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Articles from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond Rock | Selfgrowth.com
- Conservative Versus Liberal - A Peace Offering - by Submitted on May 12, 2010 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockAre liberals and conservatives opposite? If you are a conservative, does that mean that liberal ideas are opposite of yours? And if you are liberal, are conservative ideas opposite of your way of thinking? The opposite of liberalism is not conservatism - but tyranny (a form of government in ...
Views: 1159 - Considering a Lifestyle Change? Don’t Even Think About it! - by Submitted on Aug 11, 2010 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockRemember that all-in-one 48 piece exercise gym that you bought a few years ago? You even figured out how put it together, and actually worked out for a month or two! Then the sessions got further and further apart, and finally you had to disassemble the infernal contraption and move it into ...
Views: 3182 - Considering Politics And Religion - by Submitted on Nov 08, 2007 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockPolitics, defined as "social relations involving authority or power," dominate a religious organization when the religion is no longer relevant; the operational words being "social," and power." When a religion becomes more of a social event instead of living up to the original tenets of ...
Views: 626 - Cooperative Games for Children - by Submitted on Jan 06, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockJanet and I decided play a little tennis recently to get a cardio workout. The last time we played was almost 30 years ago when we first met, so we knew the fundamentals but were, to say the least, a bit rusty! At 56 and 66 respectively, Janet and I aren't exactly Serena Williams and Roger ...
Views: 1379 - Creating A Universe In Your Mind - by Submitted on Aug 23, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockScientists say that everything began in the emptiness of space when a pea-sized piece of intensely dense matter and energy exploded into what has become our universe. In the Zen Buddhist religion, it is said, "Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Emptiness is no other than form, form is no ...
Views: 712 - Credit Without Cash Backing It Up Spells Depression! - by Submitted on Apr 04, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockIf we are accustomed to eating out three times a week, and for financial reasons can only eat out twice, we feel deprived. Additionally, if we only eat at exclusive restaurants (wouldn’t be caught dead in a chain!), then we will feel disadvantaged if we have to eat at an Olive Garden, or, dare I ...
Views: 620 - Crumbs From God’s Table - by Submitted on Jan 31, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockEndless enticements overwhelm us. They make their way into to every nook and cranny of our lives - but their allure is waning. No matter how good it gets; it's only so much, and only now are we beginning to wake up to what St. John of the Cross knew; that true happiness can only be found within, ...
Views: 850 - Dangerous Alliances - by Submitted on Apr 23, 2010 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockOf course, most of us have seemingly innocent alliances that are common to ordinary folks, like our friends and relatives. But is this where the really dangerous alliances lie? How can a relationship with Auntie Bess and Uncle Bill be harmful for us? They are loving, warm, giving, and have ...
Views: 1652 - Death Is The Doorway To Life — Three Ways To Prepare (Part 1 of 3) - by Submitted on Mar 10, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockApproximately 100 million people die every year.That's a lot of people. Death is a common occurrence, but we hide from death's reality in many ways. In third world countries, there is no funeral director that takes care of everything and neatly makes up the body as if it is asleep. In third ...
Views: 1302 - Death Is The Doorway To Life — Three Ways To Prepare (Part 2 Of 3) - by Submitted on Mar 11, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond Rock2. Living consciously. (From a talk by Ajahn Jagaro, the abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat when Janet and I trained in Thailand as a Buddhist monk and nun in 1981) "Now this (contemplating death) really does free us up, enabling us to live our lives more fully. The contemplation of death, rather than ...
Views: 908 - Death Is The Doorway To Life — Three Ways To Prepare (Part 3 of 3) - by Submitted on Mar 13, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond Rock3. Dying peacefully (From a talk by Ajahn Jagaro, the abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat when Janet and I trained in Thailand as a Buddhist monk and nun in 1981) "Having considered all of this, if dying becomes no longer a contemplation but an actual experience, we can face it without fear. Not only ...
Views: 1016 - Defining Good And Evil - by Submitted on Apr 04, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockThere are good people everywhere, but how do we define good? Pope Sixtus IV loved Tomas de Torquemada (arguably the most evil man that has ever lived)! Good and evil seem entwined with society’s expectations. Behavior can be considered good by some, bad by others, and volumes are written on this ...
