Sunday Sermon [Karma and Evolution]

Hola mi gente...

I haven't been writing for myself at all these past few weeks. I am immersed in my my job and it's taken all my time. Once I get my myself more grounded, I think I'll have some interesting posts to share.

When the historical Buddha asked us to examine our relationship to the elements as a path to the realization to the awareness that our body has no separate, independent existence, he was encouraging us to become scientists of the self. His instructions were based in part on one of his era’s principles known as the law of karma.

In Sanskrit, the word karma means “to do” or “to make,” and refers to the fact that every action is followed by consequences. As I have written before, in common modern usage karma has been corrupted to mean “payback” and has become synonymous with retribution. This is a faulty and misinformed concept of karma.

The Hindu law of karma, which was current when the Buddha lived, was concerned mostly with an individual’s actions in the world, and how the consequences of those actions would affect that person’s destiny, even in future lives. For example, if one person hurts another, that sets up whole series of events that ends in the first person experiencing pain. People today like to say, “Everything that goes around, comes around.” ::sigh::

The Buddha added a completely new dimension to this law by emphasizing that karma is also a psychological conditioning process that operates in this very life. He recognized that our thoughts as well as our actions have consequences and that those consequences take place in our own mind.

The Buddha advised us not to try to tease out all the specifics of the entanglement of our karma, saying it was imponderable. We could never isolate or measure all of the events and processes that have produced this particular here and now. What is important is to see the fact that nothing arises independent of causes and conditions. Equally important is that we become aware how unwholesome states such as hatred and greed create suffering. What happens when we do this is that we begin to see ourselves and each moment as embedded within all of creation.

Karma has nothing to do with other people getting their "payback."

All of this got me thinking (always a dangerous thing) and I came upon a series of photographs of the development of the human fetus. I was taken immediately at how it seems as if the development is a reflection of our evolutionary history.

Note: for the religious quacks that refuse to be convinced of evolution, please tell me you don’t believe the next time a vaccine created through the science of evolution saves your whacked out ass.

Looking at these photos, I came away thinking that the scientific story of evolution can offer a new angle on the idea of reincarnation. Life itself seems to reincarnate in form after form, with new forms of locomotion, perception, or types of consciousness. In fact, the human condition can be seen as our shared incarnation, part of common “evolutionary karma.”

Evolutionary science is even showing us some of the faces of our previous shared past. You can see, twitching away on a Petri dish, a living example of past life as a single-celled organism. In a water-breathing fish, you can imagine a version of yourself in a previous life, swimming through the single ocean that once covered the earth. You can perhaps more easily recognize yourself as a great ape, or as a Homo Habilis in the Stone Age.

But what struck me was that our shared lives could be even more easily recognized by looking at individual development in the womb. Think about it: within a nine-month period we develop from a single cell organism to a complex mammal, keeping the adaptations we might need and discarding those that are unnecessary, such as gills, and downsizing others, such as the acute olfactory region of the brain, since smell is no longer as essential to our survival as humans.

In the book, What Is Life? Dorion Sagan and Lynn Margulis put forward the depth of our inheritance: “We share more than 98 percent of our genes with chimpanzees, sweat fluids reminiscent of seawater, and crave sugar that provided our ancestors with energy three billion years before the first space station had evolved. We carry our past with us.”

The notion that we have previous lives in the evolutionary past can extend beyond biology, into the realm of elemental forces and cycles. After all, the entire earth was once a cloud of gas, and later cooling into a molten mass. Were we not part of those too? The Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh wrote in The Heart of Understanding, “As I look more deeply, I can see that in a former life I was a cloud. And I was a rock. This is not poetry; it is science. This is not a question of a belief in reincarnation. This is the history of life on earth.”

The concept of life evolving is not foreign to Buddhism, whether it be told in legends of reincarnation, or as the interconnection of all things in the universe. And perhaps most importantly it is expressed through the core belief in the possibility of transformation in this very life.

My name is Eddie and I'm in recovery from civilization... 

