My Sunday Thought for 072317: The Infinite Spiritual Being of Me

“You are an infinite spiritual being 

having a temporary human experience.”

-- Wayne W. Dyer (1940-2015), philosopher, counselor, lecturer, author

If you were an "infinite spiritual being" to be viewed by mankind, how would you like to be seen?  I think I'd like to be seen as a toddler puffing on a pipe, doling out sage advice and wisdom from the back of an old fishing boat.  Avert your gaze for just a moment and you'll look back to see an elderly black man, or a young Asian woman. When you rub your eyes in confusion, the toddler is as before... with a knowing smile.  I'd like to have a little infinitesimal fun as a spiritual being, since I have faith my spirituality will last far beyond this life, and the next. 

Critics of Wayne Dyer accuse him of multiple counts of plagiarism.  True?  Well, it seems a court dismissed one case and, if the story I read holds true, he never acknowledged wrongdoing, or apologized, to any of his accusers.  Is plagiarism ethical?  I don't think so.  Do writers practice it?  I think more than any writers care to admit, whether they do it intentionally, or not.  I try to quote my sources, and use my own thoughts about what another writer might have written.  I have to admit one cannot always remember where one hears or reads a thought which might come to mind, but isn't this when, where, and how, we develop our own inner viewpoints?  I will still give deference to Wayne, regardless of accusations, if for no other reason than his untimely passing back to the greater spiritual realm to which we will all return at end of this human experience.

Occasionally we come upon others who mirror our own views on a given subject.  I can think of no greater subject in which to find a kindred spirit than one's spiritual beliefs.  I think all other subjects set atop the foundation of faith we give our spiritual beliefs or, at least, atop our faith in some morally righteous belief system, even for the devout atheist.  Without faith in something, we are left with naught but life.  And if life isn't based on morally righteous societal rules, laws, and behavior, is life really enough?  Society without moral conscience is living based on misery not life, and without life how can there be anything greater, like truth, or God?  But, then, maybe we have to give consideration to a definition of life, a definition which takes us beyond this mortal coil, and a definition which may just include a smattering of misery.  Without darkness there cannot be light, without evil there cannot be good; the two opposing forces of yin and yang which control the universe, which control everything.

"Lying involves more than just deceptive intent; I think the liar must also say something that they genuinely believe is false. If they slip up, then they failed in their attempts to lie. They intended to lie, but ended up speaking honestly by mistake. This seems possible. The question now becomes: how far does this objectivity extend? Is it possible to think you're lying when in fact you're not, just because what you think is false actually happens to be true? Or are actual truth values strictly irrelevant, so that there's nothing problematic about true lies?"

-- Richard Chappell

Truth is what it is, and a lie is something else.  These two concepts, truths and lies, make our human experience interesting, to say the least.  Most of us find comfort in the semblance of balance; others find comfort in a personal definition which allows for a seeming control of both.  I think our sense of balance and control are surrendered when we allow our definitions of the two to be guided by others, those whose agendas are not obvious, and are not ours.  Some organized religions can become the smoke and mirrors used to control us through our faith.  We can become blinded by bullshit which prevents us from seeing the forest for the trees; that truth which is right in front of our eyes.  When our faith is based on an obfuscated truth, isn't it, then, a lie?  What if clergy is simply repeating what they've been told is the truth, but what no one knows is, in fact, a lie handed down for eons?  

"My beliefs are that the truth is a truth until you organize it, and then it becomes a lie. I don't think that Jesus was teaching Christianity, Jesus was teaching kindness, love, concern, and peace. What I tell people is don't be Christian, be Christ-like. Don't be Buddhist, be Buddha-like."

-- Wayne W. Dyer

I was baptized a Catholic, went through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and took First Communion with all the pomp and ceremony involved. I went to Catholic school for grades 5 through 6 and had my first lesson about black and white - the "sisters" of the faith. I was given a reprieve and escaped back into the secular educational process until the military draft for the Vietnam unpleasantness.

I joined the Air Force with "NO REL PREF" stamped into my dog tags.  When I retired out, 22 years later, I had replaced the stamp with Buddhism, then with Taoism, and had dabbled in the occult, Scientology, and even listened to an evangelist or two.  I took off my dog tags and put them in a drawer along with my views on "organized" religion.  Mom was right all along when she told me it is enough to have a personal spiritual relationship with God.  I would only add that, first, you have to decide for yourself the "who, what, when, where, and why" of God.  If you embark on this task you are taking care of the how; the "how" of God is evidenced by your ability and desire to search for truth of God.  The "how" is God's ultimate gift.

