' Fear Less '...
Nothing in life is to be feared,
it is only to be understood.
Now is the time to understand more,
so that we may fear less.
-Marie Curie
' What We Face '...
If we could look into each other’s hearts and understand the unique challenges each of us faces,
I think we would treat each other much more gently,
with more love, patience, tolerance, and care.
-Marvin J. Ashton
' Faith '...
Faith is to believe what you do not see;
the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.
-Saint Augustine
' Endure the Darkness '...
I will love the light for it shows me the way,
yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.
-Og Mandino
' Is Suicide,, a Sin ?'...
The Buddhist monks of Vietnam would set their bodies on fire to show disapproval of government..
Since, You are Consciousness, You are just Waking Up, early..
You Are what You Believe, You Are..
Belief is Your Ability to Create Miracles and even to return the ego to Source...
-thomas
' Kindness and Love '...
That best portion of a man's life,
his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.
-William Wordsworth
' Successful '...
Successful is the person who has lived well, laughed often and loved much,
who has gained the respect of children, who leaves the world better than they found it,
who has never lacked appreciation for the earth's beauty,
who never fails to look for the best in others or give the best of themselves.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
' The Meaning of Life '...
The meaning of life is to find your gift.
The purpose of life is to give it away.
-Pablo Picasso
' The Best People '...
The best people possess a feeling for beauty,
the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth,
the capacity for sacrifice.
Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable;
they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed.
-Ernest Hemingway
' The Last Time '...
If I knew that today would be the last time I’d see you, I would hug you tight and pray the Lord be the keeper of your soul.
If I knew that this would be the last time you pass through this door, I’d embrace you, kiss you, and call you back for one more.
If I knew that this would be the last time I would hear your voice, I’d take hold of each word to be able to hear it over and over again.
If I knew this is the last time I see you, I’d tell you I love you, and would not just assume foolishly you know it already.
-Gabriel Garcia Marquez
' Saint Meerabai Quotes '...
Let people say good things or bad things
I will bear them all!
Meera cannot love even a moment without her beloved Lord Krishna.
O my mind,
Worship the lotus feet of the Indestructible One!
O my companion,
Worldly comfort is an illusion,
As soon you get it, it goes.
My eyes are sad without seeing you!
Ever since you left, my Lord!
I have no peace of mind!
I am mad, not conscious of my body!
Nobody understands my agony!
Meera says: only He knows my state,
in whose hands are life and death!
Drink the nectar of the Divine Name,
O human! Drink the nectar of the Divine Name!
Leave the bad company,
always sit among righteous company.
With my tears,
I watered the creeper of love that I planted;
Now the creeper has grown spread all over,
and borne the fruit of bliss.
If abandoning one's wife could summon God
Would not thousands be eunuchs?
Mirabai knows that to find the Divine One,
The only indispensable is Love.
I have no father, no mother, relatives or brothers.
I have broken family ties; who can do anything?
I have spoken of my love through my tears.
Servant Meera has fallen in love with the Lord,
He is now mine. Gopala (Lord Krishna) is mine. No one else!
One night as I sat in quiet,
I seemed on the verge of entering a world inside so vast
I know it is the source of all of us.
Do not mention the name of love,
O my simple-minded companion.
Strange is the path
When you offer your love.
Your body is crushed at the first step...
-from buddhasangha.com
' Liberty and Freedom '...
The liberties of our country, the freedoms of our civil Constitution are worth defending at all hazards;
it is our duty to defend them against all attacks.
We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors.
They purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood.
It will bring a mark of everlasting infamy on the present generation – enlightened as it is – if we should suffer them to
be wrested from us by violence without a struggle,
or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of designing men.
-Samuel Adams
' Think Before Speaking '...
Always when you are about to say anything,
first weigh it in your mind;
for with many the tongue outruns the thought.
-Isocrates
' Rich and Poor '...
An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.
-Plutarch
' All sentient consciousness was created eternally alive! by John Smallman '...
The word ‘awakening’ has become a bit of a “buzz-word” in recent months, as many are hearing it for the first time in the context of the human collective’s spiritual unfoldment. This growing awareness, which is now arising in so many, that to be human at this moment is to have an experience in form, in physicality, that will allow and encourage all to remember that they are and always have been eternal spiritual beings. The life force that flows through all sentient physical life forms, and on which those forms are totally dependent for their existence in form, is LOVE.
Love, Source, God, the One – whatever word you choose to use to express the idea of a supreme all-knowing, all-loving, and all-wise Creator and eternal Being in Whom all of creation has its eternal existence – is indeed ALL. Every sentient being is eternally contained within and lovingly embraced in every moment by the One, the I Am Presence, as It expresses Itself in infinite manifestations of Itself and with complete creative JOY in every one of them.
God is Love is Creation is JOY! However, many manifestations have chosen to experience severe limitation by manifesting in form which by its very nature is a severely limited state of being. Nevertheless, separation from Source is impossible because there is only the ONE! Separation physically experienced in form is amnesia, blackout, memory loss, but only for a very limited TIME! Time is an aspect of the illusion that makes the apparent experience of separation possible, but only for the briefest of instants, a few momentary flashes or flickers and slivers of a heartbeat. But, while being experienced, it can seem to last for an inordinately long period of time, and then, when you awaken, you will know that it was but a momentary loss of memory, of consciousness! To awaken is to be, once again as you always have been, fully aware, fully conscious of your inseparable Oneness with each other and with Source. That consciousness is a state of infinite and eternal Joy in which you express and demonstrate all your creative abilities magnificently in every moment for the delight of ALL.
All sentient consciousness was created eternally alive! There is no such thing as death or termination of life – which is fully aware consciousness knowing itself as One with Source – because what is created is fully alive now, and now, and now, always and eternally. The life experience in form is temporary, a game some chose to play for a limited time! Limitation and time are unreal, and will be gone when the choice is made to cease playing that game or engaging in that dream, and it will be as though they had never existed, because, of course, they never did – unreality has no existence!
Being eternally alive, eternally at One with Source and with All of creation, and forever harmoniously creating delights that All can enjoy is the purpose for which all are created. That purpose is forever joy-filled. The ongoing awakening process that humanity is presently undergoing is the collective choice, fully and lovingly supported by Source and by All of creation, to permanently cease living in a state of experiencing the unreality and limitation of uncertainty, and the pain, suffering, and fear that had to arise in that unreal state. The moment of remembering Who You are is very close, and to celebrate Life and Love is the way to awaken from the unreal, from the dream, and to know Yourselves once more as the divine Beings that you all are.
So, what are you to do during the remaining moments of unreality? Enormous numbers of you feel that you have an essential personal individual spiritual purpose as a human on the earthly location at which you are undergoing this life experience. And, you ask yourselves, “what is it?” And the answer is simply to be Yourself!
So many of you have grown up in a culture – local, national, religious, political, academic, philosophical – that is very limited in its beliefs and moral attitudes, and which has been incorporated within you so that you present to the world around you, without any awareness or knowing that you are doing so, an ‘acceptable persona’ in order to have a sense of belonging! But underneath, somewhere deep within you, there is an uncertainty, a questioning, a wondering that asks “is this who I am? Surely I must be more than just this human person, because truly I do not feel at home here.” And of course you are much, much more than this human persona experiencing life in physicality with all the trauma, pain, and fear that is an aspect of it, and therefore, of course, you cannot feel truly at Home.
