this brings to mind Jung's 4 stages of life

[warning...I believe Jung's use of "ego" is very different than Tom's, perhaps someone better read in this can provide an explanation]

quote link provided below
"1- Childhood: The structuring of the Ego

In this time period the ego emerges from the Self much in the evolutionary way that eyes, as brain tissue, once emerged from the brain. This is a period of narrowing the vast archetypal nature of the Self into a workable structure for the incarnate ego.

2- Adolescence and Early Adulthood: Seeking experience to confirm belief system

....(1) the attenuation of parental bonds, (2) the war of the generations, (3)the activation of the sexual affectional system, and (4) the initiation of the adult role.

3- Adulthood and Mid-life: Reclaiming Yourself: Understanding who you wish to be

.... these are the most critical and influential years of one existence. Regardless how you have come to this point, somewhere between 35 and 50 a window of opportunity opens. The children have been raised or opportunities for them have passed. Your ability to manage and survive in society have been established if by nothing else by the fact that you are still here and have some ability, even if it is very small, to self reflect. You have a vast array of experiences from which to draw. These include successes, failures, close calls, peak experiences, black holes, new romances, lost loves, etc. From these experiences it becomes your task to sort through the material to see the patterns so that you may now consciously choose how you wish to proceed from here.

...To those who do choose this awakening, we allow our ego to expand and reclaim the repressed images that were appropriately put on hold in stage two. We begin to understand the experiences of stages one and two as launching pads for the variety of tasks that lie ahead. For this stage to be fully successful we must be willing to bring into question the very axiomatic pillars on which we have built our personalities. We must challenge our relationships, our definition of family, our conceptions of deities, etc. That is not to say that all of these things must change, rather that they must be challenged to see if they fit my intuitive sense of who I am. This often does create what appears to the outside to be a crisis, but more appropriately put, it is a re-birthing.

4- Maturity & Wisdom: Alignment with my Self and preparation for death

This is the final stage of life. In this stage there is really nothing left to prove. It is more a stage of refinement and preparation to bring about the final alignment between the ego and Self axes. "

quoted from
http://jungian.info/Library.cfm?idsLibrary=29

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Does this PMR make my butt look big?

Nobody really knows what became of him. I personally believe he's no long around in this PMR... but, I guess only time will really tell.


Getting stuck on the beauty of one particular vista... yeah, that's probably a good way to describe where I was not too long ago. LoL

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http://unlimitedboundaries.ca/

Hey, that's what I'm stuck on, the beauty of one particular 360 degree vista. Thanks you guys.
Love
Bette

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All That Is
what is?
Consciousness.

Thamks Randy,
Very interesting, and this does seem to apply.

2 other things keep popping into my head in relationship to this subject:
Bob Marley said "Once a man and twice a child"
and Jesus said "you must become like these little children"

another interesting: http://books.google.com/books?id=EhSPb8 ... &q&f=false

Not that I am in any way pushing religion, as such, but more in the way of data. :-)

peace
patrick

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peace
patrick

That "once a man, twice a child" to me says we come in with clarity of freedom of Belief Systems, and if we do it for long enough, experience and process, we leave with clarity of freedom of Belief Systems.
Love
Bette

_________________
All That Is
what is?
Consciousness.

I just thought that it was a folk saying like the riddle: What walks on 4 legs in the morning, 2 legs at noon and 3 legs at night. i. e. crawling, walking as a man and using a cane in old age. Except this means reverting to childhood in your old age as in can't take care of yourself.

Ted

Though it seems obvious on the surface, it recently struck me that taking part in another being's potential devolution while we are aware of such potential is to devolve ourselves. In other words, as our awareness, understanding, and decision space increase so does our responsibility to make universally "good" choices. Of course as we grow at the being level such "choices" are often times part of our natural intent. The choice feedback cycle continues though allowing direct experience. One might have gotten away with a specific choice 20 years (or 200 lifetimes) ago, but with an expanded understanding and awareness... that choice probably won't cut it anymore.

So yea, it seems that encouraging the potential devolution of another is to (in most cases) throw a wrench in the system and is interfering with the free will of another. This would seem to be a very poor choice indeed. The opposite of course is to put other before self and to try and encourage evolution without interfering with free will. It is interesting that with many "bigger" picture findings and ideas (ie: Michael Newton, et all) we evolve toward becoming teachers, guides, helpers, etc. That might say a little something about big picture "good"and "bad" choices.

Just some comments in passing.

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-"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find... you get what you need"

It seems to me, that last fifty years, and especially last ten years, have been a time of opening of new reality for much more people, than it was in previous times. As a result, refreshing of old legacy is speeding up, and a new awareness is coming along with it. Indigo children, New Age, if you agree with their idea or not, development of human psychology, Krishnamurti, Sri Aurobindo, Robert Monroe, Thomas Campbell, and others. I don't think, that 6 billions ++++ will be able to attained new awareness, but those who are on a borderline will be nudged by the System to wake up and pay attention to close by changes and those, that are far away. This is a process, and it is here, and we are not only witnessing it, but we are its active participants.