Views: 1051 - Discovering Your Personal Creativity and Vision - by Submitted on Jan 13, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockCreativity and vision are what distinguish the exceptionally successful person from the ordinary person. Once creativity and vision are established, energy, passion, and leadership follow. To acquire these is surprisingly easy because we are all naturally creative and visionary. Some of us, ...
Views: 618 - Do You Have A Speculative And Intelligent Personality - And What Does That Mean? - by Submitted on Apr 04, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockOur personalities, it could be said, fall into six categories: Faithful, greedy, hateful, deluded, speculative and intelligent, and if we tend toward the speculative and intelligent, it’s a good bet that our spiritual life will progress in fits and starts because we outsmart ourselves. The ...
Views: 1552 - Don’t Let Your Children Grow Up To Be Hippies! - by Submitted on Mar 15, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockThey knew how to chord a guitar, how to live together, how to relax, and how to live on a shoestring (and off Mom and Dad mostly!) And they didn't know about money or power – that would have been way too square! Hippies were a brief respite on this road of life, one of those strange eras that ...
Views: 786 - Don’t Worry, Be Happy? - by Submitted on Jan 14, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockEons ago when we lived in caves, we would get hungry, and when we got hungry, we would become very unhappy and mad as hell, and we would go out and kill something to eat! Today, if we become unhappy with our situation, whatever it may be, we get mad as hell and change it! So unhappiness has its ...
Views: 633 - Dying to Everything - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockAs long as there is hope, there will be despair. As long as there is experience, there will be death. Yet fervently we seek both. Human beings are strange creatures. What creatures of earth aren't? For one thing, we eat each other. The child Buddha saw this one day at a ploughing festival in ...
Views: 585 - E. Raymond Rock Life Situations - The Usual Mistakes (and how to avoid them) Part 4 - by Submitted on Oct 22, 2009 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond Rock4. Thinking that life is a cake walk. This has the potential to be one of the bigger mistakes because it means that we are blind to the realities around us, and usually insensitive to others. When we have blinders on, we tend to create a personal little world that is in fact very fragile, ...
Views: 1529 - Eat When You Are Hungry, Sleep When You Are Tired - by Submitted on Mar 27, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockThis old Zen saying describes the way in which a trainee practices Zen; no striving, no ambition (to become enlightened), no goals . . . only sitting quietly. As a matter of fact, Zen considers goal making a disease of the mind! Quite a contrast from modern life where without goals we would be ...
Views: 1175 - Eight Simple, Interactive Activities Toward Union With God. - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockSt. John of the Cross claimed that all the pleasures of the world are as crumbs from the table of God. Hmm, saints must be experiencing something pretty outstanding! Actually, meeting God, face-to-face in this very lifetime, no differently than the prophets of old did, is not only possible but ...
Views: 901 - Ever Wonder What Buddhist Monks are Chanting? - by Submitted on May 31, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockTo give you a tiny sampling, a flavor of what Theravada Buddhist monks chant every morning, following are a few stanzas of the Buddha's exact teachings in his native Pali language (with translations), which have been precisely kept intact by his order of monks for over 2500 years, or since three ...
Views: 805 - Facing The Dragon Of Self - by Submitted on Nov 08, 2007 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockSuddenly, I found myself in a mist, and through the mist I dimly made out what appeared to be a cave. As I moved closer, my perfected insight revealed exactly what it was – the den of the Great Dragon of Self. Three of the dragon’s guards lie dead and decomposing at the entrance, obviously ...
Views: 1153 - Fighting For What’s Important - by Submitted on Mar 05, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockThe most tenacious fighter wins. This is true in war, politics, religion, and all aspects of human relationship. The times when we don't have to fight, the times when we can live without fighting, we call peace. However, there are those who say that peace is not sustainable because peace creates ...
Views: 757 - First Steps Toward Sainthood - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockThe first steps are not ones we typically think of; therefore, they can only be understood from a perspective of the deepest understanding of human nature. Having nothing to do with being nice, being compassionate, doing good works or feeding the poor, they involve something more subtle; which ...
