One God

Q: Please elaborate on this idea that all effort is needed, but no effort can lead to enlightenment. I am not sure I understand that.

MM: The things you "do" in order to get enlightened...meditate, contemplate, study, fast, and endless other things we are doing in our efforts to "get there" are because of two things - one, our idea that something needs to be done - which is a false idea - but we cannot truly know that until after enlightenment; and two, because of our commitment. Our commitment expresses itself in endless efforts and practices until we - by coincidence - not because of our efforts, but because of our commitment - arrive home.

This is, for example, what the first commandments means. "Thou shall have no other God before me" means nothing but - don't waste your life with commitments to "other Gods" like money, power, fame...let your first and only commitment be to "God", "Enlightenment", "Truth"..."it". It must be your heart's desire. All other desires and commitments, all other Gods...also eventually take you home by default...it just takes a lot longer and this long separation causes much suffering.

Q: Does that mean that if in my heart I am 100% committed to enlightenment, but make no heroic efforts of any kind I can also become enlightened?

MM: Enlightenment means the end of the world as you know it. How do you prepare yourself? It is much like death in that way. How do you get ready for that? It is not so much effort you need to think about, but how to prepare for being able to accept and face the ultimate truth of all of existence. How do you develop the love, trust and humility? How do you prepare to meet God? Not only is there going to be "meeting" but also "re-union". Preparation is a much better word. Effort suggests "heroics" as you say, but the idea of preparation is much better. You need to prepare very, very well, which may take a lot of effort. It should be joyful, though, as if preparing for your wedding.

Evolution And The Emperor's New Clothes

Q: I am a microbiologist and, even though I am by no means a creationist, I would like to make the point that mathematicians and microbiologist question random selection as believed in by "evolutionists". It seems rather impossible mathematically. So, even though creationists pretending to be "scientific", makes my skin crawl, many evolutionists need to get off their high horse, as well. There is much debate.

MM: The scientific debate around evolution, independent of creationists, is very interesting and will lead to great new understanding. As Einstein said: "The bigotry of the the non-believers amuses me nearly as much as the bigotry of the believes". So your point is well taken. Not all scientists are automatically free of the bigotry they accuse others of. The discussion among scientists regarding evolution is worth following.

"What is behind it all" is called "God" by theologians and the religious, and "scientific truth or law" by scientists, yet it has no name, nor can it be described, or it wouldn't be "it". All efforts are either poetry or, as scientists like to say, "elegant" formulae. The effort is a noble effort. It is said that in order to come across "it", the absolute greatest effort is needed, and when found, it becomes clear that no effort of any kind can possibly lead to "it".

Q: That sounds like "the emperor has no clothes". In fact that is what a lot of people who talk about enlightenment sound like to me. They are talking about nothing at all. Everything seems to cancel itself out. In your posts, too, often I get this feeling. It's like there is enlightenment, but then there really isn't. Effort is needed, but no effort can do the trick. What exactly is one supposed to do, then?

MM: Nothing. But that is extremely difficult for people. That's the problem. The whole effort is to regain the effortlessness we knew in childhood. Creative non-doing and all gets done without effort.

"The Emperor's New Clothes" is a very good story. The whole population is engaged in pretending, lying, denying, and endless activity and mayhem because of fear and greed, and for all kinds of exciting purposes, until a child speaks the truth. This truth stops everything that is going on.

Whatever we are trying to achieve...money, power, fame, security, and even enlightenment...if we achieve it, it will disappoint. Yet - we need to "go there" as they say, in order to find out, even if we never "get there".

Only the very wealthy truly know that money cannot buy happiness, for example. Only the enlightened ones know that there is no enlightenment. Everybody else is still hoping and desiring and therefore missing life in the eternal present.

Living life in the eternal present does not mean that "you" are enlightened. It just means Enlightenment. It means God. God is the eternal present - with or without the Big Bang - with or without "I" or "You".

Q: What would "the truth stopped everything that was going on" look like then, in our lives and in our culture?

MM: People would not fall for false promises or ideas. False ideas are everything that promises happiness for some reason, and for some moment in the future. Imagine how relaxed and happy one could simply be with "what is", simply wallowing in gratitude at every given moment- just for breathing, or for one's heart beating, the rain, or a sunset. Or even on your deathbed - for dying.

Q: But wouldn't the world come to a stand still? It would be bad for the economy, innovation, fighting bad things, if everyone were that happy and relaxed. Why not just do drugs then?

MM: The economy at the present rate of speed, and wasteful production levels is in great need of slowing down to reinvent itself. Innovation and "fighting bad things" requires wisdom. Wisdom is the opposite of speed and greed. This can only be accomplished through gratitude. We are not mature enough yet as a species, for the technologies we have invented. If we don't hurry up - with slowing down and growing in wisdom - we will self-destruct.

