Life, ourselves, springs from the universe, therefore there is something lifeful about the universe.
The universe includes the development of beings such as ourselves who contemplate their own nature and the nature of the universe, therefore the universe is awareful and even self awareful.
This awareness includes and goes beyond our contribution.
The awareness of the universe is such that it is aware of itself in a way that is deeply intimate with each element regardless of how small or how big, meaning that it does have a personal relationship with each and every one of us. Universal awareness is even aware that it is aware.
The universe is divine beingness. The divine is in all things, of all things, and encompassing of all things. The nature of the divine is love. Therefore, love is in all things, of all things, and encompassing of all things.
We emanate from the source of love and return to love when we die.
A dimension of consciousness permeates all things. Certain structures within this dimension generate individuated awareness. These awarenesses can be embodied within our physical dimension, but do not need the physical to exist. Also, though awareness can be individuated it can never truly be separate from the awareness of all that is.
The universe includes metaphysical dimensions that we are only beginning to understand. We are not separate from these dimensions. In fact we too are a part of the continuity of consciousness and are simply limited in our capacity to experience it at this time.
At a larger level evil does not exist. At our level we experience evil whenever fear becomes a primary focus, reason for action, and reason for being. Fear is a primeval force for self preservation. It is not evil in and of itself, except when it turns in on itself and impedes universal evolution. Love is always more powerful than fear, and all things are evolving no matter how slow or how fast.
The universe is in process, we are in process, love is a process. We are all evolving to a higher state of love and beingness whereby all things flow together in greater harmony and peace.
We are the divinity of the universe and we are a part of the divinity of the universe.
We can call upon the divinity of the universe to help us. It does so whether we are aware of it or not, but can act more potently when we choose to become aware of its presence and so flow with the processes of evolution.
I believe miracles do occur. They are proof of love not deservingness. They come in their own time and in their own way. We will best recognise them when we are open to seeing the miraculous in everything.
There is no heaven or hell except what we create for ourselves.
We experience ourselves as a discrete unit of awareness limited to a certain number of days within a certain set space. I believe that we have a greater individual awareness that begins before we are born and continues after we die. This awareness may participate in multiple physical incarnations.
I believe that when we die our once physical awareness merges with universal awareness such that we re-experience our life as more a part of the whole. In this way we experience all the pain we created, as well as all the joy we created, within the world as our own. Therefore, there is nothing we can do that we are not doing to ourselves. With this awareness we may make choices as to ways we may redress injuries we have inflicted, choose ways we may learn to release ourselves from certain self-destructive patterns, or even ways we may increase the joy, peace, and love available to all in another life. These choices then form a sub-conscious purpose for that particular life. Therefore, at all levels of existence we still have and exercise freewill.
I believe that in our lives we create certain patterns of behaviour, feeling, and belief. We also tend to create certain attachments by holding onto feelings of hatred, fear, neediness, jealousy, guilt etc. in relationship to particular people, things, situations, etc. rather than letting such feelings come and go. Part of these attachments includes how we define ourselves. When we leave the earth upon death these patterns and attachments do not disappear, they form a certain energy that we take up again when we reincarnate. These energies are not static, and can be changed within a lifetime as we learn how to live free of attachment and embracing of love. Non-attachment and detachment are not the same thing: the first is about living in free flow, the other is about separateness.
I do not believe that the divine sends suffering to punish bad people and to make good people learn. All of life is about learning. We face adversity and suffering for many reasons: certainly some of those reasons are self-generated, some come out of our collective capacity for freewill, but some we may never understand. All we can do is reclaim our experiences of pain through the gaining of wisdom, insight, and compassion.
Life will always be a mixture of joy and pain—these are the marks of being physically alive. The solution is to acknowledge and respect the pain, and focus mostly on the joy.
Blaming yourself, others, the divine for your suffering will not change that state. Taking responsibility for your own thoughts, words, and actions, and doing the best you can with what you've got will go the furthest toward creating more peace and joy in your life.
I believe that the purpose of our existence is to be more fully ourselves: to allow ourselves to be unique as well as the same; to evolve into ever more loving, peaceful, and harmonious versions of ourselves; and to act in ways that demonstrates our understanding of our oneness with all that is such that we do loving things for ourselves, each other, and all things around us. In these ways we discover our own divinity, as well as a relationship with the divine.
A person can worship The Great Pumpkin or be a devout atheist, if they have a loving heart and respect for all people and all things, then their religious allegiance matters very little. That we live loving respectful lives is what matters most.
Our own experience, our own truth, and our own wisdom is of utmost importance. Others can help us discover our own truth and wisdom, but ultimately it is up to us to find it. No individuated being can know better than ourselves our own truth.
Our idealism is important. It must also be tempered by compassion, especially since full realisation of compassion is the highest ideal of all.
Forced happiness in order to validate a way of life is self-destructive. Equally corrosive is a dogmatic cynicism born of disillusionment. Peace is found in allowing ourselves to follow the ebb and flow of emotion without clinging to any of it. Nostalgia can be like hanging onto a stale piece of cake: we remember the sweetness, but the sweetness has long gone and we are only holding moldy crumbs. Hanging onto bitterness just sours any new experiences. The past and the future have their place, but they are only dreams. Each new moment is a new opportunity, and that is to be valued.
Non-sapient beings tend to have group souls. Sapient beings have individual souls. Therefore, we can enter into relationship with beings who are non-sapient as part of a whole. However, as soon as a being is sapient whether they are animal, extra-terrestrial, or computer-generated, that being must be dealt with as an individual as well as part of a whole.
All things, even created things, have a spirit. Some things have more developed and evolved spirits, and some are quite primitive. Some things have a desire to come into beingness like books, songs, and paintings. Some things from our love and use develop what little spirit they have, like a favourite car or an old guitar. Even created things deserve our respect as part of the universe and as a part of us. In what spirit was something created? In what spirit is it used? These things will influence an object's character. So, we have a sort of duty of parenthood when we create things, and we have a duty of respect when we use things.
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These are all my speculations. Your speculations are equally valid. The main things are to remain focussed on love and compassion, kindness and respect.
