To find Beauty outside you must first find Beauty inside…

Though you may travel the world to find the beautiful, you must have it within you or you will find it not.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

How true is this quote from the legendary Ralph Waldo Emerson? Many times we need to learn wisdom from the hard lessons in life – sometimes the painful way… I learned this wisdom the difficult way after graduating college. I had the opportunity to work in Los Angeles at an advertising firm – a referral from a professor who saw talent in me. Instead, I decided to throw caution to the wind and move to Hawaii to surf and follow my heart wish (or what I thought was my heart wish). Sounds great right? Yet, something was not right. I had much to still learn about myself and this thing called life.  My mindfulness was shortsighted and I could not put my finger on why I felt uncomfortable within; a boutique of bad habits, lacking self-esteem and energy. The result was one of the most humbling experiences ever: A mélange of bad karma that fed bad luck all of which contributed to the severed friendship of two great friends, a shattered ankle and a broken wrist; a job so inadequate I was on the cusp of poverty; left to picking sticky nickels out of the sofa to buy .99 cent burgers off the value menu. So downtrodden,  injured and mired with bills, I could not even surf some of the best waves in the world – and through it all I could not even remember the main reason I moved to Hawaii; all of this conflict and suffering while living under the warm and beautiful tropical sun. How ironic… Suffering in paradise…?

Ego and negative energy will follow you where ever you go… My own trappings from childhood and the demons of false-self traveled with me to paradise. But it was not a paradise. It was one of the most humbling experiences in my life. I look back on that experience now and see the art of the event; I see the wisdom from such encounters with suffering (and the cause of that suffering). The two long years I lived in Hawaii I grew from a boy to a man – from confusion to clarity. From that experience alone, I have learned that you can travel the world and find  beauty, but if you are not centered and self-actualized within; you will not experience beauty; only suffering. Our ego and false-self can create a mirror image or mirage that may look beautiful on the surface but deep down the root of such beauty is only veiled by the suffering intrinsic to our actions and reactions. Still the wisdom is to learn from such experiences – to evolve and prosper on the backbone of false-self – seizing a new day – a new paradise wherever you call home.

I look back on those days with some indifference; my feelings are complicated as the situations that created the memories now archived in my head. Still, we cannot escape our past for it is that old weed covered path we walked years ago that has led us to this point in the present. From negativity we can find wisdom; and from wisdom we can move soundly forward, clear, connected and self-actualized.

Aloha…

John C. Bader

www.responsiveuniverse.com

Buddhist, Hindu Make History with Elections to Congress

Now that the elections are over I think it is worth mentioning the diversity of this 2012 election.

For the first time ever, a Buddhist and Hindu were elected into the US government: Democrat Mazie Hirono beat former Gov. Linda Lingle, making Hirono the first Buddhist in the Senate. In Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District, Democrat Tulsi Gabbard defeated  opponent Kawika Crowley, making Gabbard the first Hindu in Congress.

Hirono and Gabbard will join an increasingly diverse Congress. The first Muslim to join the House or Senate, Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.), was first elected in 2006 and reelected for a fourth term on Tuesday. In 2008, Rep. Andre Carson (Ind.) was the second Muslim elected to Congress. In 2008, Rep. Hark Johnson (Ga.), another Buddhist, also joined Congress, making history with him and Hirono the first Buddhists to be elected to Congress.

There were also several openly gay politicians elected into office and weed was legalized in two states (WA and CO).

WOW!

I am sure there are some right-wing Christian folks out there that are absolutely appalled by the election results. I have seen some strong words used by pundits calling America soulless and heading in the wrong direction with this diversity. I think it is amazing! America is a diverse country built on the back bones of many cultures and faiths. All you have to do is visit one of our big cities like New York or Chicago and the diversity is as colorful as ever. This is America and it is really cool to see that we are getting people elected into office that reflect this diversity.

John C. Bader

www.responsiveuniverse.com

Article Reference

“If every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.” Dalai Lama

“If every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.” 

