Doubting Thomas

To begin, far be it for me to speak with any great authority about how to survive the End Times. I am just an average person still trapped in the world of samsara. And yet I have been feeling for some time that I should offer my own ideas on how best to survive these final days.

Bear in mind that my epiphany did not reveal specifics as to what will happen during these End Times and I trust my epiphany over my logical reasoning. Thus if what I write here doesn’t resonate with you, it is probably best that you ignore it.

Nevertheless, after much reflection, I’ve decided to offer my thoughts on what I think may happen and how best to survive. It may even be irresponsible of me to do so, but I do so because I am convinced that things are about to shift very quickly and if so, I’d like to help (as best as I am able) anyone seeking guidance during these times.

This post is not designed to elicit fear, but rather to face the future with acceptance and the belief that all is as it should be.

But no matter what, I urge you to bear in mind what Hopi Elder Thomas Banyacya said:

If one reads the headlines, one can foresee a perfect storm brewing. We are almost certainly facing a global economic collapse.

Crisis may make 1929 look a ‘walk in the park’ - Telegraph

Economist: Coming economic shocks could spark depression

CNN Money: Williams Admits Great Depression Coming

Fuel prices are rising rapidly and famine is already striking many parts of the world.

Thousands riot in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu over high food prices

YouTube - Food Riots in Haiti

Hundreds protest against food prices in Senegal

Ivory Coast: Price Rise Riot

Food price rises spark protests

In Haiti people have even succumbed to eating mud:

Haiti’s poor resort to eating mud

And Earth changes are accelerating rapidly:

North Pole could be ice free in 2008

19 million driven from their homes by floods

Burma cylone death toll could rise to 1.5 million, Oxfam warns

‘Five million’ homeless in China quake

In the U.S., the ‘powers that be’ have decimated the U.S. Constitution and are spying on ordinary Americans and Europeans. Consider the following news items:

“Bush signed into law the Military Commission Act, a bill giving him the legal power to declare any person a detainee. The law has been criticized for removing the right of habeas corpus and limiting the right to see evidence presented against the accused. The bill also gives the president new powers to declare anyone a detainee — including American citizens — and to detain that person without oversight or access to the U.S. court system.“
Ashcroft: Bush should be trusted not to abuse new powers

Also, in the U.S., an unknown number of prisons sit empty, awaiting for the day they implement martial law:

“Beginning in 1999, the government has entered into a series of single-bid contracts with Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) to build detention camps at undisclosed locations within the United States. The government has also contracted with several companies to build thousands of railcars, some reportedly equipped with shackles, ostensibly to transport detainees.

“According to diplomat and author Peter Dale Scott, the KBR contract is part of a Homeland Security plan titled ENDGAME, which sets as its goal the removal of “all removable aliens” and “potential terrorists.”
sfgate: Rule by fear or rule by law?

In his book The Prophet’s Way, author Thom Hartmann spoke with an African Elder (a type of shaman) who told the author the following:

“The world is fragile. Your American companies, sugar and coffee, they have raped our land. Now the Earth will no longer give us food because it is angry with what we have allowed you to do here.

“It has gone too far…The Earth cannot be saved by man: this is stupidity. The Earth will save itself, by killing off the men. … This is the future you are seeing,” he says, waving his hand around him at the refugee camp, the bare ground, the dead trees, the big-bellied children squatting … one day it will be the white man’s future, too.”

I suspect that this shaman is correct. We in the United States and Europe are about to experience the same suffering that has been affecting the world at large for the past several decades.

In my humble opinion, no one deserves suffering. However, suffering is, according to enlightened masters, an illusion brought on by the desire for things to be other than they are at the present moment.

In Buddhism this is expressed in the Four Noble Truths:

“Now this … is the noble truth of the origin of suffering: it is this desiring which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there, that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination.“

And from the Ashtavakra Gita:

“Bondage is when the mind longs for something, grieves about something, rejects something, holds on to something, is pleased about something or displeased about something.“

“Liberation is when the mind does not long for anything, grieve about anything, reject anything, or hold on to anything, and is not pleased about anything or displeased about anything.”

“One’s desires are samsara. Knowing this, abandon them. The renunciation of them is the renunciation of it. Now you can remain as you are.“

In the Hsin Hsin Ming, Seng T’san [d.606 AD], the third Ch’an [Zen] patriarch of China, writes:

“The Great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences. When love and hate are both absent everything becomes clear and undisguised. Make the smallest distinction however, and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart. If you wish to see the truth then hold no opinions for or against anything. To set up what you like against what you dislike is the disease of the mind.“

And in the Bhagavadgita it is written:

Hopi Elder Thomas Banyacya explained the End Times this way:

“There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold onto the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and they will suffer greatly.

… We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.“

So how does one survive the changes that are sweeping the planet? In my opinion, gleaned from my epiphany and the masters of old, survival is found in acceptance. This is inferred in the Bhagavadgita, expressed as:

Paradoxically, according to Buddhist masters and Hindu Yogis, though pain may be experienced, it can be without suffering. I have even read stories of enlightened Hindu sages living in squalor, eating whatever they could find and yet being perfectly content doing so. To the enlightened, living in a palace is neither better nor worse than living in poverty. There is no need to seek one over the other:

“Knowing yourself as truly one and indestructible, how could a wise man possessing self-knowledge like you feel any pleasure in acquiring wealth? “

“Truly, when one does not know oneself, one takes pleasure in the objects of mistaken perception, just as greed arises for the mistaken silver in one who does not know mother of pearl for what it is.“

The End Times are ultimately about the birth of a Golden Age. And just as birth may be painful for both Mother and Child, so this too may be painful for some:

“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

“And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.“

But the pain may also be mitigated through acceptance and by realizing that this is a shedding of old habits, and of wants and desires; it is at the same time both a death and a new birth. If you cling to the past and of your former life, you will certainly suffer. If you can, like Job, be prepared to accept what God sends your way, your suffering will be reduced greatly.

Unfortunately, many of us need to be pushed to the limit before we surrender and seek out God. How many times have we heard the story of someone who described themselves as a “drug-addict” or an alcoholic who hit “rock-bottom” and only then did they finally seek God. Sadly, too many of us need to be forced to face these extremes in order to find God and ourselves.

“It is clear to me that to find out for yourself you must be absolutely helpless with nowhere to turn.“

According to Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi:

“There are only two ways to conquer destiny or be independent of it. One is to enquire for whom is this destiny and discover that only the ego is bound by destiny and not the Self and that the ego is non-existent.

“The other way is to kill the ego by completely surrendering to the Lord, by realizing one’s helplessness and saying all the time, ‘Not I, but Thou, oh Lord’ and giving up all sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, and leaving it to the Lord to do what he likes with you. Complete effacement of the ego is necessary to conquer destiny, whether you achieve this effacement through Self-enquiry or bhakti marga (path).“

Thus if you lose your home due to flood, fire, earthquake or foreclosure, be willing to accept that this is what God has ordained for you in order to help you to seek God. Accept that you are no better than the billions who have suffered in the past and present and as such, are deserving of nothing more or less.

Thanks to my epiphany I have sought answers in all of the world’s great religious tomes and even esoteric and New Age books. Due to this study I’ve discovered something quite remarkable: namely, that help comes to those in need; all one need do is ask.

