There is no death

Do we ever really die?
We have inherited the stars in our cells
Knowledge is inherited from cell to cell
When our bodies renew themselves
Every couple of years, knowledge is passed on to our new self, yet we retain our remembrance of self, who we are.
At death of the body, to the earth our body goes
Yet the soul is the one that continues to flow
Passing on whatever we know
To the earth, the planet, the skies,
The stars, the universe.
So what do we know?
The message, in silence, is forever imparted;
Live and know, and to have known,
and Be
In the countless forms of eternity

A bit about me

I was brought up as a Christian, was confirmed, went to different denominational churches. For a while I didn't go to Church. At one point, a 'prophet' said I was without church. But at that point God was closer to me than I ever realised. I studied the Bible, talked to Buddhists and Jehovah's Witnesses, studied 7th Day Adventist literature. Then a literary journey began, to India, China, Tibet, Nepal, back through China to Japan and then back home. At one point I wondered why, for it seemed that I was moving away from what I knew, yet at this point, God 'met with me' and explained, "This is why..." Alot of people don't understand and wouldn't understand why, but I do now. It was learning about how faith has evolved. How, essentially, we have the same moral dimensions in different religions. I've practiced Zen for a long time now and still have my beliefs. I knew what I wanted to do all along, but it took courage and confidence. And now I am beginning to become who I am, who I wanted to be, simply me. Yet to do this I had to not be me. There's something beautifully Zen about that. If you are wondering what I'm talking about, take a walk in my shoes: don't lose faith, look at your religion from outside your beliefs, look at all the spiritual ideas. It's about loving our neighbours, ourselves and doing what's right, peacefully. It's about being in harmony. You can't love your neighbour or enemy if you don't understand them. Learn. Love. Live in peace. Just because someone believes something different from you doesn't make them a bad person; they are who they are. I am who I am. I'm not God, but I know God is.

More about the Silence

When you are able to find the silence, that quiet place in you that is also all outside you, carry it with you wherever you go. It's everywhere and when you discover this, you will realise that you are part of the silence. Focus on your breathing, be aware of your surroundings, what you feel, what you hear, what you see. Recognise your heart is beating in time with the universe. Moreover, your heartbeat is only one of the many drums beating to the rhythm of the universe. You are matching your heartbeat to the universal rhythm. Feel it pulsing through you, with you. That same rhythm is in everything and everyone, but some have not heard it yet. So bring the silence to all things, all beings. And when you find another whose rhythm matches yours and the universe, you have found a likeminded soul. You will be able to be silent together and this silence will speak louder than words, any sound, any noise. The silence is comfortable and needs no words. It is the immutable bond.
The silence of trees, grass, flowers, birds lifting in the sky, ants crawling along the way, the trickling of water in a stream, all whisper the same, gentle message, that your heart speaks. In the silence, you can hear it clearly. The rhythm of the universe, its heartbeat, moves everything; day and night, the seasons, the patterns in the night sky, the planets in their dance around the sun. It never skips a beat. It keeps going.
Like a wave on the ocean, that ripples across the water, so the eternal rhythm continues. Our own heartbeats are like drops of water in the ocean of the universe: collectively we are the universe. Hear the water trickle and wash against the shore of your soul. Listen to this and you are hearing the silence. It is in you and around you, it is everywhere.

Finding the Silence

As you begin to meditate, breathe and focus on your breath, the in, the out. If you hear something just acknowledge it; rain, traffic, wind, your breathing, people chattering. Then focus on your breath, the in and out. If you feel something, just acknowledge it; shoes, shirt, trousers, the breeze, rain, warm sun on your skin. Focus on your breathing, the in, the out.

Become an observer of your thoughts.
Become an observer of your emotions.
Become an observer of just being.
In each step, do not judge and assess the thoughts, feelings and being. Eventually, you will find the silence. Here the bubble around you, the 'I,' will dissolve. You will find peace and discover how all things are connected, the at-one-ness, the bridge between here and there. You will have reached out and touched the silence.

How did it come to this?

With the recent refugee crisis in Europe regarding the Syrian people, I think it's important to recognise that we, as humankind, need to reassess our values.
There will always be the risk of potential terrorists inserting themselves in other countries, disguising themselves as refugees. However, there will be genuine people seeking refuge. The other side of the coin, is how did we let the country in question ever get to that point that the residents feel the need to escape the regime? We can talk about policing a state/nation, war and sending in peacekeepers, but ultimately we are seeing that there is a huge wave of changing values sweeping across the world. We are experiencing a dichotomy; a materialist west hemisphere & a religious east hemisphere. The west influences the east with democracy and technology, neigh consumerism, whereas the east influences the west with spiritual ideals. We can wage war in the name of a prophet, a deity or in the name of morality, but this is where the problem lies; war is war. The religions of the world have an indubitable influence over our morals and ethics historically. At the heart of most religions there is a common core, a moral core. However, at the heart of humankind, there is a desire to conquer and control. So, whether it be at the United Nations or otherwise, we need to reassess our moral core. We need to be stopping the rise of oppression before it accelerates, allow free will, free speech and freedom of belief. However, with freedom comes a responsibility, that being the right to police people, whilst having no agenda. It is a double edged sword, a paradox, freedom which is policed. No nation should have to be subject to a dictator, oppressive regime or overly controlling government. So we would need to police the police, have intelligence about potential uprisings within the nations, as well as allowing complete freedom. To do this we need a universal consensus on what is right and wrong, hence the need to reassess our values as a planet, the human race. We need a common ground as agreed by all nations. How we would stop uprisings of fundamentalists and extremists would need to be agreed also, thus a need to still have intelligence services and police. An important issue with the potential uprisings is knowing how to let an idea grow, but not become so large that war starts. As soon as an idea gathers pace, this is where we have to address the issue without it becoming a tsunami.
I don't have all the answers, but I do know that we need to address these things as a planet, as one race so that we can have freedom of belief, speech, and free will. We are one. The only barriers that exist are the ones we create. No one should feel like they should have to sneak through a barrier to seek freedom.

Memories

I often find myself in awe of the mind's ability to recall memories. I'll hear a voice, see a picture or recall a smell from another time and place. The brain's ability to store memories is phenomenal. At will I can summon up images and conversations from long ago. I can remember my first visit to primary school, my maternal gran's laugh, my paternal grandads gentle voice and how he said certain words. I can visualize my parent's living room from early childhood, the smell of my dad's leather jacket with his aftershave, hear the singing of my mum from the kitchen as she prepares lunch; hear my sister singing along to her music in her bedroom; see my daughter when she was 3yrs old and how Tommy used to fascinated by my bald head and how he would jokingly lick it; hear my wife's laugh as I act stupid.
Sometimes these moments catch me off-guard, other times they are daydreams drifting like clouds in the sky. As you read this, you're probably recalling memories of your own family and friends. How this happens is staggering. It never ceases to amaze me at the brain/mind's ability to recall and project those moments on to a virtual screen for us to see. It's all in the mind's eye.
If the universe is like a brain or mind, maybe it stores all our memories and lives, remembers when it was in its infancy, etc. I often wonder if the stars and galaxies we see are memories of a method used to create life, like "Ah, that didn't quite work. That combination of atoms didn't bond well." Thus, we are viewing the universe's past, its mysterious memory. So are we in the mind's eye of the universe?
It would be great to know if our memories are uploaded to the universe, so we share the same mind-space and it's all stored safely, in a timeless state for eternity. If we shared the same mind, maybe there is a way of accessing the memories of the universe. And what would we see, hear, feel, smell and taste?
Now that's something to think about

