June 12, 2012 1 Comment
In previous posts, I have discussed the basis of esoteric philosophy. Esotericism generally deals with man’s true relationship to God, as well as the nature of reality and consciousness. Read more of this post
June 5, 2012 1 Comment
46% of Americans are creationists; believing that evolution was guided by God.
About a third of Americans believe that humans evolved, but with God’s guidance; 15% say humans evolved, but that God had no part in the process. Read more of this post
April 17, 2012 5 Comments
I don’t see a way around believing in god. No matter how I look at it, all my sessions of deep thought eventually confirm the existence of some ever-present force that created the universe, exists through all of us, and is infinitely connected to every part of the universe it created.
To me, God is consciousness. It is the source point from which all things emanated. It is the divine thought that brought all things into being.
March 13, 2012 6 Comments
Part 1: In-Finite
Infinity is large.
It is so large, that many believe it cannot be fully conceptualized by the human mind no matter how intelligent or advanced the person may be. In fact, the word infinite is less a word in itself, but rather a negation of another word; Finite. Finite comes from the latin word Finitus, which means “limited” or “bounded”. With this in mind, we can now define in-finite, as something that is unlimited, and not bounded. Read more of this post
January 10, 2012 3 Comments
Wild Card weekend has come and gone but will not be forgotten anytime soon.
There were many good match ups this past weekend and they did not disappoint.
Big Ol' Brandon Jacbos
Giants Pound Falcons 24-2 – This game was a combination of bad play from Atlanta and flawless execution from the Giants. Eli Manning led the way with 277 yards passing and 3 touchdowns. Besides an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone, Eli played flawless. Another important note for this win was the re-emergence of the Giants running game.
Jacobs and Bradshaw combined for 172 yards on the ground. If the Giants can sustain a run game, look for this team to make a Super Bowl run.
Last but not least, the Defense showed up to play. Atlanta has one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL and the Giants completely shut down the pass and run. The Defense was also stout in 3rd/4th and short plays. Atlanta went for twice on 4th and inches and were denied both times, tipping momentum and the game in their favor.
As for Atlanta, another year without a playoff win. Matt Ryan was ineffective and the defense was soft. This marks the 3rd straight year the Falcons have been one and done in the playoffs under the Mike Smith/Matt Ryan era.
Matty “Ice” has not lived up to his nickname in the playoffs and questions will only get tougher to answer the longer Ryan does not win in the playoffs.
Saints Muzzle Roar, Defeat Lions 45-28 – After falling behind early, the Saints showed their championship pedigree and experience and completely outplayed the Lions. Drew Brees was outstanding throwing for 466 yards and three touchdowns. The Saints displayed their offensive greatness by setting playoff records for total yards(626) and first downs (34).
The Saints offense has just been amazing this season and just looks unstoppable. This team is just unbeatable at home going undefeated so far this season (including playoffs).
Make no mistake about it, the Saints completely outmatched Detroit.
However, the Lions are coming. The Lions just happen to have run into the worst possible match up for their team. Stafford is the real deal, Calvin Johnson is a beast, and the defense will get better with time. 4 seasons ago this was an 0-16 team, since than this team has made significant progress and have only gotten better.
Trust me, the Lions will be good for a long time and the future looks bright.
Houston Outplays Cincy, Defeats Bengals 31-10 - Congratulations to Houston for their first playoff win in team history. The Texans won their first division title and playoff game and played like a team that has been there before. What made this so impressive is the journey this team has taken this season and winning the style in which they won this playoff game.
If you told me the Texans would lose Matt Schuab, Mario Williams for the season and not have Andre Johnson consistently this season , I would have thought you were crazy.
Arian Foster torched the Bengals defense with 24 carries for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Clearly Arian Foster is the MVP for this team. Ben Tate’s emergence gives the Texans an excellent two-headed monster in the backfield.
Another impressive point, the Texans defense was dominant with forcing turnovers and holding the Bengals to only 10 points.
These are not the same old Texans, with no defense and just a prolific passing game, this team runs the ball extremely well and has a dominant defense.
And to think, the Texans had one of the worst pass defenses in NFL HISTORY.
Wade Phillips is the best off season acquisition of the year.
The Bengals had an impressive year going 9-7 and making it to the playoffs.
Nothing was expected of this team pre-season.
However, they have found their quarterback of the future in Andy Dalton and their go-to guy in A.J Green. With two first round picks in this upcoming draft, look for the Bengals to improve and become a force in the AFC North.
Tebow Throws For 316 Yards
Mile High Victory, Broncos Defeat Steelers 29-23 – The first postseason playoff game in history under the new overtime rules did not come into effect.
