The Path

Billy Is Gone, Rest In Peace

2010-07-17T08:09:00.000-05:00

This is Billy's brother so do not think he has found a way to communicate from the after life.

The family, through me, is trying to tie up the loose ends and put a closing chapter to his life, which ended all too soon with the tragedy of his death on July 8th, 2010.

Thank you for being a friend to my brother.

May he finally have the peace that eluded him in life.

Introduction

2009-06-26T23:00:00.013-05:00

Before we get started, this blog is kept in book format instead of the traditional blog format. I’m frequently updating prior entries with new knowledge & video links. If you’re interested in the latest updates, the best place to look is my twitter account.

I came to the truths you're about to read by living life my way & finding that it didn't work. Once my misery reached a breaking point, I only had one good option, to change my ways. What you're about to read is the heart of the lessons I've learned.

I keep things simple because complication doesn't work. Simplicity speaks straight to the heart without engaging the mind. My blog is the essence of truth without emotions, mysticism or baggage from the past. It is where spirituality & the scientific method collide to create a synergy of truth that does not conflict with reality.

My blog isn't meant to be confrontational or controversial. However, the truth is the most insulting thing ever said. If you find yourself getting irritated, investigate why. Does the truth threaten some belief you're holding? The truth will set you free but it's going to piss you off first.

The purpose of spiritual training is to help you achieve optimal growth. If it produces any other result, then it's used inappropriately or it's ignorance & should be abandoned. The knowledge in this blog is meant to help you grow & should only be used for that purpose.

I Hope You Find This Blog Useful,
Billy

My Blogs Aren't Philosophy.

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What I talk about is based on observation & experimentation, not speculation. Once my mind makes sense of my observations & it passes the reality check, then I write it as simply as possible. I don't believe anything just because it ran through my mind or because it sounds right. I question everything!

Webster: philosophy - a search for a general understanding of values and reality by chiefly speculative rather than observational means.

My blogs aren't opinions, relative or my perspective.
I don't care what anybody thinks including myself.
I'm only concerned with what really works in the long run.

My blogs are profound truths that work for anyone who tries them.

I know they work because I experience them every day.
I also know they work because I see people succeed & fail based on those principles.
If they didn't work for you & me, I wouldn't have said anything.

I'm not trying to change your opinion.
I'm revealing the consequences of your actions.
It's your choice on what to do.

I don't want to think for you.
I want you to think for yourself.
These entries are meant to spark your own inquisitiveness.

"The only way in which one human being can properly attempt to influence another is by encouraging him to think for himself, instead of endeavoring to instill ready-made opinions into his head." - Leslie Stephen

The Ultimate Truth

2009-06-25T23:00:00.014-05:00

Everything is energy.
I call it essence.

More technically, everything is eternal formless energy.
Einstein proved E=mc^2. Therefore, mass is made up of energy.
The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Therefore, it's eternal.
Everything we know was once at the singularity event. Therefore, it's formless.

The more you explain the essence the farther you move away from it.
It is called by many names but none adequately describe it.
Sometimes I call it God.
God is the personification of the essence.

The essence doesn't play favorites.
The essence is beyond the senses but can be fathomed.
The essence is 85% feminine & 15% masculine.

I see two patterns holding endlessly: the tree & the sphere.
Our world is patterns with randomness sprinkled in.
Therefore things typically happen for a reason but are beyond complete codification.

The essence divides things just to bring them back together.
The essence moves in a series of expansions & contractions.
The essence tries everything & keeps what works.

The essence communicates endlessly if you'll pay attention.

The Ultimate Goal

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The ultimate goal is to grow optimally.
Optimal growth is achieved by seeking harmony with the essence.
All problems are a lack of harmony with the essence.
You're as relevant as you're in harmony with the essence.

All emotions & mental states stem from a sense of self, ego.
Emotions & mental states are amplified by pleasure.
Deal with all emotions, mental states & pleasures; & peace follows.

All emotions & mental states have opposites.
There is a balance between all opposites.
All opposites are a division in your mind, not reality.
The yin & yang symbol illustrates how opposites work.
Abandon all opposites & focus on harmony instead.

From harmony comes peace.
If you slip from harmony, you can use the opposite to bring yourself back.
The distance you travel from harmony is the same distance back but uphill.

The good/evil paradigm is a big stumbling block to peace.
Good serves its purpose.
Evil serves its purpose
Everything serves its purpose;
Learn to accept it.

Cults are an attempt to escape reality.
Cult leaders buy into utopia & sell it to others.
The pursuit of utopia only leads to trouble.

Meditation is a tool to help you achieve harmony.
Meditation is about silence, stillness & dealing with yourself.

A man who conquers his desire is as satisfied as a man who can have anything.
The most satisfied you can be is to be without desire.
Misery is the end result of desire.
Fantasies are unfulfilled desires.
Desires make life expensive.

"There is no greater sin than desire."
“Empty your mind of everything.” – Lao Tsu

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"If you ever find peace by hunting for it, you will find it, as the old woman did who found her lost spectacles, safe on her own nose all the time." - Josh Billings

"Peace isn't easily obtained. It is very hard to find in one's self, & impossible to find anywhere else." - Sebastien-Roch-Nicholas Chamfort

"I feel much better, now that I've given up hope." - Ashleigh Brilliant

"Hope allows human beings to suffer, daily & eternally." - David Byrne

Hope is a positive attitude toward unfulfilled wants.
First, let go of hope;
Then, let go of wanting
And peace will find you.

"Boredom - the desire of desires." - Leo Tolstoy

Boredom is the wanting of excitement which is a lack of appreciation for peace.
Peace isn't that great but there is nothing better.

Find peace in everything you do.
Drama is a lack of peace.

How much silence do you have in your day?
Why are you running from it?

This world is divided up into levels.
Gross levels dull the mind & lead to disturbances.
Subtle levels awaken the mind & lead to peace.

We leave peace because we don't appreciate it.
We leave peace because we are attached to some gross level.
We leave peace out of ignorance.

To find your way back is to appreciate the subtle, to be unattached & to gain wisdom.

Attachment is using and/or doing something beyond its usefulness.
Attachments are stagnation.
Being unattached is being fully engaged.
Nothing is an endless source of joy but there are endless sources of joy.
Attachments to the lower levels of existence keeps you out of the higher levels of existence.

"He who is attached to things will suffer much. " - Lao Tsu

Wisdom comes from a settled mind.

Perfection is a burden.
It's enough to make it better.

You can watch my Utopia & Cults & The Purpose of Life videos at YouTube.

You can read my Utopia & Cults & The Purpose of Life articles at The Path Explained.

Positive Training

2009-06-25T22:45:00.015-05:00

The positive is only used to get rid of the negative.

I practice this once a day or as needed.
I usually go to the park & say my words while I walk.
Modify & practice as necessary to suit you.

Internally say one word per breath.
Repeat each word three times.

Kind, gentle, caring, loving, giving;
Smile on the last word!

Forgiving, understanding, listening, tolerant, compassionate;
Again, smile on the last word!

Calm, content, mindful, unattached, balanced;
Again, smile!

Genuine, sincere, honest, trusting, open;
Smile!

Peaceful, patient, friendly, smiling, glowing;
Smile!

Unafraid, fearless, courageous, brave, confident;
Smile!

Wise, intuitive, happy, humble, egoless;
Smile!

Prideless, gracious, grateful, appreciative, accepting.
Smile!

You can watch my Positive Training video at YouTube.

The placebo effect reveals the power of positive thinking.

Use the micro (5%) smile throughout the day to protect yourself from hatred.

Every negative thought should be balanced by a positive thought.
When you catch yourself being negative,
Stop the process & say a string of positive words.

Methods & Techniques

2009-06-25T22:40:00.040-05:00

Thinking Long Term
If it works, do it.
If it doesn't work, don't do it.
Pay attention, so you can learn the difference.
Did you notice the humiliate of this method?

First, evaluate where you are.
If it's not an unburdened place, then change appropriately to get there.
Then, make unburdened baby steps in the right direction.
Allow big steps to happen on their own.
This is the tree principle applied.