-Dalai Lama

This quote by the Dalai Lama went viral over the weekend – When I first read it I was amazed by the powerful message within so few words. Since that time bloggers and naysayers have taken to the internet to analyze and interpret these words of wisdom.

B. Scofield from Tikkum Daily said this: “While for much of my life I’ve also shared this popular sentiment I’ve now come to see it much differently. Based on years of research and writing as well as personal practice of yoga, meditation and Chi Kung I’ve discovered some very strong flaws in the Dalai Lama’s argument. Furthermore, I actually see these types of statements are very irresponsible as they mislead the public about the causes and solutions to violence. The real conversations about these very challenging issues that need to take place could potentially be minimized by these types of statements.”

Scofield went on to rationalize an impressive argument about why this statement from the Dalai Lama is not really wisdom at all. Others like me are taken back by the eloquence from such a simple statement. Personally I think everyone is over analyzing the comment – including myself. From simple words can come a simple message of wisdom – nothing more… nothing less…

I do not see this quote as misleading… I see this quote as empowering.  The world in many ways is already wrought with violence and suffering. The point is, if everyone in the world would just stop for a moment and take a deep breath; if everyone in the world became mindful of the controlled chaos that is life for one minute a day – sensing the gift of energy and love when our thoughts and attention are centered away from fear and fantasy – anchored soundly in the present – Yes, there would be less violence. When we stop to meditate we allow the gift of space, clarity and responsiveness to arise from our True Nature. From these qualities arises wisdom and love – not violence and tyranny.

John C. Bader

www.responsiveuniverse.com

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Happy Thanksgiving… – I think…

I want to dedicate this post to my international followers and give you a little inside peek at Thanksgiving through my eyes…

Like last year, I thought I would chime in on this enigma called Thanksgiving. Simply by viewing my site stats across multiple blogs, I get a fair share of international traffic. Decent traffic from Germany (could be my German last name) and interestingly enough, site views from as far east as Singapore. The reason I mention this is because for all intents and purposes, Thanksgiving is a U.S. Holiday. Even our friends in Canada will be business as usual this Thursday.

Not the case here in the USA. Even today while trying to grab lunch, the Super Markets were ablaze with scurries of people exhibiting zombie like persistence – last minute shopping can be a stressful experience. It makes you wonder how many Turkeys lost their lives last week? Well, 90% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving – According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten in the U.S. at Thanksgiving—that’s one sixth of all turkeys! Now that is some turkey trivia for my international guests! It kinda makes you feel bad for the Turkeys – but the alternative for vegans is tofurky which is ghastly in its own right.

I overheard a fellow employee talking about how he has to get up at 3:30 am before the big day to help his wife cram the raw turkey into the oven – apparently it is too heavy for her to lift on her own. Have you ever held a 18lb raw turkey? It feels more like 30lbs and it is awkward and cumbersome too. kind of like a half-frozen slippery bowling ball. The 3:30 am wake up call is what grabbed my attention – 3:30 am? That is brutal…

My mother in California is hosting a family gathering tomorrow. It will be mostly siblings attending and should be intimate but also crazy with kids running amok and in-laws and uncles weighing in on politics and how much money they made this year. This is when the extended family fractures and people are torn between which house to visit and who they may piss off based on their choice of roofs to share Thanksgiving under. That is a lot of pressure too!

It takes at least a day to make all the fixings to accommodate a dinner of this magnitude. It seems, especially here in the Midwest, it is mostly a female managed operation. Guys get a pass on this one: The days are reserved for intermittent naps, cold beer and football. Though, by the end of the day, there is an emotional and physical toll waged on everyone – man, woman and child alike. As the tryptophan, sugar and booze bloats, the only thing Americans are thankful of in the end is their beds. So what does Thanksgiving stand for? I bet if you asked most US teenagers their answer would be something about Indians and Pilgrims. As with most US holidays, marketing, commercialism and watered down traditions bury the origin of most celebrations. I think Black Friday is a holiday in America? It is sometimes easy to forget how lucky many of us are for the gluttony we are all about to share in.

