Content or not …

Creation of Sandy Wythawai Starbird

After watching the movie, Brad's Status, I'm seeing people in a different way. In this movie, Brad -- played by Ben Stiller -- is dissatisfied with his life. He thinks all his friends are better off than him, in every way. When he sees that they're not really, he decides they're not even his friends, but only pretending. Everyone he meets, he imagines enriching his life, then quickly imagines them using him and throwing him away. He thinks his son is going to Harvard and gets very excited thinking about his success; then he imagines his son making fun of him on national tv and he resents the imagined success. This goes on and on with every situation, until finally someone he has just met calls him on his self-pity. I won't tell you how it ends in case you want to see this film. But I did have the realization that many people I know feel exactly the same way as Brad. What causes some people to be happy with what's right in front of them, and others to want everything to be different? I don't know the cause, but I do know the cure: Gratitude for every little thing you see and do. I think being happy might just be a learned behavior. We tend to think of it as some sort of divine dispensation, but nothing can give you what you do not want. This movie has given me much to ponder. Namaste, my friends ...


"Many theories relative to God and man neither make man harmonious nor God lovable. The beliefs we commonly entertain about happiness and life afford no scatheless and permanent evidence of either. Security for the claims of harmonious and eternal being is found only in divine Science." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 323:5

“Imagined slights, remembered pain, past disappointments, perceived injustices and deprivations all enter into the special relationship, which becomes a way in which you seek to restore your wounded self-esteem. What basis would you have for choosing a special partner without the past? Every such choice is made because of something ‘evil’ in the past to which you cling, and for which must someone else atone.”
A Course in Miracles T-16.VII.1:3-5

What Unites Us

This evening my book club celebrated reading and discussing our 200th book! Our book was one I read in 2021, and I will repeat what I wrote about it then:

Photo of book club circa 2017

Dan Rather’s book, What Unites Us, is one which I highly recommend. He is old enough to remember what life was like in the aftermath of the great depression, times before we had government programs to help people in need, along with the suffering which was thought of as normal. When someone lost their job, it felt like death, because there was not another job to be found. Neighbors would do what they could for each other, and when little Dan asked his mother why they were helping the people across the street (thinking perhaps it was pity which inspired his folks to give) he was told it wasn’t because they felt sorry for them, but because they understood the feeling of being in need. He writes of empathy building community. In the last three decades, I’ve watched our little town band together to help people in every kind of need that you can imagine. I have been the recipient of that kindness more than once, and it has built empathy within me, too. When we don’t blame people for their misfortune, we don’t judge their circumstances, but simply meet their need, whatever it may be. It seems so simple, and it is a beautiful thing to watch in action. I wish everyone in our country could read or listen to this book by Mr. Rather. Good will multiplies exponentially, don’t you think? Let’s go forth and multiply!

“Miracles arise from a mind that is ready for them. By being united this mind goes out to everyone, even without the awareness of the miracle worker himself. The impersonal nature of miracles is because the Atonement itself is one, uniting all creations with their Creator. As an expression of what you truly are, the miracle places the mind in a state of grace. The mind then naturally welcomes the Host within and the stranger without. When you bring in the stranger, he becomes your brother.”

A Course in Miracles T-1.III.7:1-6

“Through divine Science, Spirit, God, unites understanding to eternal harmony. The calm and exalted thought or spiritual apprehension is at peace. Thus the dawn of ideas goes on, forming each successive stage of progress.

