Beauty and ugliness are but two human perceptions and interpretations of a universal energy that is neither good nor evil but infinitely greater than the sum of these thoughts.

A simplistic approach to the question of the divine nature states that all that was created was originally perfectly good, but as humanity misbehaved it needed to be punished, "banished from paradise," and all suffering and even diseases and death are the outcome of this punishment.

According to Christian doctrines "salvation" would come through the repudiation of all that is bad or "evil" ("sins") and a complete surrender to what is good as strictly defined by this dualistic religion.

Furthermore, according to Carl Jung, the Anima (the feminine aspect of the human psyche) represents the "primitive" layer of man's psychology, a "heretic" in more or less open revolt against the dualistic Christian point of view. Jung defined the Anima as a "negative entity" representing the "inferior Eros in man."

Not only were "heaven" and "hell," or the spirit and the flesh, conceptually separated by patriarchal cultural beliefs, so were the male and female principles, which facilitated the oppression of women,

who were sensed to be "instinctive dialecticians" intent upon undermining the "progressively developing dualistic principles of rational thought" upon which western civilization and to a lesser extent other patriarchal societies were able to build their destructive and coercive, authoritarian

dominant power.

This dualistic ideology, which still pervades our thoughts, guides our world and causes much chaos and unnecessary suffering, is about as realistic and accurate as to view the above-ground part of a tree, its beautiful leaves and fragrant fruits and flowers blossoming in the clean air and sparkling sunlight, as good and existing in accordance with divine laws, and its roots, that spread blindly in the dark and "dirty" soil "infested" with worms, lowly insects and "ugly and repulsive" creatures of the "underworld" as evil, the outcome of a transgression against the divine and the creation of a "devil."

Could a plant exist without its roots? Could the day exist without the night? Could pleasure be known without pain? Could life be appreciated without the knowledge of certain death? And could love be as intense as it can be without experiencing loss?

The redemption of the human heart is not dependent upon a person following a particular religion's precepts and dogma, but when all joy and all sadness, all pleasure and all pain, all fear and creativity are embraced as boldly as if they were the ebb and flow of the same tide of consciousness expanding in

the act of life itself, because they are.

It is when life is lived halfway, when the timid heart retreats into numbness, detachment or rationalization, and pleasure is sought and held against all reason, and pain is avoided as if it was the devil itself, that "heaven" and "hell" become as true enemies in our psyches, our inner clarity is lost in this internal mayhem, and confusion and struggle become our very identity.

Peace returns to the person who makes the two as one: the above and the below, the inner and the outer, life and death, good and evil, "heaven" and "hell,” because they are one and can only be experienced as being separate in the dualistic conceptual creations of the human mind.

However they cannot be understood to be one, that is to say inseparable and complementary, in intellectual detachment: they can only be re-integrated successfully in the heart that is completely open, and when in the full intensity of all of its experiences of ecstasy and despair it grows to manifest the true invincibility and wholeness that are part of the essence of the eternal soul.

Out of decay springs new life, a life that can neither be born nor sustained in a sterile environment. Worlds, nations, people and all of the elements of nature experience internal decay ... from death itself arises a richer and more powerful life.

Raphael Montoliu lives in Lakeport.

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jpshute - What are you talking about? IP:67.142.130.xxx | 07-15-2008 07:06:02 Raphael, I was thinking there needs to be some dialog between the different tribes here in Lake County in an effort to bring about some healing, and to build relationships of trust and respect. I was thinking you should be one of the players, however my brother, are your feet on the ground? We need to get real, get our head out of the stratosphere. Let's deal with some real issues like malicious talkers, and those pointing fingers. Let's find some common ground and move forward in a productive manner. There so many other things we could be discussing to make our lives and environment together better. Are you with me

purplegirl - Interesting IP:208.106.99.xxx | 07-15-2008 11:20:23 Very interesting article. A couple noteworthy comments: "Beauty and ugliness are but two human perceptions and interpretations of a universal energy that is neither good nor evil but infinitely greater than the sum of these thoughts." And... "Could a plant exist without its roots? Could the day exist without the night? Could pleasure be known without pain? Could life be appreciated without the knowledge of certain death? And could love be as intense as it can be without experiencing loss?" Both of which I ponder often. On one side of the planet, cows are seen as divine and on the other side they are seen as meat. To some, dung is used in fertilizer, as building material, and some have even used it to make some of the richest coffee in the world. While others see it as a disgusting health hazard. While we keep dogs and cats as pets, others use them for food. What is the difference? Perspective. The same "butcher" knife that has the potential to kill a person also has the potential to help feed a person. If we simply took a moment to open our minds to different perspectives and adjust our focus, we would see that (as the author points out) negative and positive are not in the thing itself but in the perception of it.

