- I have started really taking a long look at the idea of reincarnation. I have never really accepted the standard versions of Heaven and Hell, and am now kind of intrigued by the idea of reincarnation and karma. What if "heaven" isn't a place, but here? That our goal is to find "Heaven" in our life. What if each life we live is just another step on our way to finding the true Heaven, Nirvana? Not only that, but what if each life we live is the deciding factor for how we return in our next incarnation? For (an extreme) example, let's say that you live this life as a completely outspoken bigot with a habit for bullying people who are not like you...in your next life, you come back as one of those people you mistreated and you find yourself being mistreated by someone who was exactly like you. On the flip side, if you spend your life offering love, service and compassion, you find yourself in your next life on the receiving end of that same compassion.
- Dying--I live in a culture where we sort of want to ignore and/or avoid death. We don't like to talk about it, we don't like to face it, yet it is going to happen to all of us eventually. We want to sterilize it to the point where it is something that isn't happening. There is a movement toward end of life doulas. People trained to help the dying transition into the next stage of existence. There is a part of me that is drawn to this kind of work.
- Freewill and the problem of evil. I have read many commentaries on the problem of suffering in the world. And ultimately, I have decided that one can't have freewill without suffering. Evil has to exist because without it there is no free will. Without evil, we can't choose to live compassionately or by dedicating our life to the God of our understanding.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Thoughts on a Monday Morning
Several thoughts came up for me over the weekend, and I am not sure which or if any I will tackle.
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