A hypothesis on the meaning of life, based on a layman's study of comparative religion.
After a search through a trove of books, I am one of those people who believe that the answers to the eternal questions can be found within. Only in the past few years, did I find that this belief in a personal truth had a name. It is Gnosticism, as opposed to agnosticism, which means you just can't commit. Please regard, "Randy's revelations from religious ruminations."
1. If there is creation, there is a creator. To avoid confusion, we'll call this entity Steve.
2. There is no Steve but Steve, but all other names for Steve are equally valid.
3. Steve is the primal force, vibration, sound, event, and designer of creation and, yes, it is quite intelligent.
4. It is a mistake to think of Steve in human form since he is formless. The spark of life within every person, or soul, is of the exact same substance as Steve. Thus, the translation of the biblical verse, "God created man in His own image," refers to the soul. Since this energy is divine, it is also immortal. All energy is immortal. The body depreciates, but the soul is ageless. It's resale value remains intact and the warranty never expires.
5. Although there is a probability of other life forms in the universe, the Earth is the realm of Steve's divine play, or leela in Sanskrit, and mankind is the only species capable of reflection, knowledge of self, and contemplation upon the eternal soul by a mortal mind. This is the only life that offers the chance for the soul's advancement. There are no UFOs, Venusians, or Little Green Men, except for Billy Lee Riley's band. NASA is firing our rockets in the wrong direction. More information about the origin of man can be found beneath the seas than beyond the stars.
6. Since the soul consists of the stuff and substance of Steve, the heart's desire is to return Steveward. The ultimate purpose of the soul's journey is to merge human awareness with Steve awareness. This requires an accumulation of experience and wisdom that takes more than one lifetime to achieve. Thus, the soul is in a constant birth/death/rebirth continuum, as is all of nature, until you get it right. Nature moves in a cycle, but the soul travels in a spiral. The soul advances Steveward, or away from Steve, according to thoughts and deeds while in human form. Some call this karma, or cause and effect, and reincarnation. Some call it, "What goes around.."
7. Your soul is an individual soul, and though it may animate many vessels in many ages, it remains a unique gift from Steve to you. Humans have karma, families have karma, communities have karma, nations have karma. In order to sufficiently learn from the human experience, souls must be incarnated in groups to resolve past issues and advance to the next round, like in Family Feud. Thus, families are incarnated together, although not necessarily in the same roles or genders, to learn of the absolute equality of the spirit. That's what makes "Deja Vu" such a fascinating notion. So, say hello to your Uncle Max, my boy. And don't be going upside anyone's head, lest your head be gone upside against.
8. Any method of seeking Steve is valid, as long as it includes service to man and seeks to foster peace and communion. The least any individual can do, is restrain from intentionally harming anyone else. Steve's messengers say, "There are many paths up the mountain, but they all eventually lead to the top." Any group that claims to know the exclusive way to Steve, has delusions of grandeur. Killing in Steve's name causes you to be demoted and held back a grade. You will not be graduating with your class and must repeat the entire term. If you return a leper, you had it coming.
9. Steve is not prejudiced. If Steve chose to send a divine messenger, or evolved being, to reveal eternal truths to a group of people in one part of the world, it's a logical imperative to assume that he would send his messengers to people in all parts of the world. Enlightened teachers from Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Zoroaster, Confucius, Muhammad, and the present Saints of India are living examples of the capacity of humanity to achieve Steve consciousness. There are hundreds of Holy Scriptures in the world written by thousands of divinely inspired men. One book alone cannot contain the infinite wisdom of Steve.
10. Steve doesn't care if you believe in him or not. It's inconsequential to his purposes. He does, however, value righteous action over rigid religiosity any day. The search for Steve begins with a thirst for truth and not a desire for dogma. Since brainwaves create ripples in the ether and Steve encourages communing with the spirit; prayer, meditation, and contemplation are good things. But there are billions of stars and Steve does not micromanage life on this one. He sets the wheel in motion and gives you what you need, and then you are responsible for your own salvation. The church is for those who benefit from the comfort of ritual, but Steve resides in your heart, bidden or unbidden.
