Hi everyone, This is "my" first post and "I" thought it appropriate to introduce my "self", whatever that means. I guess there's no better way of introduction than to allow my mind to reflect the things I have read, heard, tested, and generally accepted to make what I can out of life, so I'm gonna crack on with the "self". I tend to think of the self as something that is not by any means solid or permanent, but rather something that is, in it's entirety, only what it is at this exact moment. The self seems to me, to be influenced by past experiences, yet the self is not NOW what it was in the past. Our self's freedom (mind, spirit, body, etc. included) is bound only by limitations enacted by our own narrow-mindedness. Now Narrow-mindedness is rooted in ignorance, and is perhaps not so different a thing as Fear of the unknown? (whatcha think). But when I use "ignorance" here it is not ignorance as in stupidity (I have plenty of that too), but rather an ignorance as a kind of darkness that covers Truth, the Darkness of Ignorance if you will. We are all subject to unconciously cultivating ignorant minds and we do this in myriad ways during our everyday happenings, but I don't think this is bad. It's simply a natural way of The Way Things Are. Another part of The Way Things Are is Truth. Now Truth is very exciting because of how it brings relief from some, if not all of the suffering caused by ignorance. This makes Truth valuable to all but a very few (which might be no one, actually, save the dead). Another exciting thing is that there is a kind of Infinite Light and Infinite Compassion of the Universe(everything) that is kind of like a law, like The Law of Gravity (to quote an unremembered source), which makes it UNLIKE an object as in a subject-object relationship. This is different that God or gods because they are often referred to as an "object" or "some One" outside ourselves. This is at least seems to be the commonly accepted view that I have encountered from my Christian and Pagan friends. However it may all relate you see, for another tasty bit for pondering is that This Infinite Light and Compassion may be known by different names/words. I support this view with an observation I read somewhere that it must be remembered that words themselves are only words. Words are Not Truth, they only assist in pointing to Truth. This may be alike to a finger pointing at the moon, words being a finger and the moon representing the truth. Now Truth can absolutely guide us to ways of choosing our actions. Our actions greatly determine the suffering we face, example: I cheat on my wife, she finds out, suffering grows. I don't cheat on wife, suffering grows. Okay, maybe that was a bad example. It works thought, see for yourself. When we allow ourselvest to honor this source of truth, it leads to cessation of the darkness of ignorance. That is of course only my observation of how things work in this existence, and now that I've thoroughly confused myself ...
My name is John Christopher Brooks, "Elkie" will work just fine, and I live in CT, USA ,and I like many things including run-on sentences and Far East spirituality and using more commas than is customary in any common earthly method of communication. I value simplicity, but enjoy complicating things as well. I appreciate paradox and confusion, but I wish they would go away so I could understand.
Also, thanks to Yume and ShadowNightWing for their kindness of responding to my first draft of this intro in Dreamyduck's post :cheers: (I was trying to use existing threads as instructed) and also for Yume's suggestion that perhaps I would be interested in the Philosophy Off-Topic forum :cheers: . I'd love to hear the rest of y'alls ideas on the realm of metaphysics, as well as how it ties into the dreamworld. I think it lies quite closely with the not so "subject " but more "ever-changing phenomenon" of Dreams, which I enjoy sincerely.
It's nice to be here with everyone. I am excited for that which has yet to pass, while paradoxically presently being contentedly joyful.
Cheers,
Elkie