Views: 741 - Five Roadblocks to Meditation, and How They Apply to Westerners - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockThe first hindrance to meditation is desire for sense stimulation. This can range from obsessive sexual lust, to compulsive socializing, to addictive intellectual pursuits. In the West, we tend toward the addictive intellectual pursuits because we have usually disciplined ourselves regarding ...
Views: 1666 - Five Things That Hold us Back in Life, Love, and the Afterlife - by Submitted on Dec 26, 2007 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockOther than outright bad luck and unforeseen circumstances, whenever we fail to reach our goals, it's a good bet that one of these five culprits had a hand in it - 1. Taking our eye off the ball: The easiest way to get sidetracked from our goals is to become distracted by a good time. A "good ...
Views: 920 - Four Degrees of Evil - by Submitted on Feb 01, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockAbout a dozen or so baby alligators showed up at a pond that Janet and I visit occasionally. Mama alligator kept watch nearby because the pond is also home to some otters, and otters love little alligators! But she allowed her 8 inch long offspring some freedom to enjoy the fall day. When we ...
Views: 722 - Freedom Is What We Already Are - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockWhen we strive to be free, when we try to release ourselves from the burdens that we have laid upon ourselves, we miss the point: we are already free. We simply forget that we are free. We forget by becoming bogged down in our difficulties, by pitting ourselves against others, and fighting for ...
Views: 908 - Fulfillment, Self Expression and Compassion - by Submitted on Jan 12, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockThe subjects of this article are cherished goals. What could be more rewarding than a life fulfilled, or expressing ones deepest felt emotions and thoughts? The problem is; one person's fulfillment might be another's tragedy. Take for example the dream of home ownership. A young woman, ...
Views: 618 - Future Life – but no Past Lives? - by Submitted on Feb 11, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockIf our spirit has not lived before, from whence did it originate? Where did it come from? If we didn't have the momentum of either a collective or individual spiritual past life to propel us into this one, are we therefore only accidents of nature; random romantic moments between eggs and a ...
Views: 746 - Generation Xers Could Shake Things Up, in a Surprising Way! - by Submitted on Jan 28, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockHave you noticed the interest being generated in the ranks of our young people by the political races? It reminds me of the sixties when young people took a hard turn left. Many of the kids raised after this, however, took a decidedly turn right, ala Reaganites. It seem that these shifts occur ...
Views: 845 - Get a Grip On Yourself! - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockOkay, don't get a grip if you don't want to! You can wait until your life partner leaves you, your career goes down in flames, or your health goes south. But then it might be too late to get a grip; and you might end up going completely bonkers! Things untoward happen to everyone, eventually. ...
Views: 842 - Getting Over Yourself - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2007 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockWe all seek power. We try to push ourselves up and in the process, many times attempt to push others down. It might begin with a feeling that we have been wronged, which means that our ego has been hurt, and in order to right things we might begin a verbal confrontation with the offending party. ...
Views: 1598 - Give Up Religion And Get Peaceful? - by Submitted on Apr 01, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockI have a strange feeling that many times our religions produce the opposite effects than what we assume they should. For example, Buddhism stresses three things; discipline, compassion, and wisdom; and Christian communities stress renunciation of violence, forgiveness, and unconditional love. ...
Views: 751 - Global Swarming - by Submitted on Mar 22, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockGlobal swarming is a phenomenon far more impending than greenhouse gasses; global swarming involves the very fabric of our lives. Therefore, how we handle global swarming will determine the quality of our future here on earth. In the past, we have ignored global swarming as if it doesn't exist, ...
Views: 950 - God Is Love - by Submitted on Jan 01, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockA good friend of mine, a Methodist, asked his minister if people who didn't believe in Jesus were destined for hell. The minister thought for a moment, and then said, "God is love." This reply is a sign of the shifting landscape of spirituality. The original tenets of religion, that God, or ...
Views: 732 - Going Around In Circles - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2007 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockJanet and I were taking our three-mile walk around the neighborhood this morning when we met another couple walking in the opposite direction. The woman smiled and said in passing, "Ever feel that youre going around in circles?" I looked back over my shoulder and quipped, "That's life!" Then I ...