11. Everything does not happen for a reason. That is an arrogant and homo-sapiencentric assumption. Sometimes, things happen for no reason at all. It is Steve's nature to allow for free will and random accident. Every event in life, negative and positive, offers the chance for spiritual growth, even tragedy. Evil exists in the human realm because of ignorance, but if you screw up, don't go blaming Steve by saying that it was his will.
12. Steve created evolution. Natural selection is Steve's way of seeing which of his creations can cut it. The dinosaurs are now our fossil fuel. To prevent our becoming fuel for a future superspecies, we must get about the business of evolving. Now that we have achieved opposable thumbs, further evolution in man must take place in the heart. War is not the natural state of mankind. Although Arjuna had to fight in the Bhagavad Gita, and Ecclesiastes says there is "a time for war," peace is the evolutionary, and revolutionary destination of mankind.
13. When Steve created physics, those laws function in a physical world in perpetual flux and thus, are in transition. If man's evolution is continual, then the rational mind must allow for the possibility of the irrational. If Steve has dominion over the laws of physics, he can also defy them, since they only operate in this realm. Paranormal powers, psychic energies, ESP, clairvoyance, and miracles are not only possible, they are within the reach of humanity in its evolutionary state. There is already enough anecdotal evidence in hypnosis, meditation, and past life regression to warrant scientific study into metaphysical phenomena. The power of Steve is within you.
14. Steve is love. Whatever the question, the answer is Steve.
After a search through a trove of books, I am one of those people who believe that the answers to the eternal questions can be found within. Only in the past few years, did I find that this belief in a personal truth had a name. It is Gnosticism, as opposed to agnosticism, which means you just can't commit. Please regard, 1. If there is creation, there is a creator. To avoid confusion, we'll call this entity Steve.
2. There is no Steve but Steve, but all other names for Steve are equally valid.
3. Steve is the primal force, vibration, sound, event, and designer of creation and, yes, it is quite intelligent.
4. It is a mistake to think of Steve in human form since he is formless. The spark of life within every person, or soul, is of the exact same substance as Steve. Thus, the translation of the biblical verse, "God created man in His own image," refers to the soul. Since this energy is divine, it is also immortal. All energy is immortal. The body depreciates, but the soul is ageless. It's resale value remains intact and the warranty never expires.
5. Although there is a probability of other life forms in the universe, the Earth is the realm of Steve's divine play, or leela in Sanskrit, and mankind is the only species capable of reflection, knowledge of self, and contemplation upon the eternal soul by a mortal mind. This is the only life that offers the chance for the soul's advancement. There are no UFOs, Venusians, or Little Green Men, except for Billy Lee Riley's band. NASA is firing our rockets in the wrong direction. More information about the origin of man can be found beneath the seas than beyond the stars.
6. Since the soul consists of the stuff and substance of Steve, the heart's desire is to return Steveward. The ultimate purpose of the soul's journey is to merge human awareness with Steve awareness. This requires an accumulation of experience and wisdom that takes more than one lifetime to achieve. Thus, the soul is in a constant birth/death/rebirth continuum, as is all of nature, until you get it right. Nature moves in a cycle, but the soul travels in a spiral. The soul advances Steveward, or away from Steve, according to thoughts and deeds while in human form. Some call this karma, or cause and effect, and reincarnation. Some call it, "What goes around.."
7. Your soul is an individual soul, and though it may animate many vessels in many ages, it remains a unique gift from Steve to you. Humans have karma, families have karma, communities have karma, nations have karma. In order to sufficiently learn from the human experience, souls must be incarnated in groups to resolve past issues and advance to the next round, like in Family Feud. Thus, families are incarnated together, although not necessarily in the same roles or genders, to learn of the absolute equality of the spirit. That's what makes "Deja Vu" such a fascinating notion. So, say hello to your Uncle Max, my boy. And don't be going upside anyone's head, lest your head be gone upside against.