“Therefore, eschew high vanity and take refuge in Him. He will spontaneously take you to the highest state”

And Swami Sri Ramanananda Saraswathi once wrote:

I would now like to relate several stories of God’s grace being offered to those in need. If you feel yourself succumbing to fear, I humbly ask you to remember these small examples:

1) In the story of my epiphany, I mentioned how I prayed for ‘good spirits’ to watch over myself and my family after I felt the presence of evil in my home. The very next morning I discovered ‘Circles of Light‘ all over my front lawn. This was the first time I had prayed in over twenty years and yet, when I felt that I needed it most, blessings were bestowed upon me in the physical form of Light Circles. These ‘Circles of Light’ were confirmation that my prayer was indeed heard and answered.

2) In his book, Touched by the Dragon’s Breath, author Michael Harrington speaks of a near-death accident while surfing. A large wave had knocked him off his surf board and he felt himself go under and about to drown when he called out to God for help. Instantly he found himself floating above his physical body watching the drama unfold, all the while in a state of complete peace and serenity. When he suddenly returned to his body, his surfboard (which had previously been swept away) miraculously brushed against him and he was able to grab it and save himself.

3) The next story I read at share-international.org/. It involved a Japanese woman who experienced a powerful earthquake. She said that during the quake she became terrified. Her house was crumbling all around her but when she prayed for help she suddenly found herself completely removed from the situation. While in total darkness she discovered herself in a state of perfect peace and safety.

She wrote that later, when she emerged from this state, she discovered that the earthquake had ended, and though her house was in ruins, she and her husband were alive and safe.

4) Don Miguel Ruiz, a surgeon and author of The Four Agreements described how, in the early 1970s, he awoke suddenly after having fallen asleep at the wheel of his car. At that moment his car slammed into a concrete wall. Don Miguel suddenly found himself floating above his physical body and observed himself as he pulled his two friends from the car. This experience changed Ruiz forever and sent him on a spiritual journey for the rest of his life.

5) Another story involves a woman named Shelley Yates. Ms. Yates was driving on a wet road with her four year old son when her car suddenly hydroplaned and was swept into a marsh. She describes how her car immediately sank and in the dark and murky water she tried to save herself and her son. While completely submerged she struggled to find her son in the back seat and in desperation she gasped for air but drew in water instead. Her lungs burned as if on fire and she began to panic, when she suddenly heard a voice:

“… directing me to relax…that all would be well. I was infused with the knowledge that if I fought the water, my rescuers would not be able to revive me when they arrived. The voice said that if I fought the water I would drown…”

Ms. Yates states on her web site Fire the Grid:

“I once heard in the Star Trek series “resistance is futile” … when God wishes our awakening, it will happen.“

Resistance is futile indeed.

Signs are everywhere that humanity is waking up and that a Golden Age is emerging — no matter how hard the ‘powers that be’ try to stop it.

As if waking up from a deep sleep, people all around the world are suddenly realizing the harm that is being done to the planet by corporations that have been willfully polluting the Earth. Consumers are now demanding organic foods and the use of pesticides is rapidly being replaced with organic farming.

Global communication in the form of the Internet has grown exponentially, despite attempts to control it by corporations and governments. In fact, I am of the opinion that the Internet is actually an early physical manifestation of the coming global consciousness, one existing in the third-dimension that will soon shift to the fifth-dimension.

And recently there has been a resurgence of “spirituality” that has even entered the mainstream consciousness through people like Oprah Winfrey. Recently Winfrey made Eckhart Tolle’s book A New Earth her Book Club selection and has now been read by millions of people worldwide.

It should always be remembered that no matter what, nothing can stop the coming Golden Age and our spiritual liberation. Everything that is taking place is part of the Divine Dream and requires our acceptance. There are those who will say that evil might win. These people misunderstand the larger picture — that darkness will be replaced by light and it cannot be stopped.

Expect the unexpected. Strange events likely await us. And while I am not looking forward to the suffering and loss that many will likely experience, I do know with complete certainty that this is part of the dream that is designed to help us move forward. Remember also that one may mitigate suffering by beginning ones own search for Truth right now.

“…the mind engaged in practical search for truth is the surest means of emancipation”

Accept nothing less than perfect enlightenment and the eradication of all doubt. Don’t follow leaders but rather follow your own instinct and pray for the grace of God.

To those people still mired in the belief that we are nothing more than our physical bodies existing in a three dimensional world, the events I am describing may seem hopelessly naive. But things are truly not what they seem. There will be many incredible events happening around the world very soon that will confuse and shock many. I also suspect that there will be deceptions designed to trick us into believing and following the ‘powers that be’. But let us all be grateful that these final days will be short lived.

Finally, bear in mind that the prophets of the past were messengers that were here to help us and their words should be considered…

According to Shaivism, the opposite of Brahma “the Creator”, is Shiva, “the Destroyer”, who brings about the end of an age.

“Shiva is the destroyer of the world, following Brahma the creator and Vishnu the preserver, after which Brahma again creates the world and so on. Shiva is responsible for change both in the form of death and destruction and in the positive sense of the shedding of old habits. In Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram or Truth, Goodness and Beauty, Shiva also represents the most essential goodness.” [http://www.sanatansociety.org/]

The figure of Shiva carries the trident (similar to the devil’s pitchfork). The trident is also carried by Neptune (known as Poseidon in Greek myth). Neptune is the God of the Sea/water, or that which is not solid; and according to astrologer Julie Gillentine in Atlantis Rising magazine (no. 59), “Neptune is in Aquarius” from 1998 until 2012. Recall that the sign of Aquarius is referred to as the “water carrier” and the “Age of Aquarius” represents the coming Golden Age, an age of change and transformation. Ms. Gillentine writes “in the case of Neptune moving through a sign, astrologers look for collective transformation of our psyche“; a baptism in the truest sense of the word.

The characterizations of Satan, Shiva and Neptune are important personifications of the End Times that are filled with symbolic meaning worthy of examination.

For example, Shaivism teaches that snakes are usually connected with Shiva because they are able to regenerate their skins by shedding their old ones i.e. Shiva helps humanity to shed its attachment to the present age and to welcome in the brand New Age. Recall also that the devil in the Christian tradition is often referred to as the “serpent”.

In addition, it is more than a little interesting to me that the symbol of the trident is carried by the Satan, Shiva, and Neptune, all of whom are connected to these End Times by transforming or destroying the old age.

The trident was traditionally a tool of war, this is perhaps a symbolic reference to the many conflicts occurring around the world during these End Times. In addition, according to the book “Mythology: Myths, Legends, & Fantasies“, the trident, in the hands of Neptune/Poseidon, was used to “strike the ground to cause tidal waves and earthquakes”. This may be symbolic of the Earth changes we are experiencing now.

Additional symbolism may be found in the number of prongs of the trident, namely three. In Christianity we have the Holy Trinity, i.e., the “Father, Son and the Holy Spirit”. In Hinduism we also have a Holy Trinity, namely Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer. Even Buddhism speaks of the Trinity, referred to as “the three effect-producing causes” in the Lankavatara Sutra.