Talk about Time

How we have traditionally perceived time is as past, present and future. However, this is not the case. In this traditional perception, we regard time in this fashion, due to our passage around the sun and the moon's passage around our planet, and gravity plays its part in this general understanding of time.
In reality, quantum physics shows us this is not the case. It suggests the observer affects reality and that entangled photons communicate with each other, linking them beyond space and time. They only become real only when we observe them, yet quanta are both wave and particle at the same time even though they are not visually real until we observe them. This does not mean things do not exist until we see them, it means that the form they take is according to one's perception of time. More recently, test results from observing quanta, imply the future affects the past, making our traditional idea of time, appearing linear (past to future) only one possible facet.
An interesting point regarding time and communication is propagation delay, the length of time between sender and receiver. In our traditional sense of time, the greater the distance we send a signal, the longer it takes to be received. So essentially, all communication is in the past. Say, for example, you are 500 million kilometers away, somewhere in space, there will be a delay in you receiving the message. When you receive the message from the past, you then reply. As you reply, our earth has journeyed at least one day, so the response you send, even though it is in your moment, is now in the past. However, to myself it is from the future, even though it's your past. So in a sense, the future and past are interchangeable. Yet, entangled photons don't have this problem. To them it's like there is no time or identity, until an observer observes them. It is purely a form of energy.
To photons/quanta, there is no need for the construct of time. It is merely energy. We observers understand energy in a number of different ways, as it help us to understand who we are and how things are made. Moreover, we have order, but essentially we are all the same at a basic, elementary level. Without time, there is no relay of communication, merely communication per se, the idea, the intent, the knowing. Time is only required to enable a relay of communication when order is required. This basically means, that energy with mass needs time to comprehend. Energy with no mass, needs no time as it comprehends everything already.
In the dark, seemingly chaotic realm of energy, there is the idea, the intent, the knowing. The energy is both created and uncreated. To reiterate, only a created object will not know or understand due to mass and the concept of linear time is required to help make sense of things. To energy, to uncreated potential, there is constant communication, but it happens all at once. Hence, energy when perceived as light, is communicated as light and manifest as light. Once it is realised in finite form, it is part of the created universe. If unobserved, energy will simply be what it is, until observed. And this phenomenon is at the heart of every atom.
We all exist in time and outside of time. When observed, we are here. When unobserved, we are there, with the rest of the energy. When bound by time, we are finite. Energy only ever changes from one form to another, it does not die. So when we die, we are not really dying at all; we are changing to the unobservable state that simply is just being eternal, and just being, just now.
So linear time allows us to create a sense of order to understand the way of the universe, or multiverse, as the case maybe, and to indicate source and destination. Time is also unbound by our simple traditional view where there is no mass or gravity. Time is within energy and transforms from one state to another.
As we journey around our sun and the moon journeys around our planet, all things have a physical, corporeal reality. When they expire, they are unleashed from the fetters of traditional, linear time and transform into another state of energy. They become eternal. If another being on another planet observes us, they are witnessing the past and to them we will have existed. The light from our sun will have reached our alien observer, thus it will come in to being. Our expired star is proven to have existed, as well as our lives. And even though we will have morphed into a different state of energy and existence at this point, proof of our material existence is there for our alien friend.
Creation is in the past tense, yet the creative flow, the way of this energy, is infinite. Unobserved, it is uncreate and when observed it is created. Therefore we can confidently say that there is a witness to our universe and this observer is the energy that is both created and uncreated, all at once. Our interaction with it confirms our, and its own, existence. We are entangled with this energy and it communicates. This energy is self aware, neigh conscious, and all communication is happening all at once. It is seemingly chaotic to our minds, but not chaos per se, for it is simply knowing, just being. We, on the other hand, are given time so we can process the notion of being, hence linear time being a construct of the energy. This energy witnesses our creation and forms our universe. In turn, we witness the universe and confirm its creation.
This energy is at the heart of every atom. It makes up the bulk of our universe. We think we cannot see it, but we do. It also sees us. It communicates with us, yet we think we cannot hear it, but we do. It also hears us. And this is why we need to understand the silence. All things vibrate and vibration is sound. We need to understand how to tune into the vibration and given time, we will.

The Silence

I find myself on a quest to be with this creative force and understand it. As I have said before, I call the force God and believe it to be inside us and outside of us. It permeates everything, so how can I be on a quest to be with God? It is the only way I can describe it. Another way to express this maybe to explain it as being at one with God. Many ancient sources suggest loosing the self, the ego, to become one with God / the universe. Yet, surely we are given self to be individual? I am not talking about being an egoist, but being unique, for we have been given this rite. I am talking about being oneself with God / the universe.
In the silence of meditation, the clearing of the mind, one catches glimpses of this eternal force. In the silence, we discover the nature of it, its way, its being. Getting in to the silence is through meditation. I have found Zen very helpful in this regard. The guidelines for Zen practice, not belief, encourage discipline of the meditative process whilst sitting and moving. In the same way we achieve muscle memory by learning movement and fine motor movements through years of unwitting practice; in the same way we learn to breathe, speak and walk, we can learn to meditate. Maintaining the practice throughout our daily lives is difficult, but not impossible. Some, like monks and nuns, may choose a devotional life to enhance contemplative life, but I am in favour of keeping contemplation in everyday life; work, rest, socialising and shopping, etc. So part of my quest is not just to find and stay in the silence, but to bring it with myself into every situation. For the silence is very noisy anyway. In a Zen-like way, silence is noise. It's the crackle of a flame, the wind in the trees, the rain on the window, the chattering of birds, the fluttering of butterfly wings, the murmurs of people, the footstep on grass, the gentle inspiration and expiration of breath, and everyday life. When you learn to hear the silence, you can hear it anywhere and everywhere. The silence is being audibly at peace with the environment. I will explain how to find the silence later.
In my journey to be at one with God, I have realised that it is a force that we work with, not against. It is energy, but not like Chi. We tend to call it faith, but it is a force. We cannot own it, nor bend it. It works in union with us. We cannot tell it, we have to ask. It is a cooperative energy. It's a force that works for good that communicates between us, God, and the object. It is respectful and gentle. If you had a power, you would use it to your advantage, but this force is not an owned power. It is a mutual request being acted on, a prayer, an act of faith. I tell you that if you believe what you are asking for and can envision it happening, then it will happen. If it is good, right and beneficent it will come to pass, but it cannot go against the way of things. It can only go with the way, the flow, the natural order of things. And this is why you must learn about the constant changes that all things go through. Everything changes except the force, the creative spark, God. There is no death, it is merely change. There is no decay, it's a transition.
The silence helps us to understand this. It helps us to be at one with the energy, the way, God, the force, the universe, with all things. Because the energy, the silence, is already inside you and in everything, you could talk to a leaf and ask it to fall, ask for shower of rain on a cloudless day, ask a tree to come back to life, and ask the wind to ease its temper. You cannot control it, you ask for it to happen.
To find the silence you must believe you can find it, then you can be with it, and at one with it. It is learning to keep it with you wherever you go, through the many changes, that you will stay with it and it within you. With time you will learn to understand this.

The Universal Constant

The more I see life, the more I see the constant changes and realise how nothing is permanent but merely in transition. I, personally, don't believe in reincarnation but consider the possibility of certain traits being passed down, or inherited; like how a cell in a body knows what type of cell it is, or how a plant has a seed and that contains blueprint for what species it is. There is such diversity in life and existence, yet all are impermanent, apart from the source, that creative spark which has been permanent since the inception. We strive to understand the beginning, so we can ponder the end. Yet, the creative spark constantly remains and sees no end, merely the countless changes. Within the transformations only now exists, no past, no future, for they are interchangeable. One past is another's future and one future is another's past. We seek to understand the fluidity of now, it's state of flux and the creative spark within the now. We ascribe names for it such as God, nature, seconds, minutes ,this constant, eternal and now. It exists and is in everything, constantly there whether in a child's tear, a seed, a star or at the heart of an atom. It is what it is. Is it enough to know that it merely is what it is? I am curious and would like to understand what it is.
I perceive it as part of God, as the fabric of the universe, the elusive dark energy, the essence of the cosmos, the quantum quintessence. Not only is it in everything, it is everything and nothing can separate it from us or us from it. I believe it communicates, it responds to us and pays no attention to the rules of time. It shows us that faith in knowing an outcome without doubting it, is an act not just of faith but also a way of helping us understand how it works. It is a miracle worker and enables us to be the same. The greater the number of agreed beings there are conforming to an outcome, the greater the faith is in knowing the outcome will happen. Why? Because belief in the outcome, creates the result. We are tapping in to that creative spark, the essence of our existence.
I also believe that as humans, we possibly do not have the capacity to truly understand the creative energy. As our perceptions of the energy appear to be inline with the notion of a deity, a way, a person, it meets us in this fashion and respects our yearning to communicate and understand it. We cannot see it, yet it is between 'a and b,' then and now, past and future; it is the in-between, the present, the now. It has ways of travelling which we cannot perceive. It can change its method of travel according to the necessary state required to get there. This is how it is similar to faith, for it sees no obstacles and gets from prayer to answer faster than light. The method of travel is not confined to time, it is beyond it. We cannot explain how or why it occurs, yet this indescribable something makes up the majority of the universe.
It's like a vast database that contains the ingredients for life. It downloads information to particles enabling them to be the necessary parts of being and also uploads the information of its existence upon physical death.
It exists and is conscious, exploring every avenue of existence, enabling consciousness in all manner of beings.
I mean no disrespect by naming it as 'it' for the purpose of this article, it's just that it is difficult to define. I believe this phenomena to be part of God. Other people may call it other names, yet I believe that this entity realizes our inability to truly comprehend what it is and accepts our humble, if not meagre, attempts to quantify it, name it and understand it.

This creative force is constant and at work all the time. It is the only constant in our ever changing world, solar system, galaxy and universe. It is the flow, the way, the nature of all things and expresses itself as required. With time you will understand this.