8. Any method of seeking Steve is valid, as long as it includes service to man and seeks to foster peace and communion. The least any individual can do, is restrain from intentionally harming anyone else. Steve's messengers say, "There are many paths up the mountain, but they all eventually lead to the top." Any group that claims to know the exclusive way to Steve, has delusions of grandeur. Killing in Steve's name causes you to be demoted and held back a grade. You will not be graduating with your class and must repeat the entire term. If you return a leper, you had it coming.
9. Steve is not prejudiced. If Steve chose to send a divine messenger, or evolved being, to reveal eternal truths to a group of people in one part of the world, it's a logical imperative to assume that he would send his messengers to people in all parts of the world. Enlightened teachers from Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Zoroaster, Confucius, Muhammad, and the present Saints of India are living examples of the capacity of humanity to achieve Steve consciousness. There are hundreds of Holy Scriptures in the world written by thousands of divinely inspired men. One book alone cannot contain the infinite wisdom of Steve.
10. Steve doesn't care if you believe in him or not. It's inconsequential to his purposes. He does, however, value righteous action over rigid religiosity any day. The search for Steve begins with a thirst for truth and not a desire for dogma. Since brainwaves create ripples in the ether and Steve encourages communing with the spirit; prayer, meditation, and contemplation are good things. But there are billions of stars and Steve does not micromanage life on this one. He sets the wheel in motion and gives you what you need, and then you are responsible for your own salvation. The church is for those who benefit from the comfort of ritual, but Steve resides in your heart, bidden or unbidden.
11. Everything does not happen for a reason. That is an arrogant and homo-sapiencentric assumption. Sometimes, things happen for no reason at all. It is Steve's nature to allow for free will and random accident. Every event in life, negative and positive, offers the chance for spiritual growth, even tragedy. Evil exists in the human realm because of ignorance, but if you screw up, don't go blaming Steve by saying that it was his will.
12. Steve created evolution. Natural selection is Steve's way of seeing which of his creations can cut it. The dinosaurs are now our fossil fuel. To prevent our becoming fuel for a future superspecies, we must get about the business of evolving. Now that we have achieved opposable thumbs, further evolution in man must take place in the heart. War is not the natural state of mankind. Although Arjuna had to fight in the Bhagavad Gita, and Ecclesiastes says there is "a time for war," peace is the evolutionary, and revolutionary destination of mankind.
13. When Steve created physics, those laws function in a physical world in perpetual flux and thus, are in transition. If man's evolution is continual, then the rational mind must allow for the possibility of the irrational. If Steve has dominion over the laws of physics, he can also defy them, since they only operate in this realm. Paranormal powers, psychic energies, ESP, clairvoyance, and miracles are not only possible, they are within the reach of humanity in its evolutionary state. There is already enough anecdotal evidence in hypnosis, meditation, and past life regression to warrant scientific study into metaphysical phenomena. The power of Steve is within you.
14. Steve is love. Whatever the question, the answer is Steve.
32 comments:
Randy,get out of the house. You have too much time on your hands.
Will spend the requisite time as soon as it is available and will not so much comment as express what your remarks stimulate in me. Suffice it to say, the incarnation of Steve in you has always been something of which I was aware. Although, anonymous's comment gave me an immediate smile.
And Steve said "let there be rain,damn-it" Oh yea,I belive.