What you need to do is very simple, but very, very few find it easy. During your journey from infancy to adulthood, you have been filled with self-doubt because you have been encouraged to compare yourselves to others who are ‘supposedly’ better, more successful, more competent, more beautiful, more physically or intellectually gifted than you. The truth is that you can only be You, so to compare yourself to another is quite meaningless; each one of you is precisely where you chose to be. Therefore completely accept the form in which you are experiencing human existence, and know – as deep within yourselves you do – that you chose it for the lessons and experiences with which it would present you during your earthly lives.
There are no accidents or coincidences, every event and situation serves a purpose that was pre-planned before you incarnated, and it arrives in your life at the precise moment in which you need it as you journey toward your inevitable awakening. In accepting yourselves, in self-acceptance you will find peace. When you are at peace others will be drawn to you and be inspired and uplifted by the sense of presence that flows from you when you present your true self to them, seeking neither their approval nor acceptance because, as a divine being, you know that you already have complete and loving acceptance of yourself from Source and from Yourself.
Therefore, knowing as you do that you are eternally One with Source, be like Source, meeting all that arises in your life with love, and celebrate life in every moment because life is meant to be an ongoing celebration of the wonder and magnificence that is All, that is Source, that is YOU!
And, as I always keep on reminding you, it is essential that you take time out daily to be quiet and peaceful as you let go of your ‘to do’ lists for a few moments while you rest within. Within, in that quiet and holy inner sanctuary at the center of your Being, Peace and Love will embrace you if you just choose to allow Them to do so. You have free will because what Love creates is always completely free – and complete freedom is not what many of you experience in your daily human lives – and so you can choose to be aware and feel that Presence, or unaware and experience only the constant stream of thoughts that plague so many. Therefore on going within, set the intent to know that you are Peace, to know that you are Love, and then feel and experience yourself as the divine Being that you are right now!
Your loving brother, Jesus.
' Judas and Jesus '...
Nobody else can destroy you except you;
nobody else can save you except you.
You are the Judas and you are the Jesus.
-Rajneesh
' Incarnations of Source '...
You are incarnations of God, all of you.
You are incarnations of the Almighty, Omnipresent, Divine Principle.
You may laugh at me now, but the time will come when you will understand.
You must.
Nobody will be left behind.
-Swami Vivekananda
' Governing Without God '...
It is impossible to govern the world without God.
It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God,
to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits and humbly implore his protection and favor.
-George Washington
' The States of Consciousness '...
The 'First Reality' called Divine Consciousness contains the Ego of 'Creative Source' or what is Known as 'I Am'...
The 'Final Reality' is called 'Pure Awareness' and Contains no Ego..
This State of Non-Ego is called 'Unconditional Love' or what many call God...
-thomas
' Meditation '...
It takes a long time-many incarnations of right action, good company, help of the guru, self-awakening, wisdom, and meditation-for man to regain his soul consciousness of immortality.
To reach this state of Self-realization,
each man must practice meditation to transfer his consciousness from the limited body to the unlimited sphere of joy felt in meditation.
-Paramahansa Yogananda
' Dreaming '...
I am living permanently in my dream,
from which I make brief forays into reality.
-Ingmar Bergman
' Self-Education '...
Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.
The only function of a school is to make self-education easier; failing that, it does nothing.
-Isaac Asimov
' Truth '...
The further a society drifts from truth,
the more it will hate those who speak it.
-George Orwell
' Thoughts on a Wednesday Night '...
I am just another human trying to understand this reality..
Gautama and Yeshua did the same..
We see ourselves as weak..
So many years of education to teach you to feel this pain..
How else can you become Free ?..
Seventy percent of your work is taxed after work, taxes, and buying of objects..
You are Born a Slave and yet you are called Racist..
Guess What,, Slavery has no color..
Ninety five percent of all Roman Slaves were Caucasian...
Look for Truth,, It is your only escape from Hell...
-thomas
" You must Die before Death "...
Do you remember when Jesus said;
" you must die before death "..
He was speaking of the death of the ego..
the false self that claims to be You..
You must surrender this desire of separation called ego,
to Awaken from this Dream...
- thomas
' Are you God ?'...
'you' the 'ego' is not God, because the 'ego' is an 'Illusion'..
You are Not the Ego, You are Consciousness..
and Source Is Consciousness..
That is why Jesus said;
" I and the Father are One "...
- thomas
' Smile '...
Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind, don't matter, and those who matter, don't mind.
Don't cry because it's over.
Smile because it happened.
-Dr. Seuss
' Heart and Intuition '...
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.
Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking.
Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.
And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
-Steve Jobs
' Gentleness of Heart '...
If we could look into each other’s hearts and understand the unique challenges each of us faces,
I think we would treat each other much more gently,
with more love, patience, tolerance, and care.
-Marvin J. Ashton
' Poverty '...
Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity,
nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed,
well- warmed, and well-fed.
-Herman Melville
' To Be Yourself '...
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
' A Source of Terror '...
Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition,
it has only one way to go,
and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures,
until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.
-Harry S. Truman
' We Will Bury You '...
I can prophecy that your grandchildren in America will live under socialism --
Our firm conviction is that sooner or later Capitalism will give way to Socialism.
Whether you like it or not, history is on our side.
We will bury you.
-Nikita Khrushchev
' Defenders of Freedom '...
The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten.
-Calvin Coolidge
' The Process of Death '...
The Process of Death of the Awakened is to allow the ego to dissolve and then to Awaken as Light, Love, and Consciousness...
You Return as Light and Creation of Holograms..
Take a Step further..
Pure Awareness is Next and Last...
-thomas
' Walk Beside Me '...
"Don't walk in front of me,
I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me,
I may not lead.
Walk beside me and be my friend."
- Albert Camus
' Two Ways to live your Life '...
"There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as if everything is."
- Albert Einstein
' Fearless '...
Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers,
but to be fearless in facing them.
Let me not beg for stilling of my pain,
but for the heart to conquer it.
- Rabindranath Tagore
' The Warrior Is Gone '...
Ram Tzu knows this. . .
The fear never leaves you.
It is part of you
As tied to your center as your breath.
Touch it,
Stroke it
Get to know it well.
As long as you are
It will be with you.
You scream
You shout
You rage
You want quit of it.
You push it away with all your strength.
But hear this. . .
It thrives on all the exercise
You give it.
It gets stronger when
You give it something to push up against.
Left alone it will wither and die.
But you know you can not leave it alone.
You must always fight the fear.
It is your nature to always fight.
Yet sometimes there is Grace . . .
You disappear into it
And there is no longer a battle.
The warrior is gone.
- Ram Tzu
' Thoughts on the Soltice '...
Where is Love when Humanity is in Dire Need ?..
You were born with the first kiss upon your forehead..
What are Humans seeking ?..
Who is the Shotcaller ?...
Freedom is always the first thought of Humanity..
Why do Humans want to give up Freedom?..
