Of Love and Liberation
In high school I was given a reading called Easy in the Harness, which spoke of the nature of what freedom truly is. It was argued that love was still an enslavement and a loss of freedom. I found this to be true. Then when in the midst of a relationship I was told that love was only a chemical reaction in the brain and science showed this to be true. All those who said they loved me had left me and I was lost as to the definition. I was told I'd understand in time how the world works, but I already thought I knew how. Learning what I have now I know that what I knew then was very small, but my heart was in the right place. People tried to divert me from truth and it almost worked. I strayed from what I felt was right because I was confused. Then you showed me the right way again. Without you Id be lost here and on the way to another wasted life. Love was what liberated me, but how do you prove this to those who say it is only a chemical reaction? How do you prove it to a world that has forgot how to love? How do you prove to a rational world that sometimes what goes up, does not come down?
A major problem with the people of the world today is a thing that makes us strong; our ego. Without a strong ego how can we make it through the world made hard by the disenchantment of those caught in the system of a down? Our ego seeks to separate us from each other to keep us in ignorance that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. We are fed by marketing and advertising with the word "you." "You can", "you will", "improve yourself." The truth is that "you" are very small and life flows on within you and without you. Our ego is fed and we seek to be better than others, only further distancing ourselves from oneness. We believe that our ego works for us, but it is what takes away our freedom. Building up our ego at the expense of of others is harmful to the world. Those who truly have found love can effectively eliminate their ego while simultaneously expanding it to infinity. Those free from their ego and of free mind will find true liberation.
Evidence of this can be found in the cultures of the eastern world. The goal of the Hindu religion is to find your Atman. The Atman is within everyone and has always been. It was never created and never dies. It is the essential self, stripped of the mask that is your body and ego. It never suffers and is in a state of infinite bliss. Finding your Atman simultaneously leads to the finding of Brahman. Brahman is the impersonal foundation of the universe and is the connection between all of us. No one can own it and like the Atman it has always been and never dies. Finding both of these is the key to achieving bliss. This effectively eliminates the concept of “you” and brings you to awareness of the connection between all people. That in fact, we are one and never-dying. This also ends the cycle of death and rebirth known as samsara. It is my contention that this however does not end reincarnation and that we are all reincarnated even if Atman-consciousness is realized. Ending reincarnation in my opinion is a goal set in order to spur the seeking of the Atman.
Once Atman and Brahman are realized then the ego expands to an infinite thing that is fully aware of the fact it is connected to all things. Will one who is fully aware that to hurt another is in fact an act against themselves and all the people of the world, perform this act? My contention is no. Those who find their Atman in Hindu society usually do not return to their families, but are allowed to reenter society. Usually these blissful beings stay in the woods where most go to seek their Atman. The woods are a rather peaceful place away from the distractions and troubles of society. If one was to return to society I believe that though they are blissful, the flaws of it will still trouble them, yet since they are in a state of bliss they will always be able to return to their center. Thus have Hindu’s found a method, through the altering of normal consciousness, of finding the connection between all of us. However what is this infinite thing? The Hindus refer to it as Atman and Brahman, but connections can be found in all religions to an infinite source. I believe this infinite source, coupled with the creativity of humanity is what leads to the creation of religions. In this way I believe all legitimate religions are connected.
In Buddhism we can also find evidence of liberation found in the dissolution of the ego. The Buddha however was not concerned with the Atman and Brahman of Hindu faith. He was a therapist and so did he concern himself with the alleviation of suffering. He had no use for the musings of an infinite source of creation. To the Buddha all was illusion and the goal of life was to end suffering and rebirth. Upon finding enlightenment you once again attain bliss, called nirvana. The Buddha himself would admit that a Hindu who has realized his Atman is similar to the Buddhist who has found enlightenment. However instead of the ego expanding infinitely as in Hinduism, in Buddhism the ego shrinks into nothingness. After physical death “you” no longer exist, only bliss or parinirvana remains. In both cases, although the Buddha does not concern himself with Atman or Brahman, the states are both similar. I believe that these are always found after death, but the true test is to realize the connection between all things and to find bliss while alive.
