Intention Affirmations

~ I intend to make an amend to myself this day.
~ I propose to identify an amend I desire to make to myself this month.
~ I am ready to learn to treat my forearms with greater care and gentleness here
~ I intend to give abundant time and energy to satisfying a worthy desire if mine here and now.
~ Desire is an important motivator of mine right here.
~ I intent right here to avoid being motivated by fear.
~ I am ready, willing and able to learn to act promptly in face of my fear here and now.
~ I intend to judge myself with mercy this month.
~ I intend to act promptly enough on a well considered insight right here.
~ I intend to take note of a contact with the best within me right now.
~ I am improving my inner home this moment.
~ I am ready. willing, and able to practice praising myself this winter.
~ I seek to praise myself a bit more right now.
~ I propose to simplify my life right here.
~ I am ready, willing, and able to learn to acknowledge that I am in the midst of a significant situation right now.
~ I am read, willing, and able to learn to know that I am the responsible source of my situation now.

I Affirm

~ I am ready, willing, and able to learn to aim to eat here and now only when I am in a state of peace and good appetite
~ I propose to better know what it means to feed my spirit here and now.
~ I choose to earn a bit more income this week.
~ I propose to benefit a bit more by scheduling my time a bit better here.
~ I choose good doings here and now.
~ I propose to consider the pertinent facts right now.
~ I propose to allow myself good cheer and enthusiasm today.
~ I am willing to be where I feel energized today.
~ I am ready, willing, and able to to learn to treat myself with love and respect this day.
~ I am ready, willing and able to acknowledge that I prefer active, face to face dialogue this week.
~ I nurture useful and productive conversation right here.
~ I propose to progress to better understanding here and now.
~ I am ready, willing, and able to learn to consider now what it means to progress to better understanding.
~ I am ready, willing, and able to learn to eat plenty of fresh vegetables now.
~ I propose to benefit today by by taking a step beyond the step beyond this day.
~ I am willing to observe myself taking a step beyond the step beyond.
~ I am ready to learn to consider how I am creative here.

Prefect and Progress

To progress and perfect we act.

Is it wrong to do less and less until all is done?

My Posts

Hello kind reader,

You may have noticed that I have been posting less than usual.

I Intend to post more and better in the future.

For now, however, I'll be posting even less.

I am preparing to travel again and expect to be our if the country for several months. I may head for Southeast Asia first. Wonder how long it will take to learn Burmese and Vietnamese. Probably not much linger that it will take to learn Malay and Cambodian.

As I remember it took me about 30 years to learn to defend myself in Spanish. Well, back to posting.

Once I get somewhere, I intend to tell you where I am and then begin to post on topics which interest me and I think might interest you. When you tell me in "comments' below what interests you I find it easier to post on that which interests you.

Visitors to These Posts

The largest numbers of recent viewers of Exoteric posts have come from the following countries: 
Germany,
France,
Russia,
Ukraine,
Latvia!

What happened to the Canadians and the Irish? 

"Word"

Years ago A number of good people took classes with me using email. A popular class was called "Word."  You may be old enough to remember the "It Pays to Increase Your Word Power" feature in the magazine Readers Digest. "Word" was a just a bit like that feature. "Word" was about definition, meaning, mind, understanding, power, and the like.

The sixty or so students interested in "Word" were of a variety of backgrounds and ages. Ages ranged from the early twenties to the  late seventies with a couple of outliers.

'Love' was a popular word among nearly all of  students. Those email lessons were not love letters, but they were sent with the aim of respectfully nurturing their readers.

Recently while thinning my archives I looked at a transcript of a "Word" lesson that was largely my response to  student responses to an earlier 'love' "Word."

I had been please by enthusiastic student response. Nearly every response mentioned feelings, but nit one mentioned emotions! There was a wide variety of takes on those feelings and their relevance. Most students agreed that there were two or more kinds of love. Words used often were: I, ego, personal, help, action, and sex. No one mentioned drugs or rock and roll. Neither did anyone mention dominance, submission, nurturence, lust, fear, God, mother, child, wife, husband, or country! Go figure. They did mention pleasure and pleasant, but not joy. I remember that nearly every one noted kinds of love without being specific, Some mentioned parts of love with out being specifying any one part. No one mentioned Christ, Jesus or the Bible. All this may say more about student attitude toward email and me than anything else.

