Category Archives: Philosophy

Fascinating 2012 myth!

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Kali,change of time

End of the world could be end of an era

It’s easy to get caught up in the intrigue and commercialism of 2012.  It’s meaning is often mired in distorted interpretations, yet most, if not all serious translators, interpreters and Mayan calendar researchers agree to say 2012 is not what it is made out to be.  Good news for us.

The gist is the end of the world, brashly announced by fanatics eager to assert their might on others, those fear spreading zealots are most probably and certainly wrong.  The “end of the world” is not going to happen.  At least, the way it is depicted.

Run Away!  If you are to listen to the vulgarization of interpretations of the Mayan calendar, and other interpretations, the end of the world is now, or 2012, or even the end of 2012.  You chose, whichever scares you most.  However, a deeper look into the Maya calendar community reveals a few interesting points.  Technically, this is as far as the Mayan calendar goes, which explains how it is to be reset to 0 next year.  It could be just a technical limitation with no other meaning than that.  The end of this era is set to officially be over December 27th 2012.

Some of the more serious interpretations talk about, not so much an end of the world but as to an end to this current era.  This last point makes more sense as it is backed by many astrologists and even more interesting, ancient Indian philosophies that depict the passing of time periods as Yugas.  According to the ancient Indian calendar, we are at the tail end of the darkest moment of human history, the Kali Yuga.  Kali is the Goddess associated with change.  Offered referred to as the “black one”, meaning dark times, she is also the consort of Shiva, also known as Kala, the bright one.

This Yuga, or period of time is all about change, going deep down, removing the old and “ugly”, heralding the new “bronze age” where humanity thrusts itself into brighter times.  The Kali Yuga is the shortest of these periods, thankfully and the next one will be longer culminating into an era of pure light, reason and wisdom, to then again continue the cycle back into a descent to darkness.  The Mayan calendar hints at the same.  It is not the end of the world, just the much welcomed end to an era that no longer satisfies us.

So what can we do?  One thing we can do is to keep that notion clear in mind, that this is just the passing of time, no more, no less.  Yes, there might be earthquakes, floods, viruses and wars, but time goes by invariably.  By keeping in mind clear what works, what would like to see become a positive reality, you activate the so-called “law of attraction” that works in a no-miracle way, that which is alike, attracts alike.  Shunning what doesn’t work and negative thoughts, we can let go of that weight, concentrating on building a positive future.   Basically, be mindful of you mind, voice and action by keeping with what works and see it unfold without resistance.

If this is a hard task for you, let’s talk it over.  I have some experience in that domain :)

How Star Trek continues to pave the way forward

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As entrepreneurs know, thinking, feeling, sensing and anticipating “the next big thing” is hardwired in our genes.  However, sometimes we go about the wrong way.  Sometimes?

The gist is as I watch Star Trek The Next Generation for the umpteenth time, I am stunned to see the visionary acumen Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek’s creator had.  Gene tapped into the future and in many ways, helped shape our future.

Case In Point.  Everyone knows about flip phones, fad of the late 90s and early 2000.  My original Qualcomm was one and had amazing features for the time, such as recording voice notes without forcing me to send them to my email, as my Blackberry would incurring charges.  The Original Series had the famous flip communicators.

What is even less known are the round storage disks found on the the very last episode of The Original Series.  20 years later, they show up in our lives as CD Roms.  The list goes on and my favorite is the iPad, which mimics very well The Original Series, The Next Generation, Voyager, and Deep Space Nine’s pads.

What’s Next?  This is where we shouldn’t be afraid or ashamed to look to visionaries and see what we can glean from our future needs.  Visionaries with their stories hint at what people will use in the future.  I am willing to bet Steve Jobs watched Star Trek more than once and got an inkling.  The best way to do it is to play the game: “What if…?”  It starts with the notion that we are doing something in a very convoluted and difficult way.  How can we achieve it better?  Henceforth, the CD Rom, the flip phones, the iPad, etc.  One thing to consider is the following, we have only “taken” technology from Star Trek but not its very rich philosophical questions and fundamentals.  We could surely use some of the wisdom expounded in those shows, in light of the current circumstances.

