The Song Remains the Same!

It has been some time since I posted a blog, and during that time, there have continued to be many Earth changes: earthquakes, small tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, faster movement of the North magnetic pole toward Siberia, melting of the polar ice caps. These occurances have all been continuing at a steady, if not alamingly increased pace over the past few months. It seems pretty obvious, to me at least, that some big change is coming for Planet Earth and humanity, in the not too far distant future.

Along with these earth changes, societal changes seem to be continuing to move in a more downward direction. We find that humanity continues to be become more aggressive, hostile, and damaging not only to itself, but to other species inhabiting the planet.

Recently, reports of birds falling from the sky and dying are reported not only in the United States but other countries as well, along with large numbers of fish dying-off. I'm sure there's much more going on than we know about, and let's not forget about the honeybees which are still dying and disappearing in large numbers.

In regards to our society, I still cannot comprehend all the insanity that's going on regarding our own species. As I have written elsewhere: Homo sapiens (mankind) has become the most treturous and virulent species on the planet. I can think of no other species that abuses, hurts, maims, tortures, wages war, and kills others of it's own kind (note: the recent attack on Representative Gifford, the killing of six people, and wounding of 14 others which is a prime example of this!), as well as being so destructive to the planet it lives on.

It is almost as if the majority of mankind has a suicidal death wish. But, what can we expect from a species that is breathing-in toxic air, drinking toxic water, and eating toxic food; not to mention all the plastics, chemicals and GMOs that have been ingested into, and are circulating in many individual's physical bodies!

Anyone reading this article can hopefully see that we are in for some serious trouble not only from earth changes, but from our own species as well! As John Major Jenkins writes:

"An unresolved and festering dark side poisons American politics. Bush is no longer president, but there is a larger Seven Macaw [from Mayan Cosmogenesis 2012] threat at loose in the world today. Seven Macaw is a many-headed hydra, and removing one head will not do him in. The stated intentions of Obama have so far proven ineffective against a more deeply routed and systemic problem. He is morphing before our eyes into yet another figurehead molded by Big Money and the military-industrial-informational complex. He either had this up his sleeve all along (since when can politicians ever be trusted?) or he has been taken hostage by the forces of globalization. The Hero Twins [again from Mayan Cosmogenesis 2012] had it easy; we have a more difficult task. We must speak truth to power and identify the entity that lies behind all Seven Macaws, one that has tentacles embedded in our own lives."

The heart of the many-headed monster is that strange nonhuman institution that has been granted imortality: the corporation (p. 330, The 2012 Story).

So, what can we do? Simply put we can be assertive advocates for the flora and fauna, the planet and humanity. We can be a real human being, and be humane! Humane is the "hallmark" of what being human is all about. We can be an individual and not a clone as so many people are these days. The path that the individual travels may be a bit lonely at times, but it's better than being part of a mindless drone society caught-up in the buying frenzy of every new "junk" toy that comes on the market.

"Collectively, as the 21st century dawns, we feel the ennui and exhaustion of the millennia-long practice of Western religion, politics, and science; we encounter the pollution and toxification that is the legacy of our particular style of being in the world. And we also find, among the endless bric a brac of the spiritual marketplace, the cosmogenic calendar of the ancient Maya." (p.378, The 2012 Story).

UPDATES: 01•11•2011 & 01•13•2011

On 01•11 the problems in Austrailia continue weather-wise! Headlines tell of 9 people dying in what is described as an "instant tsunami" from an intense deluge which triggered a 26 foot wall of water to rip through the streets of Toowoomba on Monday night.

It has often been said that the way a year starts out, what occurs at the beginning of the new year, will set the tone for the remainder of that year. If this is the case, it's going to be a very interesting 2011!

As of 01•13 earthquakes continue to shift the planet as an earthquake M 4.8, hit the Sichuan-Gansu border region of China. No further information as to damage or casualities was forthcoming from media sources at this time.

2011 Roger Allen Baut

Light! Even in a Dark Age!

"Light and darkness, life and death, and right and left are siblings

of one another, and inseparable. For this reason the good are not good,
the bad are not bad, life is not life, death is not death.

Each will dissolve into its original nature,
but what is superior to the world cannot be dissolved for it is eternal,"

The Gospel of Philip, from the Gnostic Gospels of Jesus, by Marvin Meyer.

Contained within many of the world's various philosophies, religious writings and texts, as well as spiritual documents, resides the concept of "light and darkness," and throughout recorded history, we can see where these themes are interwoven in the tapestry of mankind on Planet Earth.

It seems there have always been two major forces at work, light and darkness. Each is seen with its own attributes and characteristics. Most often light is seen as positive and good, and darkness is viewd as negative and bad, but as our introductory quote says, "Light and darkness are siblings of one another, and inseparable. For this reason the good are not good, the bad are not bad...Each will dissolve into its original nature." Interestingly, this is the first time I have run accross this concept, but as I think about it, it certainly makes a bit of sense.