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 506:10-14

Ranting and Raving and Forgiving

I went off on a rant today when an old contrarian friend from the west coast called me to question the veracity of a Rumi quote which I often use at the bottom of my emails. With the horror show which is happening within our American democracy, it’s easy to become overwrought. After pontificating for five minutes or so, then rationally talking to him about whatever-the-heck he was asking, I deep cleaned my kitchen. Looking back on this situation, I am recommending to myself (and you) to find physically-demanding outlets for the frustration which builds up knowing what is happening to us. It is heartbreaking. But it also tells me how desperate we the people are for change. More on that another day. For now, I highly recommend the cathartic activity of cleaning …

“Attack is always physical. When attack in any form enters your mind you are equating yourself with a body, since this is the ego’s interpretation of the body. You do not have to attack physically to accept this interpretation. You are accepting it simply by the belief that attack can get you something you want. If you did not believe this, the idea of attack would have no appeal for you. When you equate yourself with a body you will always experience depression. When a child of God thinks of himself in this way he is belittling himself, and seeing his brothers as similarly belittled. Since he can find himself only in them, he has cut himself off from salvation.”

A Course in Miracles T-8.VII.1:1-8

“Should the world’s sin and sorrow round thee rave, Pierce thou the dark with Truth’s undaunted ray, Send out its light of joy to help and save, That more and more shines to the perfect day.”

Christian Science Hymnal Page 172 Verse 3

The Faces of Loneliness

I listen to audiobooks while I do chores and cook, and I’ve heard numerous thought-provoking books. For instance, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. The concepts presented are fascinating. A young 19th-century girl laments her life, wishing she had more freedom, and that she wasn’t being forced into a marriage. She makes a pact with the “old gods”, but she wishes for the wrong thing and ends up living forever, but no one can remember her once she’s out of their sight. The life of isolation she is thrown into is haunting, frightening, and sad. Her plight brings to mind the many present-day people who are lonesome. I listen, trying to understand what brings on their feelings of wistful longing. Or is it even longing? I’m not sure, but I’d like to empathize. Another audiobook, What Alice Forgot, is about a woman who has a head injury and forgets the last ten years of her life. The lack of connection she feels with family and friends is sort of the flip side of Addie’s isolation. It takes my thoughts to different aspects of loneliness and the perceptions associated with this feeling of lack. I heard an interview today with a young man talking about loneliness and the effect it has had on many of his friends. They have become members of violent white nationalist groups because they feel a kinship in banding together against people. Let’s reach out to others, giving a kind word to sad, perhaps frightening, people. We never know when a kind word will change a life …

“The ego thought system must hide our awareness of our oneness in God in order to make the image of having a separate life for ourselves alone appear real to us. In order to experience this false thought system, we must be willing to set up barriers against remembering God’s oneness through denying our natural awareness of Love’s eternal presence. To experience this thought system of separation, we dream up a world where separate bodies rule the universe. In this dream, we, as separate individuals, are the judge of what is real and what is denied. We build up images of a kingdom that we rule alone and God’s oneness is sacrificed.” 

A Course in Miracles, Chapter 26, Section I

“Abiding in Love, not one of you can be separated from me; and the sweet sense of journeying on together, doing unto others as ye would they should do unto you, conquers all opposition, surmounts all obstacles, and secures success.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Miscellaneous Writings Page 137:7-11

Gratitude in Times of Crises

There was an interesting editorial in the Christian Science Monitor which spoke to gratitude in times of crisis. The essay mentioned that gratitude helps put a focus on the good in a situation, dampening fear. It helps people form stronger bonds across borders and through their differences. It encourages generosity. I found it particularly interesting that they referred to expressing appreciation as a kind of reset for thoughts, saying that it allows calm reflective thinking, which is just what we need in order to bring us a healing perspective during these times. These wise words can certainly be applied to many situations in our current atmosphere, don't you think? I'm going to practice this as a way of turning around fearful or defensive thinking when it occurs. If someone is expressing a thought which I find abrasive, I will find something to be grateful for — if not about them in particular, about the situation in general. Whatever the case, I love thinking about gratitude as a "reset"!!

“Through your gratitude you come to know your brother, and one moment of real recognition makes everyone your brother because each of them is of your Father. Love does not conquer all things, but it does set all things right.”

