Saturday, November 28, 2009

Les Visible, Heretic at Large

What would you think if the representative of a particular spiritual path (not specifically your own spiritual path) who was an occasional visitor to your site, suddenly and out of the blue, sent you a letter of condemnation for departing from principles that you don’t necessarily subscribe to and who also appended a life style criticism based on zero information concerning your lifestyle?

My feeling was similar to what I would have experienced if someone from the Catholic Church sent me a ‘cease and desist’ letter (when I was not a Catholic) because I was at odds with certain protocols hammered out at The Council of Nicaea. It sounded to me that I was being named as a modern day Arius, with a recommendation that I also stop beating my wife.

This individual had made a comment, not long ago, that people who de-personalized what they consider to be the ultimate and absolute expression of God were going to Hell for the crime. What I immediately thought when I read this was that it doesn’t look good for the world’s millions of Buddhists and many other folk if he happens to be right. What I also thought is that this is just the sort of thing which ‘by the book Christians’ anticipate for everyone but themselves. It’s an odd condition that the proponents of most religions believe; those who do not believe as they do are going somewhere hot and uncomfortable for an extended stay.

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t read more than a quarter of the letter. It wasn’t the implication of heresy and the departure from tenants carved in stone that got to me. It wasn’t that I wasn’t a member of the organization to begin with that got to me. It was the little ‘dagger-edged’ lifestyle reference that was based on zero evidence of what, where and why. I should probably go back and read the letter in its entirety but I just can’t bring myself to.

People who presume to have a relationship with the divine and who have placed themselves in a position of interpreting the message in a particular tradition have an obligation to approach their work with wisdom and restraint. I have always felt that before one makes sweeping assumptions on something outside their presence and experience, it is always best to ask first and judge later. It’s also the height of arrogance to censure someone for a mere question of speech when that someone isn’t even a member of your organization.

The irony here is that, in most cases, I agree with the teachings and traditions of the one who sent me this letter. Most of my writings over the course of several years reflect this. It was this very thing that drew this person and some of his associates here in the first place. That hasn’t changed. If this person had had the courtesy to ask me, I could have explained the reason for the temporary appearance of this conundrum which they misunderstood.

My essays here are always within the area of 1500 words. I have no idea why this is. At some point, near the beginning of my work here, I decided to keep these things within the parameters of 2.5 pages in MS Word and that’s how it’s been. If I had to add disclaimers and explanations for everything said and not said, I might still be writing some of them. The intent is to leave a great deal of what is not said or explained to the mind of the readers to sort out on their own. I’m not here to present a party line or to encourage the reader to believe as I do. I’m here to provoke thought and reflection and to inspire whenever I can be successful at that through the grace of what inspires me.

The letter writer wondered if I had noticed that they hadn’t been around. This made me laugh and shake my head; people really do take themselves far too seriously. Interestingly, I note that this is often accompanied by certain cosmetic props which are a ‘tell’ for those paying attention. It’s that rock star virus. I notice it in most fields of enterprise. You might be doing almost anything but... you’re a rock star nonetheless. The protective humility that is de rigueur for anyone traveling on this road has been shut off so that the extra power can be transferred to the amplifiers and lights.

It would be remiss of me to write this thing and not clarify what- I can only imagine at this point- seems to be the point of contention for this person. Like I said, I can’t explain myself at each point along the way. However, the reader is always free to ask me (which should have been the case here) and I will explain. I might not know what I meant off-hand but I can always go back and look at it and see if I can get what I meant (grin).

Occasionally when I am talking about God, I am not talking about God the being but rather about the ‘force of God’ or some aspect in expression. I realize it’s probably a shortcoming of mine not to clearly illustrate or mention this at the time but I have great faith in the reader to ‘divine’ what I am about. Here is where I apparently opened a schism or a fissure in the formerly seamless Earth of scripture; scripture which, by the way, I did not take a blood oath to defend in its literal sense. We are more important than scripture (no doubt another heresy in the making). We are the reason for scripture in the first place.

When I think of God, I sometimes think of God the Father; sometimes as The Mother, sometimes as my lover but... most often as my friend. That is what it usually comes to because that is what it usually feels like. Jesus said something about this when he said that his disciples should not call him ‘master’ because a servant does not know what the master is about so ...it is better to call him, ‘friend’... or words to that effect. It’s pretty clear that I see God (even though no man can see God) as a living personality and I’ve never been successful as an impersonalist anyway. However, I do see certain functions, aspects and potencies of God as impersonal. This means they are applied across the board in an equal and impersonal manner to all; be you good or evil. The effect might vary depending on whether you are good or evil but the intent does not.

If... because of limitations on my part, I am less clear that you want me to be, just ask me. You will find I am inclined to explain myself, except on those occasions when I don’t know what I’m doing in the first place ...and I will likely express that if it is the case as well. This won’t apply to the tendency to be ‘all seeing and all knowing’ on your part, should that be the situation... but you won’t ask under those circumstances anyway; will you?

