The Battle of Armageddon (a guest blog by Robyn)

After talking to a gifted blogging friend, I decided to give this blogging thing a try. Perhaps this is a way for me to become part of the Greater Good, by writing my thoughts and perceptions and be immortalized in "The Net Land" of the World Wide Web.

As a result of this nudge from my friend and my Higher Self, I was finally able to choose a topic that was meaningful for me. As a devoted and passionate student of metaphysical teachings, spirituality and world religions/philosophies, I am always looking for the Golden Thread that is true for all humanity throughout the ages. This may be an impossible feat and a journey that continues with no end, I proceed relentlessly in this pursuit regardless. As a result, I am now choosing to share some ideas and insights that have been developed from my personal journey. 

One of the themes focused on is the constant unrest in the Middle East and other parts of the world.  Such mindless killing and dissension. Why is this happening? Why does this primitive mind set continue to plague mankind? There appears to be a delicate balance as our beautiful magnificent planet hangs so mysteriously in the Universe. Unfortunately, as a result of the treacherous ongoing battles we humans create for ourselves, we may be on the edge of distinction as a result of our own ignorance and mis-understanding. Some of my questions are, "Why are we like this?", "What is the purpose?", and “What are we supposed to learn?”

Why all the pain, suffering and injustice? Why? Why? Why?

At one point in my consideration of these matters, my mind went to explore the Biblical idea of the Battle of Armageddon. What was found from these considerations is that maybe the battle is not about what happens in the outer world, but what is actually going on inside of us. Perhaps the real battle is the healing of our own hearts and minds from judgement, jealousy, anger, pride, exclusivity, negativity, believing our way is the only way, etc. 

Perhaps when we make Peace in our own hearts and minds, we are doing our part to make Peace on Earth. The idea of "Being in Love" in the world as a loving being, not necessarily in a romantic sense, but by creating a strong loving presence, as we navigate our way throughout the life, will create a domino effect, a paradigm shift helping our species heal itself. My belief is that this happens when we carry an awareness and consciousness of Peace throughout the market place. Not just with our family and friends, but actually carrying ourselves as a beacon of light and love in the world, by sharing that energy and consciousness as we go about our lives in unconditional love. In my belief we are a reflection of each other. We are one race, one species.

Furthermore, this does not mean we accept poor and dangerous behavior, or by intentionally putting ourselves in harm’s way, but by learning to love unconditionally, in spite of the negative appearances or circumstances. We learn to avoid aggression by turning the other cheek, which actually means to look at things from another angle and to avoid conflict if at all possible. Of course when necessary we defend ourselves, or help out if possible at the level we are of which we are capable. However, sometimes it is also important to know how to step aside and move on, so as not to fuel the flame of dissent.    

By remembering simple principles like the Golden Rule, "Love your neighbor as yourself". To "Love only the neighbor that agrees with me or looks like me", but humankind in all its diversity. We then learn to celebrate and honor differences in others, as well as what is unique inside of ourselves. Maybe if we all understood this concept and were able to actually do this internal work, the world would heal itself through us naturally. Maybe we can collectively create Heaven on Earth by doing our work from the inside out, thus allowing ourselves to enjoy our similarities while celebrating our diversity and keeping things interesting.  

A Lifeless Body in the Park

While taking my regular weekend hike in my local park, I noticed an emergency vehicle blocking the main trail. From behind the vehicle I noticed two runners in the distance which led me to conclude the trails were closed for a race. My heart sank when an EMT person came up to me and told me to leave immediately and pointed to a dead body on the grass.

Even as a Buddhist, it is a shock for me to come across death so unexpectedly. The body was covered, so I did not know if it was a man or woman, a jogger, a walker, or someone who ran into some unfortunate circumstance. As I turned and walked away, I said a Buddhist prayer for this unknown person who had no idea this was their last day on the planet. Later, a friend emailed me to tell me the body was that of a man shot to death. He was only 44 years old.

Seeing a dead person is a poignant reminder how capricious life can be. We run around all day worrying about this and that with no thought to how important these things are in the scheme of life. What seems like solidified problems disappear in the face of death.