Why?
Tim Tebow on the first play from scrimmage in overtime, threw an 80 yard touchdown pass to Demaryious Thomas to seal Pittsburghs fate.
This was by far the most exciting game of the weekend.
Besides Ike Taylor getting completely owned by Thomas to end the game, The Steelers just looked old and confused. Poor tackling and man coverage along with an unhealthy Big Ben and Pouncey also led to the Steelers demise.
Tebow threw for 316 yards (John 3:16 reference) and 3 touchdowns against the #1 RANKED DEFENSE.
I’m sorry Tebow Hater Nation, but now I am a believer.
The Defense stepped up also. They shut the door on Big Ben twice in the final minutes when the game was tied, so i give the Broncos defense an enormous amount of credit in this win.
Big Ben was sacked 5 times and threw an INT. This is not the Big Ben we are used to seeing in the playoffs.
Of course the Steelers would forget how to tackle and have important players out (Ryan Clark, Pouncey) against the Broncos.
Tim Tebow has GOD on his side
Despite my sarcasm, it is remarkable how Tebow has turned around this 1-4 team under Kyle Orton into one of the most talked about and inspiring teams of the year.
Matchup Ratings for Divisional Games:
1.) Saints At 49ers, 5 Stars - Great offense meets great defense. Old school versus new school football, this will be a great game in my opinion.
Can the Saints stop the run?
Can the 49ers contain Drew Brees?
Which philosophy will dictate the game and eventually win?
So many questions and such an intriguing match up, I “can’t wait” (Bart Scott reference) for this match up, it should be a great one.
2.) Giants At Green Bay, 5 stars – Both teams have suspect defenses and great quarterback play.
Which quarterback will have the better game?
Both Eli and Aaron have had historic seasons and in my opinion, which ever quarterback has the better game will win it in the end.
This match up gave us one of the great games of the regular season with the Packers staying perfect and edging the Giants 38-35 (the same score they lost to the Patriots to when they went on to win the Super Bowl).
So will history repeat itself for the Giants? or will Aaron Rodgers continue his dominance this season and lead the Pack to the NFC Championship game.
We’ll wait and see..
3.) Broncos At Patriots, 4 1/2 Stars - Literally 30 minutes after the Broncos win, the Patriots released an AP report stating that Josh McDanniels will be on the sideline for the Patriots as an offensive consultant.
Classic Belichek, congrats on your playoff win Denver, now i will hire your former head coach from last season that drafted both Tim Tebow and Damaryious Thomas.
Perfectly done, Mr. Belichek
It just seems that Patriots always have an edge and in this match up they are clearly the team with the edge.
Despite Tebow’s dramatics, Tom Brady is too good and rarely loses at home in the playoffs.
The biggest factor in this game will be if the Broncos can control the clock and keep Brady off the field.
Something that is very possible, the Patriots have one of the worst defense in the league. However, with the signing of McDaniels, the Patriots have gained an inside advantage on the Broncos most important offensive weapons, Tebow and Thomas.
The Road To The Superbowl
4.) Texans At Baltimore, 4 Stars – I love defensive struggles so this might be a high ranking depending on the style of football you enjoy.
The Ravens seem to have a clear advantage across the board on paper.
The Ravens are more experienced, have home field advantage, and are healthy.
I feel that the Texans have been a great story, but their end could be near.
Both defenses are stacked and are the clear strengths of both teams. Also both teams present excellent running back play (Rice from Baltimore, Foster from Houston).
Which quarterback makes the mistake to cost their team the game?
The pressure is all on Baltimore, with Pittsburgh out, this could be their best chance to finally obtain a Super Bowl birth.
On the other hand, Houston is playing with house money, they do not have their quarterback and best defensive player. However, they have played inspired football and i could see this backfiring on Baltimore with the pressures of finally being home in the playoffs.
Can Flacco perform at home and not lose it for his team? or Will Arian Foster carry Houston to an upset?
December 26, 2011 10 Comments
Life is simple.
We make it so much more complicated than it has to be.
In reality, everything we need to be happy is right here on earth. We need to look past all the illusions and nonsense: the money, the religions, the boundaries, borders, ignorant ways of thinking and so on.
There is no man up in the sky called “God” that looks down upon us. There is no one there to intervene and make everything okay but ourselves.
Knowledge is the driving force behind all wisdom. Wisdom is the driving force behind the evolution of human consciousness.
It may seem like we have been stuck in a state of ignorance and it will stay that way forever, but…
Who would have thought 40 years ago the president of the United States would be black?
Barack Obama is the President of the United States because a series of events have been happening for a very long time called the evolution of conscious awareness.