Dark Energy

Dark energy makes up the majority of space. It has possibly the smallest fraction of matter within each particle; it's not gravity or antigravity; it's not radioactive or has electromagnetic properties, hence its non baryonic. So what is it?
What it seems to do is push things apart and stretches space-time to its thinnest point. It is a little like a spider's web, holding galaxies and star nurseries in place, and also appears to be like a halo around galaxies.
To my mind, it is like the roots of the universe. If we consider a tree that has roots which stretch and grow underground, the more robust roots grow thicker and can sometimes push up through the ground often pushing up concrete slabs, paving, or just push up the earth. When trees die, they are sometimes cut down to leave a stump, but more often they decay and rot at the end of their life. During its life the leaves of the tree use photosynthesis to produce oxygen, a complex process involving gases and other aspects of the plants system which receive and filter these gases to convert them into food for the tree as well as oxygen for us and the planet.
I also perceive the dark energy to be like a fluid, like a salty ocean. The salt and water being as one yet the salt is like the ultra small particles which are in dark energy. So one could say that the roots which I previously mentioned are in the water, feeding the galaxies, black holes being as the stumps of trees.
So does dark energy work like this? Are galaxies the flowers of the universe? Do the roots grow and push?
In short, the nature of plants indicates the nature of dark energy and matter. It has at least 3 aspects; ultra small particles, thickened, robust root networks and flower-like heads which form galaxies. It's also possible that there is an effect similar to photosynthesis, where light aids the particles to transform into certain gases/elements and baryonic properties.
It is almost like the ultra small particles are as yet undefined and become what they need to be. They also are at the heart of atoms.
These particles, I believe, are non dependent of time, not gravity or baryonic. It's quite likely that when they are studied that a new equivalent to the periodic table will be necessary to define their types. So this is how I perceive the universe; these ultra small particles travel along the roots, which are created by the same particles in a variation of its state, possibly being dark matter. They feed the galaxies which are the flowering heads, or plants. And these particles are not just in dark energy/matter, but also at the heart of every atom. They are the seeds of life, holding the key to life, containing memories which download and upload upon life/death and with the transition of energy from one state to another. Potentially, they are also in quanta/photons. Their nature is like a wave, yet also as a particle, hence my thoughts of it being like salt water. They become entangled with time where gravity exists, but have no time-like properties.
In a way, this could mean the potential for navigating the universe, as well as time travel, is more open. Imagine travelling without the constraints of time, along a root of the universe, to another galaxy. These roots may well be vast highways that are the network of the universe. If this is the case, we need spacecraft with enough fuel to navigate within galaxies, which can then slide down a chute to another galaxy in no time at all. When we realise how to do this, it will be an exciting time.
If you think this is far fetched, quantum biology is already showing us that quantum tunneling is already at work in nature. Furthermore, aspects of the quantum world indicate how certain aspects of nature work, from migratory birds to the transformations of tadpoles to frogs. Enzymes and DNA also exhibit quantum traits in our world, displaying how mutations work and overcome energy barriers. Also, excitons which are a part of photosynthesis, are light photons that are absorbed by pigments and generate these excitons, which then carry the associated energy throughout the plant. And these do so in the same wave/particle duality demonstrated in quantum physics.
So if we can harness these abilities, we will be able to use them to create and explore this world at a different level and beyond.

In my mind, the answers we seek to understand the dark energy and dark matter, are represented in the world we see. All things are representative of another. When we seek to understand the universe, quanta, atoms, etc. we will find the answers by looking at an aspect of nature in the world around us.

Problem solving & Enlightenment

Ever had that moment where you’ve thought, “That’s it! I’ve got it! I understand now!” That is when the penny dropped and you had that Eureka moment. Well, the same can be said of enlightenment.

In Zen, there is something called Kensho, which is basically the moment when you experience ‘minor enlightenment,’ also known as the Eureka feeling. Everything just clicks into place. You understand.

So how do we achieve this? The best thing to do is:

1. Observe and consider the problem you face. Think of ways you could solve the problem.

2. Distract yourself with menial work, everyday tasks and above all do not focus on the problem.

3. Come back to the problem and consider new approaches to solving the problem.

Problem solving, and enlightenment, does not need intelligence, it just needs divergent thinking. To encourage divergent thinking, you need to

· embrace changes to routine, unexpected experiences

· meditate more.



When one experiences enlightenment, or Satori, (feeling awake, awakening, etc.) the process has been ongoing since the minor awakening, or Kensho. The process is the same as above, but enhanced. One is given a problem, they then solve it using the technique and when the person gives the solution, they are told, “Yes you are right/wrong, but don’t stop there.”



Now the science bit. When you have an insight, you experience what Zen thinkers call, sightless seeing. The Visual Cortex causes the brain to ‘blink’ switching off your sight momentarily thus sending alpha waves through your brain which causes gamma waves to erupt in the Anterior Superior Temporal Gyrus (ASTG) in the right hemisphere of the brain.

To encourage your brain to gain insight, you need to experience new things, change routines and meditate. If you do these things, you encourage improvisation, divergent thinking and creativity. This is because the Pre-Frontal Cortex needs to step back, turn itself down and enable the brains wiring, White Matter, to form new pathways, or dendrites. It is a slow process. When you relax the monitoring of your conscious self, the Pre-Frontal Cortex enables you to lower your inhibitions, be creative and improvisational. This is known as Transient Hyper-Frontality. People who are naturally lacking in inhibitions and impulsive tend to be good problem solvers, because they are Hypo-Frontal.

When we meditate, we ‘thicken’ areas of the brain called, Insulas. The Insula helps us process emotions, feel & anticipate pain, gives moral intuition, empathy, guilt, atonement, pride, lust, disgust; feel hunger, cravings, listen, feeling shunned in social settings, decision making, listening & giving an emotional response to music, and judging peoples’ facial expressions. Some professionals believe it is where the body and mind integrate. We also relax the Amygdala, which governs fear and anxiety.

So meditation encourages White Matter to grow and our sensory inputs to be lowered, as well as lowering our monitoring of the conscious self. This means that our brain can ‘think freely’ and enable a feeling of ‘temporary sleep’ in our Pre-Frontal Cortex, even though we are awake. This sensation could also describe a state known as ‘loss of self’ and interconnectedness.



When you consider all these things, the method of problem solving is the same as Satori, Kensho, awakening, & enlightenment. The sensations are the same. When the Eureka moment occurs, one’s eyes are open, as if for the first time. Zen thinkers have been trying to explain this for years, by using koans: a problem that seemingly has no answer, is given to a student, who contemplates and meditates over an answer. There are minor moments, like Kensho, and major revelations, like Satori/Enlightenment.

So when you wish to solve a problem, like how to ease the worlds’ suffering, think about it, leave it, then come back to it. If you wish to cultivate empathy, a listening ear and moral intuition, do the same. When you think about it, it’s kinda spiritual really!


Observe. Distract. Come back.

The Conscious Universe

The more I look into the idea of the universe being conscious, the more I find the arguments for it quite compelling.
Alot of the arguments stem from the realms of quantum physics and Vedic philosophy. People, including myself, often refer to the double split test in regards to many areas of quantum physics, including the idea of the universe being conscious. Recent double split test results imply the future affects the past, making our idea of time, appearing linear as in past to future, only one possible facet.
Biocentrism also suggests that time is merely a device to assist us and make sense of things. Promoters of biocentrism also perceive consciousness being able to migrate after the death of our bodies, that our consciousness is uploaded to another realm or parallel universe, indicating an afterlife.
Furthermore, some quantum physicists consider the universe to be similar to a brain; the electrical firing between brain cells is similar to the shape of expanding galaxies.

The results of the double split test, indicate a relationship between the observer and observed, questioning the reality we observe, hence biocentrism questioning if time is a concept needed by us to understand, process and learn. So I'm wondering if we are caught in time's web, due to gravity, moreover our movement around a sun. Potentially this could indicate that outside a galaxy, there is no time. Black holes create rotation also and like the one at the center of our Milky Way, keep solar systems in place. Essentially, we are living on a small cog within the gears of our galaxy.

Consciousness, which ostensibly is hard to define, implies awareness. I am conscious of others in my life, my pets and my interactions with them. So if we are consciously aware of the universe, is it fair to say that the universe is conscious of us? And does this mean the universe also needs time to make sense of things?

The curious thing about time, the past and future, not necessarily the present, is the aspect of time lag sometimes referred to as propagation delay. This is the length of time needed for a message, instruction or packet of data, to be sent from sender to receiver, or A to B. The further the distance, the longer it takes. For instance, if NASA sent a message to New Horizons, the spacecraft sent to take pictures of Pluto, they have to take into account a significant delay regarding the craft receiving the instruction. If there are no obstructions in-between, the reception is slightly quicker, as communication travels with light. If any quick response is needed by the craft, the length of time to send it has to be factored in. So messages and information are integral with time, from our perspective.
Consider this; a message only ever exists in the past. For example, as soon as I say something, that moment has gone. You receive the information from that previous moment. Now, imagine that you are 5 million kilometers away, somewhere in space. There will be a delay in you receiving the message. When you receive the message from the past, you then reply. As you reply, our earth has journeyed a day, so the response you send is from your moment which is now in the past. However, to myself it is from the future, even though it's your past. So in a sense, the future and past are interchangeable and 'two sides of the same coin.' It's a little like the light of distant stars that we see, their light has taken years to reach us. That star may have expired, but it has taken ages for us see that light fade. Therefore can we confidently say, all communication exists only in the past? So using this example, when we look at quantum physics' double split test, regardless of whether or not the photon is observed, the photon lands and communicates back to the past telling itself in which state it should use, either as a wave or particle. The past has been affected by the future and vice versa. So again it suggests that past and future are interchangeable, existing at the same time. The question that remains though is why do photons not like being observed?

One other idea that intrigues me is sonoluminescence. This is when light is generated by sound, usually in a bubble. Various gases have been used in the experiment where a bubble is created and sound is used at various frequencies to stimulate a light. The bubble appears to shrink rapidly then expand to almost bursting, and at this point photons are emitted. This process baffles scientists. They do not understand how or why it happens.
If you have ever had a bubble bath, then I'm sure you have noticed how the mix of soap and water creates the bubbles. It may sound strange but bubbles like to be together. If there is an expanse where there are no bubbles, when you place some there, they try to reach the bubbles nearby. Some clusters are happy on their own little island, but most try and find a group to join. So I'm wondering if the universe is similar.
With sonoluminescence, a medium such as water is required, a container and something that generates sound. These three requirements bring forth the light. If the universe is like a bubble and dark matter the possible medium, and sound stimulated it, then the "first light" could have been generated this way. It may well be that the universe, atoms, cells, wombs, et al are all examples of the same process. From whence the sound and container has come from would still need answering though. It may also imply other forces and energies exist outside our universe.