In the case of the Buddha there are accounts of him growing angry with his followers and yelling at them. Even someone in a state of bliss can lose their temper at the sight of ignorance and hardheadedness. This too is comparable to the Hindu who reenters society while liberated, only to grow weary of the depravity of it. However as stated before they can both find their center once again and return to that state of bliss. The two religions, Hinduism and Buddhism have a central theme of existence and rebirth being suffering. This may be due to the times that they both originated in when life was certainly much harder. It is my belief that the desire to not be reborn was born out of the desire to not return to a world that promised only hardship. My critique of both these faiths is the mutual lack of appreciation for the life that is lived upon Earth. For though as the Buddha said that it may be all illusion, that does not mean it should not be appreciated and cherished.
How do these two faiths pertain to love? When true love is found between two people it can be said that a transformation of those two people begins. It has been shown that those who have experienced love die easier upon their deathbed and that loving devotion can lead you to perform great deeds. A transformation in the ego can also be seen as well. No longer does one ego exist, but the combining of two egos comes into effect. This can be viewed in two ways; one is that the ego expands to create a new strength made out of love or that the ego diminishes and increased devotion to one another occurs. In the first case the two egos combine to make the couple stronger and able to transcend the pettiness of the world that they inhabit. Once a firm grasp of the true nature of love is taken then the couple will begin to understand the connectedness of all things and be able to withstand the trials of society. As in the case with the enlightened one or the liberated being, society and other people can take their toll upon them. If the love is true and good though they can return to that strength of love to get them through the trials. The diminishing of the ego can also take place. This is where the strongest devotion will happen, as the connection between the two is so strong, they have transcended the pettiness of “you.” Only “we” exists now and insight can be gained into not only the connection between the couple, but also the connection between all people.
Love is then not in fact another form of slavery, but the greatest liberator. Liberation in the sense of the one who had found Atman or Enlightenment. So what in fact is the infinite source? Can it not be argued that love is this energy, which is the creator of all things? Can bliss not be described as eternal, ever-lasting love and liberation the realization that one must love your neighbor as yourself? Can it not be seen that our old institutions must change, that science must be reexamined, that old religions must fade, and that governments must reform? Now the world must realize the liberating potential of love and allow itself to be changed. The people of the world must realize that we are one and to love all or continue this system of a down.
Sometime in the future I will discuss soul mates, Christianity’s place in all of this, the power of art and music (both good and bad), the appreciation of the body along with the mind, and other assorted topics that much smarter people than me should be tackling.
These ideas are in prototype mode right now and subject to change. Critiques and corrections along with ideas to add are appreciated. Also if you wish to offer me a topic I will write on it for you as best I can according to this new faith Im trying to start here.
Peace and love.
A major problem with the people of the world today is a thing that makes us strong; our ego. Without a strong ego how can we make it through the world made hard by the disenchantment of those caught in the system of a down? Our ego seeks to separate us from each other to keep us in ignorance that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. We are fed by marketing and advertising with the word "you." "You can", "you will", "improve yourself." The truth is that "you" are very small and life flows on within you and without you. Our ego is fed and we seek to be better than others, only further distancing ourselves from oneness. We believe that our ego works for us, but it is what takes away our freedom. Building up our ego at the expense of of others is harmful to the world. Those who truly have found love can effectively eliminate their ego while simultaneously expanding it to infinity. Those free from their ego and of free mind will find true liberation.
Evidence of this can be found in the cultures of the eastern world. The goal of the Hindu religion is to find your Atman. The Atman is within everyone and has always been. It was never created and never dies. It is the essential self, stripped of the mask that is your body and ego. It never suffers and is in a state of infinite bliss. Finding your Atman simultaneously leads to the finding of Brahman. Brahman is the impersonal foundation of the universe and is the connection between all of us. No one can own it and like the Atman it has always been and never dies. Finding both of these is the key to achieving bliss. This effectively eliminates the concept of “you” and brings you to awareness of the connection between all people. That in fact, we are one and never-dying. This also ends the cycle of death and rebirth known as samsara. It is my contention that this however does not end reincarnation and that we are all reincarnated even if Atman-consciousness is realized. Ending reincarnation in my opinion is a goal set in order to spur the seeking of the Atman.
