Friends, The holidays are over, but I've had trouble forcing myself to get back to work! Today I'm finally starting. I posted a few items to newslog today, FYI. In one of them, Joe Vialls brings up some suspicious anomalies regarding the tsunami...so far no corroborations from other sources. Chossudovsky offers some other kinds of anomalies. rkm -------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michelle Syverson" To: <•••@••.•••> Subject: Re: A brief history of humanity Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 17:54:01 -0800 X-Priority: 3 Dear Richard, I've been reading all of your emails, but until now have not read in it's entirety a chapter of your book. This chapter is wonderful although I would have liked more information on how Jesus attempted to change the Matrix of the Jews in Israel and subsequently how Paul embraced all of "civilization." As a "first century" Christian believer, the more that is brought out about Jesus as a Revolutionary, the anarchists and socialists who are our natural partners, will fare better in the imagination of those of no belief and, perhaps, embrace others whose knowledge of Jesus is limited...that is most Christians. Many thanks for your contribution to spirit and humanity and truth. In awe and respect, Michelle ------ Dear Michelle, I don't have much information on that topic. Perhaps others out there do? You might want to look at Laurence Gardner's, "Bloodline of the Holy Grail". Also, I posted two relevant articles to newslog today. rkm -------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michelle Syverson" <•••@••.•••> To: <•••@••.•••> Subject: Re: Christmas Greeting Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 16:37:56 -0800 X-Priority: 3 Dear Richard, Thank you very much for this posting. Although I haven't, as yet, responded to your response to my email, I think of you and wish you well. The following piece reflects my stance on Christmas and Christianity completely. It is so terribly sad that many of those who voted for Bush consider themselves Christians and also more than unfortunate that the opposition candidate was so awful. As usual, I voted for Nader. The fourth time I've done so. Warm regards, Michelle The Politics of the Christmas Story by James Carroll http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1221-23.htm ------------- Michelle - thanks for your comments; I posted this article to newslog - rkm -------------------------------------------------------- Jay Fenello asked: > If an individual awakens in an instant, how does a collective consciousness awaken? An individual doesn't really awaken in an instant, rather there is an instant realization of being awake. In most paths, as in yoga or zen, there are exercises which over time settle and prepare the mind for that moment of realization. This preparation of the mind is an incremental process; that is what I would call the awakening process -- and it happens gradually over time. In order to approach your question, let's consider some notions from psychology, in conjunction with a zen notion: the stilling of the lake. In the mind there are many forces and voices. At the one level you have, roughly speaking, the ego (and mechanical mind), the emotions (connected with the body), and the will (true observer self). Within the ego and the mechanical mind there are in turn many voices, many threads of internal dialog, going on all the time - what zen (and the yogis) call the chattering of the mind. The chattering of the mind and the pull of the emotions are like ripples on a lake. When the observer (self) looks at the lake (the mind) he sees only a mass of random ripples. The preparation of the mind -- the service performed by the exercises -- amounts to learning how to still the chatter. When the lake loses its ripples it becomes like a mirror - and then the observer can see for the first time the image of the reflected mountain - an experience of satori. That image may come into focus all at once -- in an instant. We can think of collective consciousness as being a macrocosm mind which is much like the microcosm mind of personal consciousness. Again, we see a mind split by major forces, with chatter within the forces. The counterpart of the ego is perhaps the regime, as both are characterized by maintaining control and a defensive attachment to what is. Perhaps the chattering of the mind can be found in all the factions -- the causes and special-interest groups and parties -- each trying to raise its voice above the chatter and be heard. Be heard by whom? The answer to that question tells us where to look for the macro counterpart of the observer (self). What 'being heard' really means, in my estimation, is 'becoming part of collective consciousness'. An example: environmentalists, although they also lobby for legislation, are mainly trying to get everyone to understand that biosystems are connected, need to be respected, etc. etc. They want this understanding to become part of our collective consciousness, as is the understanding that water flows downhill. If this happens, the hope goes, we can expect society to begin acting from that understanding, leading eventually to a sustainable society. That is to say, the self in the context of the macro mind is the collective consciousness of the population. That collective consciousness is like the rippled lake, full of the chatter of belief systems and factions, and stirred up by the propaganda wave machines of the ego regime. > What does a higher collective consciousness look like? In the personal mind, the chatter is stilled when the self (will) learns to detach itself from those distractions and realizes that they are not "I". Similarly, the chatter of beliefs and allegiances can be 'stilled' when people learn to detach themselves from those superficial social mind games and are able to perceive their deeper underlying unity. > As below, so above? As within, so without. So with one, so with many. rkm -------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 11:42:22 -0800 Subject: church bloopers: so funny! From: Jan Slakov ------ Forwarded Message Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004 01:55:56 EST Subject: Church Bloopers Church bloopers - too funny!! Thank God for church ladies with typewriters. These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services: ________________________________________ Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Methodist. Come hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa. The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals. The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus." Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King. Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands. The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "Hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you. Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help. Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation. For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs. Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get. Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons. The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing: "Break Forth Into Joy." Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days. A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice. Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones. Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children. Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered. The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility. Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM. Prayer and medication to follow. The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon. This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin. Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done. The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday. Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door. The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy. Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance. The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge -- Up Yours ." ------ End of Forwarded Message -------------------------------------------------------- From: "Robin Richardson" To: <•••@••.•••> Subject: RE: Ch 1: A brief history of humanity Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004 10:06:38 -0000 Dear Richard For a long time now I have been on your mailing list and have been reading your messages and the draft extracts from your book. I am writing now briefly to assure you that your writing and work are extremely important to me, and extremely inspiring. Very many thanks. And seasonal greetings. Robin Richardson ------------- Robin - thanks for the encouragement - rkm -- ============================================================ If you find this material useful, you might want to check out our website (http://cyberjournal.org) or try out our low-traffic, moderated email list by sending a message to: •••@••.••• You are encouraged to forward any material from the lists or the website, provided it is for non-commercial use and you include the source and this disclaimer. Richard Moore (rkm) Wexford, Ireland "Escaping The Matrix - Global Transformation: WHY WE NEED IT, AND HOW WE CAN ACHIEVE IT ", current draft: http://www.ratical.org/co-globalize/rkmGlblTrans.html _____________________________ "...the Patriot Act followed 9-11 as smoothly as the suspension of the Weimar constitution followed the Reichstag fire." - Srdja Trifkovic There is not a problem with the system. The system is the problem. Faith in ourselves - not gods, ideologies, leaders, or programs. _____________________________ "Zen of Global Transformation" home page: http://www.QuayLargo.com/Transformation/ QuayLargo discussion forum: http://www.QuayLargo.com/Transformation/ShowChat/?ScreenName=ShowThreads cj list archives: http://cyberjournal.org/cj/show_archives/?lists=cj newslog list archives: http://cyberjournal.org/cj/show_archives/?lists=newslog _____________________________ Informative links: http://www.indymedia.org/ http://www.globalresearch.ca/ http://www.MiddleEast.org http://www.rachel.org http://www.truthout.org http://www.williambowles.info/monthly_index/ http://www.zmag.org http://www.co-intelligence.org ============================================================