From the Unreal, Lead me to the Real

FROM THE UNREAL, LEAD ME TO THE REAL:
from Darkness lead me to Light

Mankind has been exhorted by the ancients, and their writings throughout time, to seek-out knowledge which would elevate a person to a higher state of consciousness and being; bringing one closer to the essence of that which really is.

The following is an old Sanskrit verse:

“From the unreal, lead me to the real;
From darkness lead me to light;
From death, lead me to immortality,”
Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, 1.3.28.

So, how is it that we, who live in this post-Modern world, which is literally filled with distortion, misinformation, and fabrication, able to find that which is real?

The plain and simple answer is "think!" It means that we use our minds to critically analyze what we see and read, and not just accept anything that is presented to us.

Any article may have a tiny kernel of knowledge embedded somewhere within its content, and this kernel may seem to give the whole of what is written credibility. Yet, this kernel may oftentimes be simply a siren’s call. A siren’s call which often masks the overall distortion contained within the written material.

The ancients have left guide-posts for us to follow, if we but use them, and are, indeed, sincere in our quest for knowledge and wisdom. These guide-posts will, indeed, lead us from the unreal to the real.

One of these important guide-posts is known as discernment, or in some cases as differentiation, or discrimination, and is a technique that may be used in finding out what is real. Discernment, itself, may be defined as a keen perception of judgment. Discernment is vitally important for a person to be able discern the difference from what is implausible and that which is plausible.

In Sanskrit, discernment is termed Viveka, and most often means discerning or discriminating between what is real and what is unreal. What is an illusion, or false, and what is true. So, why is it so important to exercise our mental ability? The importance is that through discernment we may, indeed, gain enlightenment, and see “beyond” the illusory world we live in, and into that which is real.

Discernment also comes through the practice of making choices by deciding what is rational and makes sense from that, which does not. “Discernment has been central to the life of faith, at least since Biblical times, and is referred to in the Hebrew Scriptures and the writings of the New Testament…it is most closely associated with Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), the founder of the Jesuit order,” writes Kris Haig.

To embrace anything without first thinking about it, applying discernment, or verifying it in some way is called blind faith, and there is a reason the word “blind” is used. Michael Simonson says, “My definition of blind faith is to ‘believe in something you know nothing about.’ The act is reckless, senseless, thoughtless, mindless, short-sighted, unthinking, and an absolutely lazy approach to your thought-life.”

So the next time you read or see something, or perhaps even something you may have already read, and it seems a “little” bit out there, practice discernment and see what happens, and as the old Sanskrit verse goes, “From the unreal, lead me to the real.”

© Roger Allen Baut

Update 60+ Days in Deepwater: Karma Coming to America?

Since the post of 06•20•10, entitled 60+ Days in Deepwater: Karma Coming to America, a few other pieces of information have been revealed themselves seriously concern me, and that is there are more "hidden" aspects to this Deepwater eco-tragedy, than one might think.

Yesterday, I was made aware of an article by Lynn Hasselburger and Leslie Scales that revealed more "horror" about this whole Gulf disaster and scandal! Yes, scandal, and that's exactly what it is, because I cannot believe that everyone in our legislative, judicial and executive branches of government were all unaware of the "nightmare" aspects of Corexit 9500, and that using it would cause such widespread damage to our land and people! If they were "all" unaware, that would be one thing, but if any of them knew then it's another, for "knowing" would be tantamount to allowing the outright "poisoning" of the land and people of the United States of America! Please take the time to take a look at Ms. Scales site http://www.earthspeak.org/ for related information on how toxins have been affecting people in this country for some time now.

So, what's so dastardly about Corexit? Nancy Chuda, with LUXECOLIVING, writes in her article entitled, "Does EPA Mean Business as Usual?" that as far back as 1989, and the oil spill from the Exxon Valdex that Corexit was used. Particulary noticable was the fact that during the clean-up from the Valdez oil spill, biohazard suits and masks were worn by those working in the clean-up process. So, the information on how toxic this stuff is, has been around for quite a while!