I’ve never once been arrested on the highway for anything. I’ve never been arrested for engaging in or possessing any substance, though I have been arrested for other permutations of the same, when the circumstances were engineered by the PTB. Either I am supernaturally lucky; supernaturally careful or not the person particular people assume me to be. This should put the lie to the impression that some might have where I occasionally wake up in my own excrement or am being hauled away from some outrageous public performance in which I lost control of my faculties.

Except for the presence of very few people, I have been alone for at least ten years now and am often completely alone for months at a time (such as now); though I’m never alone. I never see the friends I used to have and I hardly see anyone else either. On some rare occasions a reader may visit me. People here only know me through what I tell them and I promised myself when I started this that I would share information about my activities and state of mind because it was the honest thing to do, as opposed to wrapping myself in a cloak of personal obscurity and cultivating a fabricated image of legend and myth.

I don’t go on speaking tours or surround myself with people whose job it is to agree with me. The former has been offered more than once and the latter is available to anyone with a certain degree of showmanship and charisma. I mentioned the length of these pieces today for another reason because it is my intention to exceed that limitation today, even though I have to write twice this much, following this, for tomorrow’s radio show.

I try not to disparage the paths people have chosen for themselves. On occasions when I am critical of features connected to some paths, it is usually because of literalist or fundamentalist attitudes. In other lives, I have suffered from these things and many others have too. Sometimes, I am critical because the path might be admittedly satanic or Satanism camouflaged, such as Scientology, or certain occult organizations. I am not enamored of traditional religious practices but I can see where they are a comfort to people and can provide a framework for people on their way to encountering the inexplicable and unpredictable reality of God.

I know there are people who read here who object to my use of psychedelic substances on the infrequent occasions when I engage in them. I have given real consideration to whether it is desirable or useful for me to talk about it. What keeps coming back to me is that it would be dishonest not to. An enormous percentage of people who present or assume to represent spiritual and religious teachings, conceal aspects of their being and behavior because of what it might cost them in terms of reputation and economic gain. Sometimes it is something minor like a hairpiece or wearing dark sunglasses indoors. Sometimes it is not minor at all and we’ve heard about these things when they invariably come to light... sooner or later. Some pretty highly ranked teachers have slept with their followers and sometimes milked them dry of their resources and I don’t mean just their money.

I am, like ‘all’ of you, in possession of personal limitations and shortcomings. In certain instances, God intentionally gave me certain limitations. I’m aware of a couple of these such as playing my musical instruments; technical facility with any number of things etc. This has the effect of forcing me to rely on others though, for some time there have been no others to rely on (grin). He has made speaking foreign languages difficult while being able to understand them much better than I can speak them. He has kept me on a financial margin. He has also deliberately encouraged me to take certain substances on occasions, which I vividly remember. Anyone who thinks they understand God or think that God acts the same way all the time is fooling themselves. Anyone who believes they understand the deeper meanings of certain commandments; rules of behavior and what have you, is fooling themselves. Anyone who thinks they are wise is not. Anyone who reflexively assumes they are right is not. We just don’t know. We may do our best and intend our best but we don’t know. I know I don’t know and that is how I know you don’t either. When you are honest with yourself, some amount of things becomes far more apparent about yourself and others than it would have been if you were not.

My advice to all who read here is to take what is useful and leave go of the rest. I am partially realized. I am, by no means, fully realized. Sometimes we find the truth of something within what we say to each other. Sometimes what is missing in both of us is completed by our interaction in respect of the matter; whatever that might be.

I have been moving, through time, away from the use of certain chemicals. It is much rarer in my life than it has been in the past and the time will come when it is gone altogether. I never recommend that others do what I do in this regard, in fact, I have counseled against it more than once. Some of us have a shamanic gene. We suffer the negative side of being high far less than others and our intention for doing it is very often diametrically the opposite of the common motives.

What is the point of people, on different paths to the same goal, struggling against one another? What is the point of people, whose practices differ, demanding that the practices conform? God is not as much concerned with your rituals and routines nearly as much as he is concerned with the state of your heart. There’s a great deal to that idea of becoming as a little child. We should support each other in our efforts to find the divine, not demean, criticize or attempt to retard that effort. There is no question that I am in error on occasion in the way I go about what I do but... there is no error in my intention and I have no question about my sincerity in the matter.

If I disappoint or offend you at times, I have also disappointed and offended myself and I make it a point to correct that error the moment I see it. That is the best I can do. In some cases what may seem an error to others does not seem so to me due to whatever personal understanding I might have about some particular thing but... I am always open to change and constantly seeking the opportunity to do so. This isn’t something I get around to on a certain hour of a certain day. It’s going on all the time. It is my life. I don’t have anything else. I can hardly forget about it even for a little while. I am not allowed to.

I don’t know what else to say so, I will hope I have said enough. I will try harder but, for the moment, this is what you get because this is as far as I have come.

