Ever since I was kid (raised in the church of shut and praise GOD) ..I have been told that when things didn’t go my way it was GODs Will ..and if I was nice and did good and prayed a lot God might let me in on his BIG plan and I might get some gravy..After much experimentation I have come to the conclusion that Gods Will is just a ploy to make folks who are too lazy to think for themselves.. into being happy with their lot in life..
Gods will sucks..Many folks have an idealized version of Gods will..here’s my take..
Gods Will..Kudzo wins, dumb asses become politicians and forum trolls, tuckfards..fard tucks,
everyone in Asheville is a sensitive artist who is yet to be discovered,
the big fish eat the small fish and then they get dissolved by bacteria, volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes and crazed firemen with guns don’t have any moral compass and will kill the good, bad,and ugly without any rhyme or reason..
Sounds a little bitter huh?
My thought? God wants you to be happy…and not settle for any scrap of food that falls off the plate of some imagined diety..
And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation—some fact of my life—unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.
Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God’s world by mistake. Unless I accept life completely on life’s terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.
And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation—some fact of my life—unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.
Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God’s world by mistake. Unless I accept life completely on life’s terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.
Me too, thanks. Maybe there are no mistakes, I don’t know about that, but I do think God allows random happenings.
I think there is no god to allow or prevent anything, random or otherwise. Is there a plan somewhere buried in the cosmos? I couldn’t say but rest assured, I will never buy into the god the father thing. In my humble view, god is a code word for all that is and that is far greater, more vast and unfathomable than any personal god people imagine taking care of business.
In my humble view, god is a code word for all that is and that is far greater, more vast and unfathomable than any personal god people imagine taking care of business.
Yea..way beyond my understanding….there are moments ..mostly when I’m in nature..when I have no need for understanding..life is just great..that might be my closest experience of God..
It doesn’t really matter if you think God is in charge or there is no god running the show. It is what is. What matters is how we as individuals choose to deal with what is.
Now granted it is much easier to copy and paste that passage than to live it 24/7. And at times I have to debate whether I am accepting things or stuffing my feelings which isn’t healthy either.
...at times I have to debate whether I am accepting things or stuffing my feelings which isn’t healthy either.
I’ve found I do better when I participate in a group as part of my spiritual practice and discuss these things with trusted friends/advisors. True, groups can make mistakes too, but I accept that as part of learning. “Truth just is.”
I’ve found I do better when I participate in a group as part of my spiritual practice and discuss these things with trusted friends/advisors. True, groups can make mistakes too, but I accept that as part of learning. “Truth just is.”
I lost my group when I moved here and have not made much of an effort to join a new one. I keep telling myself I will when (fill in the blank). Lame and lazy, but I stay busy and lack a proper routine.
I abhor groups and shun discussions and spiritual practices. Guess I’m a student of old Tom Jefferson who proclaimed himself to be a sect of ONE. Groups may have their uses but I have yet to find one that I totally mesh with. You could, possibly, connect with something on this web site but I think it’s by invite only so if you are interested let me know and I’ll hook you up. Not even sure if you can view this page as you need a user name and password.
This site is devoted to those people in and around the Asheville, NC areas, who have a common interest in Self realization.
People posting announce visits from “teachers” to the area and videos of various names in the spiritual field like Eckhart Tolle. Have never attended any and have little to say there. I do favor Tolle as his approach is very down to earth and straight forward plus he’s a little funny in an odd sort of way.
The Sangha has a smattering of airy fairy new age types who say"I’ve been seeker of truth most of my life” blah, blah, blah…Don’t mean to be disrespectful but I find such people are often missing the point. They have traded one religious ego for another. Once they were great Christians, now they have seen the light and are great seekers.
Gosh, barfly, that sounds awfully self-loathing coming from a man who used to live at one of Osho’s spiritual communes.
What to say except you’ve misread something. No self loathing here. not a trace. As for spiritual communities, there are different kinds. In Europe there are numerous Osho communes still. In Oregon, the master was present which makes for a totally different experience, coupled with a very western approach to community development, it had none of the flavor of India. It was a city with a large farm attached which provided, lots of goodies for local consumption.
The agricultural and ecological aspects of the place were, I dare say, state of the art. In fact my mom who lived in Wilmington for 14 years, knew a woman there who’s son, a forestry expert, was employed as an adviser. It’s a pity really, that everything went haywire as the ranch had much to contribute if people had an open mind about it. Not speaking of spiritual maters either.. Spirituality was without ceremony. It was part of one’s everyday life experience, 24/7 as they say and nothing at all like a monastery or the ashram in Pune.
We had trucks, buses, cars, planes, heavy equipment, everything a small city required including an advanced sewer treatment plant. Unfortunately, or not, I spent no more than 5 months there. The lack of individual freedom became tiresome, good for awhile but…...
There is no group, as such. Each individual relates to Osho in his own unique way. Some enjoy the group experience, some do not. The choices of what to do with one’s disciple-hood are infinite, not tied to any program. Therefore, there is no cookie cutter Osho sannyasin.
So, when you say “I abhor groups and shun discussions and spiritual practices” you were being facetious? Or Ironic?
Or just an exemplary sample of amnesia?
Neither. This is a different situation. We are all here to discuss. You don’t know about my stuff, nor I about yours. When I speak of not discussing spiritual practices, it is a fact, Osho people do not engage in this or rarely. When we gather as friends we talk about stuff most friends talk about, money, family, beer, whatever..We share video talks or meditations but don’t talk about any of it. Osho is not a professor teaching a course. Each one who listens to his words comes away with his own individual take on it , the intent being that it be very personal, not a matter of opinion or majority vote. The inner journey is exactly that. Nobody can travel there with you, not even your closest friend.
There are no prescribed “practices” for example thus what to discuss? When I say I abhor groups, perhaps I’m guilty of hyperbole for I participated in a whole lot of groups but, those were part of the self discovery process, challenging as hell but not like going to class. Try 48 hours of intense activity, no solid food, no sleep, stress being applied at every turn looking for the breaking point. It was not an ashram kind of experience but a simple old fashion California style encounter group.
These things are not done any more except in a training center in Holland I was once associated with. The place is run by a Dominican American who learned his trade at Phoenix House in NYC first as a heroin addict, later as a group leader. It is very confrontational and cathartic in many respects. It has zero to do with spiritual practices and everything to do with each participants individual growth. Hard to describe. Osho is quite unique in his understanding that to meditate the modern man needs to clean his rubbish out. It’s hard, sweaty, emotional work, no discussions to speak of. Talk therapy is frowned upon.