Live your life,
Be prepared &
Let it happen.
Letting it happen is the essence's part.

No force,
No cleverness &
Don't go where you're not welcomed!

Use your energy wisely.
As you make progress on the path,
Force must transition into skill
To reach the higher levels.

Intuitive pass,
Then increasingly more conscious passes until done.

Instead of trying to be fast,
Slow down a bit (5%).

Be carefree without being careless.

Uncertainty makes choices necessary.
Increase your certainty by increasing your stability, awareness & knowledge.

Don't be wasteful;
Don't be cheap.

Before using cleverness, try honesty.

In regards to growth,
Do what you can when you can.

Make your decisions based on reality.

You can watch my The Ultimate Methods & Force & Cleverness videos at YouTube.

You can read my Force & Cleverness article at The Path Explained.

Your Mind is Like an Iceberg

2009-06-25T22:37:00.010-05:00

10% of an iceberg is above water.

Problems you're aware of, I'll call conscious problems.
Problems you're unaware of, I'll call unconscious problems.

The part above the water is your conscious problems.
The part beneath the water is your unconscious problems.

The sun melting the ice represents you dealing with your conscious problems.
As conscious problems are dealt with, unconscious problems float into consciousness.

As problems are dealt with, greater peace follows.

You can watch my Your Mind is Like an Iceberg video at YouTube.

You can read my Your Mind is Like an Iceberg article at The Path Explained.

Your Essence

2009-06-25T22:33:00.007-05:00

Your essence is beyond definition.
Once you define yourself, something is lost.
Once you focus on an aspect of yourself, something is ignored.

"Carrying body and soul and embracing the one,
Can you avoid separation?" - Lao Tsu

You can watch my Your Essence video at YouTube.

The Ultimate Path

2009-06-25T22:30:00.005-05:00

Your goal is to maximize your essence.
You maximize your essence by growing optimally.
You grow optimally by minimizing your pleasures & egotistical attainments.

You minimize your pleasures & egotistical attainments by giving them up in small ways.
While giving them up, you'll experience misery, depression & other mental aspects.
Once they are experienced & dealt with fully, they fade away & greater peace follows.
Repeat process at the next subtler level.

Conquering Your Mind

2009-06-25T21:50:00.015-05:00

Your unwillingness to die to yourself (ego) is the only thing standing in your way.

Your mind is conquered in small ways.

Understanding precedes conquering.

Untangle your mind like you would a knotted ball of yarn.

All creatures' minds are revealed by their actions.
The mind is written all over the body.
How you feel, think & respond to the world reveals your mind.

"Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal." - David Bryne

"Obstacles come from those who didn't reach the top." - Marcel Bealu

Your mind isn’t conquered in what you’re going to do,
It’s conquered in what you do.

You can watch my Conquering Your Mind video at YouTube.

Conquering Pleasure

2009-06-25T21:49:00.035-05:00

Pleasure's Top Lies
1. A little bit won't hurt you (failure by baby steps).
2. Live a little bit.
3. You deserve it.
4. I'll make you happy.
5. What are you living for, if not for pleasure?

All the problems with giving up pleasure are temporary.
Face misery that leads to greater harmony.
You’re going to face misery no matter what.
So you might as well face misery that leads to something positive.

Avoidances do nothing but prolong the problem.
Face your misery without any avoidances.
Your spirit will give you the biggest battle just before victory.

Giving into pleasure is the downhill sled ride.
Giving up pleasure is the snowy walk back up the hill.
The most exhausting part of the climb is just before the summit.
It's the same with conquering pleasure too.

"People usually fail when they are on the verge of success.
So give as much care to the end as to the beginning;
Then there will be no failure." - Lao Tsu

You'll get out of pleasure the same way you got into it: a little each day.
Give a reasonable effort each day.
Instead of telling yourself "No," ask if you can "Wait?"
Focus your efforts on the grossest pleasures.

There are a few things in life worth winning.
This is one of them.

Pleasure makes us feel bold but makes us weak.
An obvious example is illicit drugs.
Pleasure creates psychotic energy.
The absence of pleasure creates a calm & stable energy.

Pain & pleasure are opposite sides of the same coin.
With every little pleasure you resist & pain you endure, pleasure & pain's hold on you weakens.

It cost to get the pleasure & it keeps on costing after you've had it.

You can watch How Pleasure Causes Problems at YouTube.

You can read How Pleasure Causes Problems & Delaying Your Gratification at The Path Explained.

Pleasure's Helpers

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Ignorance

Welcoming

Strong Grip

Seems Good

Conquering Ego

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Question everything & be honest.

It's hard to see yourself without a mirror.
Use others like a mirror to see inside yourself.
In fact use the whole world as a mirror to look inside yourself.

"The easiest person to deceive is one's self." - Edward Bulwer-Lytton

"No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions." - Charles P. Steinmetz

"It is the hardest thing in the world to be a good thinker without being a good self examiner." - Lord Shaftesburg

You can watch Conquering Ego at YouTube.

Greatness lies in you not thinking so highly of yourself.

Ego Revealed

2009-06-25T21:46:00.026-05:00

Ego makes a fool of you while making you feel proud.
There is no end to the folly of ego.
Ego focuses on the insignificant while ignoring the important.

Shyness is a lack of ego.
Boldness is ego.
"The sage is shy and humble - to the world he seems confusing. " - Lao Tsu

What do you have to be bold about?
You didn't create yourself.
You aren't the essence.
Your a tool to be used by it.
Just like everybody else.

If ego is engaged, the world is viewed as objects to fulfill desire.
If ego isn't engaged, the world is viewed as energy flows to manage.
Desire stems from ego; I desire that for me.

Suicidal thoughts are egotistical thoughts.

Ego rejoices in victory,
Cries in defeat &
Gets the body injured along the way.
Glory & defeat are egotistical concepts.
Get over ego & experience the tranquility of being even-keeled.

Only your ego cares what people say & think about you.

The ego wants to find ways you're different from animals.
The humble wants to find connections with animals.

Concern with other's opinion of you is ego.

Smiling is ego.

The joy of being unimportant.
The misery of being important.
Ego steals your joy & replaces it with misery.

The more important you try to be,
The less important you become.

Do you fantasize about being important?

Anytime you have more than you need, ego has you.

Ego defends itself with thoughts, emotions, impulses & avoidances.

Ego is a problem because it puts us at the center of the universe
Which is out of harmony with reality.
None of this world is about you or me;
It's only in our minds that this seems true.

Cockiness & insecurity are different sides of the same ego.

A bad attitude is ego.
A good attitude is ego.
In fact, any attitude is ego.

Accept Full Responsibility

2009-06-25T21:45:00.008-05:00

Accept full responsibility for all that runs through your mind.

What you don't deal with
The world will be forced to &
It's a lot easier if you deal with it.

Don't deny how you feel, accept it & look for the root of it.
Understanding the root of your feelings is the way out of them.
Running from them only makes them worse;
The end result of running is death.

What you don't accept, makes you miserable.
It seems to be easier to run from problems than to face them, but it's not.

It's hard to make progress when you're blaming others for your problems.
To grow you have to take personal responsibility for your actions.

Dealing with your issues is the only real hiding place.
It can all be conquered a little at a time.
If you do what you can live with, you'll always be able to live with it.

We'll do almost anything not to deal with ourselves or to not give up pleasures.

"Because the sage always confronts difficulties,
He never experiences them." - Lao Tsu

Following the Way of Growth will allow you to regain your dignity by dealing with your issues.

Three Types of Ego Problems

2009-06-25T21:43:00.006-05:00

Problems only become worse if not dealt with.

Obvious Lacks of Virtue
Problems that are perceived are dealt with quickly.
Therefore, they don't cause much damage.
Examples: rap, murder, theft, etc.

Subtle Lacks of Virtue
Problems that are not perceived have to grow bigger to be dealt with.
Therefore, they cause much damage.
Ex: subtle greed, subtle hatred, subtle desires, etc.