Visible sings: God in Country by Les Visible♫ I Need More Light ♫
'I Need More Light' is track no. 4 of 11 on Visible's 2001 album 'God in Country'
Lyrics (pops up)

God in Country by Les Visible


The New Shangri-La.

47 comments:

Unknown said...

Les,
You are truly amazing you are what I want to be when I grow up and I am growing up.
I yearn for the Devine I pine for it it is the single thing I desire I want to be consumed by it in it and I continue to grow on that path as I follow your work I pray one day I grow up to be like you.
Thank you,
cj.

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr Visible,

I conclude, from more than one episode, that you don't wish to publish comments from readers on the (1) relationship of languages which show that (A) Celtic and Indo-Aryan are parts of the larger Indo-European family, with the corollary that (B) neither Celtic nor Sanskrit can be considered the parent language or culture from which others in Eurasia descend. Or (2) on the molecular biologic genetic-marker typing of current population groups on the planet. Positing or accepting the existence of earlier civilisations (of which there are many "anomalous" archaeological finds) does not necessarily rule out the implications of the findings (observations, not hypotheses) of certain X and Y chromosomal patterns in today's populations, with certain inferences to be drawn about the movements of those population groups. I wonder why.

Some of the very few sites I've looked at accept statements such as : the name Solomon is from Sol = sun (Indo-European) + amon/amun (Egyptian or Sumerian), ignoring the fact that it's a Semitic name (which neither Egyptian nor Sumerian is, although Akkadian, Assyrian, and Babylonian are Semitic), attributed to the Semitic root shlomo, said to be related to shalom=peace, and is cognate with the other Semitic language, Arabic's- form of the name, Suleiman also from the root=peace. These kinds of implausible assertions spread misinformation which causes mischief at best, harm at worst.

Another claim which these writers and speakers accept is that the script found in the Indus Valley artefacts (seals) are Sanskrit, which they are not. Most knowledgeable Linguists say they are Dravidian, for typological reasons, and for the reason that Dravidian, Munda, and Tibeto-Burman languages were being spoken by the peoples who were already living in the Indian sub-continent - Dravidian speakers extending far to the west of the Indus as well - when the Sanskrit-speaking people arrived. Finnish, Russian, and Indian teams deciphered the signs on the seals independently and came to the conclusion that they must be Dravidian, though earlier researchers were claiming that the seals were Sumerian (typologially plausible, but etymologically no matches to any Sumerian roots) or Sanskrit (typologically implausible, and no etymological fits either). The Indus Valley culture has some bearing on pre-historic events in the western Asian region, so it tends to get cited. (continued)

Anonymous said...

(continued from previous)

Linguists say that works of the Skt classical period (post-Vedic) were composed by Dravidian-Sanskrit bilinguals, from purely linguistic evidence; even the Rig Veda*, the oldest composed work in Skt ( but not written down until the 4-6 C AD ), has Dravidian and Munda words in it. Words in Skt which cannot be traced to Proto-Indo-European roots ( based on comparisons of roots form all the Indo-European languages, esp Greek, Latin, Gothic, and Old Church Slavonic ) must have been either created from other identifiable Skt roots, or borrowed from contact languages.

* from Wiki "Ït is one of the oldest extant texts of any Indo-European language. Philological and linguistic evidence indicate that the Rigveda was composed in the north-western region of the Indian subcontinent, roughly between 1700–1100 BC[4] (the early Vedic period). There are strong linguistic and cultural similarities with the early Iranian Avesta, deriving from the Proto-Indo-Iranian times, often associated with the early Andronovo (Sintashta-Petrovka) culture of ca. 2200-1600 BC. The surviving form of the Rigveda is based on an early Iron Age (c. 10th c. BC) collection that established the core 'family books'.." (This is accepted by practically all scholars.)

Modern Hindu fundamentalists have politicised the issue, and go so far as to claim that India was the birthplace of the Indo-European family of languages (tell that to the everything-in-Europe-is-of-Celtic-origin group), and that all the rest of the Indo-European languages split off from the parent Sanskrit when groups moved out from India. A Belgian "scholar" is happy to argue that this hypothesis is plausible, especially since his food and shelter is provided for by certain Hindu foundations.
We only have approximations to knowledge of what happened in the past, not unassailable "truths". But that does not mean we can make up all kinds of connections and claims, which fly in the face of other established and tried fields of scholarship, just to prop up our arguments, however fanciful, or for whatever axes we want to grind. Accuracy and honesty are both pre-requisites for Justice and Dharma.

Best,
vj

Visible said...

Every now and again I start getting mentions of things that I have given the impression I don't want to publish and it mystifies me beyond comprehension.

Where did you ever get that idea? The only time I don't publish something is when it is seriously nasty and anonymous. I have no opinion whatsoever otherwise and certainly none about this. I don't even know enough about this to even have an opinion.

some kind of mis-understanding I think.