"Religion is orthodoxy, rules and historical scriptures maintained by people over long periods of time. Generally people are raised to obey the customs and practices of that religion without question. These are customs and expectations from outside the person and do not fit my definition of spiritual."

-- Wayne W. Dyer

I wouldn't be too concerned about your personal search for truth.  For most of us, it has already taken the better part of many lifetimes and will, in all likelihood, take a few more.  We are, after all, infinite spiritual beings for which time should have no meaning.  Once you come to the realization of your place in infinity you will understand that time is simply a construct of the human mind.  We let it control our every waking moment, yet it has no meaning except as a marker in the physical realm and another barrier to happiness.  Tomorrow is simply another day in paradise, and another chance to excel at being.  There is no substitute for this happiness.

As for me, I find myself eating a banana in a highchair one moment, pondering the universe and doling out a child's sage advice on life in the next, and flashing the Cheshire smile of a spiritual octogenarian in the next.  We usually forget our previous incarnations by the age of three or four, and begin remembering again, in a fashion, as we approach the end of our current existence.  In between when we forget and rediscover, we begin our learning process anew, unencumbered by knowledge gleaned in our previous lives.  We empty our minds, wipe our memories, and prepare to boot the newest version of self, the "Spiritual Being 2.0," or so.  We enter each new incarnation with an open, active, and empty mind, ready to be filled with knowledge, adventures, and chances to excel.

"No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it."

-- Albert Einstein

Sometimes you bump into a mind full of confusion.  I bump into them constantly - those people who have not yet realized the path they are already on, have come to a fork in their journey and cannot , or will not, take the next step.  There are also those who have filled their minds with useless crap, have closed their minds, gone into an "inactive" mode, or all of the above and so much more.  They are still spiritual beings worthy of notice, but they have become lost; a "bug" in the current version, if you will, a virus in the program, or a ghost in their machinery of which they are unaware.  The subroutines of their mind continue searching for some elusive bit of code which will initiate a reboot of their system, some forgotten bit of knowledge, some truth - their "aha moment" when all becomes clear once again - if not in this life, then in the next, or the next.

Next time you're exercising your simian genetic ancestry by munching on a banana, take a moment to consider the perfection it represents; yes, the banana and the ape.  According to Gene Cuisine, we share a bit over 96% of our DNA with the chimpanzee, 90% with cats, 80% with cows, 75% with mice, 60% with fruit flies, and a whopping 50% with the delicious banana.

Now consider the myth that we only use 10% of our brain.  We actually use 100% of our brain.  I'd be willing to bet that all creatures use 100% of their brain.  We use it, but are we utilizing the full capacity of it?  Are we filling it with useful information, worthless crap, or are we filling it at all?  And then we have to consider not only the capacity, but how efficiently we use it; are we using our minds to their full potential?

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school."

-- Albert Einstein

You'll notice I have not mentioned "intelligence" in any of this.  Intelligence is only one aspect of who we are, and many of us are beginning to doubt the spiritual importance of intelligence compared to good sense, understanding, empathy, and the like.  Most times it seems to be the least of us who roar the loudest without making a sound, shine the brightest with little energy, or make us feel with only a glance.  It takes a true king who wash the feet of a beggar, and a carpenter's son to bring salvation for all mankind.

Are we infinite spiritual beings?  Well, if you have to ask... you simply don't know that you are.  The problem with not knowing is what?  Nothing.  Time doesn't exist, so you have forever to understand the spiritual being that is you.  How marvelous is that?

 Pretty damned skippy, if you ask me.  But then, why would you ask me, and why would you care about my opinion?  After all, I'm not really anybody and this is just another long thought, My Sunday Thought, for this coming Sunday, July 23.

"Scepticism. like wisdom, springs out in full panoply only from the brain of a god, and is of little profit to see an idea in its growth, unless we track its seed back to the power which sowed it."

-- James Anthony Froude (1818-1894), historian, novelist, editor

Editor's Note 

(re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 23 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, to wage his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center.