This is where we’re at right now:
Some crazy chaotic stage where all we care about is the dollar bill.
1% of the people are rich.
Everyone else is broke.
The Middle East is revolting.
Suicide bombings are killing U.S. soldiers.
Occupy everywhere movements.
WW3 about to go down with Iran.
The world is changing at a rapid pace right now. It’s all part of a learning stage in humanity.
Our lifetime is just a link in an evolutionary chain.
Our own free will got us into this situation and now it’s up to us to get ourselves out.
Simple, but hard.
In order to attain peace, knowledge must first be obtained.
December 20, 2011 7 Comments
Will is one of the most inspirational people to listen to. I think he has a FIRM grasp on what life is all about, and I try to follow in his footsteps everyday.
This man will simply not be outworked.
He is going to achieve whatever he sets out to do.
Period.
December 19, 2011 8 Comments
Being content is an art form. Most people only get glimpses of what it’s like without ever really experiencing it. This is because people confuse happiness with contentedness, and they tend to chase happiness as if it were a drug.
I will define these words as I mean them, as to avoid confusion. Happiness is a temporary feeling that comes and goes. It is experienced in large upswings, usually in direct response to something good happening. This previously mentioned good thing causes one to experience happiness, and once it is gone, or the excitement over it has subsided, the experience of happiness has ended and a lower state follows.
Contentedness is a way of living. It is a mindset in which total satisfaction is experienced at all moments. In a way, you could call it a more permanent form of happiness, although it is more closely related to a non-dual state than a happy one. This is because happiness is experienced in direct relationship to sadness, while contentedness on the other hand, is non-fluctuating, and can potentially be experienced for months, years, or even lifetimes.
Whatever one may conclude about enlightenment, I’m sure we can all agree that constant contentment is a characteristic of the experience. With this said, if you believe yourself to be enlightened, but things in the material world can still get you down or affect your state, then clearly you have not transcended the material world, and are not yet enlightened. This is shown adequately in this quote from the timeless Bhagavad Gita ;
“A person who neither rejoices upon achieving something pleasant nor laments upon obtaining something unpleasant, who is self-intelligent, unbewildered, and who knows the science of God, is to be understood as already situated in Transcendence. Such a liberated person is not attracted to material sense pleasure or external objects but is always in trance, enjoying the pleasure within. In this way the self-realized person enjoys unlimited happiness, for he concentrates on the Supreme.” Chapter 5, verses 20, and 21.
Contentment is made manifest once one has realized that everything in their life is exactly as it should be, and nothing more is needed. Once fully situated in contentment, the same reaction should be felt regardless of what is going on in the outside world around you, because the feeling is always inside you.
This is precisely the reason why there are people living in mansions who are extremely depressed, as well as people in caves in the Himalayas with no material possessions, who only eat, sleep, and meditate, and are in a constant state of spiritual bliss.
Just like the quote “wherever you go, there you are”, we see that whatever state you carry around with you will be experienced anywhere you go. If you are depressed, you can be participating in an activity that is considered universally fun, and still have the same state of depression while doing it. On the other hand, if you are content, you can be sitting in a plane that is about to crash, and retain your content state as it goes down.
Like enlightenment, contentment comes and goes at first. It starts with a short experience of it, followed by a feeling of loss when it is over. This may even lead one to fall into the same traps as before, by trying to acquire some material thing to retrieve back this blissful state, but this is a way of experiencing only the temporary happiness, and will only lead to contentment as much as grabbing at empty space will.
When it finally sticks for good, this is heaven on earth.
If you appreciate all you have and all you are right now at this moment, and do not want or need even one more thing…
and if you can take that feeling with you through all time and space…
Then eternal bliss is yours for the taking.
It is your birthright to be content, and as soon as you use your intention to dedicate yourself to the well being of yourself and others, as well as to get in touch with this innate state of being, it will effortlessly present you with all the joy and glory imaginable.
December 17, 2011 18 Comments
Now before all you religious fanatics get all defensive, I urge you to hear me out.
At its core, I believe all religions teach the same thing. Be a good person, treat other people well, and strive for peace in the world.
For many young children, religion is a great thing to attach yourself to, to build some strong moral values. The problem with religion arises when you grow older, and can finally pop the training wheels off to realize that it is all a lie and illusion to help sad, lonely people attach themselves to something.
I Don't Exist!
To say there is a “god” is certainly fine. We don’t know what the hell we are doing here and there is some obvious force or higher power regulating this whole thing.
I can tell you one thing however, it is not some dude with a beard in the sky.
Nor is it whatever any religion preaches as their “god.”
There is no god.