Kidding aside, it is nice to celebrate the art of being thankful. Every day when I meditate, I start the practice with giving thanks. I think it grounds me and reminds me of what is important in life. There is gratitude and reverence within my mind and it allows negative thoughts to evaporate and positive energy to arise.  Here are some things I am thankful for everyday:

My wife and family – these are people who love and confide in me – I am blessed

My Job – especially the people I work with who contribute daily

My health – I am thankful, there is a drive within to eat well and exercise – something that was lacking when I was younger.

Creativity – the wisdom and energy within that allowed me to write my latest book, The Responsive Universe.

And finally, clarity and responsiveness – an awareness of love and energy and that we are connected to something so vast it boggles the imagination.

 

So with that, have a Happy Thanksgiving! – wherever you are…

 

John C. Bader
www.responsiveuniverse.com

Striving for Perfection can often lead to Suffering…

PERFECTION: Without errors, flaws, or faults; complete

and lacking nothing essential; excellent or ideal in every way.

I have decided striving for perfection leads to suffering. Looking at my own life reflecting in the mirror; I think I have caught myself on many occasions striving for perfection in an effort to find something short of perfect. Does that make sense? I can recall striving for A’s in college and being happy with B’s.  But that is not the point I am striving for here…

There is so much around us that seems perfect… The models in fashion magazines; the celebrities that grace our televisions; that proverbial God in church that gave us his life so that you and I could be imperfect (if you believe in that stuff)…  The need to be a perfect father and husband? However you interpret things, for many of us, there is a lot of pressure out there.  Whether it is dating, marriage or career, sometimes it is a little overwhelming.

Do you know what else is a lot of pressure? Striving for enlightenment and self-actualization; the very essence of my book, The Responsive Universe. I wrote this book with the genuine effort to help people find happiness in a world of indifference. Yet, it is my own path to perfection that leads me to suffer. It is interesting how we continue to evolve. No matter how much we strive for betterment, suffering still is intrinsic to our being.  I try hard to eat well, exercise more, drink less and be a kind and compassionate person. I am all those things but the passage through these situations is riddled with guilt from my ego that fights tooth and nail to justify its existence. I feel guilty about not juicing every day, not meditating or not spending my money more wisely. You see, the sign posts are there in my mind – I see the best path to follow and also the guilt that sits just to the left and right of my path, nudging me along. It is sort of like a checks and balances system. Even though I walk the right path, guilt still seems to rub off on my shoulders. I know this is the ego … and I know this is life – a continuous struggle uphill for most of us. Many times its takes years to look back on our lives to see the evolution we have carved. Sometimes it is hard to see the forward progress, especially if you are always setting the bar for perfection and falling short. It can feel like you are failing when in actuality you are making a difference.

We all know what we need to do to suffer less. We all know right from wrong. We understand that the ego is our false-self but a necessary function in early human development.  We can all understand that compassion and conviction are foundations on which to build a life of wellness. But there is a point when we just have to let go… Find faith and confidence that everything will be fine and then JUST LET GO… Maybe the key is not to strive for perfection but just strive for improvement. I bet there would be less guilt?

I wrote a book about evolving as an individual and I feel it was a magnificent effort – still in my own world as I continue to evolve socially and spiritually; new answers seem to arise as I push deeper into knowing. I have learned that life is a compromise between perfection and imperfection. As I have written, the Universe is born from imperfection and so were you and I. Why do we strive for perfection now? ahhh… the lessons in life…. So it appears the art in striving for perfection is letting go of the ego and simply do the best you can. If everyone just did that it would be a much better world to live in.

John C. Bader

www.responsiveuniverse.com

How about a little Joseph Campbell Wisdom?

All the gods, all the heavens, all the hells, are within you.”