Occupy Wall St!

¡Hola! Everybody...
So... after watching the heavy-handed treatment of the Wall St. protestors...

I decided to join in.

I have friends/ former colleagues who have been Occupying Wall St. from the get, and early on I had decided not to get involved. Being involved in two other campaigns (one confronting racial profiling by the NYPD), forced me to consider it would be best if I didn't spread myself too thin. The reality is that being an activist these days sometimes means being sympathetic to many causes, but learning when and where to pick and choose ones battles.

I'm going to “cheat,” as I will not be sleeping there, but I will be adding my presence to the Occupy Wall St. political action/ movement; adding my voice. Initially, I was skeptical: the organizing, IMO, was too informal and there didn't seem to be a clear, concise, coherent message, but, you what? That’s all bullshit. This action is how it starts, and these people, with almost no financial support, almost no media exposure (here), and powerful interests attempting to stymie their message (here), have demonstrated a resolve that can only be admired. They're still there, and have been inspired and have inspired similar “occupations” across the nation and the world.

My biggest concern is avoiding arrest. Because of my past, an arrest for me can result in an indefinite detention and some fucked up legal complications. But, hey, nothing worthwhile is ever easy, right? And the issue here is about freedom, people. I hope you will consider joining, or at least donating to the cause. There is need for food and other articles, so anything you can donate, even something like $5, would go a long way (click here)

I was called a few minutes ago regarding temporary paid work for a few days, so that might fuck up my plans for Wednesday through Friday, but I will be back at Liberty Plaza on the weekend.

I will be posting daily updates, so stay tuned and if you don’t hear from me, make sure you try to look for me, I might be swallowed up in the system…

My name is Eddie and I’m in recovery from civilization…

Get Up/ Fight Back

If you’re interested in getting involved, or want to support this movement, please visit the Occupy Wall Street Website (click here). There you can get all the latest information, updates on activities and information to other actions across the nation.

If you’re paranoid about online financial interactions, you can send donations and supplies to:

The UPS Store

Re: Occupy Wall Street

118A Fulton St. #205

New York, NY 10038

Money orders only please, we cannot cash checks yet. Non-perishable goods only. We can accept packages of any size. We’re currently low on food.

Learned Helplessness

¡Hola! Everybody...
I’m jumping right into today’s post...The following is in reference to a social networking site, Multiply, I frequent. There's a group there that uses racial epithets regularly, a clear violation of the site's terms of service. For details and context click here

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-=[ Learned Helplessness vs Change ]=-

“Culturally the Negro represents a paradox: Though he is an organic part of the nation, he is excluded by the entire tide and direction of American Culture... Therefore if, within the confines of its present culture, the nation ever seeks to purge itself of its color hate, it will find itself at war with itself, convulsed by a spasm of emotional and moral confusion.”

-- Richard Wright, Black Boy

[As part of society, we are ultimately the ones that determine what kind of world we envision. If you find the use of racial epithets acceptable, read no further. If hate speech offends your idea of a civil society, then please read my post and if you agree, sign the online petition (click here)]

The second vilest sin (second only to ignorance) I come across on a regularly basis is the notion that we have no power. The sentiment seems to be, “Well, sure it’s (<-- insert any form of getting reamed here) wrong, but I can’t make a difference, so why bother.”

Observe that the same negative defeatist attitude dominates both forms of thought. In psychology this type of belief system is called learned helplessness.

AmeriKKKa? This is your brain on cynicism.

Recently it was brought to my attention that a political internet group, Robust Debate, has resorted to using hate speech as a way to intimidate people of color and women. Racial epithets such as “nigger” and “boy” are common and women are often referred to as “bitches.”

I am a firm believer in free speech and that’s why I have taken the time to understand the First Amendment. There are limits to free speech. You can’t stand up in a crowded theater and yell “fire” without suffering the consequences because that would be considered a crime. However, I believe that even the vilest ideologies should be given the same freedoms as other speech. The 1^st Amendment has to apply to all ideas, even those we find offensive.