Anonymous said...

so here we go
up the road
its long and old
better leave the gold
dont need here
need your soul
brain for peace
puzzles to solve
teachers teach
bring warmth to cold
pupils seek
lessons to solve
we are a beat
in the drum roll
of life
a piece of nature's scroll
all are pupils
in the school
of life
each a part
of living life
myself sometimes
a silly fool
sometimes wise
but that is school
thanks for the lesson
sending blessings
with peace and love
a flower to all.

...peace....

John said...

VJ, I'm puzzled as Les. I don't know from where you draw your conclusion. Your post was very interesting, but, VJ, would you please post your relevant points which you believe have been omitted by Les? I am always interested in linguistics, ancient civilizations and genetics relating to moderns and ancients. And, I know that many here are interested as well.

kikz said...

"What would you think if the representative of a particular spiritual path (not specifically your own spiritual path) who was an occasional visitor to your site, suddenly and out of the blue, sent you a letter of condemnation...?"


the hubris of the presumption would make me giggle *grin*


heretiKz unite :)

Anonymous said...

"He has made speaking foreign languages difficult while being able to understand them much better than I can speak them. He has kept me on a financial margin. He has........"

This is the way I understand it. In the beginning Source cast off trillions of sparks, some large some small. The large sparks became great beings of light who never incarnat on the worlds of flesh. The small sparks are entities like ourselves. All sparks are aspects of the Creator. Before we incarnate into a body we make a "contract" with our oversoul (composite of all incarnations etc.). We choose our parents, economic circumstances, intellectual level etc. In other words how can we best advance in light and work off Karma. Many times circumstances are such that we default on this contract and then must suffer the consequences.

God's system provides a multitude of light beings, angels, masters, etc. that are ready and willing to help if only we ask. God doesn't provide the help directly but through some of his "aspects" which in a sense would amount to the same thing.

When you look at the universe you are looking at God, and everything in direct contact with God is perfect. Now the worlds are a different story and Gaia is a good example. The god with horns runs the show here. As I said before if we need help there is help available but we won't find it in the bars, MTV, porn sites, or at a gay parade.

I know this is an oversimplification, but I like to keep it short. You may find yourself in appalling circumstances but it might be part of your contract, or maybe shortcomings in fulfilling the contract. Look within.

Fud

John said...

Sorry, Les. I don't understand why the individual whose message inspired your post got his or her panties into such a knot. But, I think you addressed the issue thoroughly. Maybe the individual will chime in here.

John said...

kikz, I was imagining Les giggling, and I think I would maybe to. And, the part about, 'Did you miss me Les?'...well I did giggle.

Visible said...

Fud...

uh...duh... (grin)

That's pretty much been the message here all along. As I said, I'm aware of the reason and need for the limitations and I don't object to them. I was merely being descriptive for the purpose of the over-riding message which I'm hoping came through unless one of more of my shortcomings got in the way.

Anonymous said...

natures sounds
all around
nature made
all of we
from the ground
and from the sky
from the depths
of the sea
who knows how
its beyond my power
i'm just a pupil
of harmony
everlasting
living life
mother earth
fathers light
one day I will get there
who knows when
i'll stay the road
I have been sent
mountain paths
are quite hard
thank you
my good teacher
harmony

...peace and love to all

Zoner said...

Mr Visible, from this reader's perspective, one of the most significant aspects of your work is your willingness to lay out your life and experience in ALL its forms - good, bad, or ugly. This type of honesty guarantees that some will set upon you and dismiss all you say for having perceived weaknesses and flaws. Many do the same with organized religion, and "throw the baby out with the bathwater" as you are fond of saying. Some people simply need a master and want one who is not like them - in other words, perfect and above the rest somehow. Many will step forth and assume that role since there is obviously a market for it.

As far as I am concerned, this type of brutally honest expression acts as a filter to separate the true seekers from the false or "already there" types. I mean, what sort of teacher says "I don't know" as often as not?

Those who choose to criticize or condemn others for not sharing their beliefs are those who have chosen to convince themselves that they have already learned what they need to know. At this point, their quest ends and new ideas will have a hell of a time penetrating the defense that the ego throws up around itself. "I don't know" is tossed out and growth ceases.

If we accept the notion of God as All, then what can be outside that? What is "wrong" or not of God? How can we fail if we keep striving? If we keep seeking and asking? If we remain open and honest with ourselves and others, are we not bound to eventually realize that those of us that seek the Divine are seeking the same thing, regardless of the path?

I sure hope so. Supporting each other without judging or criticizing might just be a benefit to all.

I often recall a comment made quite some time ago by someone who claimed to have "broken bread" with you. It was along the lines of "If people knew what you really were, they might have a different opinion of you." but I may be misquoting the exact words and don't wish to cast any doubt about what you convey or speculate on the meaning, it just seemed to me at the time to allude to this situation where your revealing so much about your life and actions might put some people off, but hey, I don't know.

If I had the means, I'd round up my musical posse and land on your doorstep with Strats and B3's in hand, so you could get that music thing going. I know I have said it before, but if there is any way I can help you realize these things just ask and I'll do whatever I can.

Thank you for sharing yourself with us.
You are a Rockstar in my book, even without the dark glasses, flashpots or spandex.