I mention these happenings with the thought that I may post on words in the future. 'Agape' may be among those words. Any other suggestions.

Ancient Teachings on Work

There are ancient teachings about work which suggest the following:

Restraint from making monetary gain the principle aim of work has long been considered good for one and those near one.Seeking work that is right for non is the better principle aim. The one practicing such restraint is to be considered a wise and knowing lover of creation. "Right" is right to your best understanding of the day. "Creation" includes the creativity you practice in your rightful work. 

Your practice of rightful work is part of the worshiping and loving in your life. Your rightful work is done by and for you. By making a work rightfully yours, you engage in the good practice of responsible self rule.

The whole self that you cultivate by right work moves you toward the good of loving all. 

Practices which can move you toward rightful work include:
~ aim to recogniz that whih pleases and satisfies you,
~ take time to sit in a quiet and pleasant spot, there let the unity of all enter,
~ be moderate, be moderate in eating, resting, action, and sleep,
~ rest in that which comes up in meditation,
~ be grateful to curb your more compelling desires again.  

'Reality'

The words 'acceptance,' "accepting,' 'accept' are words I closely associate with the word 'reality.'

Discernment

Few look for truth. Call it reality and fewer find it.

Words like earth, water, flame, air, mind, and individuality may point a way to truth. Words like solid, liquid, plasma, substance, me, and energy may help one to better imagine reality. Still words are imperfect tools.

It can help to consider laws of creation and fecundity.

Observing our observing and the operation of our senses helps.

Those who come closest to reality and truth have been said to be of four sorts: he who weeps, the man who yearns to know, he who toils to help, he who sits certain of enlightenment. (sitting in active meditation)

Others are misled by language. Pairs of opposites such as 'like' and 'dislike' lead them astray. They are bewildered by pairs of opposites. 

Love and faith can help one through the days in contentment. 
 .

Considerations of Work

~ Where ids the virtue in the renunciation of action? Is doing less and less until all is done still doing?

~ Is there a man who has found, or who finds, bliss in doing what he knows to be his duty? I bet there is.

~ Let each man play his part in all he finds to do. It seems a kind of freedom.

~ Isn't the bliss in the doing, rather than in the results? Is there no virtue in the doing?

~ Satisfaction and serenity can be found in the effort as much as in the results of the effort. 

~ Each in his chosen work, and who does not choose, may learn to govern his heart and untangle his observations.

~ What is the virtue in work? Might attainment through meditation hold as much virtue as gathering potatoes for ones family? Lots to consider.


One may consider each as a door to a kind of meditation..

Comment Policy

I expect to reject comments with commercial links.

Imperfect Affirmations

~ I am ready, willing, and able to learn to refocus now.
~ I am ready, willing, and able to learn to be this season. 
~ I am ready, will, and able to let myself be in the right place now.
~ I am ready, willing and able to learn to honor my parents appropriately now.
~ I am ready to love appropriately now.
~ I am ready, willing and able to learn to expect friendship now.
~ I am ready and willing to practice seeing true sanity here and now.
~ I am ready and willing to practice experiencing true abundance here and now.
~ I propose to expect the best right now.
~ I propose to let the best come to me right here.
~ I propose to approach the best right here.
~ I am ready, willing and able to learn to note and area of my discomfort now.
~ I expect to be very honest with myself now.
~ My preconscious gives me more useful vision now.
~ I am ready and willing to learn to inquire a bit more deeply now.
~ I am ready, willing and able to to learn to let myself be honored this season.
~ I am ready, willing, and able to let myself be celebrated this here and now.

Character

"Character" has a variety of meanings; many built around the etching of your stamp.