I agree.And Noah was right too. STEVE
Well.....I've had a chance to go through Randianity once with feeling and do, in fact, have a few comments. Firstly, I'm not so sure about any of the major tenets of Randianity. That is not to say that every one of them could not be the actual "T" Truth, it is only to say that I haven't the slightest fucking idea and so can only read your words and say, "yeah, that's an interesting formulation." Having said that, I do have a prolonged experience of being on this particular planet and have arrived at a few not dissimilar hypotheses myself. Deal is that I believe and feel that this two legged animal on this 3rd stone from the closest big hot firey ball which is flying around in some space that is so large that I can never get my synapses around it, and don't believe that it is ever possible for me to do so.......deal is that I don't believe that any formulation that I can put together or any other two legged animal on this planet can put together can ever be anything more than our own attempt to put something together that we haven't got the slightest chance of ever understanding. Not enough data. Not enough synaptic material. Frogs, grass, rocks, the nuclear core of a methane molecule, who fucking knows what knowledge really is and who or what has it. Hell, I don't know. Your right about doing "good" for other people and for that matter other things. The Golden Rule seems to fit into my internal sense of "right" and "wrong". For my money, though, we are traveling in this space, whatever the hell it is, with all these other things. It is indeed as exalted an experience as the beast that is me can ever remember having and so I'd assume that the same state of wonder can exist for everything else.
It's a grand mystery that, for me, can only be a source of soulful amazement, and will forever. It's my feeling that to suggest any specific plan in this grand mystery is not possible. That is to say...impossible.
I accept that, and from time to time have a cup of chocolate chip ice cream. I like it.
What is it that makes me feel the close feelings to the perpetrator of Randianity? Don't know. But, I'd put myself in harms way to keep him safe if it came down to it. Why? I love him. What's love? Big time like.
I say be glad for today, whatever the hell "today" means ---(the hard ball with the 8000 mile radius with the 20 mile thick crust that protects us from the remaining "star" fire inside it as it spins on its axis over a measurable period of time which seems to have been stable long enough in the past long enough period of time for us to give the cycle a name is actually what "today" is based on)---
Hey, is there a larger spirit that "everything" is part of? You know, that seems pretty straightforward to me. It feels good and right. That's it.
This is a spiritual point of view which lies in what some have called the New Age genre. I was part of it from roughly 1973-85 and would have generally agreed with just about every thing that you stated at one time. However, my path was radically reoriented (thank you, Steve), but I know better than to attempt to try to correct a New Ager...I once was one. All I will say is don't bet the ranch on what you have put forth as Truth...keep an open mind. You may yet have the surprise of your spiritual life.
Boy howdy!, I would hate to have the karma of whoever invented hip-hop. He must have been set back to the parameciun stage...at least.
Gnosticism refers to any of a number of sects which claim to have secret spiritual knowledge which aids the adherents to attain to a state of spiritual illumination. Most of these sects are organized in a hierachical form based upon spiritual attainment. The highest level of these seekers may be known as adepts, rishis, master teachers, etc. They usually have rituals (initiations) for the adherents as they advance through the stages of spiritual attainment. Some of these initiations may be called illumination and self-realization. Seeking illumination was hugely popular in the old hippy culture. One was considered to be very fortunate if he found one of these groups and subsequently became an 'illumined being'. I was in one of these groups from 1975 through 1984. Regardless of the particular organization they all believe and follow roughly the same path. They all speak of the Great White Lodge, the Great White Brotherhood (to which all true spiritual adepts belong), and the solar initiations which imbue one with the Light of the Christos (supernatural, eternal life). I have forgotten a lot of the stuff, but there is a whole world of teachings. Like I said this was very popular in hippy culture. I have said before that, roughly speaking, there were two large camps (and other smaller ones) in hippydom...the spiritual and the political. I spent all my time in the spiritual camp and am pretty ignorant of all the political wranglings that go on here. But, Randy if you really want to get into it, find one of the esoteric schools...I'm sure they are still around. They have been for millenia. As for me, I have found a better way now.
In the old days it was universally believed that to get anywhere spiritually one needed a spiritual teacher, preferably a master teacher. Otherwise, there was the danger of winding up with something like Radianity, or Stevianity, or Fredianity, etc...a patchwork, subjective world view of spiritual error.