In his book A Study of Numbers: A Guide to the Constant Creation of the Universe, René A. Schwaller de Lubicz explains that it is the “polarization” (i.e. opposites) created by the “Trinity” that manifests all. He explains that the number One is the “Irreducible Unity. Absolute nature”. The number Two is the “Reducible Unity. The manifested nature of the irreducible One.” He continues:

“Successively, then, we obtain Three distinct natures:
1. The irreducible One, active and passive in one.
2. Passive nature (feminine)
3. Active nature (masculine)
“…the irreducible 1, having to manifest itself, becomes 2 (the reducible one) and is above all 3, and hence is the values 1 and 2, without which there would be no creation….“

From all of the above it appears that the trident, in the hands of Satan, Shiva and Neptune, is symbolic of three things:

1. Conflict

2. Change

3. Creation

According to Shaivism, Shiva is to be neither feared nor hated. Shiva is merely a catalyst for change. The more we fight against the new energies emerging, the more suffering we will endure. In order for humanity to enter into the new Golden Age (i.e. Christ-consciousness), the destroyer (Satan, Shiva, Neptune) must create instabilty so that humanity may shed its attachment to this current age. And if nothing else, know this one thing: nothing can stop the Golden Age from manifesting, just as it was impossible to prevent the Dark Age we are experiencing now. These opposites are the inexorable nature of our existence.

However, the great Zen masters and Hindu sages of the past all taught that it is a mistake to view the Yang energies as better than the Yin energies (or vice versa). They teach that these are merely opposite sides of the same coin, the one cannot exist without the other. To label one as “bad” and the other as “good” is to create separation and remain trapped in the world of samsara. In other words, the male energies are not better nor worse than the female energies, both are equally necessary for creation. Neither is “daytime” better than “nighttime” nor “cold” better than “heat”. Each has it’s respective place; but as soon as we desire or prefer one to the other, we instantly become trapped in the illusion of duality.

“The Great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences. When love and hate are both absent everything becomes clear and undisguised. Make the smallest distinction however, and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart. If you wish to see the truth then hold no opinions for or against anything. To set up what you like against what you dislike is the disease of the mind.“
—Hsin Hsin Ming, by Seng T’san, the third Zen patriarch of China [d.606 AD]

“…the true Renouncer, firm and fixed,
Who—seeking nought, rejecting nought—dwells proof
Against the ‘opposites’.“
— Bhagavadgita

The Hopi Elders also teach that rather than fight against these “End Times”, we need to be carried by them to the new Golden Age.

“There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold onto the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and they will suffer greatly.

“Know the river has its destination. The Elders say we must let go of the shore and push off and into the river.” —Thomas Banyacya, Hopi Elder

The Shaiva Oracles of the Hindu Purana teaches that we have a continuous cycle of Ages. And just as the Earth has its four seasons, the Purana teaches that we also have four Ages of Man. The completion of all four of these Ages represents the closing of a cycle of humankind, at the end of which a new version of humankind will begin again. Each of these cycles starts with a Golden Age (Satya Yuga) and ends with a Dark Age (Kali Yuga) — similar to the Bible’s depiction of the Garden of Eden in Genesis and the End Times in the Book of Daniel and Revelation.

The Bible also hints at the cycle of four ages when it says “To every thing there is a season”, i.e., four seasons = four ages.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” [Ecclesiastes 3:1]

“A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” [Ecclesiastes 3:8]

In other words, there are specific Ages that manifest love or hate, war or peace, and just as the Shaiva Oracles teach, each Age has its time and purpose.

Yin & Yang are, by definition, the duality of Light and Dark (e.g. a Golden Age and Dark Age) that creates all. Without these opposites, the world as we understand it would not exist.

“If you are attached to your thinking, then everything has name and form. This is the world of opposites.“
—Zen Master Seung Sahn

Richard Hooker of Washington State University writes:

“This cyclical nature of yin and yang, the opposing forces of change in the universe, mean several things. First, that all phenomena change into their opposites in an eternal cycle of reversal. Second, since the one principle produces the other, all phenomena have within them the seeds of their opposite state, that is, sickness has the seeds of health, health contains the seeds of sickness, wealth contains the seeds of poverty, etc.“
[via: http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CHPHIL/YINYANG.HTM]

And according to the ancient Hindu scripture, the Linga Purana:

“The destruction of the world is implied in the very event of the creation and follows a reverse process of the thoughts of the Creator.” [Linga Purana 1.4.36]

(For more on the nature of opposites, please see “The Nature of Good and Evil”)

Understanding the nature of Yin and Yang helps to explain why the “End of Days” are a time of conflicts. Since the start of each Age of Man begins as a Golden Age of kindness and love, the end would have to be, according to the laws of Yin & Yang, the opposite. The energies of Satan, Shiva and Neptune are thus an integral part of the cycle; within these negative energies is contained the seed of the positive energies that are about to germinate.

However, as taught in the great Hindu scripture, The Ashtavakra Gita, if one is ready, one may shed one’s attachment to the cycle of samsara right here and now:

“Let the body last to the end of the Age, or let it come to an end right now. What have you gained or lost, who consist of pure consciousness?” [Ashtavakra Gita 15.10]

Notice

Notice

I discovered from my epiphany that we are, to an extent, “ruled by the stars”, or as expressed by Hermes Trismegistus’s axiom, “As Above, So Below”. The planets and our Sun are reflected in our own daily lives and personalities. This idea is also expressed in our many religious traditions and myths from around the world.

The Hebrew Bible has its 12 tribes of Israel, the biblical Jacob had 12 sons, Ishmael begat twelve princes, king Solomon had 12 lions and twelve officers, Elijah ploughed with twelve oxen, Joshua set up twelve stones. In Genesis 42:13 it states that “Thy servants are twelve brethren, sons of one man”. The New Testament has Jesus and His 12 Apostles, in the Book of Revelation there are 12,000 people sealed from each of the twelve tribes of Judah (12,000 x 12,000 = 144,000 “servants of God” as mentioned in Revelation 7:2-4). The Book of Revelation also says that there are 12 fruits in the Tree of Life: “On each side of the river stood the Tree of Life, bearing 12 crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month…”. Also in Revelation 12:1, it reads “and there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars“. In Matthew 26:53 it is stated “…he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels”. And after Jesus feeds the multitude of 5,000, there are 12 baskets remaining.

In Ancient Greece, the 12 Olympians were the principal gods of the pantheon, in Shi’a Islam there are 12 Imams and they are currently waiting for the 12th Imam who will be their savior. The chief Norse god, Odin, had 12 sons, and even King Arthur had his 12 Knights of the Round Table. Interestingly, the feast called Twelfth Day as established by Eastern Christian churches was intended to celebrate the “shining forth” or revelation of God to mankind in human form, namely Jesus, this is also referred to as the Epiphany (my own epiphany occurred on December 12th or 12.12).

The relevance of the number 12 does not end there. The sacred number 12 in Mayan cosmology is regarded as an ending or a termination, but is also a new beginning (and their calendar end date is 2012). In numerology, 12 is a number of new beginnings. And according to astrologer Robert Wilkinson, it is the “12th house” in our astrological charts that instigates dramatic changes: “the 12th house has a reputation for being a house of sorrows, secret enemies, and all “bad” things in our lives, it’s also where we reap a harvest, come to finality around certain experiences.” Twelve is also central to the keeping of time, we have 12 months in a year and our day and night are both broken up into two 12 hour periods.

Prior to my epiphany, I was unaware of the ubiquitous use of the number 12 in our religious traditions and beyond. It is rather difficult to believe that all of these occurances of 12 are merely coincidences.

Now consider that we have the 12 signs of the zodiac. Our Sun is at the center of the zodiac and these signs revolve around it. This has been referred to as the “12 around 1″ theme that is also found in the New Testament, namely the 12 Apostles around Jesus, also known as the Son.