Here are a few of the 'talking points' about how it was for a significant number of your ancestors:
~ Those in their formative years were taught that character was about who they were,who they were becoming, and their quality as a person.
~ Persons from about nine to nineteen might be given books about character building.
~ Graduation speeches were often about character.
~ Many sermons dealt with character.
~ One of the great jobs of youth was character building.
~ Good character was a prize of great worth.
~ It was about what your spine was made of.
~ Ir was about goodness and virtue.
~ The main part of character was that part subject to will and learning.
~ Ir was about what you did with your attributes, traits, and abilities.
~ It was about true grit.
~ Ir was about your moral and ethical strength, your integrity.
~ In part it was about your reputation.
~ You were distinguished by your character.
~ A person of good character my be brave, clean, and reverent, or competent and dependable.
~ What, for you, are the marks of good character? Honesty is high on my list. 
~ What have the great teachers of mankind said about character?

Studs Terkle

He has gone to "a better place." Hope he raises some thoughtful and kind hell there.

He's dead. He's missed.

He had balls and brains.

Does the Chicago Historical Society care which was Jewish and which was Polish

Affirmations

What do you know about "affirming?" What would you like to know? What would you like others to know? What would you like to see me do with my affirmations? What do you do with yours?

~ I am getting in touch with another feeling of mine this month.
~ I am ready and willing to learn to better remember what it means to be in touch with a feeling here.
~ My hopes are rising more appropriately here.
~ I seek to cause excellence around me this season.
~ I seek to do less and less until all is done.
~ I propose to have an abundance of good doings here and now.
~ I am ready, willing, and able to learn to give myself abundant joy here and now.
~ I choose to have more realistic expectations right now.
~ I propose to enjoy my world right here.
~ I don't have to do anything right here.
~ I propose to remember that I don't have to do anything right here.
~ I propose to decide to do it right here.
~ I expect to make it happen right here.
~ I propose to discover the source and cause of my problem right here.
~ I intend to appropriately trust the best available advice appropriately now.
~ I intend to get the best available advice outside of myself right here.

Affirmations You May Use Too

~ I intend to experiment with a new way of acting upon my life right here and right now.
~ I am beginning to see a more interesting path now.
~ I am beginning to see another way to go right here.
~ I intend to see my way clearly this season.
~ I propose to find and look down a pleasant path right here and right now.
~ I see great paths and ways this week.
~ I am ready, willing, and able to learn ro demonstrate love for myself here and now.
~ I am ready, willing, and able to learn to forgive myself here and now.
~ I propose to be good to myself this month.
~ I am ready and willing to learn to be gentle with myself now.
~ I propose to better protect myself from loud amplified sound right here and right now.
~ I am ready, willing, and able to learn now to appropriately include myself in my focus on the here and now.
~ I intend to take better care of myself right here.
~ I am ready and willing to learn to better observe my behavior now.
~ I intend to lovingly act in my own best interest right here.
~ I practice the best right here.
~ I propose to learn to recognize the best around me now.

Self Awareness

I like the idea of participating in reality.

My understanding is limited.

My senses are limited.

There are times during which I act with care, energy, and enthusiasm.

I'd like to understand more.

What I see at this moment is not true to our best understanding.

I have a world that exists in my mind.

I believe in a world outside of my mind that will exist when my mind does not.

I expect to change and grow.

I think that is good to act in accord with my best understanding.

I believe in reality within me and around me.

I could use some help to become a better student.

I encourage the development of my awareness.
 

Good

It is good to:

~ cultivate a happy disposition, a happy mood;

~ accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative;

~ be alert to much and to focus on the best;

~ take care of fear promptly and to let it go;

~ be willing to be happy;

~ attend a bit more to strength, beauty, joy;

~ take care in speech and thought;

~ us the best word I can;

~ be aware of the facts as one focuses on love, cheerfulness, gladness, hopefulness;

~ deepen ones understanding of the words one uses; 

~ so order ones speech that each word one say should be the highest truth one knows;

~ avoid slang;

~ Know that right speech is the forerunner of right conduct;

~ Know that by attending to ones speech the action of ones life tends to purification;

~ breathe tranquilly;

~ seek knowledge, skill, truth, understanding;

~ learn to do ones work;

~ act;

~ do;

~ master doing;

~ become able;

~ let life be beautiful.

Christians

For most Christians an important part of the Bible are the New Testament words of Jesus.