- Joseph Campbell

This is a very powerful sentence…. It sometimes takes great minds like Joseph Campbell to effectively wrap up the Cosmos – everything that exists – in one eloquent sentence. Carl Sagan was able to effectively do this as well. Sadly both of these great teachers have passed but their words live on eternally. That is the distinct power of words isn’t it? The inspiration of this particular sentence comes from the great realization of the Upanishads of India in the ninth century B.C. I find it interesting that even thousands of years ago, people were reaching for the heavens and also inward to find the meaning of existence – the how and why…. But what I find truly interesting is that even thousands of years ago, wise people were connecting to this sublime dynamism that connects humans with the world around us – not just a father figure to follow which takes our energy and turns it into blind faith; but an energy that is ours to wield – a destiny that is ours to mold and fashion.

Joseph Campbell writes that religion is in many ways mythology:  “Myths are metaphorical of spiritual potentiality in the human being, and the same powers that animate our life animate the life of the world.” He continues, “All the gods, all the heavens, all the worlds, are within us. They are magnified dreams, and dreams are manifestations in image form of the energies of the body in conflict with each other. That is what myth is. Myth is manifestation in symbolic images, in metaphorical images, of the energies of the organs of the body in conflict with each other.”

Arthur Schopenhauer, in his splendid essay called “On an Apparent Intention in the Fate of the Individual,” points out that when you reach an advanced age and look back over your lifetime, it can seem to have had a consistent order and plan, as though composed by some novelist. Events that when they occurred had seemed accidental and of little moment turn out to have been indispensable factors in the composition of a consistent plot. So who composed that plot? Schopenhauer suggests that just as your dreams are composed by an aspect of yourself of which your consciousness is unaware, so, too, your whole life is composed by the will within you. And just as people whom you will have met apparently by mere chance became leading agents in the structuring of your life, so, too, will you have served unknowingly as an agent, giving meaning to the lives of others. The whole thing gears together like one big symphony, with everything unconsciously structuring everything else. And Schopenhauer concludes that it is as though our lives were the features of the one great dream of a single dreamer in which all the dream characters dream, too: so that everything links to everything else, moved by the one will to life which is the universal will in nature.”

Life is but a learning experience…  sometimes it takes years of wisdom to put your finger on a single moment in time. The sentence – All the gods, all the heavens, all the hells, are within you speaks this wisdom; we are connected in a grand symphony – the tapestry of humanity woven into the colorful Cosmos. It is within that the beauty lies… the wisdom and energy and it is this notion that never dies…

John C. Bader

www.responisveuniverse.com

Reference: “The Power of Myth” by Joseph Campbell

image credit: ovguide.com

Blue Sky…

In the autumn be certain the leaves will fall

And in spring will summery birth

For such things are constant

The stars at night

Blue sky…

Unwavering we cannot deny

John C. Bader

www.responsiveuniverse.com

Crazies sink the Republican Ship

It really does not matter how I voted this November. Yes, I am happy about the election results but that does not mean I am a bleeding heart liberal. In fact, I am very moderate and even voted for McCain against Bush before the world was put into a deep freeze 12 years ago. You see, it is the moderates that get things done. This includes both democrats and republicans.  It is the moderates that have compassion and see the bigger picture; moderates from both sides come together and find a compromise that is mutually beneficial for ALL the people of our country.

Oh, so you defend George Bush? His presidency is so controversial even the Republican Party did not invite him to this year’s GOP convention… huh…

How soon do we forget that America is a nation of immigrants, a mélange of cultures and spiritual faiths. If you have a problem with that notion then you are living in the wrong country.

Do you know what the fundamental problem with the Republican Party is? Their voice is fed and led by irrational, Bible thumping crazies that do not care about the poor minorities that are part of the backbone of this great nation. I am not talking about the deadbeats that republicans say lay around doing drugs and buying cigs with their food stamps. I am talking about the social services and help that is available for victims of hurricane Sandy; People do lose their jobs, their homes and their dignity and it is not because of Obama fueled laziness. I think I would shoulder more blame on greedy corporate America. I agree it is not a perfect system but you have to be a team and not a tyrant.  You have to have compassion for those less fortunate and put systems in place that protect spiritual freedom, minorities and women.

