[Moose]

Just as above you is the Macrocosm, a massive spiralling universe, far too huge to even idly comprehend, so too within you is a microcosm. This microcosm reaches and descends within you to the most finite level, and then beyond measurement. On top of this, every other 'cosm' of whatever size or description (a hair, another person, a distant star) has it's own microcosm descending within, and it's own perspective on the macrocosm in which it is suspended.

So it is obvious from this that the concerns of a single human individual do not count for much at all. Yes, that's right. The often harrowing emotional pain and terrible physical misfortunes that eventually befall all humans to some degree, mean not a blip to the massive massive universe as a whole. And then, to really push the point, if these issues are so insignificant in comparison to the universe that we know, consider then their significance in the larger macrocosms that our universe must surely be a minute part of...And so on......

If I were to put a skewer in your eye right now, you would not be very impressed at all. You would, from your perspective, consider my actions to be both 'wrong' and 'bad'. Wrong in that it seems right to you that I should leave your eye in peace rather than in pain; and Bad in that having both eyes in working order is a situation that you see as being 'Good'(i.e. useful and not painful). But, in reality, all of these events are only true to the universe in terms of energy exchange. All things are comprised of the single component - Energy. All matter is understood to be comprised of pure energy moving around perpetually in an infinite dance. Maintaining a balance; Yin attracted to Yang; and all in abhorrence of a vacuum. So, in terms of the Universe, or more accurately the Tao(the Unknowable Hugeness of All Things), when some unfortunate human being's eye gets poked out by some skewer wielding freak, all that happens is that an amount of configurated energy gets moved around. Arm energy moves skewer energy towards and into eyeball energy, eyeball energy falls out. Eye socket energy bleeds a lot and the vacuum left by the removed eyeball gets quickly filled up with air energy. TO THE TAO THIS IS NOT A MORAL ISSUE. This is why 'God lets bad things happen to good people'.

On the positive side, this is why you have the opportunity to free yourself from the mental traps of your social conditioning. Not that this is always an easy thing to do. Obviously most people never do. When your car breaks down and your back hurts and its hot and your' going to be late for work and your boyfriend just left you all in the same day, it can sure make you feel like the whole universe is against you. But it's not...The Universe is impartial. To the Tao, things simply are what they are, no more. No morality, no expectations, no judgment. So if, when under duress, you remind yourself of this (perhaps after a nice healthy tantrum), you can automatically relax. You are able to relax because you realize that none of it really matters, and that no preconceived idea you have about life is verifiable, and that the way your society taught you to respond to situations is completely arbitrary. Therefore you can, theoretically(!), choose to be happy at any given moment.

No matter what your current personal circumstances, it is important to remember that in an impartial universe, all things are exactly as they are meant to be at any given moment. If you doubt this, then observe nature; is the Tiger remorseful for killing the gentle Deer? Never.

By Seamus 'Moose' Ennis

[Matty]

One question,

Where do you believe karma comes into this (if at all)?

Matt

[sean]

I'm not sure Moose regularly checks in here anymore, but my "two cents", if you or anyone cares, would be that from a certain perspective karma is simply "cause" and "effect"; an impersonal force that binds reactions together and that is not moral, immoral or even amoral, it just is. It's somewhat of a blanket term at best and can be used to cover the gravity that pulls your beer to the floor when your grip loosens, to the unknown sequence of events that causes us to laugh at a funny joke or fall in love. We can go even further and anthropomorphize Karma; making up a god or gods that are behind this Law of cause and effect and then worship or demonize them. Could be useful. We can also choose a belief that karma extends beyond the deterministic chain reactions of "material particles" in an event we participate in. Both of these are probably untestable beliefs, but the latter in particular is one that I hold anyway.

[Yoda]

You can test it.

Search your feelings whenever something happens and you'll find that whatever happens is a manifestation of your emotional transmission every single time without exception. We just aren't used to following our hearts and try to numb ourselves down in order to relate to a more painful and out-of-control concept of causality.

Or just read up on quantum physics...

-Yoda

[sean]

Yoda, on Jun 14 2005, 11:00 AM, said:

Search your feelings whenever something happens and you'll find that whatever happens is a manifestation of your emotional transmission every single time without exception.  We just aren't used to following our hearts and try to numb ourselves down in order to relate to a more painful and out-of-control concept of causality. 

Yoda, your words here really effected me emotionally. Kind of out of no where --- not sure what I'm reacting to ... but thanks for writing this. I'll take this into my meditations this week.

[Yoda]

You are probably reacting to my pheromones--I'm just that sexy!

Your kidneys pretty much call it like they see it... I'm curious what your shensters have to say on the subject. Keep me posted!

-Yoda

[Moose]

Hey I haven't stopped by here in a while but just thought I'd add that if you are keen I am writing more of this kind of craziness at Rebel Zen .com

By Seamus 'Moose' Anthony Ennis, esq.

[awake0ness]

Matthew 10

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. [c] 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.


David