According to a Bible I  looked into recently, the most important words of Jesus are in what the publisher calls "The great Commandment."

The Apostle Mark calls it the "First Commandment,"  which is closely followed in important by the "Second Commandment." It appears to be Jesus Himself who says, "There are no other Commandments greater than these."

These two greatest of Commandments are about love. Love seems to be a big deal for Jesus. It seems that the Greeks who wrote out thees Commandments had about half a dozen ways to write 'love;' each with a different meaning  The Greeks  selected one of them to use for the Word Jesus used. The Greeks were a discriminating  people as Jesus was a discriminating being. What meaning do you believe is meant in the Bible?

It is important to many Christians to give the words of the New Testament careful attention.

Looking at the first of these Greatest of Commandments, I see that the word 'thy' is used. 'Thy' refers to that which is your very own, but i contains much more meaning that that. It also means that which is familiar and friendly. More, it refers to that in which you trust and confide.

An important part of that First Commandment says, as I remember, "Love thy god with thy whole heart soul, mind, strength." That use of 'thy' suggests to me that Jesus thought that you have your very own God who is a familiar fried to you, in whom you can trust and confide. It also suggest that Jesus believed that you have heart, soul, mind that you can trust and learn how to use.

Jesus, it seems to me, said that one of the most important of ones doings is to love that very own God of yours. I'm pretty sure that does not mean that you should hug and kiss him, and take him to bed. I think that it means to love him a bit in the way his mother, Mary, loved Him. The love that Jesus speaks of seems to me to be about nurturing an supporting, and a helping to mature and thrive. I can figure how I might do that for my enemy or my neighbor. I'm not sure how to love a god or the God.  One can want the best for God. One might cooperate with Good. One can make a effort to get to know Him and his laws, and to be good followers of those  laws. God might find such cooperation loving. One can try.

Jesus, I believe, commands us to love our enemies. I don't thing that Jesus wants us to support are enemies in their efforts  against or to strengthen their ability to defeat us. He dose not want our
enemies to be strong successful enemies. I think that what he more probably wants is for us to help them be more successful human beings who we can trust in familiarity and friendship. Jesus seems to have thought that the good and goodness are important parts of love. We have a lot to learn

The second of the top two Commandments is the one I have found most useful to me. That's the one that says, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self." To me it provides direction for good living. Here and now   I've just a few hints about its usefulness.

To me it suggests that it is very important for me to know myself. It suggests that I ought to be clear about how I love myself.  It tells me that the better I am able to love myself the more successfully I may love another. I calls me to learn the nature of self love.

It seems that there were those who were not sure who Jesus meant should be included among our neighbors.  To help them to understand Jesus tells them a story. He has them imagine, as I remember, that they are strangers in a strange land and that we see a person strange to us and to the land. He has us see that the strange is in trouble. He lets us know that we ought help this strange overcome his trouble. He lets us know that such a 'stranger' is to be included among the neighbors we love as we love ourselves.

To me, it seems that Jesus directs those sense to widen and deepen their  understanding of: love, self, neighbor, enemy, God, heart, mind, trust, ....

The Wrong Choice

The fear of making a wrong choice sometimes seems greater than the fear of physical pain. It may be interesting to reconsider the meaning of 'choice' and of 'wrong.' At some point it may be interesting to reconsider the nature of 'fear' too.

We ought to know quite a bit about 'wrong' already; weren't we taught right from wrong long ago? It wasn't so very long ago that I learned that 'to wrong another' was to treat them unjustly. Some of us were told long years ago, "You are wrong." When what was meant was "You do wrong." The fact may have been that 'you momentarily acted imperfectly.'

Wrong" means something like twisted or awry. Opposite to twisted or awry might be straight, right, and true.

There seem to be a variety of ways I can by wrong; you to. Let me rephrase that. There are ways we can do wrong or act wrongly for a time. I can do wrong according to my conscience or the conscience of another. I can do wrong according to my morality or the morality of another. I can do wrong according to one law or another.  I can do wrong according to someones truth or fact. I can do that which society deems incorrect. When I choose that which is not needed, intended, or wanted, I may be said to have done wrong. I can be said to have done wrong when what I did was not fitting, suitable, or appropriate. I can be said to do wrong when what I do is not in accord with established usage, method, or procedure. I can learn to recognize a wrong and learn to avoid it.