The multiverse theory or the idea of membranes that exist parallel to our universe may point to an answer. The membrane theorists posit that two membranes flex and if they have touched each other, then it may have created our membrane/universe. There could be any number of universes or membranes and speculation over these reflect ideas similar to string theory; the idea that vibrating strings propagate through space and interact with each other being either matter, gravity, etc at a one dimensional level. There also could be a certain amount of dimensions. Some quantum physicists consider there to be 11 dimensions.

So how does all this relate to the possibility of our universe being conscious? We observe the universe and are conscious of it, so can the opposite be said and be true?

I've come to realise that everything is impermanent except the creative flow of the universe. People call this various names according to belief. I am part of this flow. We all change and are part of this change. Some of us don't realise this, sharing a delusion. Quantum physics is slowly realising this as well. Science is gradually proving what the ancients thought thousands of years ago, without the aid of technology. So, although we have changed as the human race; although the world has evolved over thousands of years; although the heavens have seen suns die and born, the creative instinct of the universe has been permanent. It is as if it is conscious and a constant.

The 'first light' of the universe carries a message, possibly created by sound, as in sonoluminescence. We communicate using radio, which is a form of light. So I believe that the universe is indeed conscious and that it communicates. In our little galaxy, time helps us filter the message and understand it. The message is the same in the future as it is in the past. Even more interestingly though is that it is two way communication; it speaks to us and we speak to it, this permanent, creative force.

Here is what I think occurred at the inception of our universe. Two membranes rippled and touched each other. Where they touched, a little of each membrane stuck to each other, forming a bubble. The vibrations of the two membranes stirred photons in to existence, as in sonoluminescence. The universe expanded, then retracted and began to expand again. As it did so, light emerged, photons dispersed and interacted with the sea of quantessence. This sea is an unknown quantity, dark energy and dark matter. Gases and elements formed as the bubble flexed between expansion and retraction. When light came in to being, not only did it help create, it also had a vibration, a message, "live." At this point there were many vibrations and time was created from one of the vibrations emitted by the 'first light.' This vibration was gravity and it began to gather momentum. The vibrational wave resonated outwards and as they travelled, gathered mass from the elements they passed. With mass it slowed down and formed galaxies. Each rotation of each galaxy began to form its own vibration, its own resonance. The sea of quantessence is a medium, like the water used in sonoluminescence. The sea is moving due to its nature, being the same or similar to the membranes. It flexes and moves. And like waves of a sea, grinding shell and stone in to sand, the sea of quantessence does the same with galaxies in our universe. Gravity may attract galaxies to one another, but if a wave of quantessence is approaching, it will push them apart.
In my opinion, our universe is like a fluid and moves as such, rippling like water in a bottle. I also suspect that universes are created by ours flexing against other universes / membranes. It also suggests we may have universes within our own. As for the constituents of the sea of quantessence, I believe it is made of the same thing that is at the heart of every particle, as yet an unknown, undiscovered property which is neither mass, energy or otherwise, yet it is in everything.

Therefore, I believe that all things have a vibration which is a form of communication. Furthermore, this is an indication of consciousness. We have come from this quantessence and it is in us and everything. It enables us to communicate between each other. It also retains information, such as our memories and consciousness that are uploaded when we experience corporeal death. Hence, when we die, our consciousness shifts from this bodily experience to being with the consciousness of the universe. Due to lack of mass it is not restricted by the constraints of time.

This process of creation is inherent in all things and can be represented at many levels, such as the way a cell forms, how a galaxy forms, how a child forms in a womb, how a cell knows what type of cell it is. The memory of creation is downloaded to every thing. The message is, "Live." Plus, we can communicate with it. This is more than likely how faith works; communication between two or more conscious entities seeking to create, change and heal. The communication is not confounded by time, as described earlier, and this is most likely why when you are involved in an act of faith, if you believe and know it will happen, it will indeed happen.

Is the universe conscious? I believe it is. Yet the question and answer remains the same, "Why?"

The Silence

To find the silence, practice the 3 stages of meditation:
Become an observer of your thoughts.
Become an observer of your emotions.
Become an observer of just being.
In each step, do not judge and assess the thoughts, feelings and being. Eventually, you will find the silence. Here the bubble around you, the 'I,' will dissolve. You will find peace and discover how all things are connected, the at-one-ness, the bridge between here and there. You will have reached out and touched the silence.

The silence is full of noise; the chattering of birds, the wind in the trees, the water over pebbles or rocks, the hustle and bustle of people racing around; the thunder after the lightning, the footsteps of a child, the purr of a cat, the crackle of a fire, the rain on the window. All sound comes from an immutable source, the silence.

The silence is peaceful. It is a place within you and around you..

It is one thing to find the silence, but another to carry it with you, as you walk the journey of life.

It is like a candle that is lit, then the flame is shared by lighting another candle. It is one light, the same light yet on all candles. It is duty to light the unlit candles by sharing the light, that is the silence.

Future in the past tense

What if the future is actually the past? When we look at the universe, is what we consider the past, the beginning, actually the future? Is our perception of time as human beings unique when actually time behaves differently?

Deepak Chopra recently suggested that cells retain a conscious memory which is picked up by new cells so they know what to do. He explains this by explaining how often various cells replace themselves. He suggests that when a cell, such as skin cell dies it is replaced by a new skin cell which wonders what it is. "What am I? What did my father, grandfather do?" And Deepak thinks the conscious memory of the grandfather, or father, cell is passed on to the new cell so it knows what it is and what to do. It's an interesting idea but, if time operates differently, as I suggest, maybe the cell is telling the grandfather cell, "This is is what you did, this is what you were."

If this is the case, is birth actually death? Is the question of what happens after death and where do we go actually from whence did I come? This may indicate we come from 'nothing' (an unknown state) into this state and when we die, we actually become part of someone else. The rules seem to reverse.
A flower in bloom is its birth, retiring to a seed. A grain of sand is the beginning which collects other sand particles to become a pebble. A view is not received by the eye but projected. Rain does not fall down, it climbs up. The beginning of the universe is actually our end.
Everything would be turned on its head.

If we look at the example of the flower, the seed doesn't come first but the plant. Yet is this not the case anyway? The flower starts tall and shrinks to a seed. The seed has not fallen to the ground but jumped up to be part of the initial flower.

So, is this the case? Or is time as we perceive it linear from past to future? Does gravity and the orbit of the planets our solar system follow one direction and the universe follow another idea of time?

With the double split test, the photons hit the target either as particle or wave. After realizing, that when scientists observed, the photon changed state accordingly to reach the target, the scientists didn't observe the photon and used a laser to act as the second barrier, and set it to randomly choose when to 'raise' the barrier. The test was recorded without human observation, until afterwards when they watched the recording. What they found was, basically, the photon appeared to know when the laser barrier was going to be used, or not used, and changed state accordingly, even though the laser was choosing when to 'raise' the barrier at random! So they wondered how it knew when the laser would randomly choose to activate. What they deduced was that the future outcome influenced the past, so the photon knew which state to be in, due to it knowing when the second barrier would be used.

This may sound odd, but when I came across Deepak Chopra's article, it seemed to make sense; when a cell dies it is replaced by a new cell which wonders what it is. "What am I? And what did 'grandfather' do?" And the conscious memory of the 'grandfather cell' is passed on to the new cell, so it knows what it is and what to do. Moreover, the consciousness passes from cell a to b. To reach the next cell, it has to know that it is coming back, or know the memory is moving forward aware that it's dying.

Deepak does not go in to reincarnation as such, and I (and only in my opinion) do not believe in reincarnation. I do believe in something happening when we die and the migration of the soul though. I personally believe in each soul/person being unique, and also each individual being an expression of the universe, as we are all made from the same things and part of the universe, not separate from it.
So, in my eye, memories, or consciousness, could potentially be downloaded, so to speak.

As I write this, I am pondering how we know certain things: when we are born, how do we know how to breathe? Science may explain how, but why and how do we know we need to breathe? How do we know to open our eyes? How do we know we will need them? Natural selection may explain why we have eyes, and why some animals have them in certain positions, but how do we know that we need them. Is the answer as Deepak suggests? Has the being downloaded the necessary information to know what it needs? Is it because it knows the future, the end and knows what it needs to do to get to that final destination, like the photon?
Or is it due to our perception of time being unique? Does time's arrow shoot straight from past to future? Or is it only this way for us as we are caught in gravity's web?

All these things are to take out for a cup of tea, on a warm sunny, autumn day, in March. Biscuits optional

Forgiveness

Why forgive when I can't forget?
Why should I forgive?
What they did was unforgivable!

So why forgive someone? The one point I will stress straight away is that I'm not talking about 'spiritual' or 'religious' aspects of forgiveness. I'm going to look at the psychological aspects of forgiveness.

Firstly, no one is asking you to forget. Secondly, it's up to you to forgive, no one can make you. However, forgiveness has many psychological benefits for it helps brings closure, helps you come to terms with what happened, can bring reconciliation, helps you to find peace and can help you move forward from an event.

