Leo Tolstoy on God

LEO TOLSTOY ON GOD: "When you look inside yourself, you see what is called 'your own self' or your soul. You cannot touch it or see it or understand it, but you know it is there. And this part of yourself--that which you cannot understand--is what is called God. God is both around us and inside of us--in our souls.

The more you understand that you are at one with God, the more you will understand that you are at one with all His worldly manifestations."

Sunday, November 8, 2015

What's Height Got To Do With It? Keep Perspective: Oneness


"If a man would have peace, let him exercise the spirit of Peace; if he would find love, let him dwell in the spirit of Love; if he would escape suffering, let him cease to inflict it; if he would do noble things for humanity, let him cease to do ignoble things for himself..."- James Allen, "The Heavenly Life: 'Divine Center.'"

Photo Credit: My Story
(Seeing this picture; can you gain a perspective on how "tiny" we are in terms of the Universe)
We are tiny creatures. We are very tiny creatures.
We may look at the ant, crawling on the ground, going busily from place to place with seemingly
no purpose, as a pitiful creature that we can crush any time we have the desire. And... we often do...crush, crunch, spray, kill...the ant without a second thought.

Some people do so with larger creatures...animals... as well.
They shoot animals, going to and fro, for no reason other than...because they can.

Were we to truly pause and see our own smallness in the scheme of life, we would indeed pause...halt...all our busyness going to and fro in our daily activities.

Were we to ask, if there was any real purpose to our days, we would see clearly and understand fully that our individual busyness is as seemingly meaningless in the scheme of things as that of the ant, or the dog, or the lion going about their ways. 

But we, as humans, never stop. Most of us don't pause in our days and our ways to ponder the larger questions of life and wonder about our "bigness" in the overall scheme of life?

Of course, we are here for a purpose. Our
lives do have meaning. Often, though, it's not what we think. Often, too, it's not in the ways we think we fit. I certainly don't know how it all fits together. I respectfully leave that to a higher Presence active in our world. But what I do daily is try to stay connected to that Presence and Power and stay aware of where I might, or might not fit, into the day's activities I'm called to do.


Look around you now and see if the room in which you're now sitting is smaller or bigger than you?
Do you have a perspective of your size?

Some folks spend a lot of time worried about being tall, short, fat or slim. This is so much so that during the GOP debate, held in mid-September 2015, the top Google search was the height of the 2016 candidates. (See this: People Only Care About How Tall The 2016 Candidates Are). A seven-foot or taller man or woman may seem a "giant" among us, but in terms of the Universe, it's just a different variety of life's creatures and things on Earth. [Advice: When you're feeling big, look up and around you

We go boldly forward in our days and our ways acting on the feeling that we are the greatest creatures on Earth. WE have a right to be here; THEY do not.
Photo Credit: My Story
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Genesis 1: 26 
Photo Credit: My Story 
 Whether you believe in Pantheism, God present in all,  or Panentheism, God above all, he created the animals as well as humans.The only thing that separates us is our intelligence. But as Science uncovers the intelligence of other species, humans may have a humbling experience about this point too. (The Science Is In: Elephants Are Smarter Than We Realize), (Dolphins, Dogs and Elephants Smarter Than Some Realize), and (Goats Are Smarter Than You Think). We may yet find that humans are not the smartest creatures on Earth.

We're increasingly discovering that animals, like humans, feel emotions...sadness, joy...as do humans.
Cane Carso was a dog featured on Facebook. He was scheduled
to be euthanized, but his tears saved him.



"Lawrence Anthony, a legend in South Africa and author of 3 books including the bestseller, The Elephant Whisperer. He bravely rescued wildlife and rehabilitated elephants all over the globe from human atrocities, including the courageous rescue of Baghdad Zoo animals during US invasion in 2003.
On March 7, 2012 Lawrence Anthony died.
He is remembered and missed by his wife, 2 sons, 2 grandsons, and numerous elephants.
Two days after his passing, the wild elephants showed up at his home led by two large matriarchs. Separate wild herds arrived in droves to say goodbye to their beloved 'man-friend'. A total of 31 elephants had patiently walked over 12 miles to get to his South African House.
Witnessing this spectacle, humans were obviously in awe not only
because of the supreme intelligence and precise timing that these
elephants sensed about Lawrence's passing, but also because of
the profound memory and emotion the beloved animals evoked
in such an organized way: Walking slowly, for days, making their way in a solemn one-by-one queue from their habitat to his house. Lawrence's wife, Francoise, was especially touched, knowing that the elephants had not been to his house prior to that day for well over 3 years!
But yet they knew where they were going. The elephants obviously wanted to pay their deep respects, honoring their friend who'd saved their lives - so much respect that they stayed for 2 days 2 nights without eating anything.
Then one morning, they left, making their long journey back home.
SOMETHING IN THE UNIVERSE IS GREATER 
AND DEEPER THAN HUMAN INTELLIGENCE."- This story was posted in 2013 by Dr. Wayne Dyer and re-posted by Reid Tracy after his death, as a "classic Wayne FB posts."


Why can't we then keep perspective and respect for other creatures?

One of the key reasons, I believe, is that day-to-day, we are so full of ourselves, our very lives and the concentrated energy within us, we don't have time to look outside at the larger world. The times we do, it's to see how the other creatures can serve us. 
Photo Credit: My Story
(Goldfinch by Feathers [Allan])
Notice the birds of the air are more protected
than animals and creature that are on the ground.. 
.  

But believe it or not, our concentrated energy is no more important to the Universe than the concentrated energy within the animals and the lowest species crawling on Earth.
Animals, like humans, know how to instinctively
care for and love their offspring.

We are all here for a purpose. Yes, even the lowest creature. Some people are aware
and are doing much to alleviate killings and suffering of some animals. See these pieces:
(Dogs Arrive After Being Rescued From South Korea Farmers) and (200 Horses Roam Free After Being Rescued From Years of Abuse)

When we gain perspective on our lives, we also see that the passing issues that destroy our joy day-to-day are unimportant in the overall scheme of things. We can begin to feel Joy and Peace and Happiness in this way. 

Look up...look around you...see how 'big' you are...and see how you fit, if viewed from above, in relationship to the sky and the wind and the sun and the moon...and all the other animals and creatures on Earth. Know, they too, are here for a purpose, and though we may not know it, they also feel what we feel. See this: (Dog Stands Guard Over Pup Until Is Rescued).

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this November, my wish for us all is that as we give Thanks for our lives, we also gain perspective on that very life and its meaning in the ever-evolving Universe. I pray that we begin to wake up to the ONENESS among us all, people and animals alike, as did this pilot who's obviously awake! (Pilot Diverts Flight So Dog Does Not Freeze To Death).

Remember the turkey you eat came here with a purpose, too. In the eyes of the Universe, it, too, is worthy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Namaste',
Che'

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Personal Authenticity: "To Thine Own Self Be True"...

"To Thine Own Self Be True and it must follow as the night, the day, Thou canst not then be false to ANY man."
William Shakespeare.