Perhaps, Sixteen Years of receiving Stars on your test papers..
The Desire of Receiving for following is a Great Desire..
Welcome to Now..
The Future beckons you with starvation..
No more Diets needed....
-thomas
' The History of Yeshua Ben Yosef '...
Josephus
Main article: Josephus on Jesus
A page from a 1466 copy of Antiquities of the Jews
The writings of the 1st century Romano-Jewish historian Flavius Josephus include references to Jesus and the origins of Christianity.[12][13] Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews, written around 93–94 CE, includes two references to Jesus in Books 18 and 20.[12][14]
Of the two passages, the James passage in Book 20 is used by scholars to support the existence of Jesus, the Testimonium Flavianum in Book 18 his crucifixion.[10] Josephus' James passage attests to the existence of Jesus as a historical person and that some of his contemporaries considered him the Messiah.[10][15] According to Bart Ehrman, Josephus' passage about Jesus was altered by a Christian scribe, including the reference to Jesus as the Messiah.[16]
A textual argument against the authenticity of the James passage is that the use of the term "Christos" there seems unusual for Josephus.[17] An argument based on the flow of the text in the document is that, given that the mention of Jesus appears in the Antiquities before that of the John the Baptist, a Christian interpolator may have inserted it to place Jesus in the text before John.[17] A further argument against the authenticity of the James passage is that it would have read well even without a reference to Jesus.[17]
The passage deals with the death of "James the brother of Jesus" in Jerusalem. Whereas the works of Josephus refer to at least twenty different people with the name Jesus, this passage specifies that this Jesus was the one "who was called Christ".[18][19] Louis Feldman states that this passage, above others, indicates that Josephus did say something about Jesus.[20]
Modern scholarship has almost universally acknowledged the authenticity of the reference in Book 20, Chapter 9, 1 of the Antiquities to "the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James",[21] and considers it as having the highest level of authenticity among the references of Josephus to Christianity.[12][13][22][23][24][25]
The Testimonium Flavianum (meaning the testimony of Flavius [Josephus]) is the name given to the passage found in Book 18, Chapter 3, 3 of the Antiquities in which Josephus describes the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus at the hands of the Roman authorities.[26][27] Scholars have differing opinions on the total or partial authenticity of the reference in the passage to the execution of Jesus by Pontius Pilate.[12][27] The general scholarly view is that while the Testimonium Flavianum is most likely not authentic in its entirety, it is broadly agreed upon that it originally consisted of an authentic nucleus with a reference to the execution of Jesus by Pilate which was then subject to Christian interpolation.[15][27][28][29][30] Although the exact nature and extent of the Christian redaction remains unclear,[31] there is broad consensus as to what the original text of the Testimonium by Josephus would have looked like.[30]
The references found in Antiquities have no parallel texts in the other work by Josephus such as the Jewish War, written twenty years earlier, but some scholars have provided explanations for their absence, such as that the Antiquities covers a longer time period and that during the twenty-year gap between the writing of the Jewish Wars (c. 70 CE) and Antiquities (after 90 CE) Christians had become more important in Rome and were hence given attention in the Antiquities.[32]
A number of variations exist between the statements by Josephus regarding the deaths of James and the New Testament accounts.[33] Scholars generally view these variations as indications that the Josephus passages are not interpolations, because a Christian interpolator would more likely have made them correspond to the Christian traditions.[18][33] Robert Eisenman provides numerous early Christian sources that confirm the Josephus testament, that James was the brother of Jesus.[34]
Tacitus
Main article: Tacitus on Christ
The title page of 1598 edition of the works of Tacitus, kept in Empoli, Italy.
The Roman historian and senator Tacitus referred to Christ, his execution by Pontius Pilate and the existence of early Christians in Rome in his final work, Annals (c. AD 116), book 15, chapter 44.[35][36][37] The relevant passage reads: "called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus."
Scholars generally consider Tacitus's reference to the execution of Jesus by Pontius Pilate to be both authentic, and of historical value as an independent Roman source about early Christianity that is in unison with other historical records.[38][39][40][41][42] William L. Portier has stated that the consistency in the references by Tacitus, Josephus and the letters to Emperor Trajan by Pliny the Younger reaffirm the validity of all three accounts.[42]
Tacitus was a patriotic Roman senator and his writings shows no sympathy towards Christians.[39][43][43][44][45] Andreas Köstenberger and separately Robert E. Van Voorst state that the tone of the passage towards Christians is far too negative to have been authored by a Christian scribe – a conclusion shared by John P. Meier[38][46][47] Robert E. Van Voorst states that "of all Roman writers, Tacitus gives us the most precise information about Christ".[38]
John Dominic Crossan considers the passage important in establishing that Jesus existed and was crucified, and states: "That he was crucified is as sure as anything historical can ever be, since both Josephus and Tacitus... agree with the Christian accounts on at least that basic fact."[48] Bart D. Ehrman states: "Tacitus's report confirms what we know from other sources, that Jesus was executed by order of the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, sometime during Tiberius's reign."[49] Eddy and Boyd state that it is now "firmly established" that Tacitus provides a non-Christian confirmation of the crucifixion of Jesus.[50]
Although the majority of scholars consider it to be genuine, a few scholars question the authenticity of the passage given that Tacitus was born 25 years after Jesus' death.[38]
Some scholars have debated the historical value of the passage given that Tacitus does not reveal the source of his information.[51] Gerd Theissen and Annette Merz argue that Tacitus at times had drawn on earlier historical works now lost to us, and he may have used official sources from a Roman archive in this case; however, if Tacitus had been copying from an official source, some scholars would expect him to have labeled Pilate correctly as a prefect rather than a procurator.[52] Theissen and Merz state that Tacitus gives us a description of widespread prejudices against Christianity and a few precise details about "Christus" and Christianity, the source of which remains unclear.[53] However, Paul R. Eddy has stated that given his position as a senator Tacitus was also likely to have had access to official Roman documents of the time and did not need other sources.[54]
Michael Martin notes that the authenticity of this passage of the Annals has also been disputed on the grounds that Tacitus would not have used the word “messiah” in an authentic Roman document.[55]
Weaver notes that Tacitus spoke of the persecution of Christians, but no other Christian author wrote of this persecution for a hundred years.[56]
Hotema notes that this passage was not quoted by any Church father up to the 15th century, although the passage would have been very useful to them in their work;[57] and that the passage refers to the Christians in Rome being a multitude, while at that time the Christian congregation in Rome would actually have been very small.[57]
Richard Carrier has proposed the idea that the reference is a Christian interpolation, and that Tacitus intended to refer to "Chrestians" as a separate religious group unaffiliated with Christianity.[58][59] However, the majority view is that the terms are synonymous.[60]