It takes approximately 2,160 years to pass through a single sign of the zodiac. If we multiply this number by the total number of signs in the zodiac, 12, we get 25,920, the number of years it takes to complete the precession of the equinoxes. The precession of the equinoxes is an astronomical term used to explain the subtle “wobble” in our Earth’s rotation. The Encyclopedia Britannica defines precession as:

“a wobbling in the orientation of Earth’s axis with a cycle of almost 26,000 years, is caused by the gravity of the Sun and the Moon acting on Earth’s equatorial bulge. The planets also have a small influence on precession. Projecting Earth’s axis onto the celestial sphere locates the northern and southern celestial poles. Precession makes these points trace out circles on the sky and also makes the celestial equator wobble, changing its points of intersection (equinoxes) with the ecliptic.”

Independent researchers such as Walter Cruttenden, Robert Bauval, Adrian Gilbert, Jane B. Sellers, and others, have effectively demonstrated that the pyramids of ancient Egypt as well as the ancient Mayan ziggurats, were used, at least in part, to track the precession of the equinoxes. These authors have argued that ancient cultures understood the true significance of the precession of the equinoxes long before it’s rediscovery by the Greek astronomer Hipparchus. Namely that the Earth’s wobble, as noted through the precession of the equinoxes, signaled catastrophic Earth changes (and, most profoundly, our spiritual liberation).

In their groundbreaking work, Hamlet’s Mill, M.I.T. professor Georgio de Santillana and University of Frankfurt professor Bertha von Dechend demonstrated that Shakespeare’s Hamlet was based on a much earlier Danish myth and that this story was an allegorical representation of the Earth’s movement along the ecliptic. The authors explained that many of the world’s ancient myths used very similar imagery to explain the precession of the equinoxes.

San Francisco State University professor, Dr. Susan Lea (author of Physics: The Nature of Things) co-authored a paper entitled COSMOLOGIES AND WORLDVIEWS that discussed the significance of Hamlet’s Mill:

“…all these myths aim to explain precession: the mill represents the rotation of the celestial sphere; the mill axle is the polar axis and the theme of the breaking of the mill represents the precession. Time is cyclic, (cf the quote from Aristotle) and is divided into a series of World Ages. During each age the vernal equinox lies in one constellation; at the end of the age the vernal equinox moves into the next constellation. Each age ends with a catastrophic event, frequently involving a flood or water in some way. This is where the Hamlet tragedy fits in.“
[via: http://www.physics.sfsu.edu/~lea/courses/nexa/hamlet.htm]

And recently, through the study of the fossil record, some scientists are arguing that it is the Earth’s wobble that is the cause of major evolutionary leaps. See this National Geographic article:

“Small changes in Earth’s orbit and tilt may have regulated the cyclical rise and fall of many prehistoric mammal species, new research suggests. Earth’s orbital patterns are believed to drive long-term climate change. Over millions of years these climatic shifts may have regularly spawned events that give rise to new mammal species.

“…fossils, found scattered across more than 200 sites, appear to reveal a striking symmetry between the rise and fall of small mammal species and two cyclical “wobbles” in Earth’s orbit.“
[via: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/10/061011-earth-wobble.html]

Additional scientific evidence of the precession of the equinoxes signaling major Earth changes comes from The Milankovich Theory. As described on NASA’s web site:

“…an intriguing idea, due to work in the 1930s by the Serbian astronomer Milutin Milankovich, may link [the spread of glaciers] to the precession which Hipparchus discovered…

“Climate is maintained by a delicate balance between opposing factors, and Milankovich argued that [precession] alone was enough to upset that balance and cause ice ages.”
[via: http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Sprecess.htm]

In addition, it does appear that we are now about to complete the second 26,000 year cycle. Concerning the precession of the equinoxes and the Age of Aquarius (the Water Bearer), I found this interesting quote on NASA’s website:

“The Dawning of the Age of Aquarius“

“Hipparchus concluded that the intersection marking the equinox slowly crept forward along the ecliptic, and called that motion “the precession of the equinoxes.” The rate is about one full circle in 26 000 years. In ancient times the intersection marking the spring equinox was in the constellation of Aries, the ram, and for that reason the intersection (wherever it might be) is still sometimes called “the first point in Aries.”

“Around the year 1 it moved into the constellation of Pisces (pronounced “pie-sees” in the US) and currently it is again in transition, to the constellation of Aquarius, the water carrier. If you ever heard the song “The dawning of the age of Aquarius” from the musical “Hair,” that is what it is all about. To astronomers precession is mainly another factor to be taken into account when aiming a telescope or drawing a star chart; but to believers in astrology, the “dawning of the age of Aquarius” is a great portent and may mark the beginning of a completely new and different era.”
[via: http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Sprecess.htm]

There is a documentary produced by author Walter Cruttenden on the precession of the equinoxes. The video demonstrates how precession was understood by ancient civilizations but then forgotten until the arrival of Hipparchus. The video persuasively argues the Hindu idea of a binary star system as the cause of the precessional cycle versus the gravitational theory put forth by modern astronomy.

The documentary, narrated by James Earl Jones, is professionally produced and is well worth watching. The video may be found here:

The Great Year

The National Geographic article quoted earlier states, rather significantly, that it takes two “cyclical ‘wobbles’” for this evolutionary leap to take place. And according to “While the Gods Play” by Alain Daniélou, the Hindu Purana teaches that each Age of Man (i.e. the entire evolutionary span of a single species of mankind) takes 58,000 years to complete. This is almost the same number of years it takes to complete two precessions, or wobbles.

Admittedly, according to current calculations, this leaves 6,000 years unaccounted for (26,000 x 2 cycles equals 52,000, not 58,000 as the Puranas teach). So how do we account for these extra 6,000 years? Remember that my epiphany did reveal to me that all religions are true or at the very least, contain Truth. If we look to the Hebrew Bible, we may find our answer. According to the Hebrew Bible, it took God 6 days to create the world and it is plainly stated in the Bible that a single day equals 1,000 years.

“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” [2 Peter 3:8]

Could it be that the missing 6,000 years is what it takes for the Earth to regenerate itself after it is destroyed and for life to begin anew? The Hebrew Bible also states that on the 7th day, God rested. Is this final day, which according to the Bible is actually a span of 1,000 years, the thousand years of peace Jesus said would occur after the End of Days, a new Garden of Eden?

As the Hindus and Buddhists teach, “all is consciousness“, and this includes the Sun, Earth and Moon, as well as all of humanity. What affects the Earth and Sun will affect humanity as well. These End Times really are a spiritual event and it appears that many of the great religions, the Bible included, believed that the cycle of the zodiac held great portent for humanity.

Notice

Prior to my epiphany, I must admit that I was not a Christian. I had studied Christianity quite thoroughly and though I was, for a very brief period of time, a “born-again” Christian, I simply couldn’t shake my doubt. For one, I had found many contradictions in the New Testament which caused me to question its veracity. More importantly however, I couldn’t believe that any loving God would send any of His children to everlasting torment if they didn’t accept and worship Jesus. To me, the very idea defied logic. How could a “loving” Father send us to be tortured for all eternity with no hope of redemption if we did not worship His Son? Generally speaking, even the most selfish parents on Earth are more forgiving and have more love in their hearts for their own children than the Bible’s version of God.

But my epiphany revealed to me that we are indeed living in the End Times. Clearly the Bible got that part right. Also, my epiphany made it certain that all religions offer, at the very least, some element of Truth. I realized that I had to take Christianity and the Bible more seriously.