Forgiveness is something that people often say they have done before they have processed the mental work necessary. It's also a necessary part of grieving process, when we accept what's happened and realise we can't change it. [For grieving, please see article on 'mourning'.]
It is easy to say that you forgive someone, but harder to live that forgiveness. This is especially the case when you know or live with the person. Human nature means we tend to remember experiences & incidents and recall them when similar events arise; it's part of how we learn. However, how we handle our response is another thing that is learnt, hence people tending to say they forgive before mentally processing the forgiveness journey. It's a little like those who repeat positive affirmations; the more you tell yourself that you're a strong, positive person, the more you believe it and live like it.

The act of forgiveness, as previously mentioned, helps us come to a state of peace and accepting that it happened to you. It can once and for all put the subject to bed. It releases you from the incident's grasp, alleviates your mental state, and grants you a sense of control.
If you imagine that every wrong doing done to you was a stone, place them in a backpack and carry it, how heavy would it feel? Do you want that emotional weight weighing you down? One way of alighting that weight is to remove it and its power over you. Yes, by not forgiving, the event/person is under the control of the incident/offender. To release the control it has over you, take control and release it.

As mentioned before, the mental journey you undertake is part of the forgiveness. We can do this by accepting and acknowledging our feelings, emotions and the event. [I deal with this in a previous article called, 'Mourning'.] We may not be able to undo the act carried out, nor forget it, but we can move beyond it.

When you come back from holiday, you unpack your bags and do the laundry. You then go about getting into your normal routine. This is a bit like forgiveness. You don't forget the holiday, and you unpack the baggage and give it a good wash

Mourning

When we hear the word mourning, we tend to think about bereavement, death, but it is also linked to any loss or change. We may have moved house, had a child leave home, changed job, experienced a break up in a loving relationship, as well as having suffered the loss of a loved one. So mourning is a process we go through regarding any change or loss.

At one time, I was in the armed forces and when I left, it took me ages to get over it. Why? Because until someone told me I was mourning, I didn't realise. Then the healing began. Once I recognised the state I was in I could move through it. Everyone has their own unique point of realisation and there's no fixed timescale for the healing either. It takes as long as it takes.

Grief manifests itself in many ways. There is regret, remorse, sadness, anger, catastrophiszing, and depression. These are all expressions of grief. Sometimes we cannot recognise what emotions we are experiencing, so need help with this from a friend, a listening ear and sometimes professional help. Being able to recognise the emotion is helpful and to realise that this is a manifestation of your grief, your mourning, is integral.

To move through mourning, we need to recognise and acknowledge the trigger, such as bereavement, change of lifestyle, break up of a relationship, etc. Once we acknowledge this, we begin to recognise how we feel. Do you feel angry? Sad? Happy? Depressed? There are no right or wrong answers. Acknowledge your feelings. Explore why you feel the way you do. Talk to someone, a friend, a stranger, a doctor or counsellor. By doing this you you are moving through the mourning.

Next is accepting what has happened, that it cannot be undone. It is a hard thing and can be intensely difficult to accept that the event occurred. At this point, we wish we had a time machine to undo what has been done. So accepting the event is integral and like I said, the most difficult stage of mourning. Once you accept that it's happened, you are almost there, almost through the mourning.

After accepting what has happened, it's time to carry on with everyday things. This is easier said than done. Little things can trigger emotions, memories and mental pictures. Be aware that the most unlikely scenario can stir up the memories and emotions. As you continue your journey through life, you will never forget what occurred but you will become more at peace with it.

There's no prescription that can heal. There's no thing you can change. The mourning process is what it is. Some people take a while to process mourning, whereas others are relatively swift. So try to remember;
Recognise that you're mourning
Explore & Acknowledge your feelings
Accept what happened
Continue with life
Take as long as you need

It's difficult. Seek help if you need it. Acknowledge the change has happened. By not doing this, you just shelve it till later. Mourning needs to be dealt with. So take the time to move through it.

These words seem so easy to read, so easy to write, but mourning is a hard process to go through. I'm not saying it's easy, I just know it's something you have to go through, just as I have

Anger

In any situation we can be faced with a person who is angry and taking it out on you. From experience, I have found that the person who is confronting me is actually angry about something else, yet it's manifesting itself in another way. So, I ride out the initial wave of anger and let them say what they feel the need to say. Then, I break down and repeat back to them the points they've raised. As I try to reach a resolution, I begin a conversation. Throughout the dialogue, I collect additional information which can often be revealing.

One time, a lady I was speaking to was complaining about a minor issue, but through conversation, I discerned that her handbag had been stolen. She had lost her purse which contained money, bank cards, etc. and priceless photographs of her family, some of whom had died. Hence, she needed her issue dealing with, as well as needing to express her emotional state regarding a) the theft & b) moving through the bereavement process. I did not offer advice but listened.

The need to be heard is a very strong need in humans. This requires active listening, not simply hearing what's said and glossing over it. And curiously the listener is frequently someone that they do not know. I personally think this is due to the way the afflicted person perceives the people they know; they presuppose the reactions and answers, and know how they will react. Therefore, speaking to someone who they don't know gives the opportunity to hear a fresh response, one that is not presupposed, not expected.

So next time someone sounds off at you, try to listen, get to the heart of the problem. You don't have to give advice, but actively listen so they feel heard, that someone has taken the time to listen to what's going on in their heart. Reach deeper and listen to the heart, not the anger.

A chance to change

I was greatly encouraged this morning by a conversation with my 13 year old son. He was asking me about black holes and how we know that they are there. This lead to asking other questions about the universe. He also asked about God and had the idea that possibly God and the universe are one and the same. I explained various schools of thought, then he asked who created God. I explored the various arguments with him, from Hindu, Jewish/Muslim/Christian, Buddhism to Zen. He suggested that each religion had possibly been given a part of the universe to explore. He also came up with this idea; maybe the universe/God knows the outcome, the end of everything and we have been given the opportunity to save it. We talked about time and how we, as human beings, perceive it in one fashion, and that our view maybe unique. We explored the possibility that, like the recent double split test indicated, the future affects the past, as opposed to decisions made in the past or now affecting the future. Again he came back to the idea that the end is already known, yet we have been given the opportunity to change it.

Let me explain something; my son, Thomas, is autistic and certain concepts for him are difficult to grasp. He has no real concept of time, and explaining it to him is a real challenge. He recently said he does not believe in God. Inasmuch as it upset me, it showed me that he is capable of reaching an intelligent conclusion. (I'm not saying he is incapable; I was merely impressed by his level of reasoning.) I'd love him to believe in God. I would like him to have faith. I can't impose any idea on him and he will have to formulate his own beliefs. Yet, today's conversation encouraged me that, firstly, he is questioning his position and place in the universe and, secondly, he is trying to understand God.

It was a great conversation we had. I often long for this type of dialogue with people. I was able to present competing ideas from science, cosmology and religions. However, many of the answers to the questions presented revealed the answer, 'We don't know.' We have many ideas and form opinions, but ultimately, we do not know so much.

The one thing that impressed me so much, is Thomas's idea; the universe/God knows the outcome, the end of all things, yet we been given the opportunity to change it. This gives me hope for future generations and encouraged me today, as I sit here, in this little part of the western world, which seems to be moving away from religion, from faith, from belief in God. And I thank the Lord for this encouragement.

A short spiritual autobiography

I've always had a predisposition to sitting and thinking. As a teenager, I recall sitting in the large, swivel armchair after dinner and just thinking, musing over things, looking at the books on my father's bookcase. I'd read the spines of the books. One day I finally opened up one of the books. It was about American history, the Indians, 'cowboys,' outlaws, and presidents. It was enthralling. Then I opened another book another time which was a history of western philosophy. I recall reading about the thinkers Monty Python referred to, Kant, Pascal, Nietzsche, et al. Being young, I kept re-reading the articles to try and understand them.

I was also a martial arts enthusiast and became immersed in the philosophy and thought of the far east. The music I listened to was instrumental, electronic and I enjoyed Erasure, Depeche Mode and Howard Jones, who was vegetarian and used philosophy in his lyrics. Inspired by Howard, I read the Tao te Ching and a book by Lin Yutang. Some of the other books I requested at the library the staff had never heard of, but they requested them from other, bigger libraries.

Then, after a long time and in the armed forces, I began to get back into my interests. I learnt about Rastafarianism, lived with a Sikh lady for a while, learnt about myths, Hinduism and studied the Bible intensely. At that time, I was also in a very bad place, mentally. The journey for me was just beginning.

I spent time with my maternal grandfather and we talked alot about the Bible and he gave his perspective as a Jehovah Witness. I also went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes with my local Roman Catholic church. At this point, I began to emerge from the dark place I'd been in. My parents took me to a healing event and this was the turning point for me.

Mum and Dad raised my sister and I in a stable Christian environment. We had attended Baptist and Anglican churches. I had given my life to Christ at a very young age, I was about 7-8yrs old and got confirmed at 14. I also went to an Elim Pentecostal church for a good while, with school friend, Geoffrey.