Now, with that information, come down to the present day where thousands upon thousands of gallons of Corexit 9500 have been dumped into the Gulf of Mexico, think about what that means! Now think about clean-up crews in the Gulf without proper biohazard gear and breathing its vapor in. No wonder a lot of workers had to be taken to the hospital. Now think about what the Corexit will have upon the aquatic life, marshes and southern states. Ms. Chuda writes, "...the use of Corexit during the Exxon Valdez oil spill caused respiratory, nervous system, liver, kidney and blood disorders in people." As I mentioned before, if anyone knew about the insidious effects of Corexit, it would be tantamount to allowing the outright "poisoning" of the land and people of the United States of America! Now, think about that.

Some of the ingrediants in Corexit include: Arsenic, Cyanide, Chromium, Lead, Mercury, et cetera. I am including a link to Ms. Chuda's article so you may read her more in-depth perspective of what is happening in the Gulf of Mexico. Also, please take a look at the people walking on the beach with the oil stream on it. Source: http://tinyurl.com/2cmjqmd

60+ days ago this whole tragedy began, and I don't think many us garden variety citizens, realized the disaster of epic proportions that was about to occur. Thinking back over these days, it reminds me of some really bad "B" movie the SyFy channel might be playing. To me, one of the worst parts of all of this, are the blantant "lies" that this administration has been perpetrating from the beginning of the oil spill! Keep the citizenry ignorant of facts is obvious, but that's the game the D.C. oligarchs have been playing for 10 years now. "Smoke and mirrors!" "Mirrors and smoke!" Shame on our elected officials and administration. I wouldn't trade places with any of them no matter how wealthy they are, for though the "hammer of karma" may not fall upon them today, it will soon enough! As the saying goes, "The sun shines equally upon the just and the unjust!" and so shall the toxic Corexit/oil rains fall upon all of us.

It also seems that no one is "learning" from this 60+ day disaster, as I found a new article, today, entitled, "Despite Spill, Deep Water Drilling is Here to Stay!" by Steve Mufson, of The Washington Post. According to Mr. Mufson, "Willie Sutton robbed banks because that's where the money is. And oil companies venture into deep waters for exploration because that's where the oil is." Source: http://tinyurl.com/2dexkel

There seems to be nothing short of a total eco-collapse that is going to stop these greedy, materialistic oligarchs who seem to care about nothing but stuffing their pockets and bank accounts, full of worthless US$! And, the US$ has to be worthless, especially if gold is riding on the $1,200 to $1,500 an ounce level!

So, it looks like Shakespeare was right when his character Puck said in A Midsummer Night's Dream, "Lord! What fools these mortals be!" But, as the ancients have said, this is the Kali Yuga, the Iron Age: The Age of Chaos!

Sharron Rose writes, "In our current Age of Iron, dominated by the forces of chaos and confusion, entranced by the flickering vibrations and images of our technological wonders, pumped full of pharmaceuticals and food additives to enhance our sensations or ease our pain, we have not only lost our fundamental virtue and integrity, but we have literally lost our minds."

Ms. Rose goes on to say, "Whether we are in the final phase of the dissolution or, as some teachings argue, merely the beginning of the end, it makes no difference. Regardless of our exact location in the great cycle of time, as luminous spiritual beings in material form, as Keepers of the Light, we must remain true to the divine principles of honesty and righteousness. Our task in this time of darkness and oppression is to journey to the depths of our beings and rediscover the essential light and power that has always been hidden there by the veils of corporeal existence." Source: http://tinyurl.com/25xegd2

So, there is indeed a ray of hope, that even in this time of chaos and confusion, something brighter and better will emerge for mankind in the future! Karma? Certainly karma for those who have perpetrated horrendous acts upon Planet Earth, and all life that exists here! But, let's not forget those who have, and are doing what they can to "make a positive difference" in this world.

As Osho has said, "99.9% of those living on the planet today are asleep or drunk," but that still leaves .1% of the population who aren't! One person can still make a difference in this world. "If we want the world to change, we must first begin with ourself," Koichi Tohei-sensi.