Cruelty That Looks Like Virtue
Problems that are perceived as desirable usually grow indefinitely.
Therefore, they cause untold damage.
Ex: do-gooders, enablers, etc.

"The biggest problem in the world could have been solved when it was small." - Witter Bynner

The Maintainable States

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Peace

Harmony

Humility

The essence is always trying to bring you back to these states.

The humble don't fall.

Important Things to Learn

2009-06-25T21:30:00.002-05:00

How to deal with yourself.

How to think & learn for yourself.

Patience

Appreciation for stillness & silence.

How to do without.

To realize your ignorance.

The Ultimate Security

2009-06-25T21:20:00.005-05:00

The ultimate security is being one with the essence.

My only real fear is straying from the path.

"You have no one to fear as much as yourself." - Ludwig Borne

Humans are arrogant animals who will perish by their own success,
If they don't change their ways.
Imagine any other animal acting like you do.
It's ridiculous, but a fool would say, "That would be cool!"
Dumb is a great force.

The Ultimate Strategy

2009-06-25T21:10:00.005-05:00

The ultimate strategy is to be honest.

The Path

2009-06-24T23:00:00.021-05:00

The path is optimal living.
The path is about living better than you're currently living.
The path is about gaining control over your spirit.
The path is followed step by step.

The path is about these nine universal principles:
  1) Apply Yourself
  2) Baby Steps
  3) Discipline
  4) Attention
  5) Question Everything
  6) Know Your Teacher: Reality
  7) Know Your Enemies: Ego & Pleasure
  8) Seek Harmony & Peace
  9) Simplicity

You can learn more about the nine universal principles at Following the Way of Growth.

Your first job is to find the path.
Your second job is to not stray from it.

Following the path implies not leading.
The essence leads through truth.

Some people will try to insult you off the path.
The path isn’t for quitters.

"Obstacles come from those who didn't reach the top." - Marcel Bealu

"Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal." - David Bryne

Laziness is the danger of conveniences.
Don't seek conveniences,
Seek to make a burden lighter.
Most people are trapped by velvet chains.

Don't avoid thinking.
Don't go looking to think.

Avoid extremes & find the middle way.

Where economics begins, the path ends.
The essence pays in essence, not money.

The wise seek freedom from misery, depression & other mental aspects by dealing with them.
Fools on the path seek glory.

Two Paths

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The way of ego & pleasure is the downward spiral.
It's the way of stagnation, ugliness, confusion, misery & illusions.
You’ll become more pathetic until you change your ways.
This is the boring path that seems amazing.
It's full of fun, laughter & happiness until you hit bottom.

The way of truth is the upward spiral.
It's the way of growth, beauty, clarity, peace & reality.
You’ll become more amazing until you change your ways.
This is the amazing path that seems boring.
It doesn't unfold the way you think; it's more peaceful.
It's full of misery, depression & pain until you reach the top.

Death is the only thing that limits both.

It’s the same for society too.

"The bright path seems dim;
Going forward seems like retreat;
The easy way seems hard." - Lao Tsu

Moving toward the essence brings things together.
Moving away from the essence tears things apart.

You can watch my Two Paths & Moving Toward the Essence Brings Things Together videos at YouTube.

Simplicity & Details

2009-06-24T22:40:00.015-05:00

Simplicity is for the mind.
Details are for the intuition.

Simplicity is seeing through the endless details until only the ultimate truth remains.
Get caught up in the details & lose sight of the whole.
If you want to perceive the essence, you have to let go of all the details.
Ultimate truth reveals the conscious decision, not the intuitive one.

Simplify your life to find peace.

It's mystical & complicated because you don't understand.
"We call 'mystical' a connection that we feel without understanding it." - Isolde Hurz

More words mean less understanding.

If it isn't simple, it's stupid.

Great truths are simple.

The greatest manipulation is to not manipulate.

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonard Da Vinci

"All other things being equal, the simplest theory is the most likely to be true." - Occam's Razor

"Einstein explains why he was what others considered a genius. He very simply points out that he kept the mind of a child and asked the simplest questions. " - Wikipedia

"Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler." - Einstein

Less is more but not none.

"God is infinitely simple." - Thomas Aquinas

"You can always recognize truth by its beauty and simplicity." - Richard Feynman

"Our life is frittered away by detail.... Simplify, simplify." - Henry David Thoreau

"I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time." - Blaise Pascal

People ramble on because they don't understand.
Those who know get to the point.

It's so simple it's hard to understand.
It's simple, not easy.

"KISS - Keep it simple stupid." - Popular Saying

"An aphorism is the last link in a long chain of thoughts." - Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach

"There is a great power in words, if you don't hitch too many of them together." - Josh Billings

"The shortest aphorism that makes you think the longest is the best." - Julien De Valckenaere

Illusions & Truth

2009-06-22T23:00:00.020-05:00

It is all an illusion except the essence.
It is only unbearable when you believe otherwise.
You believe otherwise because of ego.
If you look deep enough into anything, the illusion will disappear.
Your mind is filled with so many lies.

The longer a lie is held the harder it is to let go of & the more it hurts you.

Why does the illusion seem so real?
Because you are so intimately interlinked with it from birth.
Life is the most realistic video game ever played but they forgot to include the instructions.

"Life is the only game in which the object of the game is to learn the rules." - Ashleigh Brilliant

There is no such thing as life.
There is only energy.
Life is a creation of our minds placed on an energy flow.

All of life is nothing but a flow of energy.
You are just a flow of energy.
We are always in transition.
Everything is a process.

There is no you.
There is no me.
There is only energy.
The energy is filtered through your ego, so you think otherwise.

Each day the illusion of you fades until it is gone.
Nothing matters.

You are the limitations in your understanding & your flow.
Self is a limiting mental concept placed on a flow of energy.
Nothing is personal.

The essence is the only provider.
All are bums.

If it is not permanent, it is not real.
Nothing is solid.

The truth is singular.
Illusions are many.

The truth is simple.
Illusions are complicated.

The simpler & plainer you live, the more you live.

The truth will set you free, but it is going to piss you off or depress you first.
The truth is not popular.
The truth requires little speech.
The truth is the only self-help.
The truth sets you free from clinging.

In a world of illusions what do you cling to?
The truth.

The essence creates progressive sustainable illusions.
This world loves to create, not destroy.
Those who get stuck in the past get left behind.

The two worlds only exist in your mind; all is one.

"The real does not have an opposite." - Louis Scutenaire

There are only natural forces.
Supernatural forces are ego.

Your Thoughts & Senses

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Your thoughts take you out of reality.
Your senses keep you in reality.

Your senses perceive reality.
Then, your ego overlays your perception with meaning.
Thoughts start, being present is lost & peace is degrading.

The meaning you place on things causes a lot of problems.

The only truthful thought is "Everything is energy."
The only other thoughts worth thinking are the thoughts that free you from thinking or thoughts that lead you to fulfilling a need.
Thinking that doesn't lead to growth should be avoided.

"There is no honesty."
"Empty your mind of everything." - Lao Tsu

Your senses are for survival, not indulgence.
Tame your spirit but not through indulgence.

Protect yourself from being exposed to things that would cause you to fail.

"Guard your senses." - Lao Tsu

The sounds of nature reconnect you to the essence.
Music separates you with emotional tunes.

Thoughts & emotions are highly linked.
Without outside stimuli, emotions only arise from thoughts.

Sensors keep a robot in reality just like your senses keep you in reality.

You can watch my Your Thoughts & Senses video at YouTube.

Religion, Science, Truth, Reality, Savior & Knowing

2009-06-22T22:50:00.050-05:00

There are three types of diseases: physical, mental & spiritual.
If not used appropriately, religion quickly becomes a spiritual disease.

Religion is spiritual training wheels.
Wild animals have the best religion.
People can only teach you the gross levels.
All systems have limitations in how far they can take you.

Spirituality is an unconscious endeavor kept in check by consciousness.
Religion is a conscious attempt to be spiritual.
Each part of mind needs to know its role.