As an adult, I became intrigued by Buddhism and its similarities to Christianity. This led me on another part of my spiritual journey through Hinduism, back through Buddhism, Taoism and Zen / Chan. In my late thirties I began practicing Zen, not Zen-Buddhism. This took me back to the origins of Judaism/Christianity. I also began to share thoughts with the ACIM practitioners, with whom I have a deep affinity. [ACIM - A Course in Miracles]

When I was 39, I had an awakening and it was also at this time that I qualified as a teacher. Over the years, I gained other qualifications and found a love of learning. From Zen, I learnt alot about not judging. I was inclined to learn, and unlearn, things. I preferred the Rinzai Zen line, their use of koans and approach to enlightenment. I began reading alot of Thomas Merton's work and began to weave Zen into my Christian life. Many people confuse Zen and Zen Buddhism, and say you cannot mix them, but I believe you can. Zen is a way of life, that, ostensibly, the first Christian contemplatives followed. I felt no deep calling to join a monastic order, but I have frequently considered joining the priesthood and I still think this would be a possibility for me in the future.

I love learning and talking about different spiritual beliefs. I see a great beauty in them, especially the eastern religions. I have my opinions and beliefs, but don't impose them or preach them. However, I have preached sermons in church services. I have always encouraged prayer and believe in the power of prayer.

So what do I believe? I believe that there is God. I believe in the Holy Spirit and in salvation, through Christ. I believe in actions speaking more than pretty words. I practice Zen, in daily life, and meditation. I don't believe in imposing beliefs upon people. I don't believe in karma. I believe there is the Way, which can be observed in nature. I believe all things are connected and long to understand the nature and being of God, as I am fascinated by God. I have looked at how other faiths perceive God, and the relationship between humankind and God. It's not something I struggle with, but seek to explore. I've had many numinous encounters and am amazed by them. I know that there is power in prayer and faith, and I know God exists. I perceive God as a trinity, all parts being equal.

In my daily walk and spiritual journey, I've found how to apply my learning and synthesize it, actualize it. At this time, I find myself trying to help others on their journey of faith. I don't tell them, I await them asking. And people are asking. I don't prescribe a path, but ask them questions to assist them in their spiritual journey.

I've learnt alot and will continue to learn. I'm nicknamed, Guru or Roshi, the meadow master, but I am who I am and I'm not God. I try my best, try my hardest not to judge and prefer to act in a situation rather than react or just talk about the situation.

My heroes? Jesus, Abraham, Joseph, Ghandi, Dogen, Siddhartha Gautama, the Dalai Lama, the Karmapa, Ma-Tsu, Mo Tsu, Lao Tzu and anyone who makes a peaceful stand for change.

It's time for me to live the learning and I've started. The journey continues.

What's a Spiritual Development Coach?

What is a spiritual development coach? Most of us have questions like, why am I here? What's my purpose? What's my calling? Which way do I go now? Why has this happened to me? What does this mean? And these questions come about from our spiritual journey. So what's a spiritual development coach? Let's have a look:

A spiritual development coach is there to help you on your spiritual journey, to guide you and look at the answers you are asking. Ideally, the coach will be more of a mentor and mirror. The questions you ask won't be answered by the coach; they will help you find the answers.

The coach should be nonbiased and be able to refer to various religious and spiritual beliefs.

They should also be able to help break down goals into manageable steps and explore techniques, tasks & exercises relating to your journey.

The coach will endeavour to approach the subjects holistically, taking the perspective as a whole, to help gain the balance required.

A spiritual development coach, is not a counsellor, although some of the things you discuss will be in relation to your wellbeing.

The journey you go on with the coach will be reflective and you will be encouraged to keep a journal.

So why do I need a spiritual development coach? A coach will help you approach the points you raise from different angles, which you may not necessarily see by yourself. They help polish the mirror, so you can see yourself more clearly.

The coach will not tell you what to do, won't preach to you, and will not ask you to do anything you do not want to do. They will not tell you who you are. Also your sessions will be confidential.

Overall, the coach is there to talk & walk with you along your spiritual journey, be a guide and friend, who you can approach with confidence.

Sougen. 🙏

All is One?

You may recall an article I wrote recently, 'Can the future affect the past?' in which I looked at photons and how they can be both wave and particle. Well, I am still fascinated by this idea and wonder if they exist in both states all the time, or if it makes a choice to be one or the other. I suspect that we will more than likely never know, unless studies and research can discern otherwise.

My thoughts around this relate to the idea of ourselves being able to be in two states, namely corporeal and non-corporeal, or spirit. The idea of form has long been an issue, moreover the qualities that define form. Great thinkers since the ancient Greeks, if not before, have debated this. Even the likes of Rene Descartes had ideas regarding form, body & mind, as in Cartesian Dualism. However, if we have two forms, can we choose between them, to assume the required state at will? Answering this will go someway towards understanding if photons can change at will.

Are we both mind & body, or soul & body? Or are they things which we can choose to be? One of the lines of enquiry I have explored is the Hindu idea of Advaita, which is where all things are one. To try and explain this, I'll use this example: there's a piece of paper and being good at origami, you create a swan. Then you undo that and make a cat. Unravelling the cat, you make a flower. After admiring the flower, you flatten the paper back into its original state, then make a ball out of it and throw it in the bin. Advaita suggests that the, the swan, cat, flower and ball are all the same, due to them having the same common components, which in this case is the paper. Likewise, we can say that all life has the same building blocks (i.e. like being carbon based) and so we are all the same, and all a part of each other. The form is identified as self, but when we look deeper we realise we are at one with the moon, stars, plants, fish, sea, air and fire. So, seeing through this 'illusion' helps realise we are all one, as we remove the self/identity. As in the example of the paper, the swan, cat and flower are all the same, when they lose their identity, and the idea of being a swan is seen by the swan as 'illusion.'
So, in short, are the soul and body one thing, and the idea of them being separate a delusion? Is the photon both particle and wave, so the idea of it being in two states an illusion?

In spiritual circles, there are often two competing ideas, dualism and monism. Is there good and bad, or just merely actions? Are there two parts, are they separate? One aspect is interesting, that we are all made up of the same DNA or RNA, but subtle differences mean I'm not a mushroom, so to this degree that is true. However, the self of the mushroom is not the same self as me. The idea of self/identity is not illusion, but merely a way if defining the object and to establish differing points of view.

Personally, I think that our body and spirit are the same in nature and identity, both existing simultaneously. Yes, I have the same basic elements as all things, but I am not all things. An interesting leverate or syllogism occurs here; I am like a tree - but all trees are not like me, or I am all things but all things are not me. Can I choose to be a tree, a bee, a rose? Can I choose which state I exist in whether soul or body? Can I exist as both states at the same time? Can I be both rose & myself? The various schools of shamanism suggest we can assume the identity, or be at one with the soaring eagle, the buffalo and the wolf. However, will these questions regarding our state be answered by science? I do not know, but various spiritual paths suggest we can.

Another interesting aspect regarding oneness relates to consciousness; is my consciousness unique or is it the same as yours, hers, his, the universe's? Can we choose a consciousness to be as or are we being in those conscious states all at the same time? It would be a little like knowing the mind of God. So there's another aspect to consider.

My opinion is that we share the same properties as all existing things do. In essence, we are all the same but with each our own identity and consciousness. Our eyes are a bit like windows through which God/the universe looks at life. I also perceive that is also a need for identity, hence the idea of self. Also, I believe that we can be at one with the universe, life, etc especially when in states of contemplations or meditation. These are only my considered beliefs.

I'd like to finish with these final thoughts: can we choose which state we are in (body/soul) or are we in both states simultaneously? And here's an excerpt from the Ashtavakra Gita.
"The universe is but a thought in Consciousness. In reality it is nothing.
One who sees the True Nature of existence and non-existence never ceases to exist. The Self, which is Absolute, Effortless, Timeless and Immaculate, is without limits and at no distance from you. You are forever It."

I like this writing as I find it thought provoking, but it begs an answer, to know in whose consciousness is the universe a thought? Is it a result of our collective thoughts? Just thought I'd leave this with you.

Peace

Faith in action

The word faith is used in varied contexts. We express faith, we have faith in something, and there are acts of faith which is the area I would like to look at. Faith is a curious thing that has the ability to 'move mountains.' I, personally, have witnessed acts of faith that would be classed as miraculous.

The new testament of the Bible indicates that when 2/3 or more people are together and agree on something, it will happen. The collective wills of those who believe that what they ask for will happen bring about the required outcome. Christ indicates that what is agreed in these small groups will be agreed in his court/heaven. So what is it about faith that makes it work? What is it that makes the miraculous occur?

Faith is an unknown quantity that cannot be contained and I find it intriguing. It's power is often linked to prayer, and when answered can be overwhelming. If we have unwavering faith in knowing something will happen, and then it does, this encourages the faithful believer. There are some people who say that the results of prayer are coincidental, but I recall an experiment carried out in the US where they 'tested' the power of prayer. There were two groups of people, all of whom were ill to some degree. One group were prayed for, the other weren't. Both groups were aware that some of them would be prayed for. The results of the experiment suggested that those who had been prayed for recovered more quickly than the others. It was not a religious experiment where a god/God was being assessed, or whether one god was better than another, it was a test of the power of prayer. Those who had been prayed for showed remarkable improvement and the results were looked at. The assessment involved analysing the knowledge that the patient was being prayed for: was it the knowledge that they were being prayed for that helped their condition or was it that receiving the collective good will of people made them better? The results were inconclusive, but there was no denying that prayer worked.

