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O'Dell, Gregory N. "Confesions of a Texas Disabled Student:." Linearism.Org Advocacy For Human Rights. Nov. & dec. 2008. Web. 06 Feb. 2010. <http://www.linearism.org/TheJournalofATexasMysticChpterII>.
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From The Journal of A Texas Mystic
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Few are blessed as Mary and I with rituals that bring about a daily renewal, or a cleansing of the soul. The western ideologies of human development that
support animism; a concept that religious ritual grew out of beliefs in nature as a result of human reasoning, dismiss Mary’s and my own mystical experiences as
primitive myths that have been replaced by abstract theories of nature as a result of human reasoning.
Mysticism is a known or something we all hold in common which is not dependent on experiences of survival and nature. It is much more likely, religious ritual
developed from trying to share something familiar to us all and perhaps the first unnecessary words were spoken.
Language, any language, migrates to the complex, away from truth. So it could be the case that man did not develop from a primitive mental state but
digressed as a result of human reasoning. The true mystical state is not something learned, it is a transpersonal shift transcending the personal into the
universal. This transpersonal shift can be best described as anything outside of yourself including yourself.
The baffling problem evolutionists face is to show evidence of a missing link from instinctive animal behavior which is also the use of scientific theory of
observation based on perceived facts that show the slow transformation of human reasoning, in theory, developed over time transforming the ape inborn
instinct to human intelligence. The concept of Animism defined by Edward Tyler confuses ritual and religion with the development of the human intellect.
Based on hard physical evidence ritual and religion developed from culture and tradition which I define as something that is held to be familiar, or believed to be
true by groups of people or the best a people can do. In other words, humans as far as we can determine from archeological evidence may be technically
better off in contemporary terms; however, no evidence shows humans are intellectually brighter than the first day they appeared on planet Earth.
One of the earliest and best known archeological sites is Beidha of the Greater Middle East. The settlement is one of very few sites of the early Neolithic period;
a period which followed the Pleistocene epoch around 10,000 years ago (Epipaleolithic). Nomads erected stone shelters here; perhaps for the rough terrain
that provided a wealth of resources such as game, herbs and grain.
The settlement of Beidha predates the earliest pottery finds of the Greater Near East 5300 B.C. The site is remarkable for its illustrative example that supports
the differentiated land theory. This theory combines cultural patterns of nomadic life and those typical to “hunting gathering” bands. Variable terrain supports a
variety of plants and animals. Different species exploit the advantages of this terrain creating a diverse ecology referred to as the hither land.
The hither land is the region that surrounds and supports the needs such as those of a hunting gathering group or village. The settlement of Beidha is located
southeast of the Dead Sea in Jordon. Hans Nissen, a German archeologist, describes the site well:
“ Between a ridge of hills that ends in the Arabian Desert and the line of fault in the Wadi Araba, there is a high plateau about four to six
kilometers wide which is intersected by channels and wadis. The pre-pottery settlement lay in the center of this segmented area and
therefore had easy access to the different animals and pants of this plateau, as well as the high mountain rides to the east and the land of
the rift valley of Wadi Araba, almost a thousand meters lower down to the west (p 26).”
Further evidence that supports Nissan’s claim have been uncovered at the site such as grinding wheels for grain, grain residues, and animal bones associated
with the hunting gathering peoples and Beidha’s surroundings. In contrast to settlements of the pottery period some 6000 years later, or the Halaf period 5300 B.
C, no pottery fragments have been found.
Although pottery is evidence of a more complex social pattern, Beidha is not void of a well thought construction plan, and artistic trimmings. The excavated
portion of Beidha reveals buildings whose walls were built of thin stone slabs and plastered in white. Red Bands are still visible on the walls of the structure.
Compared to other sites of the same building size, Beidha is constructed of chambers of irregular shape to support the generous living area. Beidha’s position
amongst mountains and its high elevation also has one to believe that human encroachment from neighbors could cause conflict. The site is well perched to
deter any unwelcome travelers. Beidha is not only the best-known site of the Greater Middle East, it is the best archaeological sample that humans did not
develop according to western Ideologies of human development that support animism; a concept that religious ritual grew out of beliefs in nature as a result of
human reasoning. Animism dismisses Mary’s and my own mystical experiences as primitive myths that have been replaced by abstract theories of nature as a
result of human reasoning.