Z

Visible said...

Wow Zoner;

That's one of the best things I've ever read here; not for the complimentary aspect which I thank you for but for how succinctly you delineate the actions of the seeker in respect of the divine.

As for the comment made by someone who knew me in the past that was actually a defense of me as I remember.

nina said...

What, you have a reader who doesn't like dogs? Or is shy of dogs perhaps because he/she has been bitten, we ask then why he/she was bitten in the first place.

Whenever you let us in on criticisms you've received, they always sound as if the critic was more intending to gain attention, feeling unloved and unnoticed as a "nothing", motivated by anger and desirous of showing off a representative intellect meant to impress. That these motivations always have the opposite effect is the lasting consequence.

A quote from Horace I came across this week on Arthur Silber's blog applies here: The mountains will be in labour; an absurd mouse will be born.

Visible said...

F.

Okay, but I am willing to. That's up to you.

In response... grateful you see it like that and yeah, I know you know. It's one of those peculiarities of conversation that we tend to want to clarify what is already understood; yet another shortcoming of mine (grin).

Anonymous said...

"God doesn't provide the help directly"

I think Arjuna would differ with that..
In fact, that's the very definition of the Bhagavad Gita. God, Krishna, in Person, instructing His dear devotee friend on his duty (dharma).

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 9.11

avajānanti māḿ mūḍhā

mānuṣīḿ tanum āśritam

paraḿ bhāvam ajānanto

mama bhūta-maheśvaram

TRANSLATION

Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.
---------------------------

Also, it is obvious why Les was chastised and I'm also sure Les knows why.

I'm not saying this is right, I'm only a mutt, but I do think it is obvious.

Rebel 4E said...

According to many religions around the world I'm going to burn in the pits of hell for all my sins (and there are many) Mwuuhahahaaaaha!!
Imho..It's totaly insane that any enlightened soul would entertain the idea that they are part of some exclusive club, rewarded with some kind of heavenly 'Get out of jail free' card whilst at the same time relishing the thought that the rest of us mere mortals only have an eternity of sweaty little demons poking us in the soft parts with sharp objects to look forward to....all because we don't belong to that certain special 'Club'
Oh well! suppose I better slap on the factor 1,000,000 (o__O)

word ver - FlaiLmEbiTcH

Anonymous said...

bloomin nuisance,that angry
he comes around here aswell
gets in the bloomin way of everything,
makes everything smell
I suppose that angry gets everywhere
thats what he does
his job
that old angry i'm going to catch him one day
and flush him down the bog
everytime I try a way
he sneaks out he's just to quick
so I asked a the next door
neighbour
he just gave me this great big stick.


...peace....

Amanda said...

Les, I think you are far too generous. Religious fundamentalism is a vile abomination and in no way constitutes a spiritual path. I must assume that the person who wrote to you is of the Christian literalist tradition, judging by the threat of hellfire. What sort of god would go around writing books that no one can understand? (The books are badly written to boot.) The god that the bible describes is a lying, narscisistic, racist, misogynistic, sadist. He (it is "He", right?) is a morally insane idiot. I could never respect such a god. If he is who he claims to be, then I am going to hell and there is nothing I can do about it, not if I am to retain a shred of self-respect or human decency. Those who buy into these sorts of beliefs are no different in mind-set from those who brought us the Inquisition (remember that? I do.) and the crusades. If they had the power now that they had then, they'd be torturing and murdering still. Nazis eat your hearts out, you've got nothing on institutionalised Christianity. I'll start refraining from offending so-called Christians (and all the other flavours of fundamentalism) when they start worrying about offending me. I won't be holding my breath.
On the subject of psychedelics, it seems like the main objection to their use is that it's somehow cheating. I see them as technologies of awareness. If one's purpose is to bring about a particular state of consciousness, does the "how" of it really matter? I'd say it doesn't, any more than it matters whether one travels by car or foot. It's a matter of preference regarding speed.
Blessings.

Anonymous said...

vj,

I think I can speak for Les and myself -- and certainly for THEY WHO I AM NOT who play sounds to me as needed. This one just in from the great L.A. mid-sixties group Love.


Love — Bummer In The Summer

Verse 1:

Well I remember when you used to look so good
And I did everything that I possibly could for you
We used to ride around all over town
But they're puttin' you down for bein' around with me
But you can go ahead if you want to
'Cause I ain't got no papers on you

Verse 2:
In the middle of the summer I had a job bein' a plumber
Just to pass till the fall it was you I wanna ball all day
Ah-we were walkin' along, honey, hand in hand
I'm a-thinkin' of you, mama, when you're thinkin' of another man
But you can go ahead if you want to
'Cause I ain't got no papers on you
(No, I don't I ain't got no papers on myself)

Verse 3:
All alone on the bone when I didn't have a home
When I saw the way I was and I knew where I was supposed to be
I was twitchin' so I turned and it's really hard to learn
That everyone I saw was just another part of me
But you can go ahead if you want to
'Cause nobody's got no papers on you
(No, babe, it's just a falsehood)


BY THE BY, ON EARLIER POST I SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED MORE CONNECTIVE LINGUISTIC CONNECTIONS AS RESPONSE TO LENGTHY ERUDITE POST ON SAME.