Scholars have also debated the issue of hearsay in the reference by Tacitus. Charles Guignebert argued that "So long as there is that possibility [that Tacitus is merely echoing what Christians themselves were saying], the passage remains quite worthless".[61] R. T. France states that the Tacitus passage is at best just Tacitus repeating what he had heard through Christians.[62] However, Paul R. Eddy has stated that as Rome's preeminent historian, Tacitus was generally known for checking his sources and was not in the habit of reporting gossip.[54] Tacitus was a member of the Quindecimviri sacris faciundis, a council of priests whose duty it was to supervise foreign religious cults in Rome, which as Van Voorst points out, makes it reasonable to suppose that he would have acquired knowledge of Christian origins through his work with that body.[63]
Relevant sources
Mara bar Sarapion
Main article: Mara Bar-Serapion on Jesus
Mara (son of Sarapion) was a Stoic philosopher from the Roman province of Syria.[64][65] Sometime between 73 AD and the 3rd century, Mara wrote a letter to his son (also called Sarapion) which may contain an early non-Christian reference to the crucifixion of Jesus.[64][66][67]
The letter refers to the unjust treatment of "three wise men": the murder of Socrates, the burning of Pythagoras, and the execution of "the wise king" of the Jews.[64][65] The author explains that in all three cases the wrongdoing resulted in the future punishment of those responsible by God and that when the wise are oppressed, not only does their wisdom triumph in the end, but God punishes their oppressors.[67]
The letter includes no Christian themes and the author is presumed to be a pagan.[65][66] Some scholars see the reference to the execution of the "wise king" of the Jews as an early non-Christian reference to Jesus.[64][65][66] Criteria that support the non-Christian origin of the letter include the observation that "king of the Jews" was not a Christian title, and that the letter's premise that Jesus lives on based on the wisdom of his teachings is in contrast to the Christian concept that Jesus continues to live through his resurrection.[66][67]
Scholars such as Robert Van Voorst see little doubt that the reference to the execution of the "king of the Jews" is about the death of Jesus.[67] Others such as Craig A. Evans see less value in the letter, given its uncertain date, and the possible ambiguity in the reference.[68]
Suetonius
Main article: Suetonius on Christians
A 1540 copy of Lives of the Twelve Caesars by Suetonius
The Roman historian Suetonius (c. 69 – after 122 CE) made references to early Christians and their leader in his work Lives of the Twelve Caesars (written 121 CE).[64][69][70][71] The references appear in Claudius 25 and Nero 16 which describe the lives of Roman Emperors Claudius and Nero.[69] The Nero 16 passage refers to the abuses by Nero and mentions how he inflicted punishment on Christians – which is generally dated to around AD 64.[72] This passage shows the clear contempt of Suetonius for Christians - the same contempt expressed by Tacitus and Pliny the younger in their writings, but does not refer to Jesus himself.[70]
The earlier passage in Claudius, may include a reference to Jesus, but is subject to debate among scholars.[71] In Claudius 25 Suetonius refers to the expulsion of Jews by Claudius and states:[69]
"Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome."
The reference in Claudius 25 involves the agitations in the Jewish community which led to the expulsion of some Jews from Rome by Claudius, and is likely the same event mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (18:2).[64] Most historians date this expulsion to around AD 49–50.[64][73] Suetonius refers to the leader of the Christians as Chrestus, a term also used by used by Tacitus, referred in Latin dictionaries as a (amongst other things) version of 'Christus'.[74] However, the wording used by Suetonius implies that Chrestus was alive at the time of the disturbance and was agitating the Jews in Rome.[30][64] This weakens the historical value of his reference as a whole, and there is no overall scholarly agreement about its value as a reference to Jesus.[30][71] However, the confusion of Suetonius also points to the lack of Christian interpolation, for a Christian scribe would not have confused the Jews with Christians.[30][71]
Most scholars assume that in the reference Jesus is meant and that the disturbances mentioned were due to the spread of Christianity in Rome.[71][75][76] However, scholars are divided on the value of the Suetonius' reference. Some scholars such as Craig A. Evans, John Meier and Craig S. Keener see it as a likely reference to Jesus.[77][78] Others such as Stephen Benko and H. Dixon Slingerland see it as having little or no historical value.[71]
Menahem Stern states Suetonius definitely was referring to Jesus; because he would have added "a certain" to Chrestus if he had meant some unknown agitator.[79]
The Talmud
See also: Jesus in the Talmud and Yeshu
A page from Sanhedrin in the 12th century Reuchlin Codex Talmud
The Babylonian Talmud in a few cases includes possible references to Jesus using the terms "Yeshu", "Yeshu ha-Notzri", "ben Stada", and "ben Pandera". Some of these references probably date back to the Tannaitic period (70–200 CE).[80][81] In some cases, it is not clear if the references are to Jesus, or other people, and scholars continue to debate their historical value, and exactly which references, if any, may be to Jesus.[82][83][84]
Robert Van Voorst states that the scarcity of Jewish references to Jesus is not surprising, given that Jesus was not a prominent issue for the Jews during the first century, and after the devastation caused by the Siege of Jerusalem in the year 70, Jewish scholars were focusing on preserving Judaism itself, rather than paying much attention to Christianity.[85]
Robert Eisenman argues that the derivation of Jesus of Nazareth from "ha-Notzri" is impossible on etymological grounds, as it would suggest rather "the Nazirite" rather than "the Nazarene".[86]
Van Voorst states that although the question of who was referred to in various points in the Talmud remains subject to debate among scholars, in the case of Sanhedrin 43a (generally considered the most important reference to Jesus in rabbinic literature), Jesus can be confirmed as the subject of the passage, not only from the reference itself, but from the context that surrounds it, and there is little doubt that it refers to the death of Jesus of Nazareth.[87][88] Christopher M. Tuckett states that if it is accepted that death narrative of Sanhedrin 43a refers to Jesus of Nazareth then it provides evidence of Jesus' existence and execution.[89]
Andreas Kostenberger states that the passage is a Tannaitic reference to the trial and death of Jesus at Passover and is most likely earlier than other references to Jesus in the Talmud.[81] The passage reflects hostility toward Jesus among the rabbis and includes this text:[80][81]
It is taught: On the eve of Passover they hung Yeshu and the crier went forth for forty days beforehand declaring that "[Yeshu] is going to be stoned for practicing witchcraft, for enticing and leading Israel astray. Anyone who knows something to clear him should come forth and exonerate him." But no one had anything exonerating for him and they hung him on the eve of Passover.[90]
Peter Schäfer states that there can be no doubt that the narrative of the execution of Jesus in the Talmud refers to Jesus of Nazareth, but states that the rabbinic literature in question are not Tannaitic but from a later Amoraic period and may have drawn on the Christian gospels, and may have been written as responses to them.[91] Bart Ehrman and separately Mark Allan Powell state that given that the Talmud references are quite late, they can give no historically reliable information about the teachings or actions of Jesus during his life.[92][93]
Another reference in early second century Rabbinic literature (Tosefta Hullin II 22) refers to Rabbi Eleazar ben Dama who was bitten by a snake, but was denied healing in the name of Jesus by another Rabbi for it was against the law, and thus died.[94] This passage reflects the attitude of Jesus' early Jewish opponents, i.e. that his miracles were based on evil powers.[94][95]
Eddy and Boyd, who question the value of several of the Talmudic references state that the significance of the Talmud to historical Jesus research is that it never denies the existence of Jesus, but accuses him of sorcery, thus indirectly confirming his existence.[82] R. T. France and separately Edgar V. McKnight state that the divergence of the Talmud statements from the Christian accounts and their negative nature indicate that they are about a person who existed.[96][97] Craig Blomberg states that the denial of the existence of Jesus was never part of the Jewish tradition, which instead accused him of being a sorcerer and magician, as also reflected in other sources such as Celsus.[80] Andreas Kostenberger states that the overall conclusion that can be drawn from the references in the Talmud is that Jesus was a historical person whose existence was never denied by the Jewish tradition, which instead focused on discrediting him.[81]