My post, however, is not about the First Amendment. It’s really about the fair implementation of website Terms of Service (TOS). As many who read me know, I’ve been kicked out of a certain website so many times it isn’t funny. No, I don’t harass people, I don't cyber stalk women, nor do I insist people read my blogs. I've been banned mostly because of my ideas.

Because unshophisticated people often find my views abhorrent, I have a big problem with censorship of any kind. However, my post isn't about censorship...

If the owners of this site find my thoughts and ideas out of line and I'm deleted, that’s their right and choice, it is their site. But from what I understand, TOS also warn users against using hate speech. Websites are privately owned and they can determine what they allow to happen on their sites. If I get bounced for expressing my ideas regarding organized religion or the sexual development of children, then why isn’t an individual calling another human being a nigger or a bitch being treated similarly?

I’m asking that you consider this. There is no sane place in this world for hate. Do you think it’s right for some people to be held to one standard while others are allowed to use racial epithets without consequence? This is about fairness and everyone being held to the same standard on a privately-owned website.

And for those who say that there’s no use in speaking truth to power, I’ll leave you with a story that brings it home for me.

I was once marching in Washington, DC against some injustice, I forget which. At the time, I had been feeling very frustrated at the state of politics in this country. Less than half of those eligible to vote did, and one of the results was the re-election an incompetent to the Oval Office -- re-elected!

I was marching alongside this elderly African-American lady who had to use a walker. She was veteran from the peak years of the civil rights movement -- someone who marched in the South when they would let dogs loose on you if you had the audacity to demand equal rights. I asked her how she could continue the struggle in the face of so much failure. Her response will stay with me until the day I die:

With a smile that belied her rebel attitude, she explained to me that she didn’t risk everything because she hoped or expected win over those who disagreed with her or held formidable economic and political power. Rather, she recognized that -- as powerless as she was -- she was determined to use her courage and determination as a weapon to harass embedded power structures. Her goal was defiance she told me.

She also explained that she avoided discouragement because the moment she chose resistance as a strategy against slave mentality, she was triumphant. Nothing the power elite could do could ever diminish her triumph.

Finally, she emphasized that we owed it to both our ancestors and our children. We owed it to our ancestors, many of whom fought slavery and oppression knowing they would never see it abolished in their lifetimes. More importantly, we owe it to our children, who need to have the road cleared for their own resistance. Children who need the power of example of defiance in the face of hate in order for them to shake off the shackles of ignorance and passive acceptance.

So, the next time you say some stupid-assed sh!t such as, “What difference can I make,” remember that. Remember people died so you could walk around saying stupid sh!t. Whatever your decision today -- whether you agree with me or not, or sign the petition (or not) -- is irrelevant. What is important is if you are making a stand. I will not engage your thinking on this. If you act, you act; if you don't, you don't. This is about action (or the lack thereof), not talk.

Paz,

Eddie

Karma

¡Hola! Everybody...
Today is the longest day of the week for me. I’ll be scarce. It's "Kiss Eddie Day"! No Mo, you can't kiss me... ::blank stare:: Recent internet behavior by me has led me back to this post...

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-=[ Karma ]=-

“Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.”

-- Albert Einstein (1879–1955)

Karma is an important part of the spiritual path I follow. Karma is an often used and misused term in our culture. To many people raised within the Christian-Judeo tradition, karma implies fate or “cosmic justice” resulting in punishment or reward for our actions. In Buddhism, there is no external God-in-the-sky bestowing justice.

From the Buddhist perspective, at each point of our lives, we are confronted with a crossroad. What we are today is the fruit of our past and we, through our actions, are the architects of our future. Once when my son was about eight years old, we were at a picnic. He wanted to play wiffle ball, but I was busy preparing some things and had asked him to wait. Well, you know kids! He became impatient and was swinging the big plastic bat precariously close to another child’s head. Luckily, I was able to stop him before anything happened.