RJ

Visible said...

Mr Lee and the boys; Little Red Book, Orange Skies. They were one of the greats with a truly distinctive and individualized sound. I always though of fine Young Cannibals as their logical progression in time.

Visible said...

13 Muluc;

Boy have we got some bright lights around here. I love the fact that such a large part of the respondents here possess a penetrating intellect with a 'willingness to understand'. This natural inclination to get the point rather than immediately debate it for nothing more than the sake of argument is what makes this place so cool.

I'm referring to this specifically. As I said before- but I'm not assuming it, just hopeful, "Those who love much are forgiven much." I know it's important to the divine which is why Krishna is so often portrayed with the Gopis and as a lover.

"On the subject of psychedelics, it seems like the main objection to their use is that it's somehow cheating. I see them as technologies of awareness. If one's purpose is to bring about a particular state of consciousness, does the "how" of it really matter? I'd say it doesn't, any more than it matters whether one travels by car or foot. It's a matter of preference regarding speed.
Blessings."

Nayon said...

This morning I asked for miracles and great things to happen today. So far, I am not disapointed. You are truly an example and an inspiration for anyone honestly seeking the truth in a profound way. God is being explained thru your words, and those reading them with the holy spirit glasses recognize the melody and perfume that is being carried by them.

We hope you do it for a long time.
God bless you

Anonymous said...

cj,

You have apparently annoyed the hell out of THEY WHO ARE NOT ME...

They sent you this one said you were so stupid you probably couldn't even figure out what the title means.

Jefferson Airplane D C B A 25 lyrics

(Paul Kantner)

It's time we walked away
set me free
I must move away
leave you be...
time's been good to us, my friend
wait and see how it will end

we come and go as we please...
we come and go as we please...
that's how it must be

Here in crystal chandelier, I'm home
too many days, I've left unstoned
if you doubt my happiness
what full pleasure feels in the Sun
ah, don't you know I'm runnin' home...
don't you know I'm runnin' home...
to a place to you unknown?
I take great peace in your sitting there
searching for myself, I find a place there
I see the people of the world
where they are and what they could be...
I can but dance behind your smile...
I can but dance behind your smile...
you were the world to me for a while

smugly yours,

RJ

Anonymous said...

Les, your posts come through loud and clear, and resonate with my own personal journey.

I appreciate so much for doing this for those of use who have our hands full, are younger in age, and making these powerful yet humbling changes in life.

Much respect, John

Anonymous said...

FROM THEY WHO ARE NOT ME:

AS TO CELTIC RESPONSE TO ZIO HEAVEN:

Ray Davies (The Kinks)

SHANGRA-LA

Now that you've found your paradise
This is your Kingdom to command
You can go outside and polish your car
Or sit by the fire in your Shangri-la
Here is your reward for working so hard
Gone are the lavatories in the back yard
Gone are the days when you dreamed of that car
You just want to sit in your Shangri-la

Put on your slippers and sit by the fire
You've reached your top and you just can't get any higher
You're in your place and you know where you are
In your Shangri-la
Sit back in your old rocking chair
You need not worry, you need not care
You can't go anywhere
Shangri-la, Shangri-la, Shangri-la

The little man who gets the train
Got a mortgage hanging over his head
But he's too scared to complain
'Cos he's conditioned that way
Time goes by and he pays off his debts
Got a TV set and a radio
For seven shillings a week
Shangri-la, Shangri-la, Shangri-la, Shangri-la, Shangri-la, Shangri-la

And all the houses in the street have got a name
'Cos all the houses in the street they look the same
Same chimney pots, same little cars, same window panes
The neighbors call to tell you things that you should know
They say their lines, they drink their tea, and then they go
They tell your business in another Shangri-la
The gas bills and the water rates, and payments on the car
Too scared to think about how insecure you are
Life ain't so happy in your little Shangri-la
Shangri-la, Shangri-la la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

Put on your slippers and sit by the fire
You've reached your top and you just can't get any higher
You're in your place and you know where you are
In your Shangri-la
Sit back in your old rocking chair
You need not worry, you need not care
You can't go anywhere
Shangri-la, Shangri-la, Shangri-la, Shangri-la, Shangri-la, Shangri-la

Keep worshipping mamon you sould dead suckers.

RJ

Visible said...

RJ

so you're blending the various comments sections now? (grin)

"saying it's your job don't make it right Boss." C.H.L.

This given as an oblique response said earlier by someone in regards to why we're all here today and in relation to the post but... not directed at the source of the comment. Like I said, "oblique"

The Divine has been doing some strange things at my end of the court over the course of pretty recent time. Some months ago he said, "I'm going to show you some things; nothing scary but I'm going to show you some things that are going to make it easier for you to see how very present I am and come to rely on me to a greater degree in preparation for when you will have to in relation to some things I want to demonstrate.