The mystical life style which I describe as a trans-personality was common place thousands of years ago before humanity began to degenerate, dwelling more in
the lower worlds of thought instead of the higher transpersonal state of consciousness.
We all praise rationality, but seldom do we apply the same criteria in the quiet of our own minds. To think about something is to acknowledge the fact that the
thinker does not know. To know requires no thought. Thought is an instinctive animal by-product useful only in the binary worlds. Take for example, mankind’s
closet relative, the common chimpanzee whose reasoning ability is astonishing and well documented in the animals’ own habitat by primatologist.
Chimpanzee societies are made up of individuals that associate learned behavior, and rely on group relationships to survive. Chimpanzee raiding parties have
been observed attacking neighboring chimpanzee communities. These clashes are planned, orchestrated and deadly. Male chimps actively seek apes outside
their own community and kill which sometimes includes death of infants. Within their own group, seldom is another chimp killed. Just as in human society, where
reason promotes virtue, so too does it breed vice.
The possible near future extinction of many primate species is weighed carefully against human population needs and forest resources. The disappearance of
the great apes certainly have a negative aesthetic effect on the human psyche; however, the extinction of the chimpanzee, man’s closest relative, precariously
shifts humans to the top of the endangered primate list. Pan Troglodytes or robust chimpanzees share not only biological similarities to humans but also social
and psychological adaptive traits to cope in diverse or diminishing habitat. If these creatures can no longer cope in a diminishing environment, a global concern
for our own existence could be in serious question.
Sean D. Pitman, M.D. published an article in 2005 tilted The Evolution of Early man warns:
"Taking isolated similarities by themselves, the theory of evolution appears to be quite reasonable... to a point. However, it seems that too
much weight has been placed on similarities without questioning The conclusions that are drawn from the evidence are often and have
often been very much exaggerated to fit personal beliefs and biases. Yes, even scientists have biases and favorite theories"
Apologetic History of the Indies written by Bartolomé de Las Casas, reporting the Spanish conquistadors genocide of Indians of South American is more
evidence of an abrupt arrival of intelligence rather than the contrary gradual process of evolution of primitive man. The Friar Bartolome de Las Casas explains:
“Not only have [the Indians] shown themselves to be very wise peoples and possessed of lively and marked understanding, prudently
governing and providing for their ….that have been praised for their governance, politics and customs; and exceed by no small measure
the wisest of all these, such as the Greeks and Romans, in adherence to the rules of natural reason. . ..All persons had professions, and
each one busied himself and worked to gain his necessary livelihood. .... The rearing of children, in which parents inculcate the obedience
and faithfulness owed to superiors -- where is it surpassed?”
The friar goes on to compare the highways of South America as a miracle, or a positive event in his life that seemed to oppose the laws of physics or the
natural order of things:
“Then, there is that miracle -- such it may be called for being the most remarkable, singular and skillful construction of its kind, I believe, in
the world -- of the two highways.... across the mountains and along the coast. The finer and more admirable of these extends for at least six
and perhaps eight hundred leagues and is said to reach the provinces of Chile.... In Spain and Italy I have seen portions of the highway said
to have been built by the Romans from Spain to Italy, but it is quite crude in comparison with the one built by these peoples.…”
The last remains of true Mysticism (from the Greek μυστικός, mystikos) or universal knowing can be traced before Socrates 850 BCE; unfortunately, his pupil
Thinking is an animal by-product only useful in the temporal binary worlds, "To think about something is proof in itself that the thinker does not know, reason is
Consequently, the wave of new thought base on Aristotle's new teachings came to a crest and crashed on the beach of social order. Academia was borne, a
cancerous degeneration of self-analysis and objective logic, backed by power egos which, over time, led to the complete destruction of the Roman Empire and
plunged the world into the dark ages just as integrated digital systems collapsed the global economy at the beginning of 21st century.