Science has fallacies & limitations.
Science is like a politician; blinding you with details while pretending to have all the answers.
Science cuts out the nonsense & the spirit.
Religion leaves in the spirit & the nonsense.
Science will never grasp the essence until it has a spiritual awakening.
Imagine a world where science becomes more spiritual &
Spirituality becomes more scientific.

The greatest teaching is to allow others to teach themselves.
The most important thing to learn is how to learn for yourself.
Reality is the ultimate teacher.
Anybody who does not point you to reality as your final teacher is trying to point you to them.

"The self-taught are the only ones who have learned. The rest have been taught." - Erno Paasilinna

The truth repeats itself endlessly.
Therefore, the truth is verified by many sources.
More importantly, it's verified by your own experiences.
The truth is just waiting for you to get over yourself.

Don't presume you know the truth.
Don't seek the truth but be open to it.
Once you think you know the truth.
Test it!
Does it hold up against reality?
The truth matches reality, lies do not.

"A little experience often upsets a lot of theory." - Cadman

Be curious, question everything, think about it but let the answer come to you.

Gaining knowledge is good.
Applying it is the reward.

"Used knowledge is power." - Edward E. Free
"Knowledge is no substitute for wisdom." - Frank R. Barry

Knowledge is facts.
Wisdom is optimal actions.
Free Will is the ability to choose actions.
Destiny is a lifelong series of wise actions.

You can watch my Knowledge, Wisdom, Free Will & Destiny video at YouTube.

Get your mind in harmony with reality.
Enlightenment only comes from learning reality for yourself & loving the truth more than anything else.
Enlightenment is having the heart of a child in the mind of an adult.
What do you call a man who has nothing else to lose? Enlightened!

There are no formal schools or certificates for enlightenment.
The only real school is reality & your results are your certificate.

You need a path, not a savior.
Your only savior is you.
Anyone who claims to be a savior will want to enslave you.

You can change what a man believes but not what he knows.
Webster: know - to perceive directly
Belief - an assumption that is untested
If a belief is tested, it rarely stays a belief.
We don't test our beliefs because we are mentally lazy or because we believe our beliefs.
The longer a belief is held the harder it is to let go of when proven wrong.

You have to live it, to know it.
You can't know anything with complete certainty.
With each day you follow the path, your certainty grows.
Once you truly understand ego, a lot of things that people think can't be known are completely obvious.

Start from a place of knowing, never stray far from it & continue to grow.
Live, question & learn.

Everybody has a little understanding.
Only the sage has a full understanding.

"The depth of the sage's knowledge is unfathomable." - Lao Tsu

The softer & simpler something is the harder it is to understand.
The essence is infinitely soft & simple.
Therefore, it is infinitely hard to grasp.

The greatest spiritual practices are the simplest & least practiced.

"It's better to know nothing than to know what isn't so." - Josh Billings

"To be conscious that you are ignorant of the facts is a great step to knowledge." - Benjamin Disraeli

The Eternal Open Mind
Judgments close the mind.
Closed senses perceive little.
Closed minds perceive little.
Be open minded but not gullible.
Following God is not a close minded endeavor.

"Minds are like parachutes - they only function when open." - Thomas Dewar

"Science is questions that may never be answered.
Religion is answers that can never be questioned." - ???

The truth is strengthened by questions;
Lies are weakened by them.

Without questions there is no science.
Without questions there is no spiritual path.
Without questions there is only pretense.

Questions are life, not asking questions is death.
Questions are fertilizer for the mind.
A question is a moment of openness that allows for growth.

There shouldn't be any conflict between your religion & reality.
If there is, your religion needs to change or you need to change religions.

A sustainable spiritual path has to have feedback loops with reality.
Once a spiritual path closes itself off from reality, it's dead.

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

"There is no story stupid enough that someone somewhere won't believe it." - Aleksander Fredro

Few people can accept the truth.

"Little minds are interested in the extraordinary; great minds in the commonplace." - Elbert Hubbard

"Experience is the universal mother of science." - Miguel De Cervantes

You can watch my Religion Is Spiritual Training Wheels video at YouTube.

You can read my Religion Is Spiritual Training Wheels article at The Path Explained.

Control, Power, Destiny & Respect

2009-06-22T22:40:00.017-05:00

Life is a series of choices.
You have as much control as a captain has over a sail boat.
Your real power lies in your choices, not in force or cleverness.

The more you harmonize the farther you go & the more power you'll have.
If you want to go farther, be gentler.
If it's too hard, there is another way.
If it isn't easy, your ego is engaged.

Living up to your wisdom is your destiny.
You affect people more than you realize.
When you don't live up to your potential, you not only let yourself down but all of creation: past, present & future.
Learn what your role in life is.

A little respect goes a long way.
A little disrespect can get you hurt real bad.

Have respect for all things but nothing is sacred.

You don't have to like all but you do need to respect all.

It's hard to be disrespected if you respect yourself.
It's hard to be respected if you don't respect yourself.
To live up to your destiny is the ultimate respect for the essence.

You have three choices.
1. Get in harmony with the essence's plan & be blessed.
2. Get out of the essence's way & fade away.
3. Get in the essence's way & get steam rolled.

If you follow no man & give up your ways, whose ways will you take on?
You automatically take on the essence's ways.
You can't follow the essence's ways & your (or anybody else's) ways at the same time.

Controlling yourself is freedom.
Be uncontrolled is slavery.

You can watch my Destiny or Free Will? video at YouTube.

You can read my Destiny or Free Will? article at The Path Explained.

Talking & Wasting Time

2009-06-22T22:30:00.006-05:00

It's better to live it than to talk about it.

"Preach always. If necessary use words." - St. Francis of Assisi
"Silence cannot be misquoted." - M. Murdock
"Little said, easy mended." - ???

It's a waste of time to argue.
Arguing is about defending some egotistical thing.
Arguing is when a fool finds another fool.

"Good men do not argue.
Those who argue are not good. " - Lao Tsu

Idle conversion is a waste of time.
Trying to convince others is a waste of time.

Keep your mouth shut until your wisdom & insight are truly needed.
The truth will be accepted when it's needed.
If you have to give an explanation, give only the minimum.
The more a person talks the less they know.

"If people talked only of reasonable things, many would forget how to speak." - Karol Bunsch

How to Know What is Optimal?

2009-06-22T22:20:00.005-05:00

The quickest way to determine what is optimal is to ask "What would I have done a long time ago before mankind had the ability to indulge in endless pleasures & egotistical attainments?"

Another good way, is to look at what the majority are doing, then do the opposite.

Who is more beautiful a wild animal or you?
To live like a wild animal is optimal.

Wild animals don't have the luxury to pretend they are self-sufficient.

You're scared of wild animals because you've been tamed.

Fear is prey mentality.
Stalking is predator mentality.
The absence of mentality is highest.

Egotistical pleasure seeking ways lead you away from the Garden of Eden.
Giving them up brings you back.

Time & You

2009-06-22T22:10:00.009-05:00

That which is important from the past is contained in the present.
The present is where everything happens.
Your future is determined by your present actions.
Prepare for the future but be present minded.

There is no past.
There is no future.
There is only now.

The ego laments the past, dreams of the future & hates the moment.

"The wise man must remember that while he is a descendant of the past, he is a parent of the future." - Herbert Spencer

Your mind won't stay in the present until you've dealt with the past & let go of the future.

Time & circumstances reveal who you are.

You're born the product of your ancestor's decisions.
What you'll become is a product of your decisions.

The fool sees one possible future & thinks it must be.
The wise see endless possible futures & knows it can be any of them.
The possibilities are endless, but not everything is possible.

"Knowledge of the future is only a flowery trapping of Tao.
It is the beginning of folly." - Lao Tsu

You might find this article interesting Slanderous Attacks & Who You Are at The Path Explained.

Relationships

2009-06-21T23:00:00.015-05:00

You'll get tired of any person.
You won't get tired of the path.
Follow the right thing.

It's less about connecting with others & more about connecting with yourself.
The best place to seek fulfillment is within yourself.

Trust is the foundation of any relationship.
Secrecy creates distrust.
Cleverness is your enemy.

Cleverness is avoidance, not wisdom.