God isn’t a person.
God is everything.
You don’t have to believe something that was written in a book 5,000+ years ago, because that stuff is old. It’s old, and we have become smarter.
With the internet, we have access to information at light speed right at our fingertips.
If you research some quantum physics and start looking at the universe in a scientific nature, it is clear that there is no “person” or “god” controlling this whole thing.
God to me is absolutely everything you see around you. We are all connected in some strange way we probably will never be able to fully explain.
We are all energy.
We are all temporary.
We are all the SAME THING.
Detach the religious values you place on yourself and see we all have the same exact operating system.
We all need air, water, and food to survive.
I don’t hate religion, I just don’t like the fact that religion creates lies and illusions of what life is really all about. We don’t need it. Pretty soon we won’t be able to tell lies. The truth is spreading, and its spreading like WILDFIRE.
Positive energy is infectious, I meet more and more people each day beginning to think the same way.
Eventually, we will all think the same way.
I believe the whole 2012 deal has to do with us as a MAJORITY moving toward a better cause.
I feel December of 2012 to be that massive consciousness shift. It doesn’t mean the world is going to end. It means the world AS WE KNOW IT will end because it can’t possibly exist once we all know and understand the truth.
Maybe the world will end.
Maybe we get sucked into a black hole.
All I know is that I have been infected with the truth, and I feel the need to share with everyone what my experience has been over the last few years. And I am only going to learn more as we go on.
I urge you to as well.
November 18, 2011 8 Comments
In many religious and spiritual practices, answering this question fully, and completely, is the crowning achievement. When one is self-realized, what they have accomplished is something that is infinitely profound, and yet incredibly simple; they have realized what their “self” is.
Here, when referring to the “self”, I am referring to the possessive property of being. The feeling “I am”, which every being experiences, is at the root of this. From what place does this feeling arise? Who is the one who feels this?
The “I” at the core of your being is what feels this.
If I were to ask you who you are, the first response that would most likely come to mind would be your name. This is the identification of your physical body given to you by your parents at birth. For the most part, in present-day society, this is the correct answer to the question, but it is untrue. You are not your name.
After you realize this, you might respond by telling me that you are a musician, a father, an activist, or any other position you hold in this material existence. To this I would respond by showing you that although those are things that you do, they are not what you are.
Next you might get more specific by telling me what you stand for. You might say that you are a pacifist, someone who stands up for what is right and true, someone who seeks spiritual truths, and studies paths of wisdom. Again, this is not who you are.
You are not your body, your mind, or your personality either. I can prove this to you very simply; It is “your” body, mind, and personality, so you cannot be these things; you are the one who possesses them.
The term “Spiritual-enlightenment” is very simply understood as well; it is full enlightenment (or knowledgeable understanding), with regards to the truth of your spiritual nature. This spiritual truth is transcendent of your illusive ego self, which is the very thing that most people believe themselves to be.
Your five senses are what you use to perceive this world. They take place physically through the body, and are experienced by electrical impulses in the brain, but “you” are the spiritual perceiver of these senses.
Your body is just a manifestation of your spirit-soul, used for experiencing the material world.
Have you ever wondered why we look the way we do?
We have eyes for seeing, a nose for smelling, ears for hearing, a mouth for eating/tasting, a brain for thinking, legs for moving around, and many other things, all for the purpose of interacting with and experiencing the physical world. You are none of these things, but instead are the one operating and perceiving all of them.
As you shed the layers of ego, and approach your true self, all things become more and more clear until omnipotence is achieved. Omnipotence and omnipresence are experienced once full ego-death is realized. Some say you can only asymptotically approach the state of full ego death, but if you could theoretically reach it, you would become one with god.
The Hindu religion teaches that “Atman = Brahman”. This simply means that the True Self and God are one and the same. This is why “self-realization” and “God-Realization” are synonymous.
God is the infinite source, which assumes a finite state as man. Your ego does not think, act, or do… It is all God.
God is the non-existent, un-manifest, nothing-ness ; as well as the summation of the entire existent, manifest, everything.
So to sum it all up….
You are the transcendent self, the super-soul, the all, and yet you have forgotten this. You have taken yourself to be your illusionary ego, and now must find your way back to the truth, through various experiences and life lessons, which all take place in Maya (The cosmic illusion).
Self realization is the realization of your true self, which is what actually runs the show, not your ego. Your true self, at its highest potential, is god. By experiencing “ego death”, you can remove your ego from the equation, and become spiritually enlightened, thus realizing your full potential and true existent state as the god-self.
That is who you are.
Self-Realization = Spiritual Enlightenment = God-Realization = Ego Death.