I am never wrong personified; I don't think you are either.

I can see why making a choice can be fearful. I might make the wrong choice. I can make the wrong choice and become wrong. Oh, I remember; I cannot be defined as wrong. I can learn to do something better.

You may have come across a person who seemed troubled and have asked them, "Whats wrong?" and have had then answer "I don't know." They may have been thinking that they were wrong.

Maybe I'll remember to write of "choice" later.

She Spoke to Me or It's Mostly About Me, Myself, and I

I might even say "she spoke with me." We had a bit of a conversation. She didn't speak to me in Chitano, Spanish, or Mixe. The Chitano speaking people seem to know here best, but she is known widely among the people of Mexico. Her name has been heard in the Vatican.


She spoke to me in excellent English. It did seem a bit 'snipish' at first. I head her voice in my mind rather than through my ears. Our talk took place in my mind, seemed quit real. So real that she seemed to speak in the voice of a bit too haughty teenager.


Chitano is a Zapotecan or oto-manguean language.


The Chitano spoken in Juquila, it seems, is so special that it is often considered a language of its own. Juquila is a center for this special Chitano people. Chitano are few, but they can organize and they can fight. They care for the 'Virgin' and they have fought for her. Chitano are members of UCIRI, a large agricultural cooperative of indigenous people.


In English, she may be called the Virgin of Juquila. I did not call her that, nor did she call me Richard or Mr. Sheehan.


I think that I first heard of her in Oaxaca, Oaxaca. I felt her 'call' to me from that city. Later she told me that she made no such call and that it was unthinkable that she would do so.


From Oaxaca, I took the old road to the coast. I don't remember the village of Juquila, but am pretty sure I spent at least a night there. I do remember the great sanctuary built near Juquila. It was large and so made as to receive large numbers of Pilgrims. I remember offerings piled so large with offerings as to form a mountain made holy by faith. There was a large arch through which I could see the 'celito lindo' and across the valley. I did not feel La de Juquila there so continued on my way to her.


I walked up last the sanctuary and soon came to a humble chapel painted a notable gold-yellow. While I was still a ways from it, a tall dark man, wearing a shirt of color similar to that of the chapel, came out of the back door an pointed to a quebrada. I don't know how he detected my coming. He disappeared back into the chapel. I did not follow him him, but continued on to the quebrada which is where I had been headed.


I expected to find a waterfall and I did. the first appearance of the virgin had been near a small falls.


As I got to the edge of the arroyo, I found rustic stairs leading to a kind of viewing platform of cement and with a wrought-iron balustrade.The vie was not spectacular. Close below was a clear stream with a somewhat muddied bank. I was disappointed to see that there seemed to be some trash lying close to the stream. To my right was a little waterfall coming from a height I could not see. I was in the place I was looking for.


I walked down to the little stream. There I found what I had thought was trash was made up of a few tiny paper offerings. There were also many other little offerings there. They were mostly modeled of clay found near the stream Looking at them closely, I saw that they seem made to represent what their makers wanted. The largest number of them seemed to be modest little houses.


I walked up to the falls and saw no easy path to climb beyond them. I found more offerings in near-by niches. Had I the energy I had felt in earlier years I would have searched out the source of the water.


I walked back up to the little viewing platform and leaned upon its railing. There the talk began.

Samples

We act and act again and the results follow laws we know not.

The words 'Let the results go.' are repeated to us.

Hindoo have taught us to hold lightly to desire for the fruits of our acts.

Buddha taught that the source of our pain is that desire.

Learning is a fine reward. We learn to make our next act more likely to bear fruit.

Learning may move us closer to knowing. What would we know?

Knowledge may purify ones life of fear, anger, and painful longing.

Right knowledge may can protect us from unhealthy extremes of grief, joy, envy.

Right knowledge clarifies our view of reality.

One may profit by meditating, doing, not doing, and undoing.

From time to time there are those who may facilitate ones learning.

One may know oneself to better effect.