Be yourself but continue to improve.
Own & embrace who you are!

You mess up when you leave reality, skip steps & give too much importance to a few things.

Friends & enemies are events, not people.
Enemies bring you pleasure & stroke your ego.
Friends bring you truth.

If it's genuine, they need little.

Social skills are less about pleasing others & more about not irritating them.
You're annoying when you're unrestrained.

How you approach the world determines what you get.

When you are at one with people, they welcome you.
When you're not, they push you away.

If you're given positive energy & you want to move forward, then take one step forward.
If you're given negative energy, then take two steps back.
Forcing your will on others leads to resistance & resentment.
Don't give any energy away that isn't earned.
The neediest person is the last to walk away.

It's miserable being around people who can't grow.

"In dealing with others, be gentle and kind."
"When dealing with others, there is nothing like restraint." - Lao Tsu

You can watch my Significantly Brighter & Duller People video at YouTube.

You can read my Significantly Brighter & Duller People article at The Path Explained.

Human Value & Picking a Mate

2009-06-21T22:58:00.016-05:00

Human value is based on the ability to accomplish the essence's plan.

More specifically, from least importance to greatest importance:
Body
Mind
Spirit
Actions

Likewise, picking a mate is based on these four characteristics.

First, you should be focused on fulfilling your destiny, not finding a mate.
If a person's actions catch your eye, then investigate his/her spirit.
If his/her spirit is acceptable, then investigate his/her mind.
If his/her mind is acceptable, then investigate his/her body.
If his/her body is acceptable, you've found something very special.

Pick a mate who helps you achieve a greater harmony than you can by yourself.
Pick a mate who helps you accomplish your mission in life & vice versa.

All people want the same thing in a mate; a great person.
Be great & it will find you.

What would you do if you had no hope of changing the person you’re infatuated with?
Then, that is your answer on what you should do.
It's a lot easier to find the person you're looking for,
Then it is to change someone else into be that person.

"Be really whole, and all things will come to you." - Lao Tsu

You can watch How to Investigate a Mate & How to Pick a Mate at YouTube.

You can read Picking a Mate at The Path Explained.

Soul Mates: An Actuarial Perspective

2009-06-21T22:56:00.009-05:00

Rough calculation:

There are 7,000,000,000 people on earth.

50% are the opposite sex which is 3,500,000,000.

A soul mate is 1 in a 1,000,000 which is 3,500.

10% are in the right demographic which is 350.

Therefore, you have roughly 350 soul mates who you could actually have a life with.

Likewise, you have roughly 350 soul friends.

You can watch Soul Mates: An Actuarial Perspective & What Does Soul Mates Mean Anyway? at YouTube.

You can read What Does Soul Mates Mean Anyway? at The Path Explained.

Men & Women

2009-06-21T22:50:00.014-05:00

Health is the ultimate attraction.
More technically, being at one with the essence is the ultimate attraction.

If you want a man, be pretty.
If you want a woman, be confident.

If you listen to what women & men want, you'll be confused.
If you focus on what they need, you'll know what to do.
It's more important to watch than to listen.

Both men & women are needed.
Learn to appreciate both.
Learn to build each other up.

Men prefer straight talk.
Women prefer subtler talk.
Try not to get frustrated that they aren’t like you.

The problems between the sexes are ego & pleasure.

Another's power over you is your incompleteness.

"The sage has not experienced the union of man & woman,
But is whole." - Lao Tsu
A man who conquers his desire for women is as satisfied as a man who can have any woman.

Men know they want sex but need to be convinced to fall in love.
Women know they want love but need to be convinced to have sex.
Simultaneously, men & women work slowly to convince each other.

A great union is about the relationship, then love & finally sex.

Women love to create desire & hate to do anything that destroys it.

Practice restraint to improve your sex life.
Wild animals mainly have sex for procreation.

If you want to understand the purpose of sex,
look at the end result, kids.

I think the reason most sages are men has to do with the way evolution has divided up the mind between men & women.

Men follow their destiny,
Women follow men,
Boys follow women,
Girls do whatever they are told.

You can watch my The Purpose of Sex video at YouTube.

You can read my The Purpose of Sex article at The Path Explained.

Women & Dogs

2009-06-21T22:40:00.004-05:00

Women & dogs are a lot alike.

Both will test you to see what you're made of.
If you let either establish dominance over you, your life will be miserable.

If you chase them, you can't catch them.
If you sit still, they'll come to you.

Both want leaders.
But they won't ask for it.

If you abuse them, they won't leave right away.

Both have a hard time holding a grudge.
Women hold grudges longer than dogs.

Be dominant, non-abusive & fun, they'll love you.

Typically, both are emotional & needy for attention.

Neither are angels nor moralist like they appear.

At first they'll do your bidding but in the end you'll do their bidding.
Women & dog's power is underestimated.
Great fighters have their power.

Homosexuality

2009-06-21T22:30:00.003-05:00

Some are born gay.
Some are turned gay.

Homosexuality shouldn't be forced on the public.
Homosexuality is a side note of life.
Homosexuality serves a purpose.

Being homosexual doesn't exclude you from being moral.
Being homosexual doesn't mean you're immoral.

Hard & Easy Times

2009-06-21T22:10:00.005-05:00

Hard times make for compassionate people.
Easy times make for cruel people.

Hard times make people smarter.
Easy times make people duller.

Hard times are about contraction.
Easy times are about expansion.

Parenting & Training

2009-06-21T22:00:00.010-05:00

The first step to parenting is to conquer your issues.
The second step is to pick a mate you can work with.

Reward good behavior.
Punish bad behavior.

Excessive discipline is abuse.
No discipline is abuse.
Discipline your kid's without abuse.
Effective discipline comes from a calm mind.

A good parent replaces the scissors with a ball.
Likewise, you can replace bad habits with good ones.
The power of habits can break you or make you.
It all depends on what habits you are creating.

They are the essence's children.
You've just been given some responsibility.
Do your part & let the essence do its.
As your faith grows, your worries lessen.

You can watch my Parenting & Training video at YouTube.

Smart & Stupid People

2009-06-20T23:00:00.014-05:00

Smart people change, listen, learn & pay attention.
Stupid people do little of these, because they think they already know it all.

"Facts don't cease to exist because they are ignored." - Aldous Huxley
"Half-knowledge is worse than ignorance." - Thomas B. Macaulay
"The recipe for perpetual ignorance is being satisfied with your opinions & knowledge." - Elbert Hubbard

Stupidity is endless.
If you focus on it, you'll be miserable.
Accept the world as it is & change only yourself.
What you don't accept, makes you miserable.
The world is perfect; it's you that needs to change.
Your ability to change the world is directly related to your ability to change yourself.
Everything serves its purposes.

To change people you have to accept them.
The best way to change people is to live it.
Don't answer questions or teach them.
Only show the way.
The path will teach them & answer their questions.

The greatest problem is not learning.
Learning is so important because we all are stupid.
Ignorance is a great force.
Humility is required for new ways of thinking.

Dumb is dangerous.

"Knowing ignorance is strength.
Ignoring knowledge is sickness." - Lao Tsu

"He that knows the most thinks he still has the most to learn." - Benjamin Whichcote

You can watch my The Real Solution video at YouTube.

You can read my The Real Solution article at The Path Explained.

The Bible

2009-05-22T22:45:00.015-05:00

Following God is the goal, not the Bible.
You follow God with your actions, not your beliefs or your words.

Profound truths are simple.
The Bible is complicated.
Therefore, the Bible isn’t profound truth.

The Bible reveals the minds of the people who wrote it.
It also reveals some history at the time.

Jews like to entertain while teaching a lesson.
They do it today in Hollywood.
They were doing it in the past with biblical stories.

Popularity is usually a sign of lies & liars.
The Bible is popular because it cuddles your ego.
The big cuddles are your desire to be important & to live forever.
The honest are despised & liars are popular.

Anyone who claims to be God or equates himself with God is a fool.
Ego gone wild.

I very lightly judge Jesus on his own proclamation of himself.
I lightly judge him on his wisdom.
I judge him heaviest on his follower’s deeds.