To me, if there is something that we can all believe in it would be the laws of physics that orchestrate our natural world. So it makes good sense that ritual grew
out of events that seem to oppose the laws of physics or the natural order of things, unexplained positive events we call miracles because they seem to be
beyond the limits of human reasoning, perhaps an innate inquirer or you, what makes you, the nature of self.
Logic, rationality, and even mathematics are imperfect sciences based on at least one exception that lends the mind to a linear way of thinking or a popular
belief in Linearism, a view point that life is a rigid time line controlled by known laws of physics; if true, linearism leaves no room for miracles to take place in one
‘s life. Transpersonalism is a Transpersonal’s understanding of the world, perhaps in contrast to the linearist perception. Transpersonal’s such as Mary and I
believe that life is not rigid and is full of limitless possibilities.
As stated ,the mystical transpersonal life does not exclude religious beliefs which are in fact philosophical views shared by most religions of the world.
Concerning the origins of religions, they can be appreciated academically by credible sources with what information we can obtain from experts in the field of
the philosophy of religion going back at least 5000 years as reflected in my Essay “The Nature of Self: Me What Makes Me Me“.
Indo-Aryan intrusions over the steppe into ancient Babylonia around the third millennia B.C., marks a significant shift from animism, to religious patterns spirited
by competing views of nature and causality. Philosophical debate is rooted in the earliest known textual expressions of the Rig-Veda and the emergence of the
Upanishads of Hindu Vedanta tradition known as the Vedic Period. Over a span of two thousand years, the adoration of nature unfolded to a reverence of
Brahmin, the nature of universal self (Indian xviii).
The Vedic Period gave way to several different ideologies such as Buddhism, Jainism, Savism, and Vaisnavism. Many believe this shift from traditional Hinduism
was based onopposing claims of causality; identity- the nature of self. The debate of identity and non-identity theorems is evident throughout the Upanishads
and historically remembered as the life of Gautama the Buddha. Still at a much later date, a third position of ethnicity termed ‘Ren’, self as community,
developed from the teachings of Confucius which complemented Buddhism and Daoism.
The latter Vedic Period of 300 BC to 600 B.C. is dominated by two philosophical views; the traditional Brahmin which deals with the embodiment of the
unconditional self, and applied science, the birth of logic. The Upanishads migrate from the idea of a superior ruler of many gods to monism, a unified whole or
universal self termed ‘Atman’. Logic developed from competing theories of physical proofs accredited to Kana author of the vaiseskika sutra. The vaiseskika
sutra adopts the atomic principle of immutable atoms. The vaiseskika atomic view called padarths is a six fold classification of objects of experience: substance,
quality (attribute), activity, generality, particularity, and inherence (p386). The contemporary Nyaya system of logic may be based on the vaiseskika ideology
which develops much later; estimated to be two-thousand years old. Most Hindu schools of thought accept the fundamental principle of Nyaya logic; whereas,
generality, particularity and inherence are logically inferred; substance, attribute, and activity possess real objective existence.
Kupperman explains that the Buddhist philosophy sees the world as a “swirl of fragments, linked by causal relation and by other associations (p 22).” Causality
for the Buddhist is a set of conditions such as striking a match must have the conditions for striking and lighting the match; an action requires conditions to act.
In other words, the picture of things is a lighting up of a particular combination of immutable atoms.
The term ‘anatman’ refers to the Buddhist rejection of the traditional Hindu view, “Atman is Brahmin” the main theme of the Upanishads. “The Dhammapada”, a
Buddhist text, rejects “Atman” and the notion of a “real self” (Kupperman p 22). Although both Hinduism and Buddhism show contempt to egoism and
individualism, neither denies the ego-self or a first person view of the world.
Joel Kupperman explains, “The Dhammada” “metaphysics is opposite to that of Hindu philosophy.” The ego-self does not exist in the absolute sense; not some
permanent thing. And second, the self is just a name in the absolute sense, a convenient designation, in other words, the term ‘self” is the name designated as
psychotically physical complex that exist in the absolute sense at the same time.