Once Atman and Brahman are realized then the ego expands to an infinite thing that is fully aware of the fact it is connected to all things. Will one who is fully aware that to hurt another is in fact an act against themselves and all the people of the world, perform this act? My contention is no. Those who find their Atman in Hindu society usually do not return to their families, but are allowed to reenter society. Usually these blissful beings stay in the woods where most go to seek their Atman. The woods are a rather peaceful place away from the distractions and troubles of society. If one was to return to society I believe that though they are blissful, the flaws of it will still trouble them, yet since they are in a state of bliss they will always be able to return to their center. Thus have Hindu’s found a method, through the altering of normal consciousness, of finding the connection between all of us. However what is this infinite thing? The Hindus refer to it as Atman and Brahman, but connections can be found in all religions to an infinite source. I believe this infinite source, coupled with the creativity of humanity is what leads to the creation of religions. In this way I believe all legitimate religions are connected.
In Buddhism we can also find evidence of liberation found in the dissolution of the ego. The Buddha however was not concerned with the Atman and Brahman of Hindu faith. He was a therapist and so did he concern himself with the alleviation of suffering. He had no use for the musings of an infinite source of creation. To the Buddha all was illusion and the goal of life was to end suffering and rebirth. Upon finding enlightenment you once again attain bliss, called nirvana. The Buddha himself would admit that a Hindu who has realized his Atman is similar to the Buddhist who has found enlightenment. However instead of the ego expanding infinitely as in Hinduism, in Buddhism the ego shrinks into nothingness. After physical death “you” no longer exist, only bliss or parinirvana remains. In both cases, although the Buddha does not concern himself with Atman or Brahman, the states are both similar. I believe that these are always found after death, but the true test is to realize the connection between all things and to find bliss while alive.
In the case of the Buddha there are accounts of him growing angry with his followers and yelling at them. Even someone in a state of bliss can lose their temper at the sight of ignorance and hardheadedness. This too is comparable to the Hindu who reenters society while liberated, only to grow weary of the depravity of it. However as stated before they can both find their center once again and return to that state of bliss. The two religions, Hinduism and Buddhism have a central theme of existence and rebirth being suffering. This may be due to the times that they both originated in when life was certainly much harder. It is my belief that the desire to not be reborn was born out of the desire to not return to a world that promised only hardship. My critique of both these faiths is the mutual lack of appreciation for the life that is lived upon Earth. For though as the Buddha said that it may be all illusion, that does not mean it should not be appreciated and cherished.
How do these two faiths pertain to love? When true love is found between two people it can be said that a transformation of those two people begins. It has been shown that those who have experienced love die easier upon their deathbed and that loving devotion can lead you to perform great deeds. A transformation in the ego can also be seen as well. No longer does one ego exist, but the combining of two egos comes into effect. This can be viewed in two ways; one is that the ego expands to create a new strength made out of love or that the ego diminishes and increased devotion to one another occurs. In the first case the two egos combine to make the couple stronger and able to transcend the pettiness of the world that they inhabit. Once a firm grasp of the true nature of love is taken then the couple will begin to understand the connectedness of all things and be able to withstand the trials of society. As in the case with the enlightened one or the liberated being, society and other people can take their toll upon them. If the love is true and good though they can return to that strength of love to get them through the trials. The diminishing of the ego can also take place. This is where the strongest devotion will happen, as the connection between the two is so strong, they have transcended the pettiness of “you.” Only “we” exists now and insight can be gained into not only the connection between the couple, but also the connection between all people.
Love is then not in fact another form of slavery, but the greatest liberator. Liberation in the sense of the one who had found Atman or Enlightenment. So what in fact is the infinite source? Can it not be argued that love is this energy, which is the creator of all things? Can bliss not be described as eternal, ever-lasting love and liberation the realization that one must love your neighbor as yourself? Can it not be seen that our old institutions must change, that science must be reexamined, that old religions must fade, and that governments must reform? Now the world must realize the liberating potential of love and allow itself to be changed. The people of the world must realize that we are one and to love all or continue this system of a down.
Sometime in the future I will discuss soul mates, Christianity’s place in all of this, the power of art and music (both good and bad), the appreciation of the body along with the mind, and other assorted topics that much smarter people than me should be tackling.
These ideas are in prototype mode right now and subject to change. Critiques and corrections along with ideas to add are appreciated. Also if you wish to offer me a topic I will write on it for you as best I can according to this new faith Im trying to start here.
Peace and love.