A Course in Miracles T-4.VI.7:5-6

“This is what is meant by seeking Truth, Christ, not ‘for the loaves and fishes,’ nor, like the Pharisee, with the arrogance of rank and display of scholarship, but like Mary Magdalene, from the summit of devout consecration, with the oil of gladness and the perfume of gratitude, with tears of repentance and with those hairs all numbered by the Father.”

MaryBaker Eddy - Science & Health Page 367:10-16

How Can There Be Less Than All?

 

When a Dog Runs Up (by Hafiz)

 

"Start seeing everything as God, but keep

it a secret.

 

Become like the man and woman who are

awestruck and nourished

listening to a golden nightingale sing

in a beautiful foreign language while God,

invisible to most, nests upon its tongue.

Hafiz, who can tell in this world that

when a dog runs up to you wagging its

ecstatic tail, you lean over and whisper in

its ear,

 

Beloved, I am so glad you are happy to  

see me! Beloved, I am so glad, so very glad

you have come!’

Hafiz

 

“But see the Love of God in you, and you will see it everywhere because it is everywhere. See His abundance in everyone, and you will know that you are in Him with them. They are part of you, as you are part of God. You are as lonely without understanding this as God Himself is lonely when His Sons do not know Him. The peace of God is understanding this. There is only one way out of the world’s thinking, just as there was only one way into it. Understand totally by understanding totality.”

A Course in Miracles T-7.VII.10:4-10

“God being everywhere and all-inclusive, how can He be absent or suggest the absence of omnipresence and omnipotence?

How can there be less than all? 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 287: 13-16

No Worries Over Errant Thoughts

Photo courtesy of Blake Lasater

When we study divine metaphysics, quantum physics, and other related disciplines, we begin to examine our thoughts. We notice if we automatically go to the negative side of a what-if situation, and then do our best to “correct” it. In practices such as The Secret, we are taught that we can manifest things in our lives simply by thinking hard enough and long enough about them. Many of these disciplines cause students of divine Science to cringe, because we’re not trying to manipulate matter, but would rather see past these illusions to the truth of our Being. This morning, while listening to a Buddhist documentary, I heard the speaker tell us that “every thought we have doesn’t need to be true”. I love the way he explained that while many thoughts going through our mind are not ones we agree with, we needn’t be worried by them. When we realize we can acknowledge negative ideas and not claim them as our own, we are freed to laugh at ourselves and continue on, joyfully. Have a beautiful day, my friends …

“We said before that the Holy Spirit is evaluative, and must be. He sorts out the true from the false in your mind, and teaches you to judge every thought you allow to enter it in the light of what God put there. Whatever is in accord with this light He retains, to strengthen the Kingdom in you. What is partly in accord with it He accepts and purifies. But what is out of accord entirely He rejects by judging against. This is how He keeps the Kingdom perfectly consistent and perfectly unified.”A Course in Miracles T-6.V-C.1:1-6

“Human thought never projected the least portion of true being. Human belief has sought and interpreted in its own way the echo of Spirit, and so seems to have reversed it and repeated it materially; but the human mind never produced a real tone nor sent forth a positive sound.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page: 126:8-14

Who’s Responsible For Assessing Truth?

This question, asked in a news magazine, caught my attention: “Who’s responsible, ultimately, for assessing truth?” This was asked in reference to popular podcast host, Joe Rogan, and the fact that he spreads misinformation. This, he freely admits. He said on a talk show, “I talk shit for a living – that’s why this is so baffling to me. If you’re taking vaccine advice from me, is that really my fault?” Mr. Rogan has a larger audience than many news networks, and his followers are mainly young, white men. His highly publicized words concerning vaccines have brought demands that streaming platforms monitor their content; hence the question, who’s responsible for assessing truth? Personally, I think it’s the individual. But it seems that we the people don’t have the inclination, or perhaps the education, to assess truth. Our critical thinking and reading comprehension seem to have taken a nosedive and people are relying on false headlines and opinionated podcasts to inform them on world events. So what do we do? Is censorship the answer? It’s difficult to say that books shouldn’t be banned, yet podcasts and such should be censored. But it sure is tempting to do so!