I have a weekly video series on Lies & Half Truths of the Bible.
A new video is posted each Wednesday.

Desire & Relationships

2009-05-21T22:59:00.005-05:00

The more access people have to you, the less they'll value you.
When filled with desire, you give too much & are devalued.
It’s the law of diminishing returns (Economics) on another unit of you.

Desire keeps you from what you desire.
Desire makes you less desirable.
The greatest desire is to be.

Desire stems from ego; I desire that for me.
Basically, you’re devalued because you’re self-centered.

Ego pushes people away.
Lack of ego draws people in.

More technically,
Ego pushes the essence away.
Lack of ego draws the essence in.

You can watch my Desire & Relationships video at YouTube.

The Wise Man & The Fool

2009-05-20T22:50:00.030-05:00

A man is called wise if he works with reality.
A man is called a fool if he fights reality.

The wise are controlled by wisdom.
Fools are controlled by emotions.

The wise man ask the right question & finds freedom.
The fool ask the wrong question & stays stuck.

The wise man tries to make himself in God's image.
The fool tries to make God in his image.

The wise man wants to see more.
The fool has seen too much.

A wise man is impartial.
A fool picks sides.

A wise man simplifies & demystifies.
A fool complicates & mystifies.

A wise man lets it happen.
A fool tries to make it happen.

A wise man is free.
A fool is a slave.

A wise man talks about what he knows.
A fool talks about what another knows.

A wise man learns reality.
A fool learns books.

A wise man lives his life.
A fool lives vicariously.

A wise man does what works.
A fool does what he thinks works or what he is told works.

A wise man learns at the beginning,
What a fool learns at the end.

A wise man creates.
A fool destroys.

Time builds the wise man & destroys the fool.

A wise man helps the fool.
The fool mocks the wise man.
To mock the wise is to ensure suffering.

A wise man turns his wisdom into results.
A fool turns his wisdom into a curse.

The wise man looks inward for peace.
The fool looks outward for happiness.

The wise man builds his inner world first.
The fool only builds his outer world.

A wise man wants to be an animal.
A fool wants to be God.

A wise man gives the glory to God.
A fool wants God's glory.

A wise man wants to change himself.
The fool wants to change the world.

A wise man is a fool's savior.
A fool is a wise man's burden.

A wise man gathers essence.
A fool gathers treasures.

A wise man wants to be still to deal with himself.
A fool wants to be busy to run from himself.

A wise man has deep wisdom.
A fool only has surface wisdom.

A wise man sees the fish swimming.
A fool sees his reflection.

A wise man sees the whole picture.
A fool sees only a part.

A wise man is patient.
A fool is in a hurry.

A fool fights with himself & the wise man lets him.
When the fool is worn out, the wise man speaks.

A wise man walks away while a fool jumps in.

Nothing is a disadvantage to a wise man.
I can't say the same thing for a fool.

"Fools cherish what the sage despises." - Johann Georg Ritter Von Zimmerman

"A fool flatters himself; a wise man flatters the fool." - Edward Bulwer-Lytton

"The man who questions opinion is wise;
The man who quarrels with fact is a fool." - Frank A. Garbutt

"A wise man gets more out of his enemies
Than a fool gets out of his friends." - Baltasar Gracian

Sages & Philosophers

2009-05-20T22:40:00.009-05:00

The sage lives in reality.
The philosopher lives in his head.

Sages don't want to talk.
Philosophers can't shut up.

Sages are simple.
Philosophers are complicated.

The sage's wisdom helps everyone.
The philosopher's wisdom helps no one.

The sage is wise.
The philosopher is foolish.

The sage is a master learner.
The philosopher is a master fool.

Philosophy is the pretense of knowledge;
Round & round with no truth found.

"When wisdom and intelligence are born,
The great pretense begins." - Lao Tsu

You can watch Philosophy is Mental Masturbation at YouTube.

Virtuous People

2009-05-20T22:30:00.005-05:00

Don't forget their higher purpose,
Think clear, simple & honest,
Don't find joy in giving into pleasure or being arrogant.

Power, Fortune & Fame

2009-05-20T22:20:00.008-05:00

Power, fortune & fame ruin all who seek it.

The lasting champion does it for the journey.
The temporary champion does it for the power, fortune or fame.

The experience is more important than the attainment.

The higher you climb; the farther you fall.

Fame, Stars & Fans

2009-05-20T22:10:00.001-05:00

The star & the fans create an egotistical solar system.
The fans are drawn in by the fame.
Fame is the egotistical drawing power.

The star is the sun.
Fans are the planets.
Fame is the gravitational pull.

Exercise & Temperature

2009-05-19T23:00:00.014-05:00

You need three kinds of exercise: physical, mental & spiritual.
If you obsess about any one, the others will be neglected.

Exercise is about connecting with your body,
Not forcing your will on it.

Where strain & tension begin, technique ends.
Injuries follow strain & tension.
The root of strain & tension is ego.

No pain, no pain.

Strength is achieved through harmony.
Force is followed by a loss of strength.

When the spirit leaves you, you leave the gym.
There is a harmony between stillness & motion.

"External strength that you can boast of isn't real strength;
True power is hidden deep inside." - Saburo Minaki

There is being cold on the skin & to the core.
It takes a heater a long time to warm the core.
Movement warms your core quickest.

"Cut your own wood & it'll warm you twice." - ???

"Movement overcomes cold.
Stillness overcomes heat. " - Lao Tsu

Martial Arts

2009-05-19T22:50:00.021-05:00

The ultimate martial art is enlightenment.
"The greatest warrior conquers himself." - Confucius

Manhood is hard to beat.
Manhood - the ability to deal with things.

Force can be redirected.
Control is more important than power.

The masculine dominates through force.
The feminine dominates through yielding.

Being off balance creates opportunities for your defeat.
The heart of balance is paying attention to your body.

The subtler you live the greater your awareness.
The more you pay attention the less your reaction time.
There is great power in being calm, peaceful & balanced.

Anything you hold on to, limits your ability.
You'll be trapped as long as you believe whatever is holding you down can't be conquered.

The root of all fights is ego & pleasure.

"Moderate your desire of victory over your adversary, and be pleased with the one over yourself." - Benjamin Franklin

"The moral is to the physical as 3 is to 1." - Napoleon

No fight itsu is moving fighters from martial artists to enlightenment.
Mixed martial arts fails just like scientist, too caught up in the details.

Survival Situation

2009-05-19T22:45:00.008-05:00

Lack of knowledge turns a situation into a survival situation.
One mistake in a survival situation can be your life.
One mistake in a situation may turn into a survival situation.

In martial arts you put your opponent in a situation where he is at a disadvantage and/or lacks knowledge.
If you intentionally put yourself in a survival situation, you're intentional putting yourself at a disadvantage.

There is living recklessly.
There is barely living due to fear.
The best is living while being responsible.

"The wise man does not expose himself needlessly to danger, since there are few things for which he cares sufficiently; but he is willing, in great crises to give even his life - knowing that under certain conditions it is not worthwhile to live." - Aristotle

When you're needs aren't being met, you do whatever it takes.
When you're needs are being met, then you hold fast to your principles.

Survival instincts will frequently override stupidity.

Food

2009-05-19T22:20:00.007-05:00

Taste the bland.

The optimal way to judge hunger is to try a natural uncooked bland food. If you can taste it & it welcomes you, you're hungry.

Food isn't the problem.
Pleasure & ego are.

"Taste the tasteless."
"When you are at one with the Tao, the Tao welcomes you." - Lao Tsu

Don't eat what you can make from it but what it's made of.

You can't trust your tongue when you add pleasure to your foods.

People constantly trade nutrition for pleasure by combining & cooking their foods.
Be satisfied with the way nature made them.
Only cook as necessary to consume or to be safe.

You can watch my The Ultimate in Food videos at YouTube.

Luck

2009-05-19T22:10:00.006-05:00

Luck varies.
In the end luck evens out.

Luck is the randomness of life.
Finding patterns in luck is foolishness.
Luck is beyond consciousness but not intuition.

