Re: projection/intensity/hate/passion/knowing God, etc

[Guest guest]

Well, this is certainly a passionate debate/discussion, isn't it? Fascinating.

So, my 2 cents worth, FWIW.

I can appreciate the passion and intensity of those who are fueled with anger over the way things have been going in our country and our world. I'm appalled and angry, too. And yet, I've never been able to hate Bush, only dislike him, and even then, not always that. I'm not quite so moderate toward Cheney, however.

Along with Betty, I can also feel uncomfortable around passion and intensity. As a Scorpio you'd think I'd feel differently. Maybe it's my family imprinting. There was never a good reason for any kind of intensity, whether a kid's squeals of joy and pleasure or the howls of anger at injustice. I don't necessarily now think we were moderate people so much as moderate in our expression. Probably repressed would fit better.

As for knowing God, well, I hardly think any of us can claim to have known all of God but I'm sure there are many of us who can claim an experience that has come as close to it as it's possible for us to have. And while someone (Alice?) indicated that it's necessary to have consciousness (ego) in order to "know," I beg to differ that consciousness and ego are the same. I think the ego has a kind of consciousness, of course, but it's not Consciousness. One of my earliest and most confusing and blissful transcendent experiences of the Oneness did not include any sense of ego-ness and yet, I was I, at the same time I was One. I was one with everything and yet had my own locus of consciousness.

See? This stuff just can't be written about and explained.

Back to intensity. I first heard this some time ago and it really got my attention. It's humorous in a way and profound, too:

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

-- Bernard Shaw

So, is there a way to be both passionate/intense and reasonable/moderate? Of course, but it ain't easy. And I'm guessing that those who are one or the other will have a hard time working with and respecting the other. Ain't that why we're here? Who said we had to be comfortable?

Blissings,

Sam

Minds are like parachutes; they only function when open. - Sir Dewar A closed mind is a good thing to lose. Some minds are like concrete, thoroughly mixed up and permanently set. ~mrantho See what's free at AOL.com.