I’m personally waiting for the transporters as I toy with the notion to write a bible of sorts based on the fundamental principles exposed in the many Star Treks.  Remember, philosophy teachers from ivy leagues asked their student to watch Star Trek episodes to discuss them the following day.  Talk about a Prime Directive!  But in the meantime, I’ll go back to reading Steve Jobs’ biography with the hope I will receive some distant future idea we can implement now… as I nurse a sore throat two days before New Year’s Eve!

The Kybalion, a guidebook to understanding this Universe

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I could have used a more pompous title but after living decades with this little book and having met some of the most amazing people related to it, The Kybalion is truly a priceless life guide.

The gist is far away from the controversy of who wrote it, the book is inspired by ancient hermetic philosophy and does a good job at synthesizing its basis.  Simplistic on the surface, overwhelming when you realize its complexity, The Kybalion is the perfect guide for those who have dabbled with esoterics but have gotten lost in the often contradicting paths.  In many ways, it is the unifying glue.  So what is it anyway?

All Is Mental.  With such a powerful underlying axiom, The Kybalion clearly sets the fundamental basis that all is mental.  Period.  After you have wrapped your head neatly around this concept, the rest falls into place.

The Seven Principles.  And therein starts to unfold the amazing Universe of hermetics and how these “ancient” ones had either unfolded life’s mysteries or had been taught its whys.  The seven underlying principles are down to earth, observable facts that have far reaching consequences, beyond our plane of existence.

  1. THE PRINCIPLE OF MENTALISM.
  2. THE PRINCIPLE OF CORRESPONDENCE.
  3. THE PRINCIPLE OF VIBRATION.
  4. THE PRINCIPLE OF POLARITY.
  5. THE PRINCIPLE OF RHYTHM.
  6. THE PRINCIPLE OF CAUSE AND EFFECT.
  7. THE PRINCIPLE OF GENDER.

The Secret.  By now, some of you might liken The Kybalion to the famous movie; The Secret.  Yes, The Secret borrows heavily on The Kybalion and more with Napoleon Hill’s work, as with the Abraham-Hicks books, yet The Kablion stands on its own.  There are no Kybalion schools, temples, nor masters, and teachers, at least to speak of.  Beware of those pretending to be.  Hermetics starts with observations and is a lonely road until you meet like-minded students.  As said in the book, never equaled, much copied, it has never been surpassed.  There might be schools pretending to be Hermetic, but the real masters shy away from the public.

It can take some time to understand and live the philosophy expounded in The Kybalion.  It takes a lot of observation, freed from bias, almost in a practical scientific way.  This is what appealed to me most with hermetics.  It’s the bridge between science and esoterics, the way it should be taught and never been separated.  But then again, things happen for a reason and this separation has probably taught us that all is indeed one.

Read the book once and put it away.  Give it no more thoughts.  Come back to it later.  Months, even years and start to see how the Principle of Mentalism applies to everything around you.  See how what you and others think affects the world around you.  Find the clever subtlety in that statement.  Then tackle the next, the Principle of Correspondence and write a comment or two to share to the wealth of what has already been built upon this marvelous little book.

Why Wholistic?

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Kindle the ligh of spiritualityI get asked this question frequently, if not: “Don’t you mean holistic?”

The gist is yes, I do mean wholistic because you need to see life, approach it in its entirety as a whole.

So why wholistic?  If you don’t look at life in a wholistic way, then you are missing pieces…

Join me for Global Oneness Day Monday 24

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Dear friends,

I’m happy again to invite you to another top leader summit, the Global Oneness Day on Monday October 24th!

It’s a one-day virtual telesummit featuring 40 inspiring thought leaders such as Ambassador Chowdhury, Neale Donald Walsch, Gangaji, Kenny Loggins, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Lynne McTaggart and many more for free.

You can gain access to these leaders, October 24th, or by recording, and be part of groundbreaking sessions that offer profound insights for creating your life and our world based on the principles of oneness.

You can register for free here.

What Is Global Oneness Day?  Global Oneness Day is an opportunity to connect deeply with a global community of changemakers and heart-centered people. You’ll learn practical steps and actions you can take that will benefit your life and help create a culture of Oneness.