"The time for thinkers has come. Truth, independent of doctrines and time-honored systems, knocks at the portal of humanity." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page VII:13

“Let truth be what it is. Do not intrude upon it, do not attack it, do not interrupt its coming. Let it encompass every situation and bring you peace. Not even faith is asked of you, for truth asks nothing. Let it enter, and it will call forth and secure for you the faith you need for peace. But rise you not against it, for against your opposition it cannot come.”

A Course in Miracles T-17.VIII.2:1-7

The Simple Truth

Photo courtesy of Blake Lasater

Should books be banned from public schools? Some people are upset that their children might learn about sex and gender issues which they would rather not think about. Others seem to be afraid their children will learn their ancestors were not the kind-hearted humans they choose to see them as being. Perhaps some are afraid their children will learn about religious and spiritual ideas which are not copasetic with their own. All of these things, and more, are impossible to “shield” our children from, especially in the age of technology when all sorts of information, correct and not so much, is at their fingertips. Perhaps it would be wiser to teach critical thinking and reading comprehension, enabling our children to think for themselves and discern information for what it is. We, as adults, have an obligation to be brave and face tough questions, and answers. What is more important for the advancement of humanity, to hide the fact that great-grandpa fathered a child with his slave, or to allow our children to know the truth of how we came to this country and created what we see today? There seem to be no easy answers, but I’m pretty sure we’re making this more difficult than it should be. 

“Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

John viii. 32

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

Shakespeare

“If a light is suddenly turned on while someone is dreaming a fearful dream, he may initially interpret the light itself as part of his dream and be afraid of it. However, when he awakens, the light is correctly perceived as the release from the dream, which is then no longer accorded reality. This release does not depend on illusions. The knowledge that illuminates not only sets you free, but also shows you clearly that you are free.”

A Course in Miracles T-2.I.4:6-9

"A few immortal sentences, breathing the omnipotence of divine justice, have been potent to break despotic fetters and abolish the whipping-post and slave market; but oppression neither went down in blood, nor did the breath of freedom come from the cannon’s mouth. Love is the liberator." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 225:16-22

The Beauty of Individual Differences

Yesterday,I sent out a two-year-old post about the book, House on the Cerulean Sea. This was done because today I finished its sequel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea. This is, indeed, a book for our troubled times. On the fictional island, Marsylas, Arthur Parnassus has set up an environment to shelter magical children. Their talents range from being able to grow trees and gardens in the blink of an eye, to other less delightful but nevertheless charming characteristics. They are being targeted by a controlling government, as being a threat to society. We are shown the power of a loving community to heal the wounds of exclusion and various forms of childhood abuse. There is much to be considered while reading this book, and its story gives me hope for the healing of our society through the power of Love. As Arthur Parnassus tells the children: “I believe the greatest weapon we have at our disposal is our voices. And I am going to use my voice for you, and for me. Hate is loud. We are louder.”

“The truth of what we are is not for words to speak of nor describe. Yet we can realize our function here, and words can speak of this and teach it, too, if we exemplify the words in us.”

A Course in Miracles W-pII.14.2:4-5

“Include moral as well as physical belief in your efforts to destroy error.  Cast out all manner of evil. ‘Preach the gospel to every creature.’ Speak the truth to every form of error.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 418:26-29

Fabulous Creatures

This is a post from two years ago. I’m currently listening to the sequel to this book, and it’s just as good as the first one — perhaps better! So I’ll be writing about it soon …

This book, The House in the Cerulean Sea, is perhaps the most enjoyable and life-affirming book I’ve ever read. Through this beautiful prose, we are shown how things are not always as they seem. We see how fear of the unknown and unwillingness to change can bring unhappiness and anger. We also get to witness how loving kindness, common sense, and a deep compassion for everyone and everything can create a utopia which was before unknown. The simple act of caring for others, no matter how different they seem to be from what we consider the norm, can facilitate a sea change in even the most deeply-instilled behaviors. This book gives me hope for humanity. Thank you, T.J. Klune for reinforcing the notion that change is not only possible, but can be comfortable — no matter from which angle it is experienced. This book came along at a time when I need an attitude adjustment, and I am grateful.