The Vedic tradition is revived by Samkara a thousand years later (788-820? A.D.) The Vedanta sutra chief commentators are Samkara, Ramanuja, and
Mafdhva. Samkara expresses in his introduction of the “Vendanta Sutra” an identity claim of undifferentiated consciousness unaffected by death of the physical
body. Samkara supports that reality self (Atman) is existence, knowledge and bliss universal and infinite. Conversely, non-identity of two properties as defined
by Nyaya logic would still require an abstract object. Samkara claims an absolute identity between Brahman and the individual self- an identity claim, the nature
of self and it’s relation to the absolute. Gregg Singlar explains, “Samkara repudiates the subjectivism of the Yogacaras (Buddhist idealists). He also holds that
the world is non-existent. Our ignorance is born of a confusion of the transcendental subject (Atman) with empirical existence (anatman pg 507).”
Nevertheless, self-preservation takes precedence over any other human activity; few philosophers would defend their lives with an abstract theory, especially
when we consider what is really me, what makes me me- the nature of self. Thomas Hobbs’s would argue for freedom, an unrestrained will such as the
unbridled impulse that drove the Indo-Aryans over the steppe bringing havoc to the biblical frontiers of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers some 5000 years ago.
Conversely, a third concept of identity blossomed in the Far East from the teachings of Confucius, a concept of self-interest best served by serving others- the
nature of self (Ren) as community (li).
Confucius seems to think we should be concerned with what is personally satisfying because a satisfying life is living in a society or group (Ren) by way of ritual
(Li). Social relations are crucial with Confucius’s ethical methodology. Confucius rejected the idea of morality as a set of rules or imperatives; if ethics is Ren by
way of Li, then he cam not make a judgment on another person’s behavior or say it is morally wrong to live in a certain way.
Both ren and li are essential to Confucius’ ethical methodology; ‘Ren’ referrers to society (man plus others), and the term ‘Li’ refers to ritual or custom.
Confucius would say, “ren is not easy, ren is not far away, all you have to do is desire ren” (another person), be it a society or interpersonal relationship.
Confucianism can be argued as an identity claim in the absolute sense, here now. Causality for Confucius is an ethical concern that leads to immortality-the
nature of self in others!
Certainly, the closest I could describe my soul in a logical linear way would be- here now in a point in spacelessness. In other words, my being or the I-ness of
my being is here now always. The perceiver or the I-ness of a being transcends the known laws of physics that applies to the temporal or things with beginnings
and endings. That which is eternal has no beginning or end and is the higher legislative law that determines the natural order of things. Any perceiver is an
eyewitness or I-ness, or we can express the same in another way- any knower is a situated knower and the perception is the I-ness of the individual that uses
the human body as a temporary home while living on earth. This I-ness also applies to those who may not have a visual sense such as someone that is blind.
Shape and forms of things seem to be adaptive to the world which surrounds or affects a particular body. Certainly, this is true in a sense but not necessarily.
Objects are conditioned by the physics of awareness, the higher law of perception in which all lower laws must obey.
Critical thinking never help me much in matters of the soul, maybe because deduction and logic is something new to the world and to me, a way to explain
something eternal that is “Always Known Here Now.” Yes, scholars such as Tyler and other credible academics lend a way to understand our world and our
place in it; however, they exclude the possibility of things beyond binary associations which are the things we perceive, some of which are visible and those
outside peripheral perception or those events that seem to oppose the laws of physics or the natural order of things. The Transpersonal shift of
consciousness, anything outside of yourself including yourself, demonstrated by Mary and me, can be better understood by way of spiritual parable.
When Mary and I first met, traditional introductions failed but we found a way to understand each other with a story or a parable with meaning, we wrote the
good ones down in a journal and continue to jot down inspiring tales that seem to connect us or provide a way of understanding one another still today. I still
hold the half-filled handwritten copy close to me, in my heart and on my writing table. How else to try and understand common ordinary miracles shared by Mary
and me such as our transpersonal journey 60 miles from our home as our bodies rest sound asleep?