Steve is a fitting name for what you conceive.
However, Steve wants to know what you've been smoking lately.
I especially liked this bit: "if you screw up, don't go blaming Steve by saying that it was his will."
Smoking? Sounds more like 'shrooms to me. Remember when everyone would trip and talk about stuff like this? Ah...the 60's. Oooommm! Hare krishna, Hare krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Rama...Pass the brown rice and tofu, please. I feel some negative energy, I'd better meditate on my mandala. These days it's power ties, power lunches, and the Wall Street Journal. We seem to have gotten side-tracked. We awoke from the dream of the 60's and found ourselves back in the 50's.The only difference is hip-hop and the violence...talk about a nightmare.
I was under the impression that references to the Great White Brotherhood applied to Theosophy, a faith founded by Annie Bessant last century, which was pretty much discredited when her chosen savior, J. Krishnamurti, refused the job after a lifetime of preparation. Krishnamurti went on to become a spiritual giant with his writings and lectures. Theosophy also survived, but it's contrived, like Scientology, and has its own rules of belief. Since I have my own opinion, why should I follow someone else's rules?
So be it, however, is Randianity for the nocturnal only?
Wake Up!!
A bunch of New Age groups believed in the Great White Brotherhood. That belief was shared by a broad spectrum of New Agers, not just Theosophy. Interestingly, Annie Besant predicted the whole hippy phenomemon decades before it happened. And Madame Blavatsky founded Theosophy. Twenty something years ago I was very conversant in all of these matters, but time has dimmed much of my memory (of everything, actually). I used to have an extensive New Age library, but gave it all away about 22 years ago. Not only has Theosophy been discredited, but so has all of the New Age movement. It's hard to find adherents these days...at least compared to the old days. Back then there was a monster boom in everything New Age. For those still interested, check out Devorss.com. It used to be a major source of New Age material back in the day, but they don't carry nearly as much material as they used to. And by the way, it's quite difficult to come up with your own spiritual cosmography. Spiritual adepts can come in handy. There are some folks out there with a stunning degree of spititual knowledge and power. I have been in the presence of master teachers who carried so much power that I hyperventilated and could barely stand to remain in the room with them. And it's always impressive when one of them tells you all kinds of personal information about yourself even though they have never laid eyes on you before. But that type of story goes on and on. If you aren't interested in anyone's opinion but your own...rave on. Let me know when your book is coming out and I will pass that information on to them. I think I can still find one or two.
P.S. Most everyone starts by creating their own spiritual cosmography. I wasn't being flippant. It's all part of being a seeker. Continue...it's a gas and there are lots of surprises and fascinating stuff along the way. Be sure to let go of one note so that you can hear the next one, though.
"let go of one note so that you can hear the next one"......That's as excellent a piece of advice as I've heard in a while. It deserves comment.
No kidding. Thanks, Anon.
De nada, Gregg. You are the master of the well turned phrase. I am but a lowly disciple.
This is a parenthetical comment, but after I read the first comment from Gregg some time ago, I thought that he was either a stoner or had a mental issue. It took me a little while to tune into his frequency, and then I realized that he is a natural poet and an extraneous, right-brained thinker with an unusual mode of delivery. I enjoy reading his stuff. It comes from a different place. I get tired of the standard vanilla rationality.
anon. 10:25, what makes you assume I have not received the instructions of masters? I've been through the Devorss catalogue as well, which is why I attempted a personal cosmology (I like that term). I can name drop Yoganandas and Sri Yuktesars with you all night, so please don't think my guesses are based on New Age readings. I've done the homework.
pardon me.. that's cosmography, and Sri Yukteswar.
I didn't mean to get into a name dropping contest with you. And, it is obvious that you have delved into the realm of esoterica. I didn't mean to imply that you were unknowledgable. I was merely pointing out that at some point a teacher is useful if you really want to get into it. It comes in handy to know someone who has been a few steps down the road so that you don't waste time on rabbit trails. I began by saying that at one time I would have generally agreed with most of what you laid out. Sri Yukteswar...wasn't he one of Paramahansa's teachers?
