At the end of the day, the only real political issue is the problem of how to alleviate human suffering. This is mostly easily framed as the need to improve the quality of life. Sadly, this is not how political systems work. In similar light, the only real religious issue is also human suffering. The Buddha tried to solve the problem of human suffering and, we are told, did so through a path to alleviate it (but only for individuals). Jesus showed us a different set of teachings about human suffering largely focused on how we treat others and therefore more easily importable into the political. But his teachings were misinterpreted and distorted by organized religion and those problems persist to this day.
The great existential philosopher Albert Camus once said that he wanted to be “lucid in ecstasy.” I would settle for just being lucid, which is to say seeing and perceiving reality with clear vision.
In our culture, which is dominated by Western scientific materialism, the idea that there is no unseen world and that the material world is “all that there is” is misinformation.
An existential conundrum that I think about sometimes: If we are spiritual warriors traveling through the current dark age, how do we “fight” without demonizing what we’re fighting against and thereby slipping into the error of dualism? (But I suppose, of course, the next question easily becomes: what if the opposition really is demonic?)
Here’s a quote I like:
I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so I can do my laundry and dishes. Joanna Maciejewska
Another quote, this one from a very interesting teacher:
We are a part of Earth's body; interconnected with all living beings via the gold frequency; and we can dream, vision, create, communicate with nature, time travel and are highly telepathic. And that's just for starters. Now that's dangerous. All of this is highly undesirable if the plan is a world takeover with everyone rigorously controlled—doing exactly what they're told via a digital type of enforcement which is biologically integrated into our brains. Oracle Girl
And this from another interesting teacher:
Humanity is at the crossroads of major evolutionary change and has the spiritual potential to awaken into the truth of our hidden past. Lisa Renee
We all have belief systems, and they can be very limiting in spiritual work. The 18th century poet William Blake once referred to these limitations as the “mind-forged manacles.” True enough. Our belief systems are ultimately our crutch as we navigate these new realities at this time in deep history. We have certain beliefs that we have depended on perhaps our whole life or a good portion of our life When those beliefs evaporate or are challenged, we may likely feel desolate. But that’s simply part of the process of awakening.