Of course level of a new awareness is and will differ, but we can observe now some serious changes in Middle East, Africa, USSR and its allies are gone... A fear of consequences of earthquake in Japan already divided people. Paranoia is as much a contagious disease, as plague, typhoid fever or small pox. A lot of people on a west coast are absorbed by their fear. I have read other BBs, and one can smell fear in the air. Information is traveling around the world in no time, and media is pushing it on everyone with the immense intensity. Rapid changes are here, and of course one can ignore them, pretending, that this is not his problem. It means, that one is not ready, and it is all right. I don't think these changes are bad or good, what one makes of these changes is important for one's growth and development. This is not easy time. Think why did you chose to live through this? You wanted to be changed, and you wanted to become a change, and this is your free will at work.

Lena

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'Real knowledge is to know the extent of ones ignorance.' Confucius.

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Does this PMR make my butt look big?

Lena,
I certainly do agree with you. This is a time of transition. And there is a wave of consciousness spreading over the earth. Tom speaks of this new age as the information age. And just like the transition to the "Industrial age" there will be growing pains and feedback. But tom always speaks of the importance of "living gracefully with uncertainty", This is the key (in my opinion). We may not be able to teach what people are unwilling to learn. And we may not be able to guide those that are not open to guidance. But we can love them no matter what they do. We can choose to love them (without controlling them) no matter what path they take. We can have compassion for them when they choose a course that we feel will lead them directly to "suffering". Compassion will be needed in abundance.
You are correct about fear being a disease as well. It is a "soul sickness" The source of the sickness is selfishness. Selfishness IS the dis - ease. and it is VERY contagious. Fear is also a manipulation tool. some people will choose fear as a justification for "rightious anger", hate, and war. Fear and selfishness has now reached epidemic proportions. The Hopi Indian prophecies talk about "Many people dropping dead from their own fear".
The good news is that Love is also contagious. We can choose what we spread. We can choose to spread love. We can only control ourselves, and live "gracefully with uncertainty" Now is a great time for us to "become the changes we wish to see in others".

Love is the answer
Patrick

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LOVE is the answer

peace
patrick

This is the best part of that link

Along with the 4 noble truths and the eightfold path, the 6 perfections :

In Tibetan Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is anyone who is motivated by compassion and seeks enlightenment not only for him/herself but also for everyone...
Becoming a Bodhisattva is a huge step in helping not only yourself, but also every other sentient being, both seen and unseen. Most people are self-motivated and work primarily to solve their own problems, keeping others a distant second. Should someone do an act of kindness, repayment is generally expected whether in the form of a thank you and/or further praise.

A Bodhisattva is motivated by pure compassion and love. Their goal is to achieve the highest level of being: that of a Buddha. Bodhisattva is a Sanskrit term which translates as: Bodhi [enlightenment] and sattva [being]. And their reason for becoming a Buddha is to help others. The Bodhisattva will undergo any type of suffering to help another sentient being, whether a tiny insect or a huge mammal. In Shakyamuni Buddha's 'Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 Lines' it states: "I will become a savior to all those beings, I will release them from all their sufferings." If this sounds familiar to anyone not acquainted with Buddhism, then you only need to think of the example of Jesus Christ, a true Bodhisattva.

When someone first enters the way of the Bodhisattva, they develop Bodhicitta, or, mind of enlightenment. Even as a person strives towards such an exalted goal, they feel as though they are limited by the fact that they, too, are suffering. So that they can be of aid to others, they decide to become Buddhas for a Buddha is capable of unlimited compassion and wisdom. Also, Buddhas are able to relate to all others at whatever level is needed. To those of lesser intelligence, a Buddha will use simpler words; and to those of great intelligence, a Buddha can explain answers in a more exalted language.

By entering the Bodhisattva way, the mind must become enlightened. And so the training begins by generating the 6 Perfections.

The 6 Perfections:

The 6 Perfections are: 1] generosity, 2] ethics, 3] patience, 4] effort, 5] concentration, and 6] wisdom.

Generosity - How does one become more generous? Is it possible to rid oneself of materialistic tendencies, selfishness and a desire to want to be kind to others and give to those who lack? Being able to provide for people by starting a business and then hiring those who need jobs would be profitable not only for yourself but for those who were previously unemployed. Volunteering your time and talents to those who need them is also a way of cultivating generosity. To share Buddhist teachings so people are able to help themselves and in turn, others, is the finest gift you can offer. You have created a positive ripple effect. The ripples of the teachings will travel far and wide to allow many to be assisted.


The attitude behind your generosity is of the utmost importance; giving with anger or the desire for payment isn't a good motivation. But if you have a humble motivation to help, then you're on your way to become a Bodhisattva.

Ethics - Knowing the basic difference between right and wrong is imperative to generating the 6 Perfections. To practice the perfection of ethics means to refrain from doing harm to yourself and all those around you. Killing, sexual misconduct, consuming harmful substances such as alcohol or drugs, being deceitful, and using abusive language must be avoided. All harmful actions are caused by a mind that harbors them, therefore it's highly important to be mindful of all your thoughts.