Despite all the references to spiritual movements, teachers, and religious dogma of whatever stripe, there seems to me to be only be one common thread running through human history and the entire human experience. That common thread, something that is an integral and inescapable part of our DNA, is the neverending need for, desire for , active quest for, power and control. By whatever means necessary, to whatever degree possible, and at any cost. All that we do has within it those two (actually, two parts of one entity) items. Many, many large wars and smaller conflicts have been waged under the guise of political and religious freedom, but at the end of the day, it's all about possessing the power to control whatever one wants to control. The fallout from enormous power and control are direct extensions of the personnalities of those who posess that power... benevolent or despotic and/or everything in between. As the old saying goes, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts abdsolutely."
Speaking of religion.... I sent the BAH to an artist friend in Alabama...thinking that he would just love it. Instead he was offended by how Randy tore into Imus. "Who is this New York Jew any how?" He asked. Randy is not a NY Jew. He is a Memphis Jew. A living saint! Jesus was a Jew from Nazereth who laid down his life as an offering of love from God to all humanity as well as an offering of love in our behalf to his heavenly Father & was burried, descended into hell to break the ultimate power of sin & death by kicking some serious satanic ass Sputnik style & on the 3rd day he rose from the dead & ascended into heaven & sits on the right hand of the Father Almighty! Christus Victor! That means Jesus is the cosmic Jew. Christianity is a flowering of Judaism. My friend has forgiven Randy's remarks about Imus & now as a follower of Jesus has joined a synagogue figuring he's a Jew. Thank God he's not from New York! As Rabbi Capootz says "as ambassadors of God we all have repair work to do!" Well let's all say an ave or an oy veh for us all.The peace of the Lord!
FATHER FARKEN
Thank you, my friend, for the endorsement, but back in my high school they taught that the first step towards sainthood was death. But you can lay it out there, and if your sermons are anthing like your comments, I know your congregation must love you. We're all on similar paths. Mr Anon8:12, I have experienced some of the phenomena you describe in your note of 9:13, and they were profound and life altering and cause to re-think what you believe you know. But you're right, a spiritual pissing contest is a contradiction in terms. I wanted to say that my "guesses" are based more in established theologies and religious teachings than in mysterious translations from the Akashic records. I would be interested to know about the better way that you have found.
This may disappoint and even upset some of you folks, but I will share this with you anyway. I was a New Age devotee until I went to a church one Sunday purely out of curiosity. I was certain that Christianity could not possibly be the way. But I wanted to check it out...give it equal time, so to speak. It was the first time I had entered a church since I was a child. To make the story short, I had an overwhelming experience of Christ while there. In churchianity terms they would say that the Holy Spirit came upon me. That's as good an explanation as any. But, I will say that it wasn't subtle...it was very experiential. I could not have bought into Christianity on purely intellectual terms...probably because I was so indoctrinated with New Age teachings. From that point on, I have known that Christ is a very real, living and present reality, and that all that the Bible says of Him is true (and, believe me I know the difficulties that a statement like this produces in the minds of people). It was sort of an Apostle Paul on the Damascus road experience. It still took me a good while to extricate myself from all of the New Age baggage I was carrying, though. And, due to personal weaknesses I have struggled and continue to struggle with 'issues' or sins (according to church-speak). I realize how evangelism comes across to those who don't 'know' Christ, because I was once so adamantly opposed and was so certain that He couldn't possibly be the way. But, to be completly honest with you...there it is. I am over 32 years into it and have never wavered in my convictions, largely because of the way that I entered in. I didn't buy into 'the four spiritual laws' or any other intellectual proposition. Like I said, I was introduced by an encounter. The intellectual understandings came later, are still coming, and will continue till I leave this body. By the way, my earlier references to spiritual teachers would be for the Christian variety. There are some that do possess great spiritual power as well as head knowledge. But, granted, the majority possess little more than head knowledge. And, needless to say, there is much conflict and divisiveness in the church which can be very confusing and disconcerting, especially to outside observers. But, the truth still shines through.