"Knowledge of the future is only a flowery trapping of Tao." - Lao Tsu

Government & Power

2009-05-18T23:00:00.015-05:00

Governments are as stable as the people.
People are unstable when they indulge in ego & pleasure.

Government should follow natural principles.
Government should be simple as possible but no simpler.
Government should be lean like a wild animal.

Government should manage people like you manage a garden.
Government should punish bad behavior & reward good behavior.
Government should follow baby steps in all its changes.

The government can only give what it first takes.
The government derives its power from the people.
The government is a reflection of the people.

Politicians tell you what you want to hear.
Sages tell you what you need to hear.

Politicians blind with details.
Sages amaze with simplicity.

Politicians make it all about you,
Because, it's all about them.
Sages make it all about the truth.

Some people will do anything for power.
Those people want to stay in power & more of it.
They'll do anything to get it.

World government is coming.
It has been the dream of men for millenniums.

War, Politics, Competition & Cooperation

2009-05-18T22:50:00.007-05:00

There is no peace in war, politics, arguing or competition.
Peace is achieved through cooperation, not force.
It's easier to change minds than to fight wars.

Harmony is preferred to dominance.
Real winners cooperate, not compete.

"He who leaves the game wins it." - Sebastien-Roch-Nicholas Chamfort
"Real winners do not compete." - Christian Morgenstern
"Since the sage doesn't compete, he doesn't meet competition." - Lao Tsu

The Price of Freedom

2009-05-18T22:40:00.016-05:00

Temptation, indulgence & danger are everywhere.
Therefore, the price of freedom is constant vigilance.
Great people keep more watch over themselves.

Great people find liberty & fools squander it.
Suffering is the consequence of negligence.

There is nothing like freedom.
Fools underestimate it, so they lose it.
You never get to a place, where you can do whatever you want.

"The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion." - Edmund Burke

"The war for freedom will never really be won because the price of freedom is constant vigilance over ourselves and our Government." - Eleanor Roosevelt

A little wisdom can free the mind in big ways.

Harmony, Rules & Enlightenment

2009-05-18T22:35:00.007-05:00

You can’t force your way into harmony.
You harmonize your way into harmony.

Seeking harmony leads to understanding the rules of life.
Understanding the rules of life leads to enlightenment.

"Knowing harmony is constancy.
Knowing constancy is enlightenment." - Lao Tsu

Justice, Forgiveness, Laws & Rules

2009-05-18T22:30:00.016-05:00

Justice, then forgiveness.
Forgiveness without justice is a crime against humanity.
Justice without forgiveness is a crime against the heart.

Wild animals only have the laws of nature.
Laws & rules should be kept to a minimum.
The rest should be left to sound judgement.

Never let laws & rules override reason.
Every law & rule takes away freedom.
Reasonable, thinking & clear minded people need few laws or rules.

If laws or rules aren't in harmony with reality, they will be circumvented.
So first figure what is harmonious & if necessary make a law or rule according to it.

Focus on rules & you'll forget the purpose.

"Teach the young people how to think,
Not what to think." - Sidney Sugarman

Harmony vs Disturbance

2009-05-18T22:10:00.007-05:00

Moral actions serve the whole over the individual.
Immoral actions serve the individual over the whole.

Selfless actions are harmonious.
Selfish actions are disturbances.

A selfish person tries to appear selfless.
A selfless person is unconcerned with appearances.

This universe isn't about you.
This universe isn't about your country.
This universe isn't about people.
This universe isn't about earth.

Get in harmony with the master plan.
Seeking your own will drives you out of harmony with the essence of life.

You can only gain the sage's & the essence's favor by doing what is harmonious.

Virtue & Ignorance

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Virtue is its own reward.
Ignorance is its own punishment.

Virtue is only painful in the short run like sore muscles.
Ignorance is only blissful in the short run like illicit drugs.

The physical can't hide the heart.
Nothing hides who you are.
So you might as while make yourself a better person.

"Wisdom is knowing what to do next,
Virtue is doing it." - David Starr Jordan

You can watch my Virtue & Ignorance video at YouTube.

You can read my Virtue & Ignorance article at The Path Explained.

Greed, Advertising, Selling Out & Money

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When greed enters a system, it ruins it.
More technically, when ego or pleasure enters a system, they ruin it.

They don't advertise what is good for you.
What is good for you is barely even known, talked about or appreciated.

People sell out because they underestimate what they have & overestimate what they are getting.

Money is a flow of energy.
It can be a blessing or a curse.
It's all in how you use it.

Greatness doesn't follow money; money follows greatness.

Faith

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Faith is lack of ego.
Blind faith is ego.

Those who lack faith are endlessly busy, worrying & untrusting.

Man's problem is that he doesn't know his role.
Do your job & let the essence do its.

When all ego & pleasure are gone from your ways, perfect harmony is achieved.
When little is done & all is well, your faith grows.

If you want faith, grow a garden.

You don't make growth happen.
You just remove things that prevent it.
Just like with plants.

It's hard to let people down who have faith in you.
It's easy to let people down who don't have faith in you.
People will try to meet your expectations if they are reasonable.

Faith allows you to fully utilize the essence's power.
Lack of faith limits your power to you.

You can watch my Faith video at YouTube.

You can read my Faith article at The Path Explained.

Redemption

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If you cut your arm, will it heal?

Then, there is redemption.

Oh, there will be scares but there is redemption.

Possessions & Weapons

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Possessions are burdens that seem good.
Possession leads to more possessions.
Physical & spiritual possessions typically conflict with each other.
Again, how many possessions does a wild animal have?

"Therefore the sage wears rough clothing and holds the jewel in his heart." - Lao Tsu
Living simply is optimal.

True wealth is freedom & health.
More technically, it's harmony with the essence.

Stupidity is poverty.
More technically, it's disharmony with the essence.

Greed impoverishes you.
Generosity enriches you.
Ego makes this hard to see.

You can only steal what another has claimed.
You own nothing; it's all the essence's.
You have a right to whatever you can defend.

Possessions are signs of greed.
Weapons are signs of fear.

"The hardest thing is to take less when you can get more." - Frank McKinney Hubbard

"To be satisfied with little is hard, to be satisfied with a lot impossible." - Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach

Needs & Wants

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Fulfilling a need strengthens you.
Fulfilling a want weakens you.
Fulfilling a want often requires giving up a need.
The best life is learning to live without your wants.

The essence will provide for your needs.
You'll have to fight for your wants.

The essence will give freely the first time.
If you reject it, you'll have to work for it.

What you're looking for is closer to home than you realize.
It's really only about changing your mind.

"Become master of the universe without striving." - Lao Tsu

There is time for what needs to be done.
There isn't time for everything you want to do.

You're a slave to your wants.

Give no more than what is needed.
The essence gets more out of less.

You have so much more than you need &
What you have that you don't need is making you miserable.

Pain, Decay & Death

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Pain is trying to teach you something.
The body will decay.
Death will happen.

Pain, decay & death are coming.
You might as well prepare for them.
If you prepare for them, their power over you will be minimal.
Fighting reality is tiresome.

We want to live & to be young forever, but it won't happen.
It's hard for people to let go of their youth.
What we need is to be okay with what is.
Learn to transition well.

Ego & pleasure intensify pain, decay & death.
Ego & pleasure steal your life.

Ego tries to create ways of avoiding death: rebirth, life after death, savior, technologies, etc.

There is nothing to live for.
There is nothing to die for.
Just live until you die.

"What old tree doesn't have a broken branch?" - Indian Saying
But yet it still has plenty of growing to do!

You can endure more than you think.
Life is more tenacious than you think.
Experience the sensations of the body (which don't create damage) without running from them.

Investigate the pain.
How did it happen?
Is it sharp, dull or throbbing?
What is so bad about it?

Everything becomes an ordeal when ego gets involved.
It hard to view the body as body when it's all up in your mind.

Eventually, it all slips away.
Death is nothing more than nourishment for new life.

Life is a gift.
Therefore, you have no right to complain about anything.
Life is a gift that is eventually taken away.
That body you're wearing is only on loan.