It is needless to try and explain to Mary that there are miracles happening in our lives, she already knows; however, she loves to hear a story from a critical
thinker like me, even though she already knows the meaning! The following story is a metaphysical parable I wrote Mary trying to explain what I meant when I
repeated what my teacher told me “You can never tell the spiritual worth of person by the way they look or behave, no matter how depraved or righteous the
person may appear.”
“Bi-social Intercourse in a Linear Reality”
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dressed yet clean and shaven the beggar’s eyes catch a local merchant peering out an alley tavern window observing the beggar as he works his
wooden rice bowl.
The merchant’s eyes shift back to the business at hand before the distraction; collecting a debt from the tavern keep. Their conversation ended
after the merchant alluded to the idea of the keeper’s daughter and marriage as debt consolidation to the best interest of the maiden in waiting.
The young girl of fourteen was unaware that these men were so concerned about her future and well- being.
The merchant had lost interest in the conversation as he caught the beggar’s eye outside the tavern window now stepping over the tavern door
threshold. The merchant had received spiritual training under a well known guru but was discouraged by a question every truth seeker must ask
upon reaching the threshold of heaven, “Must I sacrifice individuality for universal self?”
The tavern keep barks to the unwanted guest, “I am not telling you again, stay out of my home! Go to work like the rest of us; nothing in life is free!”
The merchant’s eyes shift back to the unwanted beggar and recognized him in the tavern light to be the mystic of village gossip- give this man a
coin and good fortune to the generous.
The merchant turned back to the keeper and said, “Hold your tongue, what talk from a man who can not find a pot to piss in to a man that owns his
own rice bowl!” The Tavern keep said nothing and eyes the un-swept bar floor. The mystic dressed like a local faker, neared the merchant standing
at the bar defying the angered Tavern keep held at bay by the long wooden bar separating the men. The beggar bows his head while stretching
out his arms as both hands clasp an empty wooden rice bowl.
The merchant grabs his purse heavy with gold and silver coins that had been positioned on the bar suggesting a large dowry to the family of the
bride to be. His large hand pushes open the draw strings as he pulls out a small silver spot then drops it in to the beggars bowl.
The Merchant then asks, “Tell me, enlightened one,” “Is life not meaningless to endure knowing in the end the soul is dissolved like a drop of water
into an ocean of emptiness?” The beggar raised his bowed head and said, “Tell me merchant, is not heaven meaningless to pursue if the price is a
coin at the bottom of an empty rice bowl?” “Ungrateful fool!” barks the tavern keep. “You see” says the keeper as he eyes the merchant, “Money for
begging and he is unhappy with it.” Perhaps he would like some venison and strong drink with his rice. But don’t dare ask him; he’ll be deeper in
your purse for a plate for his friends, a little music and perhaps a gold piece for a whore!”
The merchant responds, ‘You say the village sage is a fool with his money?” “Yeah, and the biggest of he who waste it on him.” “Is what you say
true--a man without a pot to piss in and a beggar who owns his own rice bowl?” “Sir, twenty years as your servant and slave to your inn, yeah! I
must be the biggest fool to work for nothing.” The merchant knew the inn keeper to be dishonest; his ledger was always tainted. Little did the inn
keeper know, the merchant had sold everything he owned and was prepared to offer all the gold and silver now packed in his large yak skin purse
as dowry for the Inn keeper’s daughter’s hand in marriage.
The Merchant shoves the heavy purse against the belly of the keeper resting on the bar and says, “Keep his bowl warm with food, his cup full, his
bed with clean silks and serve his friends as your own family. When I return from the mountain harvest on the first moon, with a purse as heavy as
this, even the biggest of fools could pay his debt and own his own inn and ask any price for his daughter’s hand.” Make your mark or tally stones to
show your kindness upon my return. Let it be known, not one silver be gone that has not been served him and those he calls his own.”
