January 30, 2009

What Does God Mean to You?

Using the code word G-d

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January 29, 2009

Dealing with Doubt

"Doubts demand from us a real skillfulness in dealing with them, and I notice how few people have any idea how to pursue doubts or to use them. It seems ironic that in a civilization that so worships the power of deflation and doubt, hardly anyone has the courage to deflate the claims of doubt itself—to do as one Hindu master said: 'turn the dogs of doubt on doubt itself, to unmask cynicism, and to uncover what fear, despair, hopelessness, and tired conditioning it springs from'. Then doubt would no longer be an obstacle, but a door to realization, and whenever doubt appeared in the mind, a seeker would welcome it as a means of going deeper into the truth."

-Sogyal Rinpoche; from Glimpse of the Day.

Most of us struggle with doubt from time to time.
i like what Voltaire had to say about the subject.

“Doubt is uncomfortable, certainty is ridiculous."
-Voltaire

And a good rule to live by most of the time is:
“When in doubt, don't.”
-Benjamin Franklin

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January 20, 2009

The Speech

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We Begin Again

Pete proudly raised our flag again today. On this day we begin anew.

With all of our problems, with all of the challenges we face, we affirm that we will begin the process to remake ourselves. We resolve to be better, kinder and once again meditate on peace. We resolve to practice peace and harmony toward ourselves, our loved ones and work toward the common good of all.

Today we heard the following words from our new President"

"On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics."

"We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."

"In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom."

"... This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do."

"...For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace."

"...America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."


President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address @ Yahoo! Video
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It's been a long time, but...

Pete raised our flag again today.

We have a new President.

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January 11, 2009

DOUBT'S PATH

I used to wonder
about people who seemed
so certain that their view
of the world was true
and believed they were completely right
and so sure their beliefs were indisputable.

I wondered how they could be
so sure of themselves
when it seemed to me that
there were always so many questions
and so many possibilities.

How could they ignore
all the many shades of gray
and white and black.
How unclear it always seemed to me
with all the ifs
and buts and yets.

How does one ignore all the many mysteries,
so many possible answers to the same question,
so many other ways to see the world?

What do I really know to be true?
What do I believe?
What is truth?
What is certain?
Life. death. Pain. Loneliness. Unity. Change.

There is no life. there is no death. there is no thing.

The question is: Is there an unchanging changer?

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