Views: 857 - Guns, Butter, And Social Injustice - by Submitted on Mar 14, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockAn old man with shaking hands counts out some crumpled bills to a receptionist in a doctor's office. The sign above the cashier's window says: "If you are a Medicare customer you will be required to pay your $135 deductable before service is rendered." But the old man only comes up with ...
Views: 972 - Happiness Guaranteed - by Submitted on Mar 31, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockHow can anyone guarantee happiness? Well, they can't. But we can. We can guarantee our own happiness. In order to do that, however, we must first eliminate those things that make us unhappy. So let's get started. First, think about what makes you unhappy. Take a few moments to think about that. ...
Views: 2666 - Hard Times on the Horizon? - by Submitted on Jan 23, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockFlorida has been hit hard by the housing downturn. At the peak of the housing frenzy, people from all over the world, legal and illegal, flooded into Florida, fueling the burgeoning job market. Banks doled out cash like drunken sailors to housing contractors and mortgage companies, and ...
Views: 837 - Have a Nice Sunday! - by Submitted on Jan 19, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockGood friends of mine, Catholic friends, recently confessed to me. They said that although they occasionally attend their Catholic church, they have found a community church that makes them feel better. They find themselves happy when they leave, unlike their Catholic experience where they feel ...
Views: 1182 - Heartaches At First Sight - by Submitted on Mar 27, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockWe meet someone, we like them, want to see them again, and soon we are forming a deep relationship. This seems like a very natural, innocuous, and innocent thing to do, and we do it every day. What we seldom realize, however, is that we are also forming a psychological attachment. After we meet ...
Views: 555 - Heaven is a Many Splendored Thing — Isn’t it? - by Submitted on Dec 30, 2007 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockSome people get a glimpse of where they are headed just before they die. My sister-in-law did. Terminal with lung cancer, we thought that she had passed away early one morning when she abruptly stopped breathing, but after a few minutes, she woke up! She told us that she had just been in a ...
Views: 720 - Help Change the World — Change Your Socks! - by Submitted on Jan 06, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockI know; it's your day off, so you drag yourself out of bed and throw on the same clothes you wore yesterday. What the heck, you'll be working around the house all day anyway, why even take a shower, you can take a shower and change clothes later. You grab some coffee, stumble into the media ...
Views: 851 - Hold Her Tight, TonightSubmitted on Dec 27, 2007 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockHold her tight, tonight. Let her dream of what her life will be, her fairytales of love and happiness. Hold her tight, tonight. Hold her tight tonight, so that monster truth can’t steal her dreams, not this night. This night, let truth not meet time, not yet . . . please not yet. Hold her ...
Views: 1163 - How Can I Deepen My Spirituality? - by Submitted on Jan 06, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond Rock"You learn that if you sit down in the woods and wait, something happens." - Henry David Thoreau. Deepening what you know about your spirituality, and deepening your spirituality per se, are two different things. Deepening what you know about spirituality is relatively easy; just read ...
Views: 831 - How Do You Escape? - by Submitted on Aug 23, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockIf we don't like our job, our house, or if we are generally unhappy about our position in life, we naturally try to change our circumstances. When we are uncomfortable with any situation, we instinctively attempt to escape from it. We might feel angry inside, or frustrated thinking that ...
Views: 871 - How Often Do You Use The “I” Word - by Submitted on Mar 24, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockWhen we talk, or when we write articles, the number of times that we use the word "I" can indicate the level of confusion we might have in our minds about ourselves. This wouldn't ordinarily be a problem if we are not attached to ourselves emotionally, and only use the term conventionally; ...
Views: 1059 - How Psychotherapy Possibly Gets it All Wrong - by Submitted on Jan 06, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockI am not trained in psychology, nor do I completely understand psychological terms. I am strictly speaking in a nonprofessional manner using nonprofessional terms about psychology, and about how I believe psychotherapy fails to address the primary problem regarding the mind. The primary problem, ...
Views: 805 - How Shall We Choose to Live? - by Submitted on Jan 06, 2008 from E. (anagarika eddie) Raymond RockBusiness ethics are quickly becoming meaningless. As a matter of fact, ethics can actually become roadblocks to maintaining the almighty bottom line. We have seen this lately in the mortgage markets where dishonest loans lined pockets on Wall Street while ruining many common people's lives. ...
Views: 957