60+ Days of Deepwater: Karma Comes to America?

Today, is the 62nd day since the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico. Two months of a tragedy that will leave Planet Earth devasted for a very long time, not to mention its impact on Homo sapiens, which has for a long-time been headed down a cataclysmic path paved by greed, aquisitiveness, and self-absorbtion.

Ever since the parade of colonizers first came to the shores of America, there has been a series of nightmares perpetrated upon the indigenous peoples living here. Whether it be the British invasion of the Eastern coast at Plymouth, the French invasion of Canada and Louisana, the Spanish in Florida, California, Mexico, Central and South America, and there has often been a bloody path of decimation by fire, sword, and disease of epic proportions. The missionaries sent to "Christianize" the natives were oftentimes as bad as their military counterparts, but that's another story.

For those who extol the United States of America for its freedom, opportunity and might, lest we forget, it was the U.S., as well as other colonizers, that stole or fought for one parcel of land after another from the Native Americans. The U.S. broke almost every treaty it initiated with the Native Americans and pushed them further and further from their native lands, and into oftentimes desolate pieces of "junk" lands and territories. The infamous and pathetic "Trail of Tears" was one of the most brutal and heartbreaking periods of U.S. betrayal.

The slave/indentured trade from the colonial period until the Civil War, with it's in your face "slavery," displayed how this species attacks, plunders and abuses others of its own species. No other species on this planet treats its kindred as this one does.

And, was it such magnominity upon the part of President Abraham Lincoln to free the slaves, or was it the fact that the North was losing the war and needed more troops to fill its ranks? Little known to most Americans is the fact that President Lincoln, had he lived, was preparing to ship all the former slaves back to Africa, to the U. S. inception known as Liberia.

The concept of karma may be defined as the total effect of actions and conduct during the successive phases of an entity's existence, regarding as determining the entity's destiny. So, is there, indeed, karma at work here? Is the U.S., and world, finally getting a "payback" for all the damage it has done to the planet and itself? Is the Deepwater Horizon event the tipping point that will lead to a Doomsday scenario for the U.S. and mankind?

If the "hammer of karma" is indeed coming down upon these United States and the world, what other circumstances might have contributed to it, especially since the Gulf is in our very own backyard? Here's an abbreviated outline of some of our ignominious history.

• 1838-39 the Trail of Tears whereby Native Americans were stripped of their rights and relocated. The Cherokee nation was made to give up their lands East of the Mississippi. Approximately 4,000 Cherokee died as a result of their removal.

• U.S. Annexation of Texas 1845.

• Mexican-American War of 1846-1848, which was a result of the annexation of Texas.

• Convention of Kanagawa 1854, which compelled/coerced the Japanese into opening trade with the U.S. by Commodore Perry and his Black Fleet.

• U.S. Civil War, 1861-1865.

• Spanish-American War which occurred between the U.S. and Kingdom of Spain in 1898 as a result of the Battleship Maine being sunk in Havana Harbor. The alledged reason for U.S. involvement in Cuba, being Cuban independence. The U.S. gained temporary control over Cuba and indefinite control over Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines.

• WWI

• WWII included the U.S. and its allies fire bombing Dresden, Germany, and the U.S. fire bombing Tokyo, Japan, in 1945, with explosives and incendiary devices. It is reported 100,000 people died in Tokyo. The U.S. Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was responsible for more wounding, maiming, and killing of numerous civilians in 1945.

• The Korean War, 1950-1953, was a conflict between North and South Korea. South Korea was supported by the United Nations, and in particular the U.S.

• Iran, 1953, the U.S. plays a significant role in the overthrow of Iran's popular Prime Minister and restores the Shah of Iran to power.

• The Vietnam War, was a cold war military conflict which occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia between 1955-1975. The U.S. became involved first, in the early 1960s with military advisers, then in 1965 U.S. combat troops were deployed. The capture of Saigon in 1975 put an end to U.S. involvement in Vietnam. It was during the Vietnam War that the U.S. used Agent Orange, which was an herbicide and defoliant contaminated with TCDD (a dioxin with a carcinogenic effect).