“The course [A Course in Miracles] does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance. The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite.” 

From A Course in Miracles introduction

Helping Hands

A man I’ve known for years told me he had six girlfriends. He said that after his wife died a few years back, the women from her “Knit Wits” group would occasionally call on him to fix something around their homes — plumbing, electrical, and other repairs. He told me he always charged $20, no matter how long it took or how difficult. And then he began to call on them to help him when he needed an extra set of hands. He asked one of them to be there in case he fell off the ladder while painting his house, and four of them showed up and finished the job in a day. And these are 75- to 80-year-old people we’re talking about! Their story touched me deeply. Isn’t this the way we should all be? We’ve become accustomed to calling on “professionals” to do everything for us, without giving a thought to alternatives. Hearing of people stepping up and helping each other is inspiring and heart-warming — and practical! Let’s keep on loving each other and reaching out helping hands, always. Namaste…

“My weary hope tries to realize that happy day, when man shall recognize the Science of Christ and love his neighbor as himself, — when he shall realize God’s omnipotence and the healing power of the divine Love in what it has done and is doing for mankind.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 55:16-21

“The body is the means by which God’s Son returns to sanity. Though it was made to fence him into hell without escape, yet has the goal of Heaven been exchanged for the pursuit of hell. The Son of God extends his hand to reach his brother, and to help him walk along the road with him. Now is the body holy. Now it serves to heal the mind that it was made to kill.”

A Course in Miracles pII.5.4:1-5

Am I Hypnotized?

How many of you have been hypnotized? If asked, most of us would probably say we have not. But, what of the hypnotism of ritual and repetition? Daily news programs pound certain “facts” into our brain until we begin to agree — and tell our friends they should, too. The songs we listen to, the television we watch, the podcasts we believe, aren’t they all forms of hypnotism? Personally, I am in love with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. As with any indulgence, I’m aware it has the opportunity to turn into a bothersome addiction. Perhaps I was hypnotized into watching this show in the first place? If I allow it to replay in my mind, or if (heaven forbid) I decide to do one of her standup comedy routines at a gathering of people — well, that could be a problem. I’m not suggesting we stop enjoying all the fun things we like. I’m simply reminding myself to be aware of what’s happening when I fall into the trap of repeating, repenting, or reruns of Mrs. Maisel. Life is supposed to be fun, so let’s keep on having it! Also, let’s be aware those cravings we’re feeling may just be the result of mesmerism. We, the people, are sharp enough to know the difference…

"We say that one human mind can influence another and in this way affect the body, but we rarely remember that we govern our own bodies. The error, mesmerism -- or hypnotism, to use the recent term -- illustrates the fact just stated. The operator would make his subjects believe that they cannot act voluntarily and handle themselves as they should do. If they yield to this influence, it is because their belief is not better instructed by spiritual understanding."
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 402:20

“Miracles honor you because you are lovable. They dispel illusions about yourself and perceive the light in you. They thus atone for your errors by freeing you from your nightmares. By releasing your mind from the imprisonment of your illusions, they restore your sanity.”
A Course in Miracles T-1.I.33:1-4

An Informed Citizenry

Extra, extra, read all about it! Spread the good news! These sayings bring certain things to mind; things we may not think of nowadays when we pick up our phones and see the Apple News headlines. I used to get morning news from the radio. When my boys were small, I'd listen to the radio while we ate breakfast, but then I realized how horridly sensational most of it was, so I stopped listening. The Today Show was my mother's favorite, but most television news has gone the way of gossip magazines and such. More and more, we depend upon each other for news. I know I can trust certain sources, and I count on them to inform me. In the past few years, I've realized how important it is for each of us to educate ourselves and, also, to pass it on. So let's read, listen, learn, and then write! Write letters to the editor, or post your take on things to social media -- heck, pass out leaflets if you must! From my favorite news magazine: "Good government flourishes in the sunshine, and our nation's founders knew that. 'A press that is free to investigate and criticize the government is absolutely essential in a nation that practices self-government and is therefore dependent on an educated and enlightened citizenry.' Thomas Jefferson"