Join me and let’s celebrate our oneness together!

Nick

When I learned one of the biggest life lesson

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As a kid and teenager, things happened effortlessly.  Even in my twenties, they did, but the flow was slowing down.

The gist is life is the perfect orchestrated teacher in the best, well furnished University called life.  It will give you everything you need, provide you with with every sort of warnings, classes, tests, experiments, etc for you to develop your latent inner talent.  The rest is up to you.  And therein lies the crux of our frustrations.

I Just Didn’t Appreciate It.  Growing up in a pink rosy world where everything is perfect makes it hard to fully appreciate what you have.  You may be aware of less fortunate than you and have a certain sense of feeling lucky, but true appreciation is usually out of grasp.  After all, you never witnessed hardships.  Slowly life sends you signals.  If you don’t heed to the signals, it sends you obstacles.  Any normal human being compensates with renewed ardor and marches onward.  At some point, if you do not hear, life deals you powerful blows.

Serious Obstacles Are Our Greatest Teachers.  It wasn’t until I re3ached my 30s that things changed.  While I easily commended wealth into my life, it was becoming harder and more difficult.  It peaked when I lived in Japan when I had the perfect balance… the only problem is that I wasn’t aware of it.

Learning To Be Aware As You Move Through Life.  For us gifted children, things come easily and that can be a problem if you just go through the motions, enjoying the relative ease of life.  I went through life enjoying it but not appreciating it.  It came easy and I had little respect for the mechanics and architecture of its wisdom.  I eventually hit a wall and reeling in form it.

In hindsight, I now understand and appreciate how easy things fall into place in my life.  I also can appreciate what goes into it and behind events.  It’s a mixture of happiness at observing the ease and a deep appreciation that extends to full awareness and praises for the great work behind it.

In the end, even the most carefree develop a taste of respect for what comes naturally…

The 63 year old Tibetan genocide

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My Tibetan student monk had to cancel on me, the whole community is going to the Chinese embassy to protest about the brutality of Chinese against the Tibetan on their own soil.  Another monk has set himself on fire, a starch contrast to Tibetan Buddhism philosophy and serious call for awareness.

China invaded Tibet in 1949 under the guise of liberation.  2 years later, Tibetans were shocked to see the People’s Army torturing powerless monks, going as far as defecating on their heads.  China says Tibet is part of the country, but never in written history has Tibet been Chinese, nor the other way around.  Before the introduction of Buddhism in Tibet, Tibetan warriors often invaded China.  Tibet has been a pacifist country for 2,000 years, well over our so-called civilized nations.  It had a sovereign treaty between both nations in 600 b.c..  Chinese would help Tibet ward off invasions, Tibet would teach Buddhism to china.

63 years later, Tibetan will not stand down.  Tibetan are second class citizens in their own country.  Jobs were supposed to have been created for them but visitors as well as refugees inform us Tibetans in Tibet cannot find sustenance in cities since they are not given an education.

Nixon visited China in 1972 and asked how the US and China could become partners.  He was told to lay off Tibet.  Until then, the US gave arms, training and strategic help to the Tibetan resistance, it stopped over night.  The UN has shown no more leadership and Tibet has been left to its own.

Today, and continuously, Tibetan monks are tortured, nuns raped with little mention in the media.  We go to war for petroleum, send billions of dollars to the Middle East and Africa, but nothing Tibet.  Tibetans don’t want anyone fighting their fight.  It’s theirs to fight.  We can only become aware of what is happening… a 63 year old genocide.

For my part, for decades I have favored products made in India, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia.  After all, they need my dollars more than China does.  I feel if the Chinese people knew what was truly happening in Tibet, they wouldn’t stand for it either, as the last few years’ revolts in Chinese minorities have proven.  What we could is raise awareness, favor other countries that need our money and don’t commit crimes against humanity.

Om Mani Padme Hum…  Om Vajrasattva Hum…. Om Ah Hum, Vajra Guru Pedme Hum

Self Help, great but pople don’t think they need help…

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Self Help has been all the rage for the past few decades but a reality check still shows, most people don’t think they need help.

