jimwdollar

September 21-C, 2022

It is easy for me to see that slavery should never have happened, and that “manifest destiny” was a slogan carved out of capitalism as an excuse for taking the entire country from the indigenous people who were clearly the “destined” “owners” of the land, its waters and minerals and oil, etc. It is wrongContinue reading “September 21-C, 2022”

September 21-B, 2022

Jesus came saying things people did not want to hear, so they killed him. It is the way. “We can’t handle the truth.” Col. Nathan R. Jessup was right about that. Jesus’ words to those who follow him have nothing to do with the Eucharist, where he is seen as “dying for us.” No oneContinue reading “September 21-B, 2022”

September 21-A, 2022

Projections are to facts as dreams about drowning are to water. When we talk about things “out there,” its coming from “in here,” and it would be helpful– to us and to others– if we qualified that by saying, “To me,” after every evaluation/opinion of some person/place/thing “out there.” When we say something or someoneContinue reading “September 21-A, 2022”

September 20-C, 2022

The heart of Buddhism is “You have to know what I mean before you can understand what I am saying.” It is called “Buddha Mind,” by which Buddha communes with Buddha by way of the connection which is there before he speaks. Thus, Mahākāśyapa smiled when the Buddha held up a lotus flower, because hisContinue reading “September 20-C, 2022”

September 20-B, 2022

All we need to know is what’s what and what needs to be done about it, when, where and how in each situation as it arises all our life long. Then there is only doing it, and that’s that. What makes that so difficult? Caring. All we care about is what we want. Also knownContinue reading “September 20-B, 2022”

September 20-A, 2022

What answers are you seeking? What questions are required to elicit them? How do need to phrase the questions necessary to get to the answers? What are you seeking? How are you looking? What questions are you asking? How might your questions be restated to deliver the answers you are after? What is standing betweenContinue reading “September 20-A, 2022”

September 19-D, 2022

Wendell Johnson said that Aristotle realized that the citizens of Athens, 2500 years ago, acted as if three things were so, and Johnson labels them, “The law of Identity” (A is A and not B,C, D etc.). “The Law of The Excluded Middle” (A thing is either A or Not-A). And “The Law of Non-Contradiction”Continue reading “September 19-D, 2022”

September 19-C, 2022

“Spiritual” can be Bad Religion with its theology, doctrines, dogma, dharma… And, “spiritual” can be Good Religion with its first-hand experience of encounters with the Numen, the numinous, the ineffable, the sublime, the wonderful, the awe-filled… “Spiritual” can be thinking, logic, reason, analytics… And, “spiritual” can be feeling, awe, wonder, speechlessness… Everything turns on whichContinue reading “September 19-C, 2022”

September 19-B, 2022

To get a sense of the world beyond theology, we would have to go back to the Garden of Eden. Once Adam and Eve ate the Forbidden Fruit, theology was born, and we had the world as it is today. The Knowledge of Good and Evil is theology. “This is Good, that’s Evil!” is theology.Continue reading “September 19-B, 2022”

September, 3rd Week, 2022

If you are contented, comfortable, at peace, satisfied, and glad to be where you are stay there. Continue doing what you are doing, exactly as you are doing it. Go with balance, harmony and well-being all the way. Do not disrupt what is working. People all over the world are quite at home in theirContinue reading “September, 3rd Week, 2022”

September 19-A, 2022

Finding your life and living it means knowing what constitutes life for you, and what takes the life right out of you– and doing more of the things on the first list, and fewer of the things on the second list. Since my wife and I retired, we don’t do much at all on theContinue reading “September 19-A, 2022”

September 18-E, 2022

Heinrich Zimmer said the best things cannot be told/said/ explained because the best things are experiential/feeling things. We can’t talk about experiences/feelings. We can’t say what they are, what they mean. We say, “I love you,” thinking we have said something. Or, “I believe in God.” You get an entire congregation standing and saying together,Continue reading “September 18-E, 2022”