I wonder about this man, his loved ones, and what events happened leading up to his passing. He died on a beautiful grassy knoll, left like a discarded piece of trash. There is still no news about who he was or what the circumstances were surrounding his death. I think about the shock for his loved ones having to deal with a violent death. The surreal gravity of his horrific demise will haunt them for the rest of their lives. He was not the only victim on that grassy knoll yesterday.

The stark picture of him lying motionless on the ground has imprinted a powerful visual in my head. Though I am not a stranger in dealing with death, I am in awe at how unprepared we all are when death coming knocking at our doors (or on our hikes). Conceptually, it is easy to grasp the reality of death. But in actuality, in experiencing the reality of happening upon a corpse while enjoying a sunny August day, I woke up. I woke up to the fact that the universe sends us messages in usual ways.

It has been interesting to discuss about this episode with my friends. The stories they gleaned from my sparse facts are a sign of how easy it is to have biases. Most assumed it was a man, probably homeless, and involved in some drug deal gone bad. Somehow portraying this man as a willing accomplice in his death made it seem reasonable as to why he got shot. But we really do not yet know what happened and maybe we may never know. While the event made me more circumspect, they reacted with fear over my safety when hiking the park. It didn't occur to me to be fearful, only sad that this person died on the lawn of a park with no one there to comfort him in his final minutes.

No one wants to think they will exit this earth without any time to say good bye. No one thinks at 44 years of age they will die on a park lawn. And everyone thinks there still is time.

11-year-old Rape Victim Gives Birth

CNN)An 11-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by her stepfather has given birth to a healthy baby girl in Asunción, Paraguay.

Thursday's birth -- in a case that has ignited a fierce debate over a Paraguayan law banning abortions except in cases where the pregnancy endangers the mother's life -- was confirmed by Asunción Red Cross Director Mario Villalba.

In the mostly Catholic country, 684 girls between the ages of 10 and 14 gave birth last year. Most of the minors had been victims of sexual abuse, according to government figures. -CNN News

Social and emotional development

• The world is becoming a more complex place for the child who is beginning puberty.
• Your ten and eleven year old may well have a ‘best’ friend with whom they share activities, but at the same time relationships at school will begin to be more complicated, competitive and changeable. This can be particularly true of girls whose group relationships tend to be more up and down than the boys. Boys seem to be more focused on the details of what they are doing rather than with whom they are doing it.
• By eleven your child is much more interested in, and affected by, the norms of their friends and you may see the first flutter of independent wings. They may begin to worry that their clothes aren’t ‘cool’ enough and at the same time lose interest in family activities [picnics, outings, holidays] that they adored and needed at nine. 
• This can be a difficult time for some parents, particularly mothers, as their children become more independent and less welcoming of the love and care they have been pleased to receive over the past eleven years.
• Although eleven and twelve year olds may begin to start wanting to do things more independently, and they do need to stretch their wings a little bit, they are certainly not as capable of dealing with the world as some of them would have you believe or as they sometimes think themselves, so it is good to check out situations to make sure they are safe before they go off on their own.  From the "Women's and Childrens Health Network"

What are milestones in psychological and emotional development for tweens?

The tween age range can be filled with anxiety. The development of real fears (such as kidnappings, war, violence) replaces fantasy fears (such as witches, monsters, boogie man). The development of delayed gratification is a consequence of the realization that current events may impact the future. The 9- to 11-year-old starts down the path of self-identity, independence, and development of moral values that will mark the teen years. The importance of "group identity" is established.- From Medicine.Net

THINGS I KNOW ABOUT AQUARIANS

Yes, I do know Aquarians well. 