“As we give thanks, the world unites with us and happily accepts our holy thoughts, which Heaven has corrected and made pure. Now has our ministry begun at last, to carry round the world the joyous news that truth has no illusions, and the peace of God, through us, belongs to everyone.” 

A Course in Miracles W-151.17:2-3

“A spiritual idea has not a single element of error, and this truth removes properly whatever is offensive.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 453:12-13

One Is A Whole Number

Art by Amanda Cass

On Valentine’s Day, I realize many people are feeling lonely and sad. They may have lost their spouse, they may wish they had a partner with whom to walk through life, or maybe they are simply in love with the idea of love — an idea which has never come to fruition. In the past, I have reminded people that One is a whole number! When I was a youngster, if you’d asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I probably would have said a housewife. I had a very limited idea of what that meant, as it was based on 1960s television programs. But looking at my life today, I think I’ve become one — without the husband part of the equation. I love cooking and puttering around the house, feeding and watching birds, interacting with my cats, talking to my sons and grandsons occasionally. I can’t imagine a more perfect existence, and I hope whatever your life situation is, you feel this way, too. Much Love sent to you all!

“Love alone can impart the limitless idea of infinite Mind.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 510:18-19

“The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance. The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite.”
A Course in Miracles T-in.1:6-8

Be Not Dismayed …

art by Tijana Lukovic

Each of us has the power to change our thoughts about the world, 

and therein we hold the key...

“Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world.

All things break. And all things can be mended.

Not with time, as they say, but with intention. 

So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally.

The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you.”

L.R. Knost

“We cannot fill vessels already full. They must first be emptied. Let us disrobe error. Then, when the winds of God blow, we shall not hug our tatters close about us. The way to extract error from mortal mind is to pour in truth through flood-tides of Love. Christian perfection is won on no other basis.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 201:13-19

“Put out your hand, and see how easily the door swings open with your one intent to go beyond it. Angels light the way, so that all darkness vanishes, and you are standing in a light so bright and clear that you can understand all things you see. A tiny moment of surprise, perhaps, will make you pause before you realize the world you see before you in the light reflects the truth you knew, and did not quite forget in wandering away in dreams.”
A Course in Miracles W-131.13:1-3

A Clean and Unmarked Slate

Primal Images created by Sandy Wythawai Starbird

No matter what you believe in, you can find a group of people who think the same way as you do. I recently heard a man explaining that more harm can be done by the truth than by out-and-out lies. WHAT?? To prove his point, he told about a web page devoted to instances of black people physically attacking white people. Every day they post more examples of this violent behavior, along with rhetoric warning us of the consequences of “us” allowing “them” to “get by” with it. While these things actually happened, they are being presented in a way which causes fear and suggests retaliation. Our learned behavior of tribalism is not conducive to peaceful living. The myriad of activities which pit us against each other, or set up sides for us to group together with like-minded people —- years of these practices have made us an adversarial society, and it feels wrong. So I’m going to visualize a world where we all trade our beliefs for a blank slate. On this we can see what is actually happening, without our biased perceptions interpreting everything. Let me know how you see the world with a clean heart and clear head!

“Mortal error will vanish in a moral chemicalization. This mental fermentation has begun, and will continue until all errors of belief yield to understanding. Belief is changeable, but spiritual understanding is changeless.” 

Mary Baker Eddy- Science and Health Page 96:21

“Forgiveness gently looks upon all things unknown in Heaven, sees them disappear, and leaves the world a clean and unmarked slate on which the Word of God can now replace the senseless symbols written there before.”

A Course in Miracles W-192.4:1