Now what is it that makes a bit of sense to me? Well, that everything is connected and interconnected, and all things comes forth from the Source, Universe, Cosmic Consciousness, or whatever one may chose to call it; a place from which everything originated and emerged. So, if everything emerges from this so-called Source, sooner or later, it will return.

Thus, as the quote says, "Each will dissolve into its original nature," and in my mind, that means everything dissolves back into that from which it came from; I should think. However, there are other opinions regarding this which may differ somewhat, with most being pretty similar, whether its the Kabbalah, or other ancient teachings, and that is we all originate from a creative source and from that source we may return.

However, living in this moment of time and physical space, we are confronted with many challenges, or forces of negativity, which seem to be pummeling us on an almost moment to moment basis. According to the many ancient wisdom teachers these positive and negative events are cyclic events which occur periodically throughout time.

Sharron Rose writes, "According to the ancient texts, this cycle of the ages begins with a Golden Age [Krita-Yuga] of beauty, harmony and grace, an age in which we are all, both male and female alike, fundamentally connected with our own divinity, living lives of total truth, fully aligned with the universal spirit. As the ages progress metaphorically from gold to silver [Treta-Yuga], to bronze [Dvapara-Yuga], and finally to iron [Kali-Yuga], the mass of humanity draws further and further away from the numinous and radiant light of spirit. We move towards an age of total materialization and concretization, a time of ignorance and delusion, a time in which the bright light of spirit is all but extinguished. The ancients called this age the Kali Yuga, the Age of Iron."

Ms. Rose goes on to say, "As this dark age [Kali Yuga] progressed into it's fullness, industrialization appeared with its factories, toxins and pollutants. In Europe, at the beginning of the industrial revolution, or machine age, the total rape and pillage of the planet was in full swing. This was the complete manifestation of the Age of Iron. It was at this time that we collectively entered our current age of materialist science and intellect, of rationalism and externalization. A dark age, which has been characterized by the destruction and devastation of the feminine, and the very earth that gave us life." http://tinyurl.com/26qvruo

One doesn't need to be an Einstein to "see" that we are in the throws of a dark age where toxins, pollutants, inhumane acts towards others, and eco-disasters are the order of the day. The planet is indeed being maliciously raped daily and plundered by the greedy robber barons, politicians, and banksters, who are taking us one step closer to the collapse of our environment and species.

One of my major concerns with all of this, however, is how such a vast majority of the people, in this country, are just laying-back and allowing all of these horrific things to occur. They're breathing in toxic air, drinking water and beverages filled with chemicals and drugs, eating food that's loaded with hormones, pesticides and whatever, and then giving it to their kids. Sad!

Is it any wonder that a growing number of children and adults are being plagued by all sorts of physical and mental problems. If anyone did random blood analysis on people it'd blow their minds, but as I mentioned, the worst thing, to me, about all of this, is that people are allowing all of these things to happen, and even in some cases contributing to, and participating in it.

As some learned people have already stated, we have reached a "tipping" point, a tipping point that we cannot go back from. Sadly, there's no way that the Gulf of Mexico can be returned to its original and naturally pristine state, in any near probable future. NO WAY, it's too late, especially with the Corexit dispersants, Lye and other chemicals that have been mixed-in. No matter what any politician or expert says the Gulf is a toxic sewer! It's simply too late, and the eco-disaters continue! The other day a barge ran into a closed oil rig in the Gulf, and guess what? More oil spewing from the now damaged "capped" oil well!

Our newest oil spill in the US is now right here in Michigan, which shows no area is immune to an eco-disaster! On Tuesday, July 27, 2010, an estimated 850,000 +/- gallons of oil spilled into the Kalamazoo River, and this river "bisects the city of Kalamazoo and meanders to Saugatuck, where it empties into Lake Michigan." Isn't it great! "Drill Baby Drill!" "Lay more pipelines!" RIGHT! http://tinyurl.com/27ppaev

So, here we are, living in the Kali-Yuga, the Age of Iron. Witnesses to the ravaging of our planet, virtually helpless to do anything, but, there is always something we can do, even under the most dire of circumstances, and what may that be, one might ask?

Wake people up! Osho says, "99.9% of the population of the planet are either asleep, or drunken." This leaves .1%of the population who most likely have some awareness as to what's going on! If so, then we need to reach out, find those people, and let them know, they have the power within them to initiate change; even in a dark age!

Change occurs when people come together under the premise of working together for the benefit of everyone, without thought of race, religion, education, sexual preference, or anything else, and simply realizing that we're all just people trying to make a decent life for ourselves.

Another important aspect to initiate change is by encouraging people to think, realizing the importance of health and well-being, and help people get out of the box they've been in for most of their lives. The formula is relatively simple, it's just getting people together in mutual harmony, away from their own agendas, and committed to the welfare of all. It can happen, but if it will, remains to be determined!

"For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will bloom again, and that the tender branch thereof shall not cease."

There is always Light, even in the darkest dark age!

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