jpshute - In Respone IP:67.142.130.xxx | 07-15-2008 11:58:22 The an old saying, not sure where it actually come from, but maybe the idea brought forth applies here. I goes like this; "He's so heavenly minded, he's no earthly good." I don't mean to make a joke out of what the writer is saying, nor do I mean this as anything but constructive criticism. Years ago, maybe you'll remember in the 60's, there was a comedian Professor Erin Cory who made a good living making laugh. What he did was exactly as the writer of this article did today, spoke using big philosophical terms, all of which sounded intelligent but were unintelligible. If you really think about it. I looked at this article as I do all of Rapheal's work, with an open mind. No question Rapheal is an intelligent, critical thinker, I don't always agree with him, but I do respect him as a catylst of change. Today's article had me asking "what on earth is he smoking"? Like I said, let get real.

jpshute IP:67.142.130.xxx | 07-15-2008 12:00:55 Sorry for all the typos.

Raphael - I knew Author | 07-15-2008 14:29:01 this was a little abstract: it is attempting to express the difference between western and eastern thought, or in my opinion between illusion and reality. In the east, if you look at the "yin" and "yang" designs that are on the Korean flag for example, and that symbolize all polarity, you can see the two are not separated, but viewed as complementary. In addition, the "yang" contains the seed of "yin", and vice-versa. What the #@&&* does it mean? It means that contrary to what we believe in the west, the cosmos is not at war with itself. That's important if we want to understand the true nature of peace and stop all this polarization at all possible levels, from within ourselves (inner conflicts) to between individuals, between the sexes ("war of the sexes"), within societies, between humanity and the natural environment, between the sacred and the profane, and between nations. Everything in the world, every action, no matter how small, is rooted in and colored by perceptions and beliefs. How can we change anything, or grow out of anything, if we do not understand the origin and nature of our perceptions and vision, and of our mental conditioning? How can we think effectively and creatively if we do not understand the consequences of our thoughts, and remain unconscious? Most of the solutions to most individual or worldly problems come not so much from doing what is "right" as from not doing what is "wrong"...and what is "wrong"? All that is rooted in conflict, because conflict always comes from a lack of understanding, from having the vision of a mouse rather than that of an eagle, from never seeing the greater picture. As Purplegirl understands, the water that gives life can also drown us. But water itself is neutral, as is all of nature and all universal energy. We alone "color" life with our thoughts, and because most of our thoughts have for foundation concepts of division, polarization, separation and conflict, most of our thoughts are fearful, consequently the world we create is a frightful world, a world without peace. We think we will establish peace by "overcoming evil". But real peace comes from the unification of good and evil, because the only true "evil" is this concept of separation, of polarization. Why is it a problem? Because it is unreal, and consequently leads to suffering like all illusions.

jpshute - Thanks for the Clarification IP:67.142.130.xxx | 07-15-2008 14:55:47 Gosh, I wish you would have said it that way the first time around. I can get my mind around it, even embrace it, with one exception. The idea that we should merely "stop doing what is wrong". This fixes nothing, nor does it heal the pain from our wounds. It merely brings us to a point of mediocrity, a point of settling for less than we together can achieve. A place where the brokenness and wounds still fester. This is even in conflict with the Pomo cause. I think you mean to say, we,people of every tribe, need to start doing what is right to bring the healing necessary to our community. We need the vision of a healthy, unbroken eagle, so we can soar on the winds and share in our reality. I'd like to have a face to face dialog with you, James Bluewolf, and Clayton Duncan in the very near future. James has my contact info.

Raphael - I did not Author | 07-17-2008 01:23:12 mean doing nothing...But most of humanity's actions are wrong because coming from partial vision, from seeing only one small aspect of reality...like a person in a dark room looking at everything with a narrow beam flashlight: only seeing bits and pieces and never seeing how they connect, never seeing relationships and unity, and thinking everything is in conflict with everything else. That's the philosophical foundation of western civilization, to perceive everything as separate and in conflict, and that's the origin of its unnatural thirst for power. That's also a common symptom of neurosis, of the right and left hemispheres of the brain, and of the brainstem, the limbic system and the frontal cortex not being connected properly. Interestingly, as our brains are disconnected, so is our perception of the world (read "The Biology of Love" by Arthur Janov). Actions based on these neurotic perspectives lead to futile struggles. "Right" action requires a lot less effort than "wrong" action, it is like hitting the bull's eye with an arrow, or like surfing: because it is in harmony with universal energies, because it does not oppose these energies, it is inspired and in a sense magical, or full of power..."right" action requires an instinctive understanding of universal energies, as a surfer instinctively "understands" the wave. That's not to say that opposition does not come from people who are entrenched in limited beliefs...but this opposition is no longer important when something greater is created, such as you mention healing. In my opinion healing can only come from acknowledging historical as well as personal truths...and from remembering, feeling and understanding who we are.