Crazy nut bag case in point:

Ted Nugent’s Tweets in regard to Obama winning the Presidency: “Pimps whores & welfare brats & their soulless supporters have a president to destroy America. What subhuman varmint believes others must pay for their obesity booze cellphones birthcontrol abortions & lives. Goodluk America u just voted for economic & spiritual suicide. Soulless fools”.

Donald Trump called for a “revolution.” Former “SNL” cast member Victoria Jackson said “America died.” And born-again Christian actor Stephen Baldwin tweeted that God’s wrath is now upon the U.S.  Really?

These people are crazy… They think their God is superior, that all poor people are abusing our social services and that our country lacks a soul. Who do you think is really going to go to hell? Fortunately for them, I do not believe in hell…

Now, I know many fine, compassionate republicans. Most of my family is republican and though there are some political differences there is not this type of crude, cold indifference I see from these fringe crazies. The problem is these people like Rick Santorum, Paul Broun,Todd Akin and Ted Nugent have the loudest voices – BECAUSE THEY ARE CRAZY! People that are crazy have loud voices. These people are afraid of blacks on the street; Mexicans spilling over the border. Do you know who you should be afraid of?  The crazies in your political party like Sarah Palin and Michael Bachmann.

Just word of advice to the Republican Party: Let moderation be your loudest voice. Guess, what, whites are not the majority anymore. If you have a problem with that, then you are racist. Jesus is not the only path to Salvation and religion should not be a benchmark for people’s fundamental rights. If you are that pious, go start a Quaker colony in Siberia.  America is changing and if the Republican Party does not wake up, they will never see the oval office again. Here is an idea: Maybe break the Republican Party into two new parties; one for the sane moderates and another for the insane nut bags… Tea bags?

When people in Georgia are writing in Charles Darwin instead of voting for a right-wing reborn Christian, you know something is not right…

I like this country… I like having political parties that work together and settle their differences. Like like democrats and republicans… By the way, I may have voted for Colin Powell or Condi Rice; even Chris Christie – all moderate Republicans… but Romney was the best you could do? Don’t be mad at the country, be mad at yourself…

John C. Bader

www.responsiveuniverse.com

BTW: Getting political does not sell books…  …but in my defense, I do not write self-help books for the money. I write them with the genuine effort to help people who want to be helped. If that means I am a democrat then so be it…

article and image source

Ask an unassuming 10 year old?

Okay, this may or may not be interesting… Most of you know who I am and what I represent. I am the author of the Responsive Universe; I have studied Buddhism and philopshy, I meditate daily and I am happy my vote counted in the US Presidential Election.

I have a ten-year old son who has been raised in a very liberal household. We do not live in a godless home but we do not preach that Jesus is our savior and we do not attend church. We celebrate Christmas but it is more about a celebration of lights and giving – I guess we are pagans? No seriously, I try to emulate Buddhist ideals including the law of karma. My son has never been baptized and neither have I.

I thought it would be fun to ask some lofty questions to a child whose mind has been preserved from religious dogma and other trappings. Here we go….

Dad: What is the definition of God?

Son: Isn’t it some guy that sits up in the clouds…

 

Dad: What does this God up in the clouds do?

Son: He waters the plants with rain… “jokingly”

 

Dad: Do you believe that or do you think science explains why rain falls from the heavens above?

Son: I believe science explains a lot everyday in school…

 

Dad: Do you believe in Hell?

Son: Is that the hot fiery place? No, I do not believe in Hell but I do believe in the Center of the Earth…

 

Dad: Do you believe in Heaven?

Son: Is that the place up in the clouds? Huh, I am not sure – ask the pilots who fly planes…

 

Dad: What are churches for?