Patience - A lack of patience is prevalent in today's society and this will change if we want to evolve into a Bodhisattva. Patience is the antidote to anger. In Chandrakirti's 'Supplement to the Middle Way' he writes: "It makes us ugly, leads to the unholy, and robs us of discernment to know right from wrong." When we become angry, our body stiffens, our blood pressure rises, our breathing is impaired, as is our reason. Far too many people languish in prisons due to a few seconds when they went out of control and their anger harmed someone. Anger directed at oneself can result in suicide. Anger causes wars of all sizes.

Patience creates a joyousness within us. Our features become relaxed and we can look many years younger. We are then tolerant and happy and much further along the path of becoming a Bodhisattva.

Effort - Enthusiastic effort is necessary if you want to achieve anything, but for something as noble and challenging as joining the ranks of the Bodhisattvas, effort is definitely a requirement. Who doesn't want their efforts repaid instantly? However, the way of the Bodhisattva is arduous and requires virtues that many of us currently lack. Laziness is a huge fault that curtails effort. Tomorrow never comes so your effort is needed NOW!

Concentration - Developing a calm mind through meditation will sharpen our concentration. Being able to focus single-pointedly on one object with a non-wavering mind will be a great advantage. The calm-abiding mind develops clairvoyance and abilities to heal ourselves and others. When radiating inward and outward calm, you'll become like a lighthouse in a stormy night. You'll inspire others with your strong mental capabilities and they in turn will want the inner peace that you have found for yourself. Concentration is a form of mindfulness. This means that when you pay unwavering attention to what you're doing, you avoid many frustrations. Lack of mindfulness in the kitchen might result in burning a casserole, which not only wasting the ingredients, but twice as much time will be spent cleaning up the mess. Not practicing mindfulness when driving causes accidents. As Lama Tsong Khapa writes in his 'Summary of the Stages of the Path': "Concentration is a king with dominion over the mind, once placed, immovable like the king of mountains."

Wisdom - Wisdom is the root of all great qualities we can cultivate in this life. As the Sixth Perfection, it is the total of the other five. Meditation on wisdom is essential for entering into the stages of being a Bodhisattva. Buddhist texts emphasize two vital subjects when it comes to knowledge""selflessness and impermanence. Everything changes constantly. One day you leave work at 5:30, the next day it's 5:45. Nothing is fixed; it's variable. As for selflessness, we must first discover the location of the self. Is it in the body? If so, where""the mind? The physical world and all living beings are created by the mind. As we are the results of our past actions, so is the world we live in. Since there are places on earth that are like heaven, those areas where so much virtue has settled that people travel great distances to see such wonderful locations. Conversely, the hellish regions are dense accumulations of non-virtue and evil thrives there, keeping people captive to the negative states of consciousness.

To become a Bodhisattva is to be fearless. There is no aversion for those who are hostile and there is no obsessive clinging to those who are closest to us. There is no possessiveness, only love, compassion and discernment into the nature of reality.

Santideva, the 8th century Bodhisattva wrote a book entitled 'Bodhisattvacharyavatara,' which is one of the most important texts that students of Tibetan Buddhism study. The title has been translated into 'A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life' and is written in verse form. While there are only 10 chapters, dealing with the 6 perfections as well as developing the spirit of awakening, in chapter 10, verse 55 the entire essence of the meaning of Bodhisattva is beautifully expressed:

"For as long as space endures

And for as long as living beings remain,

Until then may I too abide

To dispel the misery of the world."



peace
patrick

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LOVE is the answer

peace
patrick

it appears that old age is the system's last ditch attempt to destroy any residual ego that earlier-life attempts failed to vaporize

the greater the power, beauty, wealth and comfort of youth, the greater the adjustment, especially for those with the mixed blessing of longevity and lucidity.

from a big physics POV, perhaps an unexpected heart attack in the middle of the night at age 65 is the way to go, in order to avoid the consciousness enhancing "pleasures" of old age.

contrarily, for those with reduced ego and nothing left to prove, old age should be a target rich environment for useful data.

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Does this PMR make my butt look big?

So being a Bodhisattva, and having ADHD don't work very well together I'd say. Concentration is an issue. :)
Love
Bette

_________________
All That Is
what is?
Consciousness.

I would say that none of our neurological conditions have anything to do with Bodhisattvahood. Bodhissattvahood is a function of entropy level and QoC of the being which Buddhist metaphysics tries to describe as the concepts and terminology briefly stated above. A Bodhisattva can incarnate as anything and under any condition for the benefit of all, this being the nature of the Bodhisattva. The neurological and other 'problems' are PMR based. Note the parallel between Bodhisattvahood and a highly evolved, low entropy IUOC incarnating for the benefit of the CS.

Ted

parallel noted,


great clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JBQPCHHK0Q




peace

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LOVE is the answer

peace
patrick