James - Its your will! Registered | 07-16-2008 07:18:44 Armageddon? Would think not but what I would call the natural progression of a decaying society. To keep thinks simple good and evil has always been part of our frabric. That tolerance of the evil, finding excuses not to deal with it,looking for ways to justify those actions. We have come to that point we except the worst in us rather than demanding our best. Thats how simple it is,not complicated at all.

purplegirl - keep writing IP:208.106.99.xxx | 07-16-2008 09:23:35 "We alone "color" life with our thoughts, and because most of our thoughts have for foundation concepts of division, polarization, separation and conflict, most of our thoughts are fearful, consequently the world we create is a frightful world, a world without peace. We think we will establish peace by "overcoming evil". But real peace comes from the unification of good and evil, because the only true "evil" is this concept of separation, of polarization." So true. We need to embrace both the darkness and the light to come to a full understanding of the whole. One can be blinded by light just as easily as blinded by darkness but if you take both and realize (as you mentioned) that they are part of a whole and both have their purpose you will gain a better understanding where you will see much clearer even under what most people consider the worst conditions. I like your water analogy. (It is much better than my knife analogy.) You can either fear the water blindly, trust the water blindly or you can RESPECT the water with open and perceptive eyes. If you respect the water you have done what you can to understand both the positive and negative aspects of it and you can focus your energy on the good it brings rather than the bad. With everything that is going on in this world, it does little good to ignore it or fight it, what needs to be done is to understand it and then go about focusing positive energy and positive action towards it. As far as "earthly good" goes, I actually think people like you (Raphael) can do a world of earthly good if their energy is focused to do the most good. I mean, I know there is some underlying issue concerning Native Americans here but (even as a white girl with strong European ancestry) I can still get something out of it. In fact, I got quite a bit out of the article. It made me think... and that is the first step to action and change and I doubt I was the only one. So, please, Raphael, never stop writing and sharing, even if it is a bit abstract or ethereal, you touch people and that is the whole point of writing.

Raphael - Thank you Author | 07-16-2008 20:41:48 very much purplegirl for you very very kind words... James, about the tolerance of what we call evil: everything we see in our human world has consciousness for origin, and is as a mirror of our own consciousness. The "evil" we hate the most out there is part of the darkness we create and carry within in judgment. But think about the light and the dark...or good and evil, or love and fear: does the light fight the darkness in order to overcome it? Does it need to chase it to the end of the universe in order to exist? when you make the two one, when you place the light and the darkness together, which one overcomes the other? What happens when you flip a light switch in a dark room? In their union, the light overcomes the darkness without effort or struggle as surely as real love overcomes fear and hate, and as good overcomes evil. In this way of the union of opposites, we learn how to apply the power of true love, of ultimate goodness. However, in our relative world, goodness, love, light do not overcome everywhere at once and forever, for as long as we live in a world of polarity, the balance will remain stable between good and evil, between love and fear, between light and dark, and create the dramas full of pain and joy, of hope and despair we know as life, that hopefully will open our hearts and teach us who we are, because the whole point of this life is not perfection but expansion, to open our hearts and minds through the trials we must endure to grow in a universe that is living as much as it is dying, and that is screaming in agony as much as it is in ecstasy...

James Registered | 07-16-2008 20:09:28 I truly am a simple man. I was raised with the awareness to be polite that your word was your bond and to treat all as you would like to be treated.The Marine Corps exposed me to duty, honor and what the oath to defend the Cocstitution really is. I can truly state there was a time that all the evil we live with today we would not tolerate. I do injoy reading your post Raphael and purplegirl you reasure me I'm not the brightest match in the box Thanks.