Son: They build them so they can ring the bells up in the towers…

 

Dad: Who is Buddha?

Son: He is the guy that has his hands hidden in his sleeves and is bald…

 

Dad: Who is Jesus?

Son: He is the guy who likes to hang on crosses…

 

Granted a couple of these answers had me laughing hysterically….

I am sure this little question and answer session would make a reborn Christian gasp in anger. Sorry about that… Still, I think it is interesting how a child assimilates answers when they have been raised in a home sans of religion. My son is the most kind and gentle kid ever. He knows compassion, right from wrong and especially love and respect without any dogmatic religious teachings. I am preserving his mind so that when he is an adult he can make these decisions himself – if he wants to…

When the question of death or an afterlife comes up I have explained we are all energy changing form – never to be destroyed. I explained that God is the Universe – an instinctual energy that connects us at sublime levels and quantum physics sheds light on this subject – This is when I realize he is not even paying attention to me.

 

John C. Bader

www.responsiveuniverse.com

 

The Great Ego Paradox

I have stumbled upon a fundamental paradox on the road to enlightenment. I have studied Buddhism extensively over the years – even took formal classes – so of course I sometimes use the yardstick of Buddhism when applicable in my ongoing self-evolution. Yet it seems with any religious dogma, no matter how refreshing, there are still flaws in how it relates to us in the present.

The main focus of Buddhism is connecting to our True Self or True Nature (as I like to term it). There are three inseparable qualities to True Nature: Space, our boundless vision of the Universe, mind and surroundings; our clarity or awareness that arises from that space; and our responsiveness to that awareness which illustrates that all thoughts and emotions are merely distortions of our True Nature. In Buddhism we are told to treat all thoughts and emotions equal. In doing so, it keeps the pendulum of energy and experience from swinging too far into self gratifying bliss or the opposite, pain and suffering. In essence we are asked to find a middle ground in how we interpret our thoughts and emotions so we are balanced – only then can the indestructible quality of our existence arise from the ashes of ego and false-self.

The paradox is this: How would we know where the middle ground is without already knowing the extreme opposites of bliss and suffering. We need to have a matrix in place that takes in consideration all facets: bliss as it relates to our false-self, suffering as it relates to our false-self and this elusive middle ground called enlightenment. When we are born, society hands us our ego. True the ego is not found in the womb – it is society that molds an ego but much like the concept of Hell, the ego is manmade and in order to socially evolve it is a necessary function in our lives. Much like Hell which does not transcend humans and earth – humans create Hell through our own actions – there is this fundamental concept of right and wrong that facilitates such discussions about Hell. Likewise, there is a fundamental connection between ego and our true self (True Nature). It is true that most Buddhists would contend that the ego is not a part of us – it is merely a distortion.  Still, even distortions are tangible evidence of who we are. When we look in a mirror, that image may be a distortion of our true self – a mirrored copy that is not real, but still it is rather difficult to deny that this image is not us. As stated in an earlier blog, we need the ego to evolve so that we can first reach the necessary milestones in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: The ego and our basic instincts feed subsistence strategies, love and warmth for example; only then can we begin to tackle self-actualization at the apex of self-directed growth. So, the ego is necessary in our early development as humans yet it is ironic how it becomes our enemy as we mature into adults.

The concept of an ego is in itself a yardstick in societal evolution. Whether we need the ego or not is really not the point – the ego exists whether we like it or not. The focus is not to say we do not need the ego but to acknowledge that it exists and then separate its facilities within our mind – make space for it so that when thoughts and emotions arise we can distinguish which ones are proactive to our evolution and development and which ones are merely there to create false-self and ultimately suffering. We cannot deny the ego but must find awareness for its power – the ego helped build a crude but necessary foundation in our human evolution. Now in the search for enlightenment, the key is to limit its authority and power so that true authentic empowerment can arise from within.

John C. Bader

www.responsiveuniverse.com