• Persian Gulf War, (Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm) 1990-1991. A Coalition of nations led by the U.S. began over a dispute between Iraq and Kuwait, which lead to military intervention to restore Kuwait's sovereignty. A feature of this war was "Gulf War Syndrome" affecting civilians and military personnel who were near conflicts or were downwind of chemical depot demolitions.

• Afghan War 2001-present, is an ongoing military initiative in response to the attacks on the World Trade Center, on September 11, 2001. It is now the longest ongoing war in United States history.

• Iraq War 2003-present. The U.S. and several allies invaded Iraq based upon a false and misleading premise that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and Iraq's "supposed" connection to the September 11, 2001 incident; hyped by the Bush administration to substantiate a preemptive attack on Iraq. Features of this war were the "shock and awe" bombarding of Baghdad, Massive Ordinance Air Blasts (MOAB), also known as the Mother of All Bombs which were of 21,000 lbs of ordinance, cluster bombs, as well as the debated use of White Phosphorus (WP), and their use against insurgents.

Karma? Karma also alludes to the concept of actions and deeds, and results in the entire cycle of cause and effect. Interestingly, this blog was stimulated by several articles I have read, and one in particular by Maryann Tobin entitled, "North America faces years of toxic oil rain from BP oil spill chemical dispersants."

It has been becoming more and more evident over these past 60+ days that the oil spill catastophe is not going away, nor is it going to be cleaned up. It is going to spred far and wide in the Gulf and other areas of the planet by wind, wave, air and water. We have been getting the proverbial "smoke and mirrors" from BP as well as our own administration. This eco-disaster is only the cherry on top of a cake of deception and lies we the people have been fed, from the recession/depression, to Wall Street shysters, to the bank robber barons, "Don't Ask Don't Tell," GITMO, landmines, universal health care, transparency, and on and on.

Karma? Yes, I think we're in for some big ass karma caused by the oligarchs of this nation and the world! Some points from the article by Maryann Tobin:

• When you pour millions of gallons of toxic chemical disperants on top of an oil spill, it just doesn't disappear.

• BP's oil spill dispersant (Corexit9500) has been banned in Europe, as it is one of the most environmentally enduring toxic chemical dispersants.

• As the water in the Gulf warms the dispersant goes through a molecular transition and changes from liquid to gas, which is readily absorbed by clouds and eventually released as toxic rain. This chemical-laden rain then falls on crops, reservoirs, animals, and of course people.

• What makes "Corexit rain" so freightening are the carcinogens it leaves behind on everything it touches.

• Is it futile to belive we can keep "Corexit rain" from occurring - it has already been released and the molecular tranisiton has begun. We have set off an unprecedented chain of events in nature that we cannot control.

Source: Maryann Tobin http://tinyurl.com/36oyk5p

Karma? Methinks it's coming our way, and in my humble opinion, it won't be simply North America. This is a planet where everything is connected and interconnected; as is everything in the universe. Unfortunately, mankind has lost sight of its connection with all things on this planet. Earth changes? Yup, lots of earth changes on the way! Species changes are on the way too! Hopefully, the next hominid group to inhabit this planet will be more wise than this one has been.

© Roger Allen Baut

Numerology: Plain and Simple II

In Numerolgy, the first vowel and consonant, in a name, are key indicators as to how that name is manifesting vibrationally. As we study Numerology we find that each letter has a meaning as well as a numerical equavalent. In analyzing a name both are taken into consideration. By looking at the meaning of the first vowel and consonant we may get a thumbnail sketch about a name and the person who possesses it.

The birth path is another aspect that gives us insight into an individual, and this indicator looks at the nature and career of an individual.

Both the first vowel and consonant and birth path have been added to the Numerology page for those interested in the subject of Numerology.

As Shakespeare said, "What's in a name? A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Yes, Sir Shakespeare it would smell as sweet, but with another name, it wouldn't be quite a Rose!