I owed someone some money and it had been on my mind to repay them. The debt came about through weird circumstances that laid it at my door when ordinarily it would not have happened. The person got in touch with me a couple of weeks ago and was in bad financial straits. I was able to send him something over 200 bucks which helped him immensely. Last week I wrote to ask if the method by which I sent it was still good because I wanted to send some more. No response whatsoever and this is more unusual than it seems because of details that would take too much time to list.


Last week someone got in touch with me to visit and said he could come within the next couple of weeks and I said sure, He wanted to be able to call me first because I've only got a borrowed cell phone at the moment because paying my home phone bill has been tantamount to climbing Mt. Blanc due to peculiarities that are uniquely Italian. Then... not a word from him since and he's a very reliable sort.

I've been trying to locate a source for that mystical compound that I've been having such revelations behind. Near a dozen people have said, "I'll have that together for you tomorrow; in a few days, next week>" and more than that said they would get right on it and have a look around. Several of them are right in the zone where it is most prolific in all of Europe.... not a single follow through and in nearly all cases... communication disappeared altogether.

All of these situations are exponentially more odd than they appear due to details I don't have the time to list here.

These are only a few examples of something that is happening daily. All of them indicate to me a supernatural influence over what I 'have known' as the normal course of events.

Also by the Monkees and appropriately to the subject at hand.... "I'm a believer"

Anonymous said...

Les,

Just 'cuz I hear you -- don't mean I queer you, boss. (I love you Les, just not in an earthly way)

Jus' dont send me to the cooler, boss -- spechly when I'ma jus' gettin' warm...Promise I'll bee-have...

D.J.R

Anonymous said...

Dear Les,

"bholanath" here -

This is not exactly on topic to any current blogs, but I thought perhaps you might want to bring this to the attention of readers, as you (and others) are already well aware of the subject. You decide if and where to post.

This is a new article just put up in last couple days regarding "Beyond Dutroux", CIA connections, and the identity of "Dr. Green/Greenbaum":

Beyond Dutroux.

Darius said...

Hi Les
I guess we should all remember the old saying: Before your criticise someone you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when they find out you're a mile away and you've got their shoes.
For me there is nothing more comical than having someone having a fixed concept of "God", or anything else for that matter, and then getting all frothy when others don't share their limitations.
It's a bit like putting on a blindfold and then railing against the world because you're the only one who's banging into the furniture.
I think it escapes some people's attention that this is your blog where you express your views.
If they don't like what you write they can always start their own blog (at no charge) and say so in 1500 words or less.
Then again there are still people around who think that the rot really set it when it became socially unacceptable to burn heretics at the stake.

Anonymous said...

Some of the things you write go right over my head and that's ok. And I don't agree with some of the things you write, but I am always willing to read your words because I don't think I know everything and I'm always willing to hear another side--to expand my mind and possibilities. Mostly, I do what you suggest, which is take what matters to me and apply it to my own life.

I think being rigid in your beliefs is a trap you put yourself in. I think you cannot find truth if truth is not inside you. You have to be willing to listen to all sides and make your decisions based on knowing all you can know on a subject--not simply what you decide you will listen to. I do not have time anymore for people who tell me that I will not be lovable or I will not ascend into heaven if I don't believe in certain things. Those people are putting themselves on par with God and feel they can sit in judgement of others and that is pure nonsense.

Live and let live. And love.

Karen

Anonymous said...

The very fact that you can admit you can be wrong, and have been wrong in the past, shows how you are built, (a little jab at a recent previous post of yours).

Unlike most others who won't even admit they are wrong if their life depended on it, AND had the evidence neon strobing over their heads for all to see.

I hate being wrong but I try to admit it, when I can see that I am.

I don't know, but I suspect, that those same people accusing you of things would deny, left, right, up, and down, that they are wrong, when they are obviously wrong.

I would rather read the writings of a man, who can admit when he is wrong, than the writings of a man, who accuses wrongness in others because his god said so.

Gilbert Grape said...

L.V. just thought I would let you know earlier today (Sat. 28th) the padlock in the lower right corner was broken which means no SSL encryption. That means all comments can be seen as your typing. Also I can type in commenters nickname in google (bleh) and get their comments from this site. Use ixquick or another search engine whenever possible. Ixquick protects your privacy doesn't use spider bots like google and doesn't log your IP address. Now (0000hrs Sun. 29th) it shows the padlock locked and "authenticated by Thawte Consulting CC." The clique of corporate criminal cocksuckers that run this fading world will take our internet voice away eventually so let's use it wisely while we can. Remember freedom of speech just watch what you say. I apologize if that is off the topic.

Animadverto said...

