Posts

60: How do you act when encountering a person you've forgiven in your heart, but they don't know that?

As a general rule, you should let the person know that you have forgiven them, if they seek forgiveness. If they are not looking for forgiveness, than telling them that they are forgiven will mostly likely not be received well. It’s just like preaching to someone that isn’t asking you anything. It may seem that you are being judgmental or patronizing, even if you have the greatest of intentions. Of course I’m not insinuating that we base our action completely on how others will receive them. If the relationship is valuable to you, and the person is not seeking forgiveness, you should explain to that person why they should be seeking it and why you have already forgiven them. It’s up to you to control the boundaries in your life. When you bump into this person there is no reason not to be friendly. If you don’t know any better way, then begin by treating them how you would be treated. One thing though is this: if you put your hand in your neighbors snake cage and the snake bites you, yo...

59:Do you prefer to wait for "what goes around comes around" or act without proper consideration?

I don’t believe that the saying, “what goes around comes around” necessarily insinuates waiting. I believe in living my life based on the ‘go around’ or based on my actions, and than using the results or the “come around” to modify my actions. Then, if when I modify my actions, the results are still not desired, I reevaluate my actions again. The key is in knowing when you are forcing something against nature and when you are going with the flow of it. That’s why decisions should not be based purely on logic but also on feeling. If you decide to do something and you feel that it’s wrong, don’t use your mind to justify it, it’s wrong! If you feel a certain way about something, use logic to figure out a solution, then determine how your solution feels. If you keep making these adjustments, you will make better initial decisions and adapt better to change. The second part of the question.. As far as putting things in motion vs. thinking them through: don’t set things in motion without thi...

58: What is your take on people who appear to be making money selling a path to enlightenment?(other than a book)

I believe that anyone who has attained enlightenment understands that it can’t be bought, sold, or given away, for that matter. Also, attaining enlightenment does not guarantee someone’s character because people can change. This is a very complex question so I think I’ll use myself as an example: I believe that I’m blessed to have had my experience of enlightenment, out of appreciation I sacrifice some of my time to share what I have found out. The amount of time that I have to spend sharing/helping/answering questions is limited because I need an income in order to support myself. It turns out that I like this kind of work much more than I like my ‘regular’ job. If I were to make money by answering questions, I would be able to dedicate my life to it, thereby having more time to express positive influence. Personally, I rather make my work available to everyone for free via my blog, because how can I sell something that was given to me? I will make the first book available in April, a...

57: I feel that sometimes I can be too sensitive and need to develop a thicker skin - how do I go about doing this?

I’m also a very sensitive person and I asked myself the same question for years, up until very recently. The answer is that instead of trying to reduce your sensitivity, you should manage any potential negativity that was brought about from it. Think of an instrument, it’s value is based on it’s level of sensitivity (of course we are more then mere instruments and I’m not trying to say that a sensitive person is more valuable than an insensitive one.. I’m attempting to show the value in sensitivity itself). One technique in managing sensitivity is by not taking things personally. For example: there is no reason to be hurt when the person at the deli is annoyed with you, after working ten hours and having their co-worker call out sick. When people lash out in a negative way, it’s about who they are, not about who you are. You will never be able to control how other people act or react, you will only be able to control your own actions. It will take time before knowing this will be doin...

56: How do you feel about the saying "Words are cheap"?

I can’t say that that statement means the same thing to everyone, so if I say that I 100% agree, I may not be expressing how I feel. That’s one of the difficulties with communicating certain words/names (like God) and phrases (like ‘words are cheap’); they likely are attached to a strong definition that is subjective based i.e. different for everyone. This is how I define what a word is: Words are a tool for communicating ideas. But words are greatly limited. Can you describe to me the flavor of an apple? Will everyone describe it with the same words? As a matter of fact, can you describe to yourself the flavor of an apple? If it is difficult for us to use words to describe our own thoughts to ourselves, think about the difficulty in using them to communicate to others! In fact, that’s why I can’t just answer your question with, “yes!” I think that “words are cheap,” is similar to “easier said then done,” and that they are both trying to state, and what I believe is: that it’s one th...

55: People say that they talk to God. What does that mean exactly?

“I’m often perplexed when religious people say that they talk to God. What does that mean exactly? Could they just really be talking to themselves...or if they really are talking to God...does He tell ppl different truths? Hope you can answer :-)” I can’t really say what everyone means when they say that they talk to God. At the same time, I would say that we all have the right, and the capacity, to talk to God/ the Universe! You ask if they could just be talking to themselves, and the answer to that is yes. We all need to remember that every time we use the word ‘God’ to identify it with ourselves, not as something separate. This will probably take a conscious effort but you will begin to feel different right away. That said, talking to your self IS talking to God. You don’t need another entity to have a relationship with God. In fact, I believe our direct relationship with God is personal and though it we can personally connect with each other. Even though I say that, I think you wan...

54: What are your feelings toward psychoactive drugs like LSD, mushrooms, ayahuasca & peyote?

I think that psychoactive drugs can be great tools for exploring different levels of consciousness. First, let me disclaim a few things so that I can get to the heart of the question. I’m in no way suggesting that anyone take these types of drugs because not everyone can handle them. In fact, it is dangerous, and can lead to permanent changes that may be negative. I have a quick example of that: My ex-girlfriend’s little brother was the kind of guy that could go up to a women and talk to her out of the clear blue. He had a bad acid trip that destroyed his confidence. The next day, and as far as I know to this day, he lost his confidence to the point that he began stuttering, too nervous to speak to people. As far as I’m concerned, he ruined his life. It’s kind of like what they say about firearms, drugs don’t ruin people, people ruin people. Of course without a firearm or a drug, many people would be saved. It’s a complicated issue because we are all different and it’s hard to anticipa...