Minor sources
Main articles: Pliny the Younger on Christians and Dead Sea Scrolls
Pliny the Younger (c. 61 – c. 112), the provincial governor of Pontus and Bithynia, wrote to Emperor Trajan c. 112 concerning how to deal with Christians, who refused to worship the emperor, and instead worshiped "Christus". Charles Guignebert, who does not doubt that Jesus of the Gospels lived in Gallilee in the 1st century, nevertheless dismisses this letter as acceptable evidence for a historical Jesus.[98]
Thallus, of whom very little is known, and none of whose writings survive, wrote a history allegedly around the middle to late first century CE, to which Eusebius referred. Julius Africanus, writing c 221, links a reference in the third book of the History to the period of darkness described in the crucifixion accounts in three of the Gospels .[99][100] It is not known whether Thallus made any mention to the crucifixion accounts; if he did, it would be the earliest noncanonical reference to a gospel episode, but its usefulness in determining the historicity of Jesus is uncertain.[99] The dating of Thallus is dependent on him writing about an event during the 207th Olympiad (49–52 AD), which means he wrote after that date, not near that date. This depends on the text being corrupt, which would mean Thallus could have been writing after the 217th Olympiad (89–92 AD), or even the 167th Olympiad (112–109 BC). He is first referenced by Theophilus, writing around 180 AD, which means Thallus could have written any time between 109 BC and 180 AD. All we know is Thallus mentioned a solar eclipse, and as solar eclipses are not possible at Passover, that would mean Thallus was not talking about the crucifixion of Jesus at all.[101]
Phlegon of Tralles, AD 80–140, similar to Thallus, Julius Africanus mentions a historian named Phlegon who wrote a chronicle of history around AD 140, where he records: “Phlegon records that, in the time of Tiberius Caesar, at full moon, there was a full eclipse of the sun from the sixth to the ninth hour.” (Africanus, Chronography, 18:1) Phlegon is also mentioned by Origen (an early church theologian and scholar, born in Alexandria): “Now Phlegon, in the thirteenth or fourteenth book, I think, of his Chronicles, not only ascribed to Jesus a knowledge of future events . . . but also testified that the result corresponded to His predictions.” (Origen Against Celsus, Book 2, Chapter 14) “And with regard to the eclipse in the time of Tiberius Caesar, in whose reign Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquakes which then took place … ” (Origen Against Celsus, Book 2, Chapter 33) “Jesus, while alive, was of no assistance to himself, but that he arose after death, and exhibited the marks of his punishment, and showed how his hands had been pierced by nails.” (Origen Against Celsus, Book 2, Chapter 59).[102] However, Eusebius in The Chronicon (written in the 4th century AD) records what Phlegon said verbatim. "Now, in the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad [32 AD], a great eclipse of the sun occurred at the sixth hour [noon] that excelled every other before it, turning the day into such darkness of night that the stars could be seen in heaven, and the earth moved in Bithynia, toppling many buildings in the city of Nicaea." Phlegon never mentions Jesus or the 3 hour darkness. He also mentions a solar eclipse, which can not occur at Passover. Apart from the year (which may be a corruption), this description fits an earthquake and eclipse that occurred in North West Turkey on November, 29 AD.[103]
Philo, who dies after A.D. 40, is mainly important for the light he throws on certain modes of thought and phraseology found again in some of the Apostles. Eusebius[104] indeed preserves a legend that Philo had met Peter in Rome during his mission to the Emperor Caius; moreover, that in his work on the contemplative life he describes the life of the Church of Alexandria , rather than that of the Essenes and Therapeutae. But it is hardly probable that Philo had heard enough of Jesus and His followers to give an historical foundation to the foregoing legends.[105]
Celsus writing late in the second century produced the first full-scale attack on Christianity.[99][106] Celsus' document has not survived but in the third century Origen replied to it, and what is known of Celsus' writing is through the responses of Origen.[99] According to Origen, Celsus accused Jesus of being a magician and a sorcerer. While the statements of Celsus may be seen as valuable, they have little historical value, given that the wording of the original writings can not be examined.[106]
The Dead Sea Scrolls are first century or older writings that show the language and customs of some Jews of Jesus' time.[107] Scholars such as Henry Chadwick see the similar uses of languages and viewpoints recorded in the New Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls as valuable in showing that the New Testament portrays the first century period that it reports and is not a product of a later period.[108][109] However, the relationship between the Dead Sea scrolls and the historicity of Jesus has been the subject of highly controversial theories, and although new theories continue to appear, there is no overall scholarly agreement about their impact on the historicity of Jesus, despite the usefulness of the scrolls in shedding light on first-century Jewish traditions.[110][111]
- Wikipedia
' A Steady Connection '...
There are three forces--of the body, mind and feeling.
Unless these are together, equally developed and harmonized, a steady connection cannot be made with a higher force.
Everything in the Work is a preparation for that connection.
That is the aim of the work.
The higher energy wishes to but cannot come down to the level of the body unless one works.
Only by working can you fulfill your purpose and participate in the life of the cosmos.
This is what can give meaning and significance to your life.
-Jeanne de Salzmann
' The Living Dead '...
A considerable percentage of the people we meet on the street are people who are empty inside,
that is, they are actually already dead.
It is fortunate for us that we do not see and do not know it.
If we knew what a number of people are actually dead and what a number of these dead people govern our lives,
we should go mad with horror.
-G. I. Gurdjieff
' Self-Realisation '...
Self-realisation means that we have been consciously connected with our source of being.
Once we have made this connection, then nothing can go wrong.
-Swami Paramananda
' Mistakes '...
A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes,
smart enough to profit from them,
and strong enough to correct them.
-John C. Maxwell
' The Long Road to Freedom '...
I have walked that long road to freedom.
I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way.
But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.
I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come.
But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.
-Nelson Mandela
' Your Remedy '...
Your Remedy is within you, but you do not sense it.
Your Sickness is from you, but you do not perceive it.
You Presume you are a small entity,
But within you is enfolded the entire universe.
You are indeed the evident book,
By whose alphabet the hidden becomes the manifest.
Therefore, you have no need to look beyond yourself,
What you seek is within you, if only you reflect.
-Ali ibn Abi Talib
' Enemies of Peace '...
Five enemies of peace inhabit with us - avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride;
if these were to be banished, we should infallibly enjoy perpetual peace.
-Petrarch
' Not to be Trusted '...
A government which does not trust its citizens to be armed is not itself to be trusted.
-Niccolo Machiavelli
' The Four Noble Truths '...
The Four Noble Truths comprise the essence of Buddha's teachings..
They are the truth of suffering,
the truth of the cause of suffering,
the truth of the end of suffering,
and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering.
-thomas
' Mind Control '...
