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Showing posts with label prodigal son. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prodigal son. Show all posts

Monday, October 17, 2022

being famous

When I see someone going on about how successful they are, or how famous they are: "My name is known throughout the world," I laugh out loud. You either will get the joke when you see it, or after you die.

I became famous while in hell.

How embarrassing!

My sojourns with psychedelic compounds have retained a darkness to the cumulative experiences. The trips into the darkness have been primarily with Ayahuasca and Huachuma plus recently the use of Magic Mushrooms. Initially, I was scared and horrified by the constant repetition of the darkness and the constant unpleasantness of these explorations into the psyche. I wanted the love and light trips. I wanted the exhilaration of bliss which I can sometimes grasp with a good roll of the dice. For the most part, I'd get the low and not the high. Why I never gave up on psychedelics is a mystery. The advice of the maestro rings true, "You get what you need, not what you want."

I was intent on solving the mystery of this strange existence and subconsciously the result of my consciousness exploration was leading to the answers I sought. Even though I tired of the darkness, it is what I needed in order to find what it is I was looking for.

It's quite a shock to realize you are in hell and additionally the prison sentence is a product of your own making. The first thoughts post-realization are, "What did I do to deserve being sent to hell?" and "How do I get out of here?" I've previously answered these questions in blog posts so I'll make short work of the questions. You are in hell because you desire. The chance of desire fulfillment sent you to hell. To get out of hell is to go through life head up and heart forward. Make love your primary go to before all other filters of the mind. The mind becomes the servant and life is experienced through love. The way out of your prison cell while alive is through the heart.

When you die, you don't have the chance of going to hell. Instead, you are leaving hell. Following the natural flow of life will fulfill all the reasons why you came here to serve your time. When you are ready to leave, then you will leave. The thought of death is horrifying to most; yet I'm quite sure once you get to the other side you will have a good laugh, followed by a realization of what you just went through. You will be stunned at how you wanted to stay in hell when this awaits you. Then bewilderment will turn to compassion as you see your sisters and brothers on earth still struggling to find what it is they are looking for. They are still attached to the game and chasing fulfillment before the clock runs out on them. If only they knew.

A funeral becomes a true celebration of life. Bodily death gets you out of jail. Rest in Peace and hopefully you saw through the illusion while ensconced in a body. Re-offending and heading back for another prison term doesn't sound appealing.

After you see beyond the mystery, the pursuits of the flesh might be an embarrassing stain upon your record of life once completed; however, it is dwarfed by the fact you took an incarnation. No matter how much you sink into the pig shit while on earth, the fact that you had the courage to do this is not lost on those who will welcome you home. There is wisdom found in the New Testament story of the Prodigal Son which speaks to this very idea. The Gospel of Luke, chapter 15 from the King James Version of the Bible:

11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

It is a story of celebration of the son who took on an incarnation and faced adversities. The adventure transformed the son from desirous lech into a man of knowledge and compassion and upon his return from his sojourn in hell, he was greeted with the greatest of fanfare.

Such a celebration awaits your return.

Friday, February 11, 2011

biblical ambivalence

I don't know what to make of the bible. I mean that in the sense of has it netted out a positive or a negative in terms of how it has helped humanity on its road to enlightenment?  Some of my favourite spiritual passages and meanings come from the book.

The path to the truth:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matt 7:14  KJV)

How ironic. Any mainstream Christians out there who have found that path?

The prodigal son:
'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' (Luke 15:31-32, NIV)

My dad called me the prodigal son one summer when I returned for a visit. That has stuck with me; it was apropos. There's the Sunday school interpretation of the story and how it's important to forgive. It's a lesson not lost. However, there's a deeper and profound meaning. The return is about the spirit, our life and light incarnating into matter and suffering the trials and tribulations which it brings. It's my story and it's your story. I was so lost. I've been disgusted with what I've gone through. I have been spiritually dead, acting only on carnal desires and animal instincts. I'm in the process of fighting through this. Maybe I'll make it to the other side, the east. Some call it Jerusalem. This passage tells me the enormity of this struggle is not lost on the eternal; if I make it, there will be much rejoicing!

I'm also deeply moved by Psalm 23.  Everyone knows this one:
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..." This is my journey and it all started when I overcame death and by that I mean the death of my spirit in matter. My spiritual coffin was nailed shut and tossed into the river but I have persevered and engendered a new life.

So why then my biblical ambivalence? I harbour no ill will towards the bible and the concept of the Christ; you might know him as the long-haired guy some call Jesus. It is a message that transcends our existence on earth and I'll emphasize again that I mean our spiritual self incarnated into matter. My ambivalence stems from how the bible has been used by those with intentions I call into question. This great message is manipulated and made into an idea that the only way to salvation and eternal life is through blind acceptance of some guy named Jesus. It is literalization of eternal truths which then make a mockery of these truths. What rational person is going to take these stories as literal truths? The effect of this is to turn people off the spiritual because it's so irrational. The atheist today is an atheist because of their reaction to our modern literal interpretations of knowledge held sacred and revered by the ancient practitioners of natural philosophy. In essence, the bible is used to turn people against ever contemplating the meaning of life or seeking a path to a higher truth. Thus my ambivalence.