The Bible clearly has truth contained in it, but at the same time, it contains what appears to be either misleading or incorrect statements about the nature of “God”, e.g.:

“The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies.” [Nahum 1.2]

So how can the Old Testament also be “true”? In addition, the New Testament says clearly that the only way to the Father is through the Son and yet my epiphany confirmed for me that one does not have to believe in Jesus in order to be “saved” or enlightened. So what to make of all of this?

My belief right now is that the Old and New Testaments are, at least in part, actually products of the Kali Yuga — and in this way they are both true reflections of this age. The Kali Yuga is, according to the Shaiva Oracles of the Hindu Purana, a five thousand year Dark Age or End Time that occurs just prior to a new Golden Age (i.e. the thousand years of peace on earth that is expected when Jesus returns). The Bible depicts the beginning of humankind as a Golden Age, the age of Adam and Eve, an age of innocence. The end, according to both the Old and the New Testaments is one of wars and earth changes. The Hindu Purana makes the same claim, that each Age of Man begins as a Golden Age of Innocence and ends in one of turmoil. This is a reflection of the Yin/Yang energies as taught in Taoism (for more on this idea, please see Yin and Yang: The Nature of Good and Evil). The Kali Yuga is essentially the “end game” of our current evolution. The Hebrew Bible (i.e the Old Testament) seems to represent an era that began during the dark age of the Kali Yuga. In my opinion, the “god” that is depicted in it is really a reflection of the “jealous” and vengeful aspects of the Kali Yuga Age. In other words, the god of the Hebrew Bible is the “god” that merely rules over the End Times, not the coming Golden Age that is nearly upon us.

Some have argued that Jesus was really just another Sun-god myth. It is true that the ancient religion, Mithraism, has many parallels to Christianity and existed in Persia hundreds of years before Jesus and was the foundation of the Roman Solar religion. It is an established fact that the stories attributed to Jesus were already part of the Mithras story. Just like Jesus, Mithras was also born of a virgin, in a manger on December 25th. Mithras was a Sun-god and Jesus was/is known as the “Son”. And there are other ancient traditions and Sun-gods, such as the Egyptian god Horus, all of whom share striking similarities to the Jesus story as well as many Christian traditions.

Our own Sun has 12 signs of the zodiac that revolve around it, just as Jesus the Son had His twelve Apostles around Him. In addition, the Bible contains an interesting reference to the Sun as our God:

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield” [Psalm 84:11]

And this quote is attributed to Jesus Himself:

“And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.” [Matthew 17:2]

At the present time I am of the opinion that the story of Jesus as portrayed in the New Testament is largely symbolic parable and partially literal fact. It does appear that Jesus was a real human being who, like the Buddha, was an enlightened teacher. Recall that the teachings of Jesus are not limited to the New Testament, but are also found in the “Gospel of Thomas”, “The Gospel of Philip” and other so-called gnostic books that actually predate many of the texts found in the New Testament. These gnostic texts were rejected by the Roman Emperor Constantine and kept out of the Bible. However, what was approved perfect complemented the Roman Sun-god “myths”. The earlier gnostic texts expand our understanding of Jesus beyond what Constantine approved. In these texts, Jesus is portrayed as a teacher focused on spiritual liberation and awakening in a vein more comparable to that of the great Eastern teachers. My current thinking is that the teachings of Jesus as found in these gnostic texts was usurped and replaced with a more allegorical Jesus that preserved the “pagan” Sun-god that the Romans followed.

Thus it may be that the New Testament is not so much a testament to Jesus’ teachings, but rather a testament to the Sun as well as to the zodiac. That said, this in and of itself is not necessarily a “bad” thing. Recall that it is the Sun who is “Our Father” according to the Hopi. Moreover, it seems possible (as others have suggested) that the Roman Catholic Church fully understood the import of the Solar allegories hidden within the New Testament and chose to disguise them as literal history.

According to Encyclopedia Brittanica Online:

“The worship of Sol [the Sun] remained the chief imperial cult [of Rome] until the rise of Christianity.

“…The early church was shaped by St. Paul and other Christian missionaries and theologians; it was persecuted under the Roman Empire [until] supported by Constantine I, the first Christian emperor.”
[via: http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9379040 and http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9360716]

And it was the French scholar Ernest Renan, author of Life of Jesus, who stated “If Christianity had been stopped at its birth by some mortal illness, the world would have become Mithraic.”

Did Rome’s worship of the Sun (Mithraism) really end with the Roman Emperor Constantine? Or was the Roman Empire’s doctrine of Sun worship merely disguised as Christianity because Christians were beginning to outnumber them?

In his book The Prophet’s Way, author Thom Hartmann writes:

“the transformation of the Roman Empire from its own “pagan” religion into Christianity [began] when the Jewish followers of Yeshua…had grown in numbers and power to the point where Rome could no longer simply continue to kill them off or use them for sport (feeding them to lions). So the leaders of Rome proclaimed a new, non-Jewish but Roman Christianity…vigorously discarding the remnants of Judaism that had been practiced by the Jewish Jesus and his Jewish followers.“

Hartmann continues:

“The most radical change [by Rome] was totally dumping the Sabbath Day
(Saturday), which was mandated in the Ten Commandments…and replacing it with the day that the Romans had traditionally worshipped their god of the Sun, Sunday, and making that the day of worship.“

If the idea of Jesus being a Solar myth is new to you, there are many books addressing the issue. Also, the following web site might be of interest:

Paganizing Faith of Yeshua

The Sacred Texts web site offers additional information:

Solar Myths and Christian Festivals

As it stands, the Bible clearly makes strong use of astrological symbolism. As I explain in my post “Twelve Around One“, the many instances of the number twelve within the Old and New Testaments appear to be references to the twelve signs of the zodiac. And as I attempt to demonstrate below, the references to astrology, specifically astrological ages, do not end there.

MOSES AND THE AGE OF ARIES

AND THE END OF THE AGE OF TAURUS

Before Jesus, there was the time of Moses, which began during the Age of Aries and was actually the harbinger of these End Times. It is taught in the Hindu Purana that these End Times actually began shortly before the Age of Aries. It is rather fascinating to note that there are more references to the ram (the sign of Aries) than any other animal in the Old Testament. Also, it is the ram’s horn (the shofar) that is still used today to usher in Rosh HaShannah (which means “the head of the year”). Rosh HaShannah is one of four types of new year spiritual practices in Judaism; and coincidentally, as I’ve mentioned in other posts, there are four ‘Ages of Man’ according to Hindu and Native American mythology.

In other words, Moses and the Old Testament are representative of the Age of Aries and the start of the Kali Yuga period, or the final days of mankind.

Prior to the Age of Aries (the ram) was the Age of Taurus (the bull). Understanding this allows a fresh perspective of the Old Testament. Just before Moses was given the Ten Commandments (the new laws that defined the Age of Aries and the End Times), the Isrealites constructed a Golden Calf — which was a final homage to the Age of Taurus. Realizing this, it should come as no surprise that Moses was outraged at the creation of the Golden Calf. It was Moses who was to define the new Age, the Age of Aries and destroy the Age of Taurus (which the Golden Calf represented) just as Jesus was sent to usher in the Piscean Age (the fish) and destroy the teachings of Moses and the Age of Aries, which is plainly stated in the New Testament:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.” [John 6:32]

JESUS AND THE AGE OF PISCES

Jesus was born at the very start of the Piscean Age (note that each Astrological Age lasts a little over 2,000 years). He was and continues to be associated with the fish - the astrological symbol of Pisces. He is often referred to as the “fisher of men”, and even to this day, Christians use the image of the fish as a symbol of Christ.

