PARADISE LOST AND FOUND

A mind not to be changed by place or time.
The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heav’n. John Milton

People today repose their faith in the ephemeral and unreal world, and forget God who is the embodiment of truth. This is the root cause for all sorrows and difficulties faced by humanity. You say you are encountering difficulties. From where did they come from? Difficulties are the consequences of one’s past deeds and thoughts. Everything in this world is susceptible to change. God is the only changeless principle. What is human life for, after all? Is it merely for eating, drinking, sleeping and ultimately dying? In doing so, can the human life be termed as sacred? At the time of birth everyone is pure and sacred. As they grow old, they gradually lose this purity. This is improper! On must always maintain one’s purity. Install the changeless and eternal God in the altar of your sacred heart and offer your love to Him. Thereby, you can experience bliss. This is the foremost duty of every human being.
Sai Baba 9-27-2006

The only certainty is in the Moment. Life is not predictable beyond that. We know that we will lose this finite body when ‘that’ moment comes. But like gamblers, we keep on throwing the dice and make bets with purses made of delusion and grandeur. Control itself is an illusion. The control we think we have, is based on ‘the stage’ of life, not the pith of life. It is a prop we use to convince ourselves of the reality of the play we are in, in this life.

This is not to say that we should run amok. This is only to say that it is advisable to use skillful means to transact this plane of action while acknowledging the Eternal Principle, which has no need for our ‘idea’ of control. Luck is The Director’s randomness and our karmic input we cathected. This is the ‘uncertainty’ that will not directly be controlled (by us).

The stark separateness of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, and a god that has a revolt on his hands, in Milton’s epic “Paradise Lost”, is highly representative of the thinking of the time, that is, the 17th century. It appears from casual observation, that this thinking has not evolved much, even in the 21st century. The hierarchal thinking of God, Son, Angels, Humans, and devils is alive and well, causing an “us vs. them“ mentality in our day-to-day relationships. This, as evidenced by all the endless warring we are too often engaged in, should be compelling enough to see a futility in this paradigm. The separateness is indeed stark and harsh. That ‘play’ is not really real, although an unnecessary tragedy in the making. Wake up and smell the roasta mocha spice of the “Paradise” always within all of us, no exceptions.

Contrarily, “Paradise” has always been, and only needs to be found, past the clutter of thoughts and ideas we think we have. This Is ‘the certainty’ by another name. Call it “The Field of Dreams”. Whatever. Names and forms are only superficial casting of actors and the embellishment of script. Control of self, with self as the controller, sinner, separate cast member, may work in a 10 volume ’epic’ but is less than idyllic when this so-called ‘reality’ barges in. The Milton classic does suggest the model of the universe as men made of clay, a much lesser and lower form of life (that is, un-divine). There is a consistency of helplessness there, where ‘men’ can only be saved by the ”Son” or in other words, something, someone, outside of ourselves. The external world has more importance here (than any realization or awakening inside ourselves).

What we are, is always Present. What “Is”, is beyond the idea of control. Differences, or roles in a play, are just ideas. They are external and consequent to Being. When this identity we think we have, dies, it does not have to be when the body dies. It is two different things. Yes, things. Neither of which is who we really Are.

Part of our journey on our individual path to Becoming, is to candidly examine our belief structure and it’s pervasiveness and immersion in our lives. There is no need to believe in the “Isness” of life except if it is the false self that is doing the believing. The “Isness” of life does not need anyone to believe anything; It Is Always, period. It is like trying to be ‘cool’; how gauche!

Every two years in Monroe Wisconsin, at about this time in September, there is a cheese festival that brings 100,000 visitors to the town of 10,000 residents. It is big for the town. We were waiting in line because we thought that we needed to wait in line. Courtesy and appropriateness was the call. However, someone in the line pointed out that there was a handwritten sign that said “No lines”. In front of us, there was a discussion precisely about that question. After hearing the entree, I decided to test it out by walking in and asking the people who were staffing the tent. They acknowledged that indeed, there was no need to wait in the unnecessary line. I went back to the long line and announced to them that there was no requirement to wait in a queue, as the sign said. Subsequently, we walked into the tent with others from the line.

But this was not the end of the story. Encountering the people who went in with me, there was thanks given. However, not all the people in the line ventured in. There were those who steadfastly stayed the course and waited it through, despite the clear information given to them.

Sometimes we are motivated by doing the ‘good’ in life to the peril of being a slave to structure that does not even exist. The “perceived good” is just that, “perceived good”. Good intention and civility are there, but not reality. We are being kept captive by not seeing the closed-ness of our belief system. We are convinced that we are better off, despite overt evidence, that our path is secure. Do we test out the long-standing assumptions we own? Or do we stand in line ‘thinking’ we are doing ‘good’ and that is enough?

The ‘perceived good’, can just as easily jail us in our complacency as any other idea. Do we see the ‘fullness” or are we editing and summarizing to our likes and dislikes?

And as with control, it is much the same. We add these complexities that are totally not necessary and muck-up our connection to who we are (always). Accoutrements like these, obstruct the unity in the diversity. Separateness is the result, and fear enters the equation. We mostly fear the loss of our built-up identity. The above characteristics are old paradigm, old consciousness.

“Paradise” is knowing our true Self, effortlessly. It Is constantly evoking the Now in every Moment. When we try to grasp it, It is not there. The grasping/controlling pushes It out of our reach. If we ‘try’ to be good, we push from another direction, still pushing It away. Seeing the pushing, seeing the belief systems, and Being in the perennial Moment just Being, Is the “Paradise” found. Awakening in “Paradise” is the beginning of a life well-lived.

This Iz Daddy’O