Drugs is another subject altogether. Drugs are simply another form of self-destruction in the pursuit of happiness.

Q: What needs to change, then?

MM: Fear and greed - and boredom, which is fear and greed in disguise - are the root of the problem. Wherever, and whenever you notice fear and greed within yourself - change it. It starts with you. The world... the whole universe... starts and ends with you.

Creationism

Q: What do you think of creationism?

MM: Let there be light.

Please.

Insanity Who?

Q: I looked up things about the Mormon religion and find some of them shocking.

MM: And your question for me is?

Q: Well, why wouldn't you point out the insanity of it? Mormons believe their leader, Joseph Smith is a direct descendant of Christ, for example. That Jesus came to the US after the resurrection. That Mormons become Gods and will rule planets - all kinds of stuff like that. It sounds like they fell for a great scam that at the time included polygamy - what a nice recruitment tool.

MM: Are you convinced that all Mormons believe these things? Do all Catholics believe in the Virgin Birth, for example? Truly believe? Or that Jesus was God's son rather than "just enlightened"? Do all Buddhists believe in the stages of death and rebirth, down to the gory details? Do all Hindus believe in all the hundreds of gods? Do all Muslims really expect 70,000 virgins greeting them in heaven? Not the ones I know.

Q: Well, they all teach that stuff to their trusting and innocent children.

MM: All religions do that. This is a valid discussion. Do parents have the right to teach their children anything? Anything a parent believes in, they can teach their own children. It must be so. The problem is built in - one man's lie is another man's truth.

It is always sad to see children indoctrinated, even if it leads to positive results behavior-wise. Children have such exquisite intuition and such a natural sense for truth and goodness. In so many cases their ability to think for themselves gets destroyed. Not just by religions. There are so many other influences like TV, peers, governments. Everybody wants to own the growing generation's mind! For the ancient reasons of money and power.

Luckily children grow up and become rebellious, and hopefully at some point, free adults. Many children who grow up without religion... in order to rebel, become religious fanatics. Just like many who grow up with religion, become fanatic atheists. All of us ultimately need to discover freedom. Freedom is the only state to be in.

Q: So, are you saying that the Mormon religion is as good as any other religion?

MM: In terms of what?

Q: Truth for one.

MM: Ah, truth. Truth is independent of religion. Religion is really just an organizing principle for large populations. As such the Mormons and the state of Utah seem to be doing rather well. What is interesting about Mormons is that they believe in present day revelation, much like Quakers. As such their religion can be inspired by new notions that go against the old ones. New insights and reformations, be they through science or divine insight are the only hope for all the religions.

Your relationship and destiny with God is never dependent on religion even though religions can be helpful. Just like eating is never dependent on any particular diet, except in people's minds. Diets, like religions, can be helpful or harmful. But - in the end it is all just food, just like religions are all just "food for thought". If the truth could be handed to you with the simple trick of a religion we all would be free already.

Well-being, wholeness, holiness and oneness with God depends only on your intuition.

Q: You sound non-committal to me.

MM: You sound disappointed.

Q: Yes.

MM: I am committed to only one thing.

Q: Which is?

MM: Your freedom. God means freedom. Absolute freedom. You are afraid of it.

Q: What does that have to do with trying to evaluate a religion?

MM: I am trying to set free the one who feels the need to evaluate, from that particular kind of insanity.

Q: :-)...I think I get it. Thank You. Live and let live, and look in the mirror.

MM: Yes...and then get rid of those mantras, too.

Mormons

Q: MeditationMom - are you going to talk about Mormons now that you have moved to Utah?

MM: Not unless you have a question :-)

Q: OK...question...do you think it is a legitimate religion?

MM: Legitimate?

Q: Yes, does it teach truth?

MM: All religions are half truths. And all religious teachings are used by some to abuse and exploit people. Mormons seem to have the same reputation as other religions.

Q: Even Buddhism, Christian Science, the Tao...?

MM: Yes, every religion - even my favorite ones. The minute you put the truth into words - whatever you say about it - it is a half truth. Every word excludes its opposite. Silence is the only wisdom. "Be still - and know!"

Whatever is said about the truth should be thought of as poetry. Never to be taken literally. If you take religious teachings literally - all hell breaks loose - again and again.

Q: I guess I am trying to figure out if you are for or against Mormons.

MM: How can I be for or against Mormons? I left that kind of insanity a long time ago. I am not even for or against atheists.

Q: Then what is the use of you answering questions about religion or spiritual matters at all?

MM: There is really no point. But People keep asking questions. Answers - even if they cannot give truth - they can dissolve misunderstandings. That is all answers can do, really. Every spiritual or religious question - when you look deeply - contains a misunderstanding that needs dissolving. A resistance that needs to be relaxed.