I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. That is my point of view, and I adhere to that absolutely and unconditionally. Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or to coerce people along any particular path. If you first understand that, then you will see how impossible it is to organize a belief. A belief is purely an individual matter, and you cannot and must not organize it. If you do, it becomes dead, crystallized; it becomes a creed, a sect, a religion, to be imposed on others. This is what everyone throughout the world is attempting to do. Truth is narrowed down and made a plaything for those who are weak, for those who are only momentarily discontented. Truth cannot be brought down, rather the individual must make the effort to ascend to it. You cannot bring the mountain-top to the valley. If you would attain to the mountain-top you must pass through the valley, climb the steeps, unafraid of the dangerous precipices.
J. Krishnamurti

Anonymous said...

At the end of anyones journey
it will never be
what was said and done
between individuals,
but what was said and done
between you and God
and whatever you perceive him/her/it to be.

This space that you share with many,Les,
is an opportunity to for all to see
what is reflected back at them
and to discern where they have lost or gained their connection
to that Source from which they came.



Say I am you
"I am dust particles in sunlight.
I am the round sun.

To the bits of dust I say, Stay.
To the sun, Keep moving.

I am morning mist,
and the breathing of evening.
I am wind in the top of a grove,
and surf on the cliff.

Mast, rudder, helmsman, and keel,
I am also the coral reef they founder on.

I am a tree with a trained parrot in its branches.
Silence, thought, and voice.

The musical air coming through a flute,
a spark of stone, a flickering in metal.
Both candle and the moth crazy around it.
Rose, and the nightingale lost in the fragrance.

I am all orders of being, the circling galaxy,
the evolutionary intelligence, the lift, and the falling away.

What is, and what isn't.

You who know, Jelaluddin,
You the one in all, say who I am.
Say I am you. "
Rumi

Thank you for reflecting Les (and others...Zoner...wow!)
Gudrun

Visible said...

There's a new Smoking Mirrors up-




Copenhagen and those Tungsten Filled, Gold Bar Twinkies.

Unknown said...

I am thankful for this site and I am thankful for the many people who contribute here. No matter what is being talked about, it is a wonderful place to learn. Nuff' said. pond owl

Anonymous said...

Thanks for coming as you are Les.

A rare treat today.

turey.

lightandlongshadows said...

There's too much density in this gravity; lead balloons don't float.
Inside Out

Anonymous said...

The most dangerous people are those that think they have it all figured out!

Anonymous said...

ThEy have to tranSMUtate

Not flOAt

Anonymous said...

Les
"If I disappoint or offend you at times, I have also disappointed and offended myself"

Thats the path!!! I have been followin you for a year now and Im sure of this, even when you dont spell it out. Still its much better to say it, than not. No amount of understanding and open arms to others is waisted or a useless action.
I too find many self alone. I have tried to share only my "heart" and I still come up short, with others. Its not easy and Im not crying, but agreeing with ya!!! People will hear what they want and you will be wrong to the point you dont hear yourself? I wonder much of the time why others are here at all? Very quickly I laugh and remember we are all faces of the lord!!!
Les I have been judgemental of you, but really just myself and my reaction to your work. I thank you for putting up with this, you have a big heart and wonderful mind. These letters to you may just be a sign youre changing and thats all good?
I do get the "we will never know" thing, but I sure think we can find wisdom if we wish? Its not in the form of words or letters to that affect but in the body, heart, and mind. It is something that must be "alone." At some point you must find a base, root, or path that is clear and move out from there? This wisdom isnt to be shared with others in words but action of the heart?
Thanks man!!!
The Fool

Anonymous said...

A heart-warming piece, reminding me of words spoken to me following my early experiences of guru-on-pedastal-comes-crashing-to-the-floor.

On the topic of psychedelics, I abstained from the stone pony follies of the 70s (no accusations being made against the boys mind you). My position of late has been that if I ever run into the opportunity, I may just investigate. Sam Harris the atheiest inspired my change of heart with his description of the experience. (I wouldn't take the medical industry route though.)

Kathy

Anonymous said...

LV, It's possible that what I wrote earlier - at least twice - did not get through on the Comments site.

To either one, not sure if "John" = "RJ"

I don't have copies of what I wrote earlier. If there are specific areas you're interested in, I can pick them up from the Comment sections of all three of LV's sites. I recall one in which I said, a propos of one comment, the the Indo-European family has ten branches, historically Celtic being the westernmost, and Indo-Aryan being the easternmost , and that modern north Indian languages, mod Greek, French, Italian, German, English, Swedish, Welsh, Gaelic, Russian, etc are all first cousins.
Genetic markers in both the mitochondrial X (mtX)and the non-recombinant Y (NRY) chromosome have been used to trace the movement of populations (and diseases, and languages too) across the planet.

I thank you, LV, for all three sites, for what you write, and what your writing elicits from others.
Best,
vj

Visible said...

There are people working at Blogger/google who are messing with all 3 sites at the moment. Both sites are owned by Zionist illuminati interests and they have made doing this much more difficult than it should be for me and the reader. Their time is coming... every single one of them... not that what is coming has anything to do with this.

Visible said...

There's a new Reflections in a Petri Dish up-




Milking the Last Bloody Nickels from Enduring Lies.





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