If you aren't growing, you're inviting in death.

Life don't get any easier unless you get smarter.

You can watch my Pain, Decay & Death video at YouTube.

Here is a book, The Gift of Pain, that I thought was interesting on the topic of Pain.

Managing, Success & Failure

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Manage by keeping egos & pleasure out of the way.
The essence does most of the work.

Everybody has a piece of the puzzle.
Let them put it in.

"The world is ruled by letting things take their course.
It cannot be ruled by interfering." - Lao Tsu

Real leaders set an example.
False leaders put on a show.

Success is baby steps.
Failure is skipping steps or not taking steps.
Accomplish great things in small ways.
If managed correctly, success leads to more success.
A big part of success is not wasting your time.

God's plan isn't about being a martyr.
It's about being wisely ambitious.

Many times people fail because they focus on what they're getting &
Fail to recognize what they're losing.

Success & failure starts in the mind & continues outward.

The rules of nature never cease to work.
Watch how nature builds & mimic it.

Mother Nature has already given us a perfect example of long term success in a tree; The Tree Principle.
Most people follow the Flower Principle; showy results that don't last.
Grow without losing what you have.

There are only two ways we fail:
1) By doing too much
2) By doing nothing.

Success follows learning.
To put winning ahead of learning is failure.

There is no virtue in whining.
Excuses are the beginning of failure.
Dealing with it is the beginning of success.

The short cut is to deal with it.
The long way is to be clever.

We're only interested in things that are reasonably challenging.
If you're not being challenged, you must seek it out.

Not failing is success.
Not failing as much is success.
You lose the moment your priorities are compromised.

"Success is found in our daily agenda." - Tag Short

"It's not possible to run a course aright when the goal itself has not been rightly placed." - Francis Bacon

We fail with success because we falsely believe "Now we can do whatever we want".

Success is hard to handle.
You'll have as much of it as you can handle.

"Pray that success will not come any faster than you are able to endure it." - Elbert Hubbard

The ultimate success is victory over ego & pleasure.

"A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor & there is an invisible labor." - Victor Hugo

A dynamic goal is changeable based upon experience which is in harmony with reality.
A static goal isn't & is out of harmony.
Dynamic goals are humble while static goals are egotistical.

The more successful you become the more people will line up behind you.
People line up behind success because life is about growth.

When you start cuddling women, you stop leading.

Your Actions

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Unnecessary actions are harmful.

Your actions affect other people.
It's wise to discipline your actions.

Your actions have short & longer term consequences.
"You reap what you sow. " - American Saying

Actions mean a lot more than words.
Words typically get in the way.

How you deal with what happened is more important than what happened.

What you're doing isn't as important as why you're doing it.

Never help others unless you have to.
People don't need advice, explanations or convincing but the spark of insight.
Tell less & question more.

Humans hurt themselves with their own inventions
Because they are smart but not smart enough.

"Thinking well is wise;
Planning well, wiser;
Doing well wisest & best of all." - Persian Proverb

Wisdom & Effort

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Where effort begins, wisdom ends.

"The Tao of the sage is work without effort." - Lao Tsu

Being Radical

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Being radical isn't the way.

"A brave and passionate man will kill or be killed.
A brave and calm man will always preserve life."
"The sage avoids extremes, excesses, and complacency." - Lao Tsu

Talent & Wisdom

2009-05-16T21:10:00.009-05:00

We all have talent & wisdom.
Talent isn't wisdom.

With greater power comes greater responsibility.
If you abuse it, you'll lose it & it'll be a curse to everybody.
If you're responsible & humble, it'll grow & be a blessing to everybody.

Humble the mind to let your amazing talent shine through.
If you don't respect talent & wisdom, you can't use it.
Once ego & pleasure gets involved, talent leaves.

Self-Reliance

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When you expect others to do for you,
You deserve whatever you get.
This includes your spiritual life too.

Conclusion

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I hope you’ve found these truths as useful as I have. Hopefully, it hasn’t been too hard on you, but I’m sure somewhere along the way you’ve been extremely pissed at me for revealing them. Don’t worry about it. It’s okay. If you only knew how pissed off I’ve been by discovering them, then you would know I understand. I don’t want life to be this way, but I’ve found that running from the truth only makes things worse. The sooner you come to terms with what is, the quicker your life will improve.

This blog has been the essence of truth with minimal explanation. I expect, I’ll continue to add to it until the day I die. Eventually, I will turn this blog into a book but who knows when.

In my Following the Way of Growth blog, I bring all the knowledge from this blog, The Path, together in a clear & concise way to help people see clearly what they need to do to make real spiritual progress. I’m really excited about the potential of the Following the Way of Growth blog turning into a book & becoming the spiritual guide for the next millennium.

I wish you the best of luck in your pursuit of finding peace in this life.

Take care & let no lie grow roots,
BillyDKY

Miscellaneous

2009-01-02T23:00:00.031-06:00

Truths that aren't obvious in retrospect may not be truths.

"The wisest have the most authority." - Plato

Is your decision coming from an emotion or an intuitive calculation?

An enlightened person is one who manages his flow of energy optimally.

Humans: the animal that bought into utopia.
A tamed animal is one that bought into utopia.

"The heart will not grieve for what the mind doth not perceive." - Miguel De Cervantes

"Doing easily what others find difficult is talent; doing what is impossible for talent is genius." - Henri Frederic Amiel

"We live in a closed world not knowing that a door exist and that it may be enough to knock at this door to have it opened." - Marcel Bealu

"Love looks through a telescope; envy through a microscope."
"There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness." -Josh Billings

"No man is great if he thinks he is." - Will Rogers

"Misfortune is sometimes good fortune well wrapped; when the wrapping wears away, good fortune tumbles out." - Ahmadou Kourouma

I have taken the liberty to modify these aphorisms as I saw fit.

References

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1. Reality

2. Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu Translated by Gia-Fu Feng & Jane English

3. Geary's Guide to the World's Great Aphorists by James Geary

4. Wikipedia & other miscellaneous websites

5. Thoughts on Wisdom: Thoughts and Reflections from History's Greatest Thinkers (Forbes Leadership Library) by Forbes Inc.

6. Budo Secrets: Teachings of the Martial Arts Masters by John Stevens

The Path

Billy Is Gone, Rest In Peace

Introduction

My Blogs Aren't Philosophy.

The Ultimate Truth

The Ultimate Goal

Positive Training

Methods & Techniques

Your Mind is Like an Iceberg

Your Essence

The Ultimate Path

Conquering Your Mind

Conquering Pleasure

Pleasure's Helpers

Conquering Ego

Ego Revealed

Accept Full Responsibility

Three Types of Ego Problems

The Maintainable States

Important Things to Learn

The Ultimate Security

The Ultimate Strategy

The Path

Two Paths

Simplicity & Details

Illusions & Truth

Your Thoughts & Senses

Religion, Science, Truth, Reality, Savior & Knowing

Control, Power, Destiny & Respect

Talking & Wasting Time

How to Know What is Optimal?

Time & You

Relationships

Human Value & Picking a Mate

Soul Mates: An Actuarial Perspective

Men & Women

Women & Dogs

Homosexuality

Hard & Easy Times

Parenting & Training

Smart & Stupid People

The Bible

Desire & Relationships

The Wise Man & The Fool

Sages & Philosophers

Virtuous People

Power, Fortune & Fame

Fame, Stars & Fans

Exercise & Temperature

Martial Arts

Survival Situation

Food

Luck

Government & Power

War, Politics, Competition & Cooperation

The Price of Freedom

Harmony, Rules & Enlightenment

Justice, Forgiveness, Laws & Rules

Harmony vs Disturbance

Virtue & Ignorance

Greed, Advertising, Selling Out & Money

Faith

Redemption

Possessions & Weapons

Needs & Wants

Pain, Decay & Death

Managing, Success & Failure

Your Actions

Wisdom & Effort

Being Radical

Talent & Wisdom

Self-Reliance

Conclusion

Miscellaneous

Recommended Readings

References