Q: Does that mean that when you have no more questions you are enlightened?

MM: You have to transcend "questions and answers", which is a game of the mind. "Not knowing" is true wisdom. In this not-knowing all is known - beyond doubt. You can call it enlightenment but it is best not to call it anything. Enlightenment is like meeting your oldest and best friend after a long, long time - laughing is enough, joy is enough.

Godly Code

Q: In your last post, is there a reason why you made some of the lines of the Lord's Prayer, or some of the lines in the translation for atheists, in a larger font?

MM: There may be a reason, but it isn't mine. I tried to fix that in the hHtml code, but it all says that it is the same font size. So these lines are bigger in spite of - what looks to me to be - the correct Html Apple code.

God, or Steve Jobs, must have their reasons, but they are beyond me or my computing abilities.

"Lord's Prayer" For Atheists and Grand-Daughters

Q: My grandmother was a devout Catholic. I am an atheist. I love her so much, and miss her like crazy, but cannot be religious or pray as she would like me to, because it makes me feel like a hypocrite. It troubles me that I may be a disappointment to her that way. Is meditation equivalent to prayer?

MM: Meditation is basically wordless prayer unless you are doing a mantra meditation or certain Vipassana meditations. You can be sure that Jesus meditated a lot. Prayer is somewhat easier because it gives our minds direction and something to do "while meditating". It is the undisciplined, endless chatter of the mind, often negative or judgmental, that gets us into trouble.

Prayer and meditation are an attitude, too, or you could say they create an attitude. A turning away from the material world towards something "other than" oneself, or one's worldly concerns. It is important to turn inward regularly.

When the apostles asked Jesus how to pray he is said to have taught them the Lord's Prayer. No question your grandmother prayed this prayer regularly. You could connect with her through it. So let's take a look at how an atheist like you could use that prayer.

The first line which instantly causes trouble for non-believers, is:

"Our Father who art in heaven" -

We can think of "Father" as "where I come from, my source". "Mother" may be a better choice but before people understood where babies came from they thought men deposited tiny little babies in women's wombs. Christian Scientists pray to Father-Mother-God, for example.

If we simply think of "heaven" as "not the material world but the infinite and eternal vastness that is non-material and the source out of which everything arises and to which everything returns", you could rephrase that line as:

"Our infinite and eternal place of origin and destiny,

Which is not of this material world,"

"Hallowed by thy name"

"For which I have no name but infinite awe"

(if you don't have infinite awe yet, look at some Hubble telescope images, nature images, look at the stars at night, hold a baby, or go for a walk in nature... simply contemplate our amazing and awe inspiring existence)

"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" -

"May it unfold in perfect harmony according to its nature, here, now, on earth, as it does in infinity and eternity"

"Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us"

"May we be well and whole and taken care of for today,

As we tend to others likewise in mutual compassion"

"And lead us not into temptation"

"Without distraction,"

"But deliver us from evil"

"And free from all that causes distraction"

"For thine is the kingdom and the glory and the power."

"For the formless source

In its infinite powerlessness,

Is the greatest power there is."

"Lord's Prayer" For Atheists and Grand-Daughters

Our infinite and eternal place of origin and destiny,

Which is not of this material world,

For which I have no name,

But infinite awe

May it unfold in perfect harmony according to its nature,

Here, now, on earth, as it does in infinity and eternity

May we be well and whole and taken care of for today,

As we tend to others, likewise, in mutual compassion

Without distraction,

And free from all that causes distraction

For the formless source

In its infinite powerlessness,

Is the greatest power there is.

Or, if you want to be personal and more efficient - in your case you could pray

Dear Grandma

Please keep me well, and whole,

And taken care of for today,

As I tend to others, likewise,

In mutual compassion.

Please keep me free from distraction

And the root cause of all distraction.

I believe in you and trust in you, always.

(Amen)

("Amen" is simply a sound like "Om" that unites and calms the body/mind, much like the sound "Mom" instinctively used by children)

There is great psychological benefit in making prayer personal to someone you associate with unconditional and total love, and who you either imagine or would trust to watch over you. It can be difficult to generate that emotional energy flow into "just" meditation. Therefore even atheists find gurus, scientists, musicians and other celebrities to be in love with and worship, the way people used to be in love with and worship God and saints.

Our brains seem to thrive on love, worship, trust, and humble surrender to the big picture. We also seem to benefit from holding an ideal/idol in our minds, but are being warned about idol worship. This is simply because idols fall short of perfection associated with God. God - if nothing else - is simply the idea of absolute perfection.

Once you become experienced in prayer and/or meditation - wordless prayer is the highest form of it - and distinctions between "believer" and "atheist", "insignificant me" and "most significant celebrity", or "I, me" and "You, God", simply disappear. You become still. You become One.