The gist is indeed, people understand something is amiss but the reaction is to work more, harder and earn more money.  Last I checked, money does not bring happiness automatically, you work on making money to make you happy.  A trick and feast onto itself.

Self Help, But What For?  And exactly what is meant by Self Help anyway?  We help ourselves by working and sustaining our lives on this planet, but that doesn’t offer a complete vision of what is meant by Self Help.  Self Help is really about answering those nagging life long questions that aim to answer the root core, who am I and what am I here for.

My Self Help.  We should have a phone app called My Self Help.  It would remind you to take time to meditate.  It would give you subtle cues when the day’s perpetual motions drags you down the road to more and more tasks to attend to and situations to solve.  It’s an abyss that drags us down the road to self denial.

My Self Help App would also give you something to ponder upon, such as: “Is what I am doing here and now conducive to my highest fulfillment?” but add to it, the answer doesn’t matter, awareness is key.

All in all, the greatest Self Help I know is to ask question with a constant curiosity about life, yourself and how you fit it in all.  Answers are deeply, deeply personal.

No need for the pervailing sense of fear in our daily lives

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If you look back on the short history of marketing and advertising over the past 5 decades, one thing stands out, the messages are getting stronger and downright brutal.  People are starting to live with a sense of impending doom and daily fear.

The gist is when we look around, there surely is very little to fear in life.  If the only fear we should fear is fear itself, then what happens behind the closed doors of corporations and governments is where the real fear is created and managed.

Show Me A Peace March!  The knee jerk reaction to fear is predictable but also, avoidable.  We don’t need to watch the news if all the news shows is violence, more violence and only that.  Real life is much more subtle and there is more positive in the world than marketers and then media shows.  So why all the upheavals?

Disaster sells.  Impending doom and fear sells.  While it is easy to see why companies abuse the message and generously court politicians, it is also very easy to see that what they are creating is unsustainable.  People all around the world are realizing something is amiss, from the courageous citizens in Arab countries to you and me.  Surely we realize politic track records over the pas decades haven’t been a success, the pharmaceutical industry hasn’t “cured” anything much and the financial wizards have driven global economies down the drain.

In the meantime, I still Ghandi said it best.  The revolution starts within, not without…  Fear is not something we need to live with every day.  An intelligent hopeful, yet realistic view of the situation is what saves the day.

What does it mean to be a man today?

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Picture: Nick Zart

I was stomped when asked what does it mean to be a man in today’s society.

The gist is there is no manual.  It surely can’t be the stereotype weight lifter at the gym, nor the attitude guy driving his car hand on the other side of the steering wheel.  Being a man today is much dynamic, with fuller depth and surely much deeper than meets the eye.  It has to be that inner most wisdome we have neglected over the decades.

What It Means To Be A Man Today.  A man today should be many things, including something most aren’t used to, deep, in touch with their inner wisdom and feelings.  Ancient societies provided young men rites of passage, today we have no such things but to sit down and think it through.

so What Is A Man, Then?  A man who acknowledges when wrong, one who knows with quiet confidence when right, one who uses wisdom and compassion wisely.  Most of these attributes I realized were found in Dzogchen, the purest esoteric form of Tibetan Buddhism… of all place.

Here is a passage I was reading this morning on Gyalshen: “Dzogchen practice gives us a clarity that is powerful enough to recognize that whatever emotion we experience, be it anger, depression, fear, or joy is not separate from the true nature of the mind. This recognition is wisdom.  It gives us the strength to leave things as they are. Our ability to leave things as they are reduces our subconscious attachment to the conditioning that judges or manipulates our emotions. We are accepting our feelings. We are becoming aware of what we are feeling right now, and we stop right there. We don’t allow that emotion to take over our life. We do not allow it to obscure the true nature of the mind and to become an obstacle.  ”

In other word, shouldn’t a “man” be one who accepts who he is without judgement, looks at what is front of him without preconceived notions, accepting his moods and feelings as that present moment, not more, and holding that space sacred so that what is to come happens untainted from expectations?  I’m going off on a limb here but I felt a strange sense of finding a clue in an ancient esoteric tradition about what it means to be a man.  Something worth while exploring for all those young guys without guidance.  I should know…