a connecting to 'others' joy or suffering..... which

does not instill a sense of peace?

 

It makes me wonder if empathy is transferring

'identification' from "me" to "an other"

 

and compassion is dropping all identification?

 

Is it possible to connect with others' suffering

and joy without "claiming" it? This seems to

be the question which is arising within me....

 

I'm seeing lately how I have been keeping myself

'protected' ..... isolating myself from 'others'. And so

in a related vein, I'll offer a bit of conversation

between Sandeep and myself:

~~~~~

> Sandeep:

> So in solving, in addressing, are you trying to secure that insecurity?

> I have asked you before, in that apprehension of facing the insecurity,

just

> what do you expect to save, secure?

 

Melody:

What comes to me this instant is: expecting to save my prison.

 

Prison life is filled with "knowns". You get 3 squares a day,

always know when and where you're going to lay your head,

your life is filled with the security.....hell tho it may be.

 

I have been living for the past 3 years feeling completely

isolated from my community, from other people....feeling

separate...not belonging. Tho I convinced my self it was

because I was different, that it was because I was more

'aware' than others....'spiritual', not just 'religious'....

or because I didn't fit with any one community for one

reason or another......

 

all devices to keep me in prison.....safe in prison...

safe with all my knowns....a 'controlled' environment

.......I am now seeing.

 

I'm seeing now how staying in that prison requires

a substantially constricted heart.

 

Unconsciously it seems I choose to live with a constricted

heart. Consciously, though, I choose to open it.

 

The problem is I can't have both. I can't stay

safely guarded in my prison, and have an open

and undivided heart. It can't be.

 

The minute my heart opens, the walls of

'protection' fall away. And as soon as

a sense of 'insecurity' arises, the heart

once again constricts, and the walls go

back up.

 

The key here for freedom is in

being able to abide....even welcome

somehow...that sense of insecurity.

 

And it's much too much to expect from

my mind. It's asking my ego to act

counter to its every natural impulse

I see here now.

 

And doing so keeps me going "round and round

the mulberry bush".

 

To go beyond 'insecurity' I must

be willing to expand in perspective

.....beyond the mind.

 

<snip>

>

> Oh absolutely.

> Spot on.

> It is the "me" which feels insecure and wishes to do whatever, seek

> whatsover, spiritual, mundane, whatever to push away that feeling.

> From the "me" point of view, it is appropriate to do so, because what is

it

> a stake is it's very existence and it knows that.

> Let it play it's games.

> What is it to do with you, Melody?

 

My 'me-ness' is the cornerstone. Without it

there is no 'security'. In order to feel 'protected'

I have to have something to be protected "from"!

 

Gosh, this sounds so silly as I type it out.

What nonsense. But without a 'me' there

IS no 'safety'....no need of it.

 

Inside fear, however, that statement get

inverted and becomes,

 

"Unless I stay safe, there will be no "me".

 

See what I've been doing?

 

<snip>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

TG:

> And that is when 'like-minded' aware people come in VERY handy!

Like-minded

> people to me, now means 'aware'.

 

 

 

LOL. Yes. Like-minded people means 'no where to hide'!

 

I love you, tg!

 

(Which means, I just 'got', "I do not constrict around you."

Gee. I like that. Yes. That's exactly what 'I love you' means!

"I love that when around you, I'm not closed and defended!)

 

Melody