• Both my oldest sister (one of my terminal sibs) and first husband (deceased) were born in Aquarius a day apart (Jan 25th & 26th) in the same year (1948). They were unique but very opposite in spite of being born within hours of one another.
• Aquarians are strong thinkers, known for their independent, adventurous spirit.
• Aquarians are air signs-they live in their heads (mostly intuitive thinkers). Underneath all that intellectualization is a heart, but it plays second fiddle to all that intense internal ideation.
• Aquarians love thinking, freedom, flight, anything innovative, and the abstract.
• Being an Aquarian will give one a certain amount of karmic leverage because Aquarius is associated with social justice. Absolving karmic debt through equanimity is one of their greatest strengths.
• Aquarians rarely have their feet on the ground. However, without Aquarians there would not be as many eureka moments, champions of the downtrodden, inspired creations, inventive genius, or brilliant scholars.
• Aquarians top the charts for iconoclasts. Of course, no one has to tell them that. All of them believe, to some extent, that they are so exceptional that are almost a different species.
• Most Aquarian males have the strong tendency to royally piss off all the women with whom they have been in a relationship. One can never win or be 'right' with them. Although I must say, at times they gracefully pretend to concede which makes them look almost believable. 
• Their need for unencumbered freedom means the chance of having a defined, traditional relationship with them is about as likely as getting hit by lightning. Whatever relationship you have is a concoction of what they perceive is ideal for their lofty sense of reality. 
• Aquarian's charismatic sense of humor enables them to deftly smooth ruffled feathers, make mad faces smile, and gives them a powerful weapon especially when dealing with the wrath of the female gender.
• They skillfully know how to create a hypnotizing reality and are shocked when people question it.  
• Aquarians frequently mistake themselves for royalty, someone historically important, or people who are so incredibly special that life's silly rules do not apply to them.
• Aquarians are represented by the "Fool" in Tarot (cards). The Fool is the highest card in Tarot and begins it with the number zero. Zero represents Creator. The Fool is guided by a path no one else can fathom. In Tarot, he represents the summa cum laude of wisdom. He symbolizes the ability to forge one's one destiny by defying the odds and trusting in one's intuition.
• The best way to get along with an Aquarian is to give them plenty of space, try not to grasp or hold onto their airiness, realize sometimes they do land back on earth, and remind them gently that we are all mere humans. 

Remembering the Loves We've Lost

Today is Memorial Day, summer's season of warmth and light.
How contrary a day to recognize those whose shining presence have passed.
Flowers will be brought to the cemetery. Tears will be shed.
Our hearts ache with painful longing. We feel the emotional vacuum left behind.
We will honor those felled by combat as well as those felled by life.

Know our grief is not empty. Know their lives were not in vain.
Their legacy remains in our hearts and memories.
With gratitude, we keep their contributions to us as a perpetual comfort.
In stillness we recognize even their weaknesses gave us strength.
Honoring them is to live life more fully, buoyed by their spirit.

On this day intended to remember lives lost, we also remind ourselves of the love they imparted to us. By releasing our armor and opening our hearts we never lose their presence. 

In recognition of all those who have died, I bless them by reciting the Phowa:

"Through your blessing, grace and guidance,
 through the power of the light that streams from you:

 May all of your negative karma, destructive emotions, obscurations, and 
 blockages be purified and removed.

 May you know yourself forgiven for all the harm you may have thought and done.

 And through the triumph of your death, may you be able to benefit all other   
 beings, living and dead."

Smiles of Summer's First Night

Radiating through violet shadows

resplendent rays of moonlit charm

Smiles of a summer night. -Rajlakshmi

Oh to revel in the arms of one so cherished

Carelessly abandoning reason for tenderness.

Swept away by the preciousness of the moment

Fearlessly diving off the precipice of apprehension.

All considerations, misgivings, and trepidation disappear

Dissolved by an intuitive excitement,  

Enticing and inspiring an organic passion,

Leaving the speechless awestruck.

The smiles of summer's first night

Signals the verdant promise of cultivation.

Melding the heart's desire with mindful intent,

Brilliantly creating a mystical lightness of being.

Oh to revel in a union so pure

Attesting to the benevolent grace

Of a sacred summer smile 

Connecting heart, mind, and soul.

Rest in Peace BB King

Thank you BB King. As a young white child from a very racist community, you were a beacon of light. Listening to your music changed my life. By showering me with your deep heart-drawn blues, you made me realize how powerful music is in combating racism. It also reinforced how wrong racism is, making me a lone child speaking for equality in an unequal world. You sang and played your Lucille with such profound depth, I could not imagine how anyone could not relating to the humanity of your music.

The thrill you gave is gone but we will always remember you as the master of the blues. Thank you for your presence and all the joy you gave us with your music. 

Rest in Peace, BB King, Majesty of the Blues.