Recall also that it was with two fishes (the symbol of pisces) that Jesus feeds the multitude in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 14:13-21)

In his magnum opus, “The Secret Teachings of All Ages“, Manly P. Hall writes:

“During the Age of Pisces, the Fish was the symbol of divinity and the Sun God fed the multitude with two small fishes. The frontispiece of Inman’s “Ancient Faiths” shows the goddess Isis with a fish on her head; and the Indian Savior God, Christna, in one of his incarnations was cast from the mouth of a fish.

Not only is Jesus often referred to as the ‘Fisher of Men’, but as John P. Lundy writes: “The word Fish is an abbreviation of this whole title, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, and Cross; or as St. Augustine expresses it, ‘If you join together the initial letters of the five Greek words, Ἰησοῦς Χριστος Θεου Υιὸσ Σωτήρ, which mean Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, they will make ΙΧΘΥΣ, Fish, in which word Christ is mystically understood, because He was able to live in the abyss of this mortality as in the depth of waters, that is, without sin.’” (”Monumental Christianity”.) Many Christians observe Friday, which is sacred to the Virgin (Venus), upon which day they shall eat fish and not meat. The sign of the fish was one of the earliest symbols of Christianity; and when drawn upon the sand, it informed one Christian that another of the same faith was near.“

In addition, the Piscean Age is the final Age before the Aquarian Age (the Golden Age that is almost upon us). There is an important reference in the New Testament that I believe attests to Jesus’s true purpose, which is to help us prepare for these End Times and His Second Coming (i.e. the Golden Age of Aquarius which is to follow). In both Mark and Luke, Jesus tells his disciples to follow the man bearing water to find the Last Supper (note that the Aquarian Age is known as the “Water Bearer”).

“And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.” [Mark 14:13]

“And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.” [Luke 22:10]

Many people, and now myself, believe this is a reference to the Age of Aquarius that will follow after the Age of Pisces. Jesus, it appears, was here to help prepare humanity for the Golden Age that arrives at the very end of the Piscean Age.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” [John 1:14]

THE AGE OF AQUARIUS

AND THE BEGINNING OF THE GOLDEN AGE

The Old Testament and the New Testament are often referred to as Apocalyptic religions because both have extensive passages detailing the End of Days. Not surprisingly, these are the main religions of the Kali Yuga period (the Age of Aries and the Age of Pisces) and they are the religions that define these End Times, that began and end in the Middle East.

According to Alain Daniélou in his book “While the Gods Play”, we entered the twilight of the Kali Yuga (the End Times) in 1939, just before the advent of World War II.

The Age of the Kali Yuga is defined by mistrust, hate, wars, and suffering — all symbolically represented as the “Fall of Man” as taught in the Old Testament. The values of the Kali Yuga Age and of the Old Testament were defined by the idea of “an eye for an eye”. The Age of Pisces, which began about 2,000 years ago with the advent of Christ, is the final stage of these End Times. Jesus taught us that, rather than seek revenge, we must instead “turn the other cheek”. He came to prepare us for the new values of the Golden Age and of His second coming, that of a return to Christ consciousness that will arrive at the end of the Piscean Age and the start of the Age of Aquarius.

Notice

As a person raised in the Western Christian culture, I have heard Christians ask “why does God allow evil to exist?” The Eastern religions of Taoism, Buddhism and Hinduism seem to offer an answer to that question. Good and Evil are two sides of the same coin, the one cannot exist without the other. Without these opposites, nothing would exist.

My epiphany revealed to me that all religions (and even pagan beliefs) contain, at the very least, some element of Truth. Using that knowledge, if we look to the teachings of Ancient Egypt, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, and the Bible, it becomes apparent that they all share one very important concept: it is our knowledge or belief in the opposites of good and evil that created our “fall”. Eastern religions especially argue that it is our overuse of conceptual thinking that maintains the illusion of dualism, i.e. the belief in the opposites of good and evil.

Taoism teaches that it is dualism which manifests the illusion of right and wrong and this notion is expressed in the Yin & Yang symbol. If one looks at the Yin & Yang symbol, it is half white and half black, with a circle of the opposite color within each half.

This represents the play of opposites, and that within each is also a small amount of the opposite — that is to say that in the dark, there is a little light and within the light there is a little dark (hence no one is 100% “evil” and no one is 100% “good”). It is the dynamic play of these opposites (e.g. day and night, birth and death, love and hate, north and south, man and woman) that manifests all that exists, i.e. the non-void.

The void or “emptiness”, on the other hand, is what Buddhism teaches is the ultimate truth - i.e. Nirvana. Buddhism teaches that if we are able to stop these opposites within ourselves (i.e. dualistic thinking), the world and the suffering that goes along with it would be revealed as an illusion. From the Hsin Hsin Ming, by Seng T’san, the third Zen patriarch of China [d.606 AD]:

“The Great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences. When love and hate are both absent everything becomes clear and undisguised. Make the smallest distinction however, and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart. If you wish to see the truth then hold no opinions for or against anything. To set up what you like against what you dislike is the disease of the mind.“

From Zen Master Mumon [1183-1260]:

“Three pounds of flax in front of your nose,
Close enough, and mind is still closer.
Whoever talks about affirmation and negation
Lives in the right and wrong region.”

And from Zen Master Seung Sahn:

“If you are attached to your thinking, then everything has name and form. This is the world of opposites.“

The ancient Hindu sages also speak of non-duality as the source of wisdom and freedom from suffering. From the Ashtavakra Gita:

“An object of enjoyment that comes of itself is neither painful nor pleasurable for someone who has eliminated attachment, and who is free from dualism and from desire.” [Ashtavakra Gita 3.14]

“Equal in pain and in pleasure, equal in hope and in disappointment, equal in life and in death, and complete as you are, you can find peace.” [Ashtavakra Gita 5.4]

It is also written in the Bhagavadgita, which the Encyclopedia Britannica calls “the single most important religious text of Hinduism”:

“…the true Renouncer, firm and fixed,
Who—seeking nought, rejecting nought—dwells proof
Against the “opposites”.“

Even the Bible indirectly refers to the idea of Yin and Yang as the creation of our current state of being.

“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” —Gen 3:4-5

In other words, the “fall of man”, our fall from grace, was due to our recognition of good and evil. When we ate the fruit of “knowledge”, we became like our Creator, i.e. Yin and Yang, the dualism that creates all. Without the knowledge or discernment of these opposites, we fall back into grace.

Both Hinduism and Buddhism teach that our fall began when we separated good from evil and created duality. The Bible states the very same thing in, appropriately enough, Genesis:

“…and God divided the light from the darkness” [Genesis 1:4]

In Isaiah 45:7 it is also written:

“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.“

Time and again we see God, our Creator, giving rise to the opposites. And in Revelation it is written:

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” [Revelation 21.6]

The “Alpha and Omega” is yet another way of phrasing “Yin and Yang” (the ‘beginning and the end’ being the opposites that are our Creator).