Raphael - What we call IP:12.210.218.xxx | 07-17-2008 01:26:32 "evil" in our human world has taken different forms through history...it is simply an expression of inner and outer suffering. Humanity has always suffered, because entangled in endless conflicts and being very attached to and even defined by these conflicts. The world cultures are exploding, and everything seems upside down, as traditional values are abandoned. Your values are very good James, and time-proven, but I think it is the mistake of each older generation to idealize the past and think the world has become worse than it was before. We look at what we call the "evil" of today and forget about yesterday, only remembering what we choose. We also have access to more information than ever before. But things haven't really changed within western civilization...you only need to look at ancient Roman writings testifying to the corruption of the decadent empire, and to the fact that some disgruntled Roman citizens fled to live with the free-roaming German tribes, to escapes high taxes and corruption among other things, to realize we are repeating the same cycles over and over (it is called karma in some traditions). The only way out of this universal and endless suffering is the way of the heart, not of judgment and struggle. The lesson here is to reconcile good and evil within the human heart and soul, so that an infinitely greater understanding and reality be revealed to us. By the way the union and integration of all opposites is the original and forgotten meaning of symbolically joining the right and left hand in prayer: to make the two as one. It is the essence of all original attempts at spiritual understandings, but all religions have forgotten, and have chosen to teach separation and conflict rather than union and integration, because born of patriarchal cultures (cultures that chose the path of power, dominance and fear).

James - Raphael Registered | 07-16-2008 22:28:52 Please understand I would not presume to tell or judge the generations after my time its your life. I will be gone but while I,m here I will live by a code that works. There is no looking at my navel and wondering why. This experiment has gone on from the dawn of man. We know why we do what we do but with arrogance think we have all the answers. I helped make it worse and I'm not proud of that.just a thought.Thank You.

purplegirl IP:208.106.99.xxx | 07-17-2008 10:38:07 "I can truly state there was a time that all the evil we live with today we would not tolerate." Throughout history, we have tolerated all sorts of what the average American would call "evils". We tolerated slavery, we tolerated child abuse, we tolerated incest, we tolerated drug and alcohol abuse and we tolerated gang violence (there was the mob before there was the crypts and the bloods) all in America. I don't think today is much different. In fact, some of the things we tolerated back then are not tolerated now. Again, it is a matter of taking into account the whole and finding perspective, focusing on the positive (and how far we have come) rather than how far we have to go. It is the difference between looking behind you and seeing how much ground we have covered and finding encouragement rather than looking forward and seeing how much ground we have left (which is, in fact, endless) and getting discouraged. I am not discouraged because I see how far we have come and what we (at least, from my background) have come from. One more note... on the lines of what Raphael wrote... Even the war in Iraq, the gas crisis and the mortgage crisis, as terrible as they are (at least, I see them as terrible) have both negative and POSITIVE aspects. Concerning the war in Iraq, after being created out of false pretenses, I doubt many of us have the blind trust of our government anymore. The gas crisis, as inconvenient and absolutely insane as it is, could actually teach us to conserve energy and explore alternative sources of energy we would have never explored if we had remained "content" with our situation. Last but not least, the mortgage crisis, I believe, has taught us to read contracts before we enter into them and has allowed us the opportunity to truly understand what "living within our means" truly means. Again, both positive and negative aspects coming together to create a whole, allowing us to learn from both.

jmadison Registered | 07-31-2008 19:52:55 Raphael and Purplegirl, Get a room. We don't need a brushup on Buddhism to view the war and gas prices differently. Reading about Buddha's 4 noble truths makes for exceptional reading, but I don't think we need to read it in the editorials and have it applied to today's politics. You will just alienate people to talk about how the "good" of the Iraqi war equals the "bad" of the war, and that we couldn't have one without the other. By the way, I live in the west. Does that mean I am a western thinker and therefore believe in illusions? And therefore people living in the "east" are realists. I've been to the east and the west, and trust me neither has it all figured out.

jmadison - Hey Raphael Registered | 07-31-2008 20:11:30 This is 1 sentence? I dare anyone to say this 5 times fast: Not only were "heaven" and "hell," or the spirit and the flesh, conceptually separated by patriarchal cultural beliefs, so were the male and female principles, which facilitated the oppression of women, who were sensed to be "instinctive dialecticians" intent upon undermining the "progressively developing dualistic principles of rational thought" upon which western civilization and to a lesser extent other patriarchal societies were able to build their destructive and coercive, authoritarian dominant power. Yep, thats what I've been sayin for years!

jmadison Registered | 07-31-2008 20:14:20 Sorry Ralph, Its been a long day. Why don't you help me end this war in Iraq and we'll go have a beer together. JM

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