I can recall events when I prayed and the outcome turned out as requested, which reinforced my faith. The feeling was wonderful and I was thankful. I do wonder if we have an ability or access to a power, for want of a better word, that is granted to us. Maybe faith is like the force that the Star Wars films mention. I can imagine faith being attributed to each one of us and when two or more people use their collective faith in unity, the power is magnified. Ghandi reiterated a statement from the Bible, "If you have faith, you can move mountains." Christ says our faith can be as small as a mustard seed, yet mighty. I also believe that although there's power of faith at an individual level, there is a greater resource of this reserved for God's use alone.

We should not put God to the test, but I encourage you to put faith in to action. Pray for people, situations and over events. Use your faith actively. Are there any rules? I believe there are:
Don't go against the Way
Don't be selfish with it
Don't use it to cause harm
Use it for good causes
Work with it
Be aware of other factors
Realise it's not you doing it!

[When I mention being aware of other factors, I am referring to things like weather; Eg. It has to rain as it's beneficial to the land.]

Faith is magical and use it wisely. To use faith is not an act of hope, it's an act of knowing that it will happen. It's like acknowledging that it has already happened in your mind's eye. There will be times when the desired outcome does not occur and you will wonder why, so don't let these times knock you, but understand there are things unseen that we do not know about, other events unfolding which have their course to follow. Then there is the way of things. You cannot go against the Way. There is a natural order. So finding the balance between acts of faith and understanding the Way is important. As you become more aware of this balance, you will begin to awaken to the true nature of things. Understanding this is a pivotal point in your spiritual development.

So practice faith, sharing good will, praying for others and, "May the force be with you."

Can the future affect the past?

Recent experiments in quantum physics indicate that the future affects the past.

The Double Slit test indicates that light is both a particle and a wave, and that light chooses its outcome of going through the slits according to whether or not it is observed. An adaptation was included, so that the second barrier/slit would be introduced at random, without an observer being present, but it was recorded by equipment used to observe the experiment. However, the same results were recorded each time, which indicated, "the particle's path affects its past decision about which path to take" (Tim Wogan, physicsworld.com) If you would like to read more on the double split test, follow the hyperlink at the bottom of this post.

So, a few questions arise but the one I'd like to ask is, does this mean we live in a predetermined universe and there is no free will? Moreover, does a future result affect a decision made in the past? Surely it should be the other way around and our decisions determine our future. The issue is also something that is debated in spiritual circles, is God an interventionist or does God allow free will? But is it this simple question? I believe not.

The experiment indicates that the route of the particle is determined by knowing the outcome. So the decision is made in future and sent back to the original position so it gets to the required outcome. The choice to get to the other side is made not in the present, but in the future.

The photon can exist in two states, wave and particle. Whether or not it makes a conscious choice to choose between which state it desires to be will probably remain unknown, so we cannot assume it has choice or is both states at the same time.

If the photon is simultaneously existing in both states then regardless of the obstacles it will always reach its desired destination. If the photon has to choose which state to become, it implies that it is sentient and has free will, the beauty of choice.

"Why am I explaining this?" you are asking yourself. The reason is this: do we exist in more than one state? And with the decisions we make, are we making them in the future?

If we make decisions in the future, our idea of time will be inverted. Our past is the future and our perception of time moving forward is unique to us, when actually we are moving backwards.

In regard to my first question, if we have two states and the possibility of choosing which state to be in, does this substantiate the notion we have souls/spirits?

In my mind, it seems like our soul is another state we exist in which can observe and help us make decisions as it is not contained by time, as we perceive it in our corporeal sense. In terms of the spirit, it experiences past, present and future all at the same time.

With reference to God, could this new discovery substantiate the idea of God being in body and spirit? Could we say 'God is what God is,' as well as body and spirit, like in the Christian trinity?

In terms of the universe and creation, could the double split test infer the creation is in the end of the universe? Is it like T S Eliot says, in his poem East Coker,'In my beginning is my end'?

It surely is something to think about.

Addendum:
In a previous post, "Why do we need God?' I mention that the questions, do we need God and do we need time, are the same. We know the future exists, but are unsure of its properties and whether or not it affects our choices. Likewise, we can say God exists but are unsure of God's properties and whether or not God affects our choices.

Double Split Test link:
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2015/may/26/do-atoms-going-through-a-double-slit-know-if-they-are-being-observed

Why do we need God?

Why do we need God? I was asked this question by someone after writing a blog article. I didn't answer, but explained it had inspired me to write an article about it. So I've been thinking about this. When looking at other answers, from other people, faiths and perspectives, there is no distinct answer. People tend to explain the benefits of knowing God, rather than answering why we need God. And when I stopped and thought about it, it is difficult to answer. It's a bit like asking why does a flower need the sunlight?
My Dad mentioned, "It's like asking why do we need a father?" So why do we?

To my mind, this question takes us back to the dawn of humankind. Whether or not you believe in evolution, there came a point when humankind became consciously aware of their environment and sought answers. The ideas they had are well known as passed down via the Torah, Bible, Enuma Elish, Rig Veda, Upanishads, the Tao, amongst many other ideas and writings. Many of the perceptions are similar, and I don't want to digress, for that is an article in itself. However, we have to consider the time and environment when those thoughts were in their infancy, even before being written down. If we were to write something now to explain creation, within our contemporary settings, as if we were suddenly aware right now, with technology around us, what would we ask? Why am I here? Where did the Blu Ray player come from? How did we get silicon chips? Why are these things here? Who put the sky there? How did all this come about? So regardless of the time or setting, we would always have these questions.

The crucial, pivotal point is, I believe, the moment we seek answers in relation to our awakening consciousness as a race. Changes occur over time, like declining types of animals, changes in weather patterns and the morphing of landscapes. Ice comes and goes, droughts, darkened skies from possible celestial impacts and/or volcanic activity. Then someone asks, "Why?" This then leads to seeking any connection between events. At some point another person thinks,"I wonder... If I ask for this [ ___ ] to change/stop, will it?" (The blank could filled in by weather, land, situation, disease, etc.) Then, there appears to be a response, and it is an answer. For example, you pray for rain and it happens. From this, three schools emerge; belief, superstition and coincidence. The believers believe, ask/pray and get answers. The superstitious try to recreate the same conditions to stimulate a response. The non-believers see it all as coincidence, a fortunate happenstance.

So what is my point here? We want to know, to ask, to find the answers. One could say that the schools mentioned before can be consolidated into two areas, faith and science. However, we have scientists who have faith and for many years science has been investigated by different faiths. Both schools seek answers. In our contemporary setting, science can aid the atheist's opinion and faith/God aids the opinions of the believers. We can only explain a tiny amount of what we observe and understand and science helps us investigate many aspects, but compared to what is out in the cosmos we know very little. Many theories exist and they are only ideas, conjecture, possibilities. So we ask lots of questions to seek answers so we can know for sure. Like children we constantly ask, 'Why...?" So non-believers look to science for answers, whereas believers look to God for answers. However, the two are interchangeable.

At one level we could say that we need God to answer the questions. On another level it could be suggested that we need God to understand our place in the universe, help define our purpose. One may say we need God as the ever present provider. It could also be said that, in comparison to the parent/child relationship, we need God as our parent. After all, the Bible suggests we should be as children, to receive God's kingdom. Rabindranath Tagore said, "Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man," & “From the solemn gloom of the temple children run out to sit in the dust, God watches them play and forgets the priest."

The institutions of religion need God but what about the individual? Everyone has their own perspective on who or what God is and how they need / do not need God. As for myself, I believe we need God to help us understand our place and purpose, to provide for us and as Saint Teresa of Ávila wrote,
“[God] has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which to look out [God's] compassion to the world
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now."
I also think we are all part of God, each of us a vehicle to view existence in this realm. Through our many eyes God looks on at events.

So, going back to the original question, "Why do we need God?" can we actually find an answer? Do we need God?

Just for a moment, I'd like to compare God to time. Without time, everything would happen at once, so time is present so there is some kind of order. Time is also relative, and one body can observe time at a different rate to another, yet both observation points observe the same event, and my point is that God observes things from one point of view and we view things from another, yet both witness the same events. In this example, God is time, as well as being a viewer of time; time being like a string of continuity. So the same question arises here, do we need time? As I write this article, experiments in quantum physics indicate that the future affects the past, which indicates a predetermined future and no free will, an argument that has been going on for a long time. We know we have choice, but do we? Has the future outcome affected our choice even though we are unaware of it? In a realistic sense, we make conscious decisions but also acknowledge that we don't know the outcome, such as "I know I will have dinner, but what I'll have to eat has not been chosen."

Now, you are probably asking why I have taken a detour here in this post, but here is why. The questions, do we need God and do we need time, are the same. We know the future exists, but are unsure of its properties and whether or not it affects our choices. Likewise, we can say God exists but are unsure of God's properties and whether or not God affects our choices.

So, why do we need God? Only time will tell.

Living Words

Many people are probably aware of John's testimony of Christ, that he was the Word in the flesh, but have you considered what a living word is?

Many people talk of ideologies and morals, talk wisely and promote kindness and compassion, but it is necessary to practice what one preaches. It is by doing what we say that people see our actions. It does not always have to be grand gestures, but small things.

Regardless of creed, colour or race, we can all make a difference. By assisting people, our actions speak a common language, that of kindness and compassion. This universal language breaks down barriers. By doing rather than preaching, we set an example.

So we too can be living words.
"And the Word became flesh."

About enlightenment

The old Zen proverb says, 'Before enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water. After enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water.'
And Basho was right. Just because you may have experienced bodhi, kensho or satori, does not mean everything changes, life changes or otherwise. All that changes is you, or your perception of things (according to what you define as enlightenment) and what you do as a result of this.