So how to use this knowledge of opposites? U. G. Krishnamurti claimed that we can do nothing to achieve enlightenment (or as he preferred to call it, living in one’s ‘own natural state’). He explained that it can only occur spontaneously and he was at a loss as to why it occurs to some and not to others. He did however explain that it is our reliance on thinking that creates the illusion of our existence:

“Every time a thought is born, you are born. When the thought is gone, you are gone. But the ‘you’ does not let the thought go, and what gives continuity to this ‘you’ is THINKING. Actually, there is no permanent entity in you, no totality of all your thoughts and experiences. You think that there is ’somebody’ feeling your feelings — that’s the illusion. I can say it is an illusion but it is not an illusion to you.“

The same idea has been taught for thousands of years by Buddhist masters:

“If you are attached to your thinking, then everything has name and form. This is the world of opposites. But name and form are always changing, changing, changing. Because of this, everything is impermanent. Everything is like a dream, is like dew, is like a bubble or a flash of lightning. Nothing stays but is always in a process of change … If you keep that point, then your mind is not moving. You attain that names and forms are fundamentally empty. This whole universe is completely empty. You are completely empty. Nothing ever comes or goes. Nothing ever appears or disappears. When you keep this mind, you soon attain your true self.“

“Just understand that things do not originate of themselves. All of them come into existence from your own single mental impulse of imagination mistakenly clinging to appearances.“

And though Zen masters do accept that enlightenment may arrive spontaneously (as in U. G. Krishnamurti’s case), they also teach that enlightenment may be achieved through the study of koans or Zazen (Zen meditation).

Hindu sages also teach that it is our mind and use of thinking that keeps us bound to the world of illusion. It is written in the ancient Hindu scripture, the Ashtavakra Gita:

“If one thinks of oneself as free, one is free, and if one thinks of oneself as bound, one is bound. Here this saying is true, ‘Thinking makes it so.’” [1.11]

And even the Bible teaches that the accumulation of worldly knowledge is nothing more than vanity and folly. In The Book of Ecclesiastes it is written:

“I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit…” [Ecclesiastes 1:14]

“For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” [Ecclesiastes 1:18]

There is a book entitled Mythology: Myths, Legends & Fantasies. The book is a collection of the world’s great myths, contributed by many professors from around the world. The book’s chief consultant was Dr. Alice Mills, associate professor of literature at the University of Ballarat in Australia. According to the book, the creation story attributed to the Egyptian god Ptah was found on the Shabaka Stone:

“The Shabaka Stone, now in the British Museum, relates how the Libyan King Shabaka, about 850 B.C., found a “worm-eaten leather roll” in the library of the temple of Ptah…

“The language is truly ancient … suggesting that the story was true.“

The story of Ptah as found on this stone is an allegory of creation, specifically that it was the knowledge of the opposites that created matter.

From Mythology: Myths, Legends & Fantasies:

“Ptah was brought into existence [when] he conceived ideas in his heart, considered them with his reason, and then spoke the words from his mouth. As the words dropped from his tongue, they turned into physical entities. This is the earliest account of the Creation through logic, literally logos, the spoken word… Very few people today realize just how similar the opening sentence of the gospel of St. John is to the ancient Egyptian myth of Ptah.“

As mentioned, the Shabaka Stone is housed at the British Museum, and here is a quote taken from the museum’s web site:

“The text on the stone…places Ptah…as a creator god, describing how he brings the world into being by giving names, thereby dividing land from water, light from darkness, heaven from earth etc.“
Via: TheBritishMuseum.org

As we can see from the Shabaka Stone, even the teachings of the ancient Egyptians concur with Buddhist and Hindu thought as well as the Bible; namely that the knowledge (or discernment) of “name and form” created the opposites of light and dark, Heaven and Earth.

The Möbius strip, having the mathematical property of being non-orientable, may help one to visually understand the nature of “duality as illusion”.

The Möbius strip was discovered independently by the German mathematician August Ferdinand Möbius and German mathematician Johann Benedict Listing. It has, according to Wikipedia, “a surface with only one side and only one boundary component. It has the mathematical property of being non-orientable“; and yet it appears to have two sides (duality).

As seen in the picture above, the Möbius strip is a two-sided strip (surface) that has a single twist in it. This innocent little twist has the dramatic effect of making the two sides one. The video below helps demonstrate this idea, but I highly recommend making your own to really appreciate the apparent incongruity of the Möbius strip and it’s relation to non-duality.

Möbius strip video

I want to relate a story I read many years ago. I think the story is worth knowing when contemplating the notion of duality as illusion. As the story goes, three Buddhist monks were arguing about the nature of illusion when a Zen master happened by. The discussion was getting quite heated when one of the monks picked up a rock and exclaimed to the others: “this is an illusion”. Upon hearing this, the master walked up to the monk, quietly took the rock from his hand and struck him on the head with it and asked: “Is it an illusion now?”

This humorous story cleverly demonstrates a couple of things. One is that a person cannot claim to understand illusion while still trapped in illusion. The other is though our existence may indeed be an illusion, it is at the same time quite real.

Swami Ramanananda Saraswathi wrote in the introduction to the English translation to the ancient Sanskrit text Tripura Rahasya: The Mystery Beyond the Trinity:

“Realisation of the Truth is thus quite simple, requiring only constant remembrance on these lines [Sanskrit text] that Reality is not incompatible with the world and its phenomena, and that the apparent ignorance of this Truth is itself the outcome of Reality so that there is nothing but Reality.“

For me, the story of the monks also complements the dual nature of the Möbius strip. On one level we can clearly distinguish two distinct sides of the strip just as clearly as we can define good and evil, right and wrong in our dualistic existence. In this way the two sides are indeed real. And yet from a mathematical viewpoint (i.e. reality that is removed from subjectivity of any kind), there is only one side (as expressed in the Eastern idea “all is One“).

The great teachers of the past taught that it was “the Word”, expressed as “Logos” (literally logic), that created the knowledge of “good and evil” and as a result, our “fall”. This knowledge, obtained through the use of reason, created (and continues to create) the illusion of duality which separates light from dark.

Precisely how to escape from this delusion, I do not know. Nevertheless, I believe that identifying the problem is half of the solution.

In addition, I learned from my epiphany that one should take heed of all of the world’s great religions as well as the teachings of the ancient masters. From my own study it seems apparent that liberation is not something one can will into being. This is because the will is a force of ego and ego cannot, will not, destroy itself.

“Thought [aka: ego] is a fascist in its birth, in its content and in its expression. It is interested only in its own survival.“

For the ego to relinquish control, the ego must surrender, and it won’t do so willingly.

So how does one eradicate one’s ego and will? That is not an easy question. If I knew the answer, I’d be done with my own search.

According to Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi:

“There are only two ways to conquer destiny or be independent of it. One is to enquire for whom is this destiny and discover that only the ego is bound by destiny and not the Self and that the ego is non-existent.

“The other way is to kill the ego by completely surrendering to the Lord, by realizing one’s helplessness and saying all the time, ‘Not I, but Thou, oh Lord’ and giving up all sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, and leaving it to the Lord to do what he likes with you. Complete effacement of the ego is necessary to conquer destiny, whether you achieve this effacement through Self-enquiry or bhakti marga (path).“

It is becoming increasingly clear to me that to surrender to the will of God (feel free to substitute ‘Universe’, ‘Consciousness’, or any other word that makes you happy) may be the surest method. U. G. Krishnamurti wrote:

“It is clear to me that to find out for yourself you must be absolutely helpless with nowhere to turn.“

And it is written in the Sanskrit text, the Tripura Rahasya:

“Therefore, eschew high vanity and take refuge in Him. He will spontaneously take you to the highest state”

And Swami Sri Ramanananda Saraswathi wrote:

The next logical question is, how does one then surrender to the Will of God? Perhaps one way is to accept whatever God gives you as a gift. It may be hardship or fortune, but recognize all as a gift. If it is fortune, remember that, according the the laws of Yin and Yang, within the flower of fortune is contained the seeds of an equally great loss.