The now penniless, merchant smiles, as he strains to understand the foolish folly of a dying self, dissolving in timeless eternity. The tavern keep
eyes the merchant’s shinning face bursting with light as he makes his way out of the tavern, stepping over the threshold, merging with the sea of
humanity gathered at an ancient market place celebrating the festival of the moon*(O’Dell).
The Merchant’s question, “Tell me enlightened one, is not life meaningless to endure knowing that in the end the soul is dissolved like a drop of water into a
The question in and of itself represents the hesitation before walking through the door of the unknown into a transpersonal state of consciousness. The best
definition for transpersonal is: anything outside of yourself, including yourself, so there is nothing to lose but a shared false belief. Sadly, this simple
transpersonal event has been mystified by religion and other dogmas as a reality reserved for the chosen few.
Nothing can be further from the truth. In fact there are many Transpersonals who walk this planet today enjoying heaven while on earth. These people have
marched past the throngs of spiritual refugees, crowding in fear near heaven’s gate and boldly stepped beyond the threshold letting go of everything but faith,
plunging into the terrifying unknown. “They gave up everything, expecting nothing in return, only to awake into a new heavenly consciousness.”
There are transpersonal people in every religion, race, social class, subculture or gender. They have given up the temporary for the eternal, the little self of
limitation for the higher self of true freedom which is a paradoxical statement for there is nothing to lose short of a shared false belief.
In relation to the norm of society, Transpersonals are true spiritual giants as Emerson once said, “Plato was a great average man” conversely, Carlyle
illustrates the Transpersonal well, “A great man is a mountain of light.” Transpersonals outshine those personalities that are the foundation of today’s linear
world religions.
Never-the-less, you may find them worshipping in a church or temple with their families or actually preaching to an assembly. Transpersonals are permanently
marked with an aura of Divine love and detached confidence. They have overcome that final obstacle on the path that we all must walk alone; the question or
hesitation on the path, “Must I sacrifice or give up the little self for the universal self, to enter the heavenly worlds?”
The begging mystic was not asking for more money. He was trying to explain that if your desire is heaven, then you must let go of worldly attachments. Give up
everything for the higher state of awareness and God will give everything to you. Those that have gone before explain fear not the higher planes for “No harm
can come to Soul, no sword can pierce it, nor can it be burned, drowned, murdered or lost (Hindu Tradition).”
Conversely, the promise, “God will give everything to you” is not without consequence. Many believe this promise means, God will shower you with gifts of
wealth, health, and happiness for the rest of your life and life thereafter. It is true, that Transpersonals live a life more abundant but they still live within a
conditional world as quoted from the King James Bible, the first versions authored by ancient Hebrew mystics:
Dominion would be impossible without the difficulties and rewards of hard work and expertise which is a fundamental requirement to live in the harsh environment
of today’s world or any world whereas birth is the only entry and biological nature of the fittest.
“Genesis 1:29 And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have
dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth."
Dr. Pitman goes on to quote one the greatest scholars of the Evolution theory of man evolving from apes, "For example, in 1990, Richard Leakey himself said
that, "If pressed about man's ancestry, I would have to unequivocally say that all we have is a huge question mark. If further pressed, I would have to state that
there is more evidence to suggest an abrupt arrival of man rather than a gradual process of evolving."
empirical text books replaced by data systems that lose more information than they retrieve and redefine to standards that are so ridge; that today there are
An excellent example is archaeological evidence that disappears faster by new age digital systems faster than we can dig it up , with the destruction of more
researchers that build on a opportunity to show it is on this web page were data systems are removing words from the dictionary as I watch my whole page light
up with possible misspelled words that are in the dictionary and have been before Webster's started his own. After waiting for more than a year for a visa to
Tibet while working in China, and spending thousands of dollars to go to a place that is believed to all sewn up by the fiat core of intellectual academics, I
retrieved some very important evidence from story tellers with living memory that would of been lost forever such as the following easy in animation titled " The
Lost Story of The Monkey Peoples."
kick back, close your eyes and listen to an original work by a closet storyteller from birth as follows:
What Most Religions Hold In Common
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