Education should aim at destroying free will so that after pupils are thus schooled they will be incapable throughout
the rest of their lives of thinking or acting otherwise than as their school masters would have wished..
-Johann Gottlieb Fichte
' Finding Happiness '...
It is difficult to find happiness within oneself,
but it is impossible to find it anywhere else.
-Arthur Schopenhauer
' Illusions Destroyed '...
Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they don't want their illusions destroyed.
-Friedrich Nietzsche
' In the Present '...
If we want to reap the harvest of peace and justice in the future,
we will have to sow seeds of nonviolence, here and now, in the present.
-Mairead Corrigan
' The Final Step '...
The Final Step is to Realize that you are a Dream..
And you have no ego or self as a blanket of warmth..
You have become 'Nothing',,, No-thing.. dig it !
If you are strong enough to accept Non-existence,
then, keep on walking towards Light..
And, You might look around and
Realize that You are Light...
-thomas
' Just Tell The Truth '...
Truth is on my Mind...
We keep coming back into pain..
This manifestation is getting old..
We, Mystics , demand more,, We Demand Truth..
If you want to be hired by mass media, then let the ego leave..
We Know that We Are the Consciousness of Source..
Therefore, You must speak to us of Truth or else, you are finished..
It is this easy,,, Just Tell The Truth....
-thomas
' Within Consciousness '...
In Consciousness,,,
memory quickly fades,,
just as a Dream fades..
Only Reality is left...
-thomas
' You Are '...
The chief element of happiness is this:
to want to be what you are.
-Desiderius Erasmus
' A Great Problem '...
One of the greatest problems of our time is that many are schooled but few are educated.
-Thomas More
' IF '...
You must read, you must persevere, you must sit up nights,
you must inquire, and exert the utmost power of your mind.
If one way does not lead to the desired meaning, take another;
if obstacles arise, then still another; until,
if your strength holds out,
you will find that clear which at first looked dark.
-Giovanni Boccaccio
' When '...
When I got enough confidence, the stage was gone.
When I was sure of losing, I won.
When I needed people the most, they left me.
When I learnt to dry my tears, I found a shoulder to cry on.
And when I mastered the art of hating, somebody started loving me.
-William Shakespeare
' The Religion called Love '...
I believe in the religion of Love,
whatever direction its caravans may take,
for Love is my religion and my faith.
-Ibn Arabi
' I will say mine '...
One day you will ask me which is more important?
My life or yours?
I will say mine and you will walk away not knowing that you are my life.
-Khalil Gibran
' The Arts of Power '...
The arts of power and its minions are the same in all countries and in all ages.
It marks its victim; denounces it;
and excites the public odium and the public hatred,
to conceal its own abuses and encroachments.
-Henry Clay
' Go West, Young Man '...
Washington is not a place to live in.
The rents are high, the food is bad,
the dust is disgusting and the morals are deplorable.
Go West, young man,
go West and grow up with the country.
-Horace Greeley
' Unbroken egoless consciousness '...
The limitation of the Long Path is that it is concerned only with thinning down, weakening, and reducing the ego's strength. It is not concerned with totally deflating the ego.
Since this can be done only by studying the ego's nature metaphysically, seeing its falsity, and recognizing its illusoriness, which is not even done by the Short Path, then all the endeavours of the Short Path to practise self-identification with the Overself are merely using imagination and suggestion to create a new mental state that, while imitating the Overself's state, does not actually transcend the ego-mind but exists within it still.
So a third phase becomes necessary, the phase of getting rid of the ego altogether; this can be done only by the final dissolving operation of Grace, which the man has to request and to which he has to give his consent.
To summarize the entire process, the Long Path leads to the Short Path, and the Short Path leads to the Grace of an unbroken egoless consciousness.
-- Notebooks Category 23: Advanced Contemplation > Chapter 5: Balancing the Paths > # 206
-- Perspectives > Chapter 23: Advanced Contemplation > # 3
Paul Brunton
' Bravery '...
Bravery does not mean being fearless.
It means to be full of fear but still not being dominated by it.
-Rajneesh
' The Sense of Duality '...
The sense of duality, which is a barrier to true love,
must prevail so long as the apperception of Truth has not occurred.
Once individuality is surrendered, there is only total Love.
-Ramesh S Balsekar
' Divided We Fall '...
United we stand, divided we fall.
Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs.
-Patrick Henry
' Individual Freedom '...
There is no justification for taking away individuals' freedom in the guise of public safety.
- President Thomas Jefferson
The Object of Life...
You Fear Death... tell me something new..
Of course, the ego will control your desires..
Politics will influence your vision of life..
Mind-Control will also enter your Entertainment..
What will make you laugh ?....
Will you see Truth ?...
Will you not Laugh?..
Will words not convince you?..
Stop Searching for Truth..
It will just confuse you..
But then again, I am just a Fool....
-thomas
' You incarnated solely to live lovingly. by John Smallman '...
Here in the spiritual realms I, Jesus, and all your individual support teams are watching over you constantly and inundating you with LOVE, as the awakening process continues to unfold perfectly as divinely planned. The “stuff”, that we have talked about previously, has strongly intensified for many as it flows into your conscious awareness to be recognized, thanked, and fully released. Attending to this can be very tiring, very stressful, and very unsettling, because most of you have been unaware of how much stuff you had hidden deep within yourselves, waiting to be acknowledged and released. The intensity has shocked many of you as friends and loved ones have unexpectedly – and mostly quite unwittingly – triggered spontaneous and unloving reactions that have exploded from within you, and which you have then directed powerfully back at those who have triggered you, shocking and offending them, thus triggering them in return.
This is a time for you to demonstrate enormous compassion for yourselves and for all others, because so many are feeling very confused in this period of great uncertainty, as the familiar world appears to be disintegrating, and when and how the future will unfold remains out of sight. People do not like uncertainty – and yet the world of form has always been filled with uncertainty – and so they establish routines and life patterns that seem to show them the way forward to desired ends and events whose achievement is guaranteed. This does work for short periods of time for individuals – maybe for as long as ten years, though more frequently for much shorter periods – then something happens that throws their plans into disarray.
Right now nearly everyone’s plans are in disarray, and the future seems to be more uncertain than anyone can remember. Know that your awakening is absolutely assured. Nevertheless, how you will awaken is not yet clear to you. This is a time in which you need to strengthen your trust in God’s Love for you, and allow that trust to guide your thoughts, words, and actions, as you go about your daily human lives. Live lovingly whatever arises for you, and demonstrate Love in action by being the divine Being that God so joyfully and lovingly created as You. It is ALL that You are. Anything that arises within you that is not in complete alignment with Love is not You, and is unreal.
As stress or fear attempts to fill your minds as you concern yourselves with reestablishing your ‘normal’ routines when the present restrictions on your freedom are eased or removed, turn to me, or indeed to anyone in the non physical realms with whom you commune on a regular basis, and ask for help and guidance to strengthen your faith in Mother/Father/God to Whom you are always inseparably connected. Doing this will bring you comfort as the knowing of your inseparability from Source – with Whom you are always One – arises into your conscious mind reminding you again that there is only Love, that all else is unreal and will pass away.