So what's the point of it then? Arguably, there is no point. If you think have gained it, then you haven't. If you think it's yours, it isn't; and this is why one does not attain it, but merely experiences it. The enlightenment experience will be unique to each of you.

Famously, Siddhartha Gautama became Buddha after his awakening, his enlightenment. People are reported to have noticed his awakening. But was it a visual difference or something about his 'aura'? Whatever it was, people noticed it then and now due to his teachings.

There has been a long debate over whether enlightenment is a gradual or sudden process. In particular, the Zen/Chan schools debated this for years. Ma-Tsu is ostensibly the originator of the 'sudden' school of enlightenment and by use of non sequitur questioning, shouts of "Ho!" & hitting people, tried to jolt students in to enlightenment. Ma-Tsu is one of my favourite Zen patriarchs, although rather slapstick. However, his techniques do what is required to gain awakening, just as the koans do. Many people don't understand koans, especially those who have little understanding of Zen Buddhism, but they are meant to trigger a response which is inline with our original nature, or Buddha nature. However, unless you know what you are looking for, you won't find the answer, hence the general public's perception of koans. Bearing these things in mind, our original nature is said to know all things, yet not know them, which is Buddha nature. To briefly explain, we learn from a young age how to do many things which become instinctive. We are not consciously learning these things, but are aware that we know them. So enlightenment is like this; we are already enlightened yet not consciously aware that we are. So whether we become enlightened gradually or suddenly is a huge debate.

People of any persuasion can become enlightened; it's not just for Buddhists. Zoroaster had an experience of it, so did Patanjali, Sai Baba, Osho, Adyashanti, David Hoffmeister, Nirmala, amongst many others. In fact, there are many enlightened minds in the world who are not famous and live with us in our everyday lives.

Enlightenment itself is an awakening, realisation of things, understanding interconnectedness of things which cannot be translated or conferred upon someone. It is something that happens to you. Each experience is unique but they do have common traits. Amongst the metaphors to describe enlightenment, are the following:
Peace, tranquillity, insight, understanding, connection, transcendental, at-one-ness, overwhelming love.

For some people, enlightenment will be a gradual process leading to that moment of clarity, whereas others will experience it suddenly, whether it be within meditation or contemplation, or whilst involved in an activity.

It is common to think and ask, "So, what happens next?" after that experience, hence the opening quote from Basho, 'Before enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water. After enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water.' What you do as a result of that revelation is an example of how it has impacted on you. The one thing I would stress is the importance of keeping a 'beginner's mind.' Shunruyi Suzuki deals with this idea very well and I encourage you to read his work. In short, never think you know it all. If you become big headed and a show off, people won't think you're enlightened, but an idiot, because you will have increased your ego and not diminished it. By having a 'beginner's mind,' you will continue to ask questions and learn, be inquisitive, be open minded and not of fixed opinion.

If you do experience enlightenment, try to recall what was happening before that moment. Also, after the experience, you may find you have a burst of creativity.

So is enlightenment for you? It's for anyone. As a Buddhist may say, "We all have Buddha nature." As the psalmist and St Paul said, "Awake, o' sleeper..."
A Zen proverb says, "Where there is great doubt, there will be great awakening; small doubt, small awakening, no doubt, no awakening," & Dogen said, "There is no beginning to practice nor end to enlightenment; There is no beginning to enlightenment nor end to practice."

If I can help, please feel free to contact me at Sougen.roshi@gmail.com

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A bit about my enlightenment.

From my experiences, I realised that what I initially considered my enlightenment, was in fact kensho, a small insight. For myself, this involved understanding the interconnectedness of things. It occurred when I was 39 years old. Three years later, at 42, I experienced satori, a deeper, more profound understanding, which was as enlightenment. It was a sudden realisation, after a series of contemplations where I asked certain questions. What was curious regarding my experiences, is that I am a Christian and I'd never heard of Christians experiencing enlightenment. So I talked to people and did research. I also asked, "So, what happens next?" and found that it took a while to find the path I should follow. For myself it related to bringing my spiritual life in to the secular environment. How I react and perform within society is a reflection of what I have learnt. It is a bit like being a doctor to humankind. Lessons from the Bible, the life of Christ, the teachings & life of Buddha, Sikh philosophy, Taoism and practicing Zen all can be translated into everyday actions. These things impacted on me and in any given situation, spiritual lessons are there to be put into practice, and this is what I do. You may think this is an obvious thing to do, but how many of the teachings you've received have you put into action? It's what I class as being a 'living word.' As a Christian may understand that Yeshua/Jesus was the, "word made flesh," so also are we called to be 'living words;' the action of compassion, love, a helping hand, benevolence, in a world where so many people hear pretty speeches but do not see them being put into action.
One of the other facets of enlightenment for myself was about accepting things as they are, not judging them. The only way I can try and explain my beliefs is relating to the term 'Zen-Christian,' although I am probably not seen as a typical Christian. I have practiced zazen for many years and see the common ground between Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, Sikhism and Islam. I don't pigeon hole my beliefs in any denomination and do not preach radical ideas of say that you have to be x,y or z. What I believe is what I believe. So this is the tip of the iceberg regarding my own experience regarding enlightenment. I hope that maybe by reading this, about my own experiences, you will understand a little better.

The diamond self

Each of us are multiple people. We are a son/daughter, a brother/sister, a father/mother, grandfather/grandmother. In any given situation, we react in one of these roles. All roles are connected. The people we grow up around influence our behaviours and we learn to be that role by observing them in that role.
A mother is also a daughter, a father is also a son. A grandmother is also a daughter and mother. A grandfather is also a son and father. Our responses are how we identify ourselves in each situation. Realising this, we can increase our empathy and identify with each role.
Next time you are in a family situation, be conscious of your responses and who you are being at that point.

A mother and daughter argue. The daughter sees only her perspective, but the mother unconsciously knows the daughter's perspective and mother's. If the mom was aware of the roles she is playing, empathy would arise and the mother would see things from a daughter's point of view, for the mother has been a daughter. Being able to recognise the point of view would decrease tension. The argument would still occur but the impact less severe, due to the mother realising she is both mother, daughter and grandmother.

We are all connected. Go in peace

What is God?

What is God? It's a curious question. Many people have many ideas, and each faith has it's own understanding of God, and God's nature.
I suggest reading about it and related
subjects like Transcendental Idealism, Teleology, & God in relation to different religions. It may seem heavy at times, but there are plenty of books and websites that are easy to read. (I'd be careful when reading on Wikipedia though, but they often mention if articles need work.)

The origin of the word God, is unknown. Some people allude to an ancient Sanskrit word, 'hu,' meaning to invoke or call upon. Others think it is of Germanic origin, but this does not define God as in the type of being, God's nature and form.

Philosophy has many ideas about God, just as belief systems do also. There are pluralistic ideas, such as the ancient Greek and Roman pantheon, animistic ideas that god/gods are nature, animals, etc; dualistic ideas of God, monotheistic theologies, and the belief that we are gods or each individual is an expression of God. Some, like the Hindu, Christian& Jew, believe God is a being/deity and spirit. Is God a person? Many beliefs have the notion that God can take any form, or be part of a trinity, that is with equal merit on all 3 parts. Debaters such as Origen would suggest, along with other Arian thinkers, that there is a hierarchy. In Hinduism, there are trinities, such as the Shiva trimurthis. Many beliefs also consider God to be part of our realm, whereas others attribute him to be external. So, as you can see, there are many competing ideas and beliefs.


I often wonder if God is the universe, or creation itself. Is God inspiration, the creative thought? Does God have a form or shape? How does God communicate? How does God do things and go about God's work?

I am not answering the question but stimulating your thoughts. In my own opinion, God is. In a Zen-like way, God is what God is. As Moses intimated in the Bible/Tanakh, God says, 'I am what I am,' which, to my mind, sums up the deity neatly. I do believe in God. I also believe in God's Spirit, and God as Man. I believe the trinity helps us understand God's nature; God as God in personality, God's Spirit as the mind & God as Man, being able to interface with us at our level of understanding. I also think we do not have the facility to grasp what God is within our human minds, hence God's ability to be human.
I am not imposing my understanding upon you, but offering an opinion and different perspectives.

Peace

The Quantum Self

You are in the universe and the universe is in you. By watching the universe, you're explaining where you come from. When the universe watches you, it sees what you can be.

The further inward you look, the larger the universe gets. The larger the outward universe seems, the smaller it becomes.

By not observing the universe it shows you everything. By observing the universe it tells you nothing.

I am who I am, it is what it is. I am everywhere and nowhere. How can I be in two places at once?

I am as a wave, yet also a particle. I am both. They are not different. They are me. I am in everyone, and everyone is in me.

Where there are gaps, spaces and time, these shrink the more I choose not to look. When I stare in wonder at those spaces, they increase, pushing things farther apart.

And by not looking, I'm at the start and see my future, my many guises and forms. Here all paths converge.

And what is my soul? The traveller in my skin; the memory filling the spaces in. You cannot see my soul, it seems to have no mass and like a shadow, it's almost dark. And this dark energy is pulling us apart. Yet my soul binds together all things that would be torn apart. It pushes and pulls, flexing its strings.

As for showing you more, I will, at the right time, when you understand you are, who I am.