If my son had hit the child, he would’ve called it an accident and technically speaking it would’ve been an accident. I mean, his intention wasn’t to hit his playmate. His intention was to play. Still, it was an opportunity for a lesson and we used whiffle ball to illustrate karma. LOL! It was a little difficult for seven-eight year-olds to understand, but even they saw how we need to bring a certain amount of mindfulness to our actions otherwise they will bring unwanted pain. We might laugh at a seven-year olds total lack of insight, but we as adults also commit similar actions and then ask, “why me,” when the chickens come home to roost.

When we ask, “Why did this happen to me?” it is because of our limited perspective. If you continue to swing that metaphorical plastic bat eventually someone’s going to get thwacked on the head. We shouldn’t say, “It was an accident,” although we all usually do. There’s this notion that what happens to us is somehow independent of our actions. I would suggest that instead of asking “why did this happen,” we should be asking, “What am I going to do about it.”

If you want to know your past, look at your present situation. If you want to know your future, look at what is in your mind.

Locus of control is a psychological term used to refer to the perceived source of control over one’s behavior. For some people, things happen to them (external locus of control), while others make things happen (internal locus of control). The whole point of karma is to recognize how our actions determine our future, so that we can then begin to act more effectively. This isn’t a religious or philosophical matter, it is entirely practical. The main point is to escape the insanity of committing the same actions and expecting different results. Even a seven-year-old understands not sticking their finger into the electrical socket after the first try. LOL

So, what the fuck is karma? Karma is an aspect of the laws of cause and effect that relates to our experiences of happiness and suffering. It depends basically upon our motivation. When we engage in an act, no matter how it appears, what is important is motivation -- intention. I used to facilitate intensive three-week workshops that involved challenging people’s ingrained attitudes and belief systems. There were times, if you walked in the middle of one my exercises, that you would have considered my methods cruel, sadistic even. And if my motivation hadn’t been based on compassion, my workshops could have actually created a lot of suffering and harm.

A couple of years ago I had the good fortune to attend the wedding of one of my former workshop participants. Today, she’s a successful young lady who’s involved in a loving and mutually respectful relationship. It wasn’t always that way with her. I made her cry so many times it wasn’t funny. But underneath all that hurt, low self-esteem, and false belief systems was a young lady that was as beautiful inside as she was on the outside. And believe me, this girl’s is drop-dead gorgeous! As a result, all she knew was how to use her physical beauty to get what she wanted. However, it usually goes that when you manipulate, you are manipulated in turn. That shit stopped with me.

We can’t always perfectly foresee the consequences of our actions. But we are always in charge of our motivation. It’s always up to us to decide if we want to cause suffering or bring some benefit to the world. No one -- at least not anyone who’s “sane” -- can say we are not in control of our motivation. An act that is motivated by a compassionate mind/ heart is ethical, no matter how it appears. Likewise, an act motivated by greed, anger, or hate is unethical, no matter how it looks.

And this is the very basis of ethics. Teaching my son and his friend the connection between his swinging a bat without thought to the safety of those around him is something he never forgot. He still remembers that day. Sure, I made it fun and the lesson was taught through the dynamics of play (don’t ask; just know that a lot of adults got thwacked with a plastic bat that day. LOL), but it was a powerful lesson nonetheless. If we don’t relate our actions to our motivation, we can never be clear as to right and wrong. Remember: the knife in the hands of a murderer is a weapon and in the hands of a surgeon, it is a tool for healing.

From the Buddhist viewpoint, right and wrong is defined as to what leads to happiness or suffering. In fact, actions aren’t defined as “right” or “wrong,” but skillful vs. unskillful.

This not to say that we are actors independent of external forces that serve to limit us. That’s the one mistake many people make about karma -- they relate to it as punishment. It’s not that at all. Awareness -- mindfulness -- is the heat that burns away all the past karmic defilements. Underneath all that garbage is pure shining awareness opening as love.

Love,

Eddie