The massive worldwide uncertainty, that all are presently experiencing, is an essential aspect of humanity’s awakening process. In order for you to awaken you have to let go of or release your hold on “your life story,” the egoic image of yourself that you have built up as your identity, and which you present to others as the ‘me” that you think you are. This is not who You are! However the belief in this identity has become so deeply ingrained within you that you truly believe that it is who you are. Your egos do not want to let go of this identity because they fear it will terminate their existence, and their sole purpose within you is to protect their identity so that they can control you through fear.
By fully opening to and embracing Love, your true and eternal nature, you allow It to dissolve your fear as the realization dawns on you that truly there is nothing to fear. If you doubt this, remember what those who have had near death experiences (NDEs) have shared in books and interviews: that there is no death, that they have fully experienced knowing the truth of this, and that as a result of their experience they have lost all fear of death. By opening fully to and embracing Love you too will come to the personal realization that there is nothing to fear, because you will know that there is only Love.
To arrive at this realization daily meditation must be practiced by relaxing into your holy inner sanctuaries, as you let arising thoughts just flow through your mind without engaging with them. It does take practice, relaxed practice, where you let go of all judgments about your competence or ability – egotistical thoughts arising – that distract you from being at One with Yourself. When you let go of self-assessment and self-judgment, and accept yourself just as you are, peace will arise within you as you enjoy the moment: ‘smelling the rose,’ ‘watching the sunshine playing on the water,’ ‘hearing the bird song,’ ‘listening to the breeze rustling the tree leaves.’ Truly all is well.
Remind yourself that you are on the path that you set up for yourself before you incarnated, and that you were born into the family that was absolutely perfect and that would allow the lessons that you had chosen to learn to be presented to you at just the right moment. There are no accidents or coincidences, unexpected events are part of your life plan to allow you to deal with them in the most loving manner of which you are capable in the moment in which they occur. Later in your lives you may look back and regret certain things you have said or done that have hurt others, and that awareness alone is enough to allow you to forgive yourself and move forward. To dwell on past events of that nature, instead of acknowledging them and releasing them, causes you unnecessary pain and suffering and serves no useful purpose. Forgive yourselves, and forgive others who have hurt or offended you, realizing that you were all doing your absolute best in that moment. Judging yourselves and others wrong for past events with the ‘wisdom’ of hindsight is to cling to something that has passed, which makes no sense because there is only now. Use your new awareness to live more lovingly.
You incarnated solely to live lovingly, and by so doing to assist humanity in the awakening process. Your intent to send Love is extremely powerful, even though you very likely will receive no feedback after doing so. Trust that this is so, knowing that you are a divine Being at One with Source, while remaining within the limitations of form where positive loving feedback, although often given, is often unseen or unfelt. Your loving intentions always arrive at their destination and mightily assist those to whom they are directed, so keep on loving and intending to be loving, and awaken!
Your loving brother, Jesus.
' Educated Fools '...
I assure you,
an educated fool is more foolish than an uneducated one.
-Moliere
' Who Controls You? '...
If you want to know who controls you,
look at who you are not allowed to criticize.
-Voltaire
' Contemplation of Self '...
Everyone thinks of changing the world,
but no one thinks of changing himself.
-Leo Tolstoy
' Simplify '...
Simplify your life.
Don't waste the years struggling for things that are unimportant.
Don't burden yourself with possessions.
Keep your needs and wants simple and enjoy what you have.
Don't destroy your peace of mind by looking back, worrying about the past.
Live in the present.
Simplify!
-Henry David Thoreau
' This Experience called Life '...
All Humans feel Pain..
Pain is a warning device to help you to heal yourself..
Life is difficult and some are tired of pain..
Hang On....
The time allotted to the egoic-dream is already set..
Just as you set your alarm clock to wake up..
You Awaken from life and Dream in the time already set..
It is less than a hundred years, and yet you fear for more time..
You are Consciousness and Energy of Thought that does not Die..
You have always existed as Pure Awareness..
This Dream is Painful but You will Awaken from this Dream...
-thomas
' Oppressors '...
Oppressors can tyrannize only when they achieve a standing army,
an enslaved press,
and a disarmed populace.
-James Madison
' Insatiable for Power '...
Man is insatiable for power;
he is infantile in his desires and, always discontented with what he has, loves only what he has not.
People complain of the despotism of princes;
they ought to complain of the despotism of man.
-Joseph de Maistre
' Love is Patient '...
Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous;
love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own [will],
is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness,
but rejoices with the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
- Saint Paul the Apostle
' Politics and Morality '...
Those people who treat politics and morality separately,
will never understand either of them.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
' What We Digest '...
It's not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong;
not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich;
not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned;
and not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity.
-Francis Bacon
' Music '...
Music is a hidden arithmetic exercise of the soul,
which does not know that it is counting.
-Gottfried Leibniz
' Turn a life around '...
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear,
an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring,
all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
-Leo Buscaglia
' What is worth saying ?'...
Whatever is worth saying,
can be stated in fifty words or less.
-Stanislaw Ulam
' Two Outcomes '...
There are two possible outcomes:
if the result confirms the hypothesis,
then you've made a measurement.
If the result is contrary to the hypothesis,
then you've made a discovery.
-Enrico Fermi
' Quantum Physics '...
After the conversations about Indian philosophy,
some of the ideas of Quantum Physics that had seemed so crazy suddenly made much more sense.
-Werner Heisenberg
' World Destruction '...
The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil,
but by those who watch them without doing anything.
-Albert Einstein
' Mindfulness '...
Mindfulness means moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness.
It is cultivated by refining our capacity to pay attention,
intentionally, in the present moment, and then sustaining that attention over time as best we can.
In the process, we become more in touch with our life as it is unfolding.
-Jon Kabat-Zinn
' Silence '...
Silence is essential.
We need silence just as much as we need air, just as much as plants need light.
If our minds are crowded with words and thoughts, there is no space for us.
-Nhat Hanh
' A Sense of Humor '...
Work hard, don't quit, be appreciative, be thankful,
be grateful, be respectful, also to never whine ever,
never complain, and, always, for crying out loud,
keep a sense of humor.
-Michael Keaton
' The Trap of Reincarnation '...
Since all activity of the ego attachment continues into higher frequencies..
you will see, that which you desire, since the desire for the experience of Love is very important..
But, you are still trapped within this cycle of ego return called Reincarnation..
You are never within Freedom, until the ego attachment is surrendered ...
- thomas
' Is Earth, Hell? '...
Actually, It is Purgatory..
but, sometimes the Ego gives us the unwanted gift of Hell..
If there is no ego, there is no one to suffer..
no one to enter the circle of Life Dreams called Reincarnation..
Only Consciousness Remains...
-thomas
' Conquering Fear '...
He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
' Inexpressible Comfort '...
Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person;
having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out,
just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them,
keep what is worth keeping, and then, with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.
-George Eliot
' Wisdom and Foolishness '...
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,
it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,
it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness,
it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.
-Charles Dickens
' Laws '...
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly,
while bad people will find a way around the laws.
-Plato
' Beauty '...
The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes.
If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it.