I have no doubt of the sincerity of your experience and only wish you well. I envy the certainty of your belief, I just cannot accept it myself. Having been raised Jewish and attending a Catholic school, I became "other" than those who accepted Jesus as Savior, and that is a long ingrained attitude. I hope your faith brings you peace at heart.
Fair enough...everyone has to follow their own Muse. I knew that I was sticking my neck out to make that confession because for many years I was virulently anti-Christian myself. It wasn't my first choice... I was spiritually bush-whacked, so to speak. I appreciate the fact that I am still accepted here, though.
Read Richard Dawkins. Start, perhaps, with The God Delusion.
For a little a more argumentative confrontation of your satire, try Sam Harris, The End of Faith.
This quote I just came upon seems a good addition to the conversation.
"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.' And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known way!"
— Minnie Louise Haskins
When I first met Steve at UT/Knoxville in 1965 I knew immediately he was The Chosen One. His beautiful Gospel singing was as soulful as Al Green and his presence at all of the UT campus functions were so uplifting to every student, especially the women. Although he traveled in the path of the Devil at times, his true nature took him to HIGHER realms of cosmic existence. I have been a follower of Steve for over 45 years and I must testify, it has been a real far out trip. All of my wishes have come true and I remain in a state of constant BLISS. I can only hope and pray that all readers become followers of Steve and donate all of their wealth to THE PATH. This will make it possible to have ALL BEINGS join Steve on the path to Eternal Soul Travel ( EST )
Greetings,
Just add Meher Baba as the latest to that list of Masters and, in my opinion, you are good to go brother.
Jai Baba,
Jacob
Randianity and the 31 comments just cost me an hour reflecting on it's similarities to Bozmania - a system of dealing with the unknowable based on one denier of guru-hood - The inimitable Tom Eugene Robbins (definitely not to be confused with Tony) - possibly the most quoted Born Again Hippie.
"If you need to visualize the soul, think of it as a cross between a wolf howl, a photon, and a dribble of dark molasses. But what it really is, as near as I can tell, is a packet of information. It's a program, a piece of hyperspatial software designed explicitly to interface with the Mystery. Not a mystery, mind you, the Mystery. The one that can never be solved.
To one degree or another, everybody is connected to the Mystery, and everybody secretly yearns to expand the connection. That requires expanding the soul. These things can enlarge the soul: laughter, danger, imagination, meditation, wild nature, passion, compassion, psychedelics, beauty, iconoclasm, and driving around in the rain with the top down. These things can diminish it: fear, bitterness, blandness, trendiness, egotism, violence, corruption, ignorance, grasping, shining, and eating ketchup on cottage cheese.
Data in our psychic program is often nonlinear, nonhierarchical, archaic, alive, and teeming with paradox. Simply booting up is a challenge, if not for no other reason than that most of us find acknowledging the unknowable and monitoring its intrusions upon the familiar and mundane more than a little embarrassing.
But say you've inflated your soul to the size of a beach ball and it's soaking into the Mystery like wine into a mattress. What have you accomplished? Well, long term, you may have prepared yourself for a successful metamorphosis, an almost inconceivable transformation to be precipitated by your death or by some great worldwide eschatological whoopjamboreehoo. You may have. No one can say for sure.
More immediately, by waxing soulful you will have granted yourself the possibility of ecstatic participation in what the ancients considered a divinely animated universe. And on a day to day basis, folks, it doesn't get any better than that."
Thank you Randy - I feel a bit more enlightened just reading your rant.
And to think I was raised a 3 times a week Southern Baptist for 24 years.
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