Certainly for some who carry very strong egos it may require losing everything they hold dear (and this will certainly occur during these End TImes). Sadly for those, it may require seeing the Iron Age to its very end:

“Let the body last to the end of the Age, or let it come to an end right now. What have you gained or lost, who consist of pure consciousness?

But no matter what, the sooner one embarks on the path for Truth, the sooner one will achieve liberation:

“…the mind engaged in practical search for truth is the surest means of emancipation”

A few months before I had my epiphany, I read an article that said that the ice caps on Mars were melting. I decided to pose a question to a Global Warming blog that I used to frequent about this. This blog was run by several climate scientists who often addressed questions from the public. I asked if the melting poles on Mars implied that our warming here on Earth was being caused by the Sun, not the greenhouse effect.

They wrote a rather long and complicated response to my question explaining that no, it couldn’t be the Sun. To be honest, their explanation didn’t make a lot of sense to me, but not being a climatologist, I gave them the benefit of the doubt.

However, just recently there has been a rash of news articles saying that some scientists believe that the melting of poles on Mars, Pluto, and other planets proves that the greenhouse effect is wrong and that it is our Sun that is responsible.

It would not surprise me if these scientists were proven to be correct. Our Sun is changing, as is our whole solar system — this I am certain of. My epiphany revealed to me that the Sun is a living conscious being and it is evolving just as we and the Earth are.

In reality, I believe the Sun is assisting in our ascension to a higher plane by bringing on the end of an Age according to the cycles of evolution.

Even though this information seemingly negates the ‘greenhouse effect’ theory, one cannot argue that burning fossil fuels is suddenly a good thing. Native Americans teach that oil is Mother Earth’s blood. Taking it from the ground is extremely harmful to her, as is the taking of coal, and other elements through mining. In fact, I sometimes wonder if the large number of mining accidents in the past few years is related to Mother Earth saving herself by collapsing the mines themselves. Thus anything one can do to conserve energy is still a worthwhile thing to do. On that note, last year my wife and I changed all of the lightbulbs in our house to the fluorescent type. One year later, we discovered through a spreadsheet we use that we saved over $300 in electricity.

Below are some recent articles on the topic of the greenhouse effect vs solar output:

HARVARD RESEARCHERS SAY BRIGHTENING SUN IS WARMING EARTH

There is a better explanation for global warming than air pollution, two Harvard researchers say: the Sun is increasing in brightness and radiance.

“Changes in the Sun can account for major climate changes on Earth for the past 300 years, including part of the recent surge of global warming,” claims Sallie Baliunas, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA).

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/1997/11.06/BrighteningSuni.html
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WITH OTHER WORLDS WARMING, SCIENTISTS BLAME SUN

Earth is heating up lately, but so are Mars, Pluto and other worlds in our solar system, leading some scientists to speculate that a change in the sun’s activity is the common thread linking all these baking events.

http://www.livescience.com/environment/070312_solarsys_warming.html
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READ THE SUNSPOTS | CANADA.COM

The mud at the bottom of B.C. fjords reveals that solar output drives climate change - and that we should prepare now for dangerous global cooling.

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/comment/story.html?id=597d0677-2a05-47b4-b34f-b84068db11f4&p=4
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GREENHOUSE EFFECT IS A MYTH, SAY SCIENTISTS

Research said to prove that greenhouse gases cause climate change has been condemned as a sham by scientists.

A United Nations report earlier this year said humans are very likely to be to blame for global warming and there is “virtually no doubt” it is linked to man’s use of fossil fuels.

But other climate experts say there is little scientific evidence to support the theory.

In fact global warming could be caused by increased solar activity such as a massive eruption.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/technology/technology.html?in_article_id=440049&in_page_id=1965/b>
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GLOBAL WARMING LABELED A ‘SCAM’

The program titled “The Great Global Warming Scandal” and set for screening by TV Channel 4 on Thursday dismisses claims that high levels of greenhouse gases generated by human activity causes climate change. Instead, the program suggests that the sun itself is the real culprit.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20070306-122226-6282r.htm
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MARS MELT HINTS AT SOLAR, NOT HUMAN, CAUSE FOR WARMING, SCIENTISTS SAY

Simultaneous warming on Earth and Mars suggests that our planet’s recent climate changes have a natural—and not a human-induced—cause, according to one scientist’s controversial theory.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070228-mars-warming.html
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SCIENTISTS LIVES THREATENED FOR ‘CLIMATE DENIAL’

Scientists who questioned mankind’s impact on climate change have received death threats and claim to have been shunned by the scientific community.

They say the debate on global warming has been “hijacked” by a powerful alliance of politicians, scientists and environmentalists who have stifled all questioning about the true environmental impact of carbon dioxide emissions

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/11/ngreen211.xml
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DANISH SCIENTIST: GLOBAL WARMING IS A MYTH

A Danish scientist said the idea of a “global temperature” and global warming is more political than scientific.

The argument is presented in the Journal of Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics.

http://www.physorg.com/news93193025.html
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Gary Zukav is the well known author who wrote the impressive “The Dancing Wu Li Masters” and “The Seat of the Soul”. On his website he includes the message of Thomas Banyacya, a Hopi Elder who was born in 1909 in the Hopi village of Moencopi in north eastern Arizona.

This is part of the same message that helped to trigger my epiphany. In his speech below, Thomas Banyacya is referring to the End Times, which are coming to a close very soon, in a matter of just several more years.

Thomas Banyacya, Hopi Elder

WE ARE THE ONES WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR

We have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour. Now you must go back and tell people that this is the Hour. And there are things to be considered:

Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in the right relation?

Know your garden. It is time to speak your truth. Create your community. Be good to each other. And do not look outside yourself for the leader. This could be a good time.

There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold onto the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and they will suffer greatly.

Know the river has its destination. The Elders say we must let go of the shore and push off and into the river.

Keep your eyes open and your head above water. See who is in there with you and Celebrate.

At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally. Least of all ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey come to a halt.

The time of the lone wolf is over, Gather yourselves!

Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.

All that you do now must be done in a sacred manner and in Celebration.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

THE ELDERS, HOPI NATION, ORAIBI, ARIZONA

via: http://www.seatofthesoul.com/message.html
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“It truly does come. I believe it actually presents itself over and again, though few recognize it as it struggles to thrust through the screen of “rationality.” But I now know that to everyone at some crucial time comes an opportunity to become aware of a greater reality and a greater freedom. In my case it came late, with a bewildering leap into the unknown.”

— Alvin Schwartz, from “An Unlikely Prophet”

Alvin Schwartz was the legendary writer for the Superman and Batman comics during the 1940s. He is now in his 90s and his writing is as sharp as ever. He managed to become relatively well known during the 1940s and 50s, hanging out with people such as Jackson Pollack, who was his neighbor on Long Island, New York (coincidentally where I grew up). Schwartz’s recent book, “An Unlikely Prophet”, is a nonfiction “metaphysical” memoir. In the book he talks about instances of nonordinary reality, unusual events from his past that intrigued him at the time but were eventually relegated to interesting anecdotes and nothing more.

Due to my epiphany, I now know for a fact that we are truly spiritual beings. With this knowledge, I can now look back on my life and see that I too actually experienced nonordinary reality in the past but failed to recognize these events as such. I am now convinced that many others