Your life will be impoverished.
But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.
-Frank Lloyd Wright
' Mystical Revolution '...
The world is ready for a mystic revolution,
a discovery of the God in each of us.
-George Harrison
' Mystics '...
A mystic doesn’t say “I believe.” They say “I know.”
A true mystic will ironically speak with that self-confidence but at the same time with a kind of humility.
So when you see that combination of calm self-confidence, certitude,
and humility all at the same time you have the basis for mysticism in general.
-Richard Rohr
' The Same Language '...
Theologians may quarrel,
but the mystics of the world speak the same language.
-Meister Eckhart
' Atheism '...
Atheism is so senseless.
When I look at the solar system,
I see the earth at the right distance from the sun to receive the proper amounts of heat and light.
This did not happen by chance.
-Isaac Newton
' Freedom of Thought '...
Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom;
and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech;
which is the right of every man as far as by it he does not hurt or control the right of another;
and this is the only check it ought to suffer and the only bounds it ought to know....
Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech,
a thing terrible to traitors.
-Benjamin Franklin
' Words on a Saturday Night '...
Three hundred and fifty million seek Freedom..
We come from all of the Countries of Earth..
I would be assisting in growing potatoes if my great grandfather did not run from death..
We Know the Deal..
We See Reality..
All of the Lies make us Laugh..
We See your Faces contort when you Lie..
Retire, and become Human, again...
-thomas
' True Self '...
How many lives are frittered away, age after age,
in endless coming and going.
Find out who you are!
-Anandamayi Ma
' The Pain of Sentient Life '...
The tree is happy because it is scarcely sentient;
the hard rock is happier still, it feels nothing:
there is no pain as great as being alive,
no burden heavier than that of conscious life.
-Ruben Dario
' Enlightenment '...
If you want to experience Enlightenment,,,
you must spend a lot of time within deep meditation..
Both Gautama and Jesus spent forty days of deep meditation and ego surrender to be welcomed into Reality by a Loving Force called Holy Spirit..
You will Awaken into a White Light of Knowledge and Love called Divine Consciousness....
- thomas
' Karma and Reincarnation '...
Karma and Reincarnation are Real if You continue to Believe that You are Separate from Source...
You are Creating a Dream called Ego..
But, In Reality , both are false, as there is no ego to suffer...
- thomas
' Be Free of Fear '...
Once you realize that the world is your own projection, you are free of it.
You need not free yourself of a world that does not exist, except in your own imagination!
However is the picture, beautiful or ugly, you are painting it and you are not bound by it.
Realize that there is nobody to force it on you, that it is due to the habit of taking the imaginary to be real.
See the imaginary as imaginary and be free of fear.
-Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
' Happening Now '...
We have no compassion and we ask no compassion from you.
When our turn comes, we shall not make excuses for the terror.
-Karl Marx ( author of The Communist Manifesto )
' I Am Free '...
I am free, no matter what rules surround me.
If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them;
if I find them too obnoxious, I break them.
I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.
-Robert A. Heinlein
" You Must Die Before Death "...
There is the Death of ego Desire and thus Death of the Material ego..
You Awaken as the Self of Divine Consciousness,,,
Your Real Self , held together by Thought and Love...
-thomas
' Thoughts on a Thursday Night '...
New York is in a mental state of fear..
The Virus is the 'Bull's Eye ', but, hate pays better..
Do we understand the nomenclature of Psychopath ?...
How many are on each block ?..
Imagine, not caring about killing others and destroying their stores ?..
This will be a Wake-Up Call to all Souls..
They will be Awakened..
The Nazarene once said that " you cannot serve two masters "..
There is Only, One Source of Creation..
This Home state is only Entered within the gate of Love...
If someone speaks of Hatred,,, run...
This means, both sides of Yin Yang...
-thomas
' When the Storm Comes '...
Life is a storm, my young friend.
You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next.
What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes.
-Alexandre Dumas
' The Future of America '...
Whenever the government of the United States shall break up, it will probably be in consequence of a false direction having been given to public opinion.
This is the weak point of our defenses, and the part to which the enemies of the system will direct all their attacks.
Opinion can be so perverted as to cause the false to seem the true;
the enemy, a friend, and the friend, an enemy;
the best interests of the nation to appear insignificant, and trifles of moment;
in a word, the right the wrong, and the wrong the right.
-James F. Cooper
' Happiness '...
Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued,
is always just beyond your grasp,
but which,
if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.
-Nathaniel Hawthorne
' Being Self '...
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
' Fear is a Habit '...
Fear is a habit, so is self pity, defeat, anxiety, despair, hopelessness and resignation.
You can eliminate all of these negative habits with two simple resolves:
I can and I will.
-Napoleon Hill
' Great Discoveries '...
The seeds of great discoveries are constantly floating around us,
but they only take root in minds well-prepared to receive them.
-Joseph Henry
' Death '...
Death is the end of a stage, not the end of the journey.
The road stretches on beyond our comprehension.
-Oliver Lodge
' The Wireless Era '...
The coming of the wireless era will make war impossible,
because it will make war ridiculous.
-Guglielmo Marconi
' The Secrets of the Universe '...
If you want to find the secrets of the universe,
think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.
-Nikola Tesla
' What is God ?'...
The aspect of an old man on a throne was not within my desires..
Therefore, the Energy called Source was called upon..
This is where non-egoic desire found Heaven..
This complete White Light that somehow has the power to Dream..
As you already know, Dreams appear completely Real..
As long as you desire to experience Dreams,
you will continue..
They will call it Reincarnation and Karma,
but, I will call it Desire...
-thomas
' A Funny Story '...
The longer and more carefully we look at a funny story,
the sadder it becomes.
-Nikolai Gogol
' Lying '...
A man who lies to himself, and believes his own lies becomes unable to recognize truth, either in himself or in anyone else, and he ends up losing respect for himself and for others.
When he has no respect for anyone, he can no longer love, and, in order to divert himself, having no love in him, he yields to his impulses, indulges in the lowest forms of pleasure, and behaves in the end like an animal.
And it all comes from lying - lying to others and to yourself.
-Fyodor Dostoevsky
' Creation '...
The creation of the world did not take place once and for all time,
but takes place every day.
-Samuel Beckett
' Be Americans '...
Be Americans.
Let there be no sectionalism, no North, South, East or West.
You are all dependent on one another and should be one in union.
In one word, be a nation.
Be Americans, and be true to yourselves.
-George Washington
' Perfect Love '...
Perfect love means putting up with other peoples shortcomings,
feeling no surprise at their weaknesses,
finding encouragement even in the slightest evidence of good qualities in them.
- Saint Therese of Lisieux
' Forms of Devotion '...
I have abandoned all particular forms of devotion, all prayer techniques.
My only prayer practice is attention.
I carry on a habitual, silent, and secret conversation with God that fills me with overwhelming joy.
-Brother Lawrence
' Bearing the Cross '...
To bear the cross means that you refrain from doing what you have the power to do.
You are qualified to fulfill your desire, yet you refrain from doing so.
A person like this is the strongest person.
The strongest person is not the one who is able to do something,
but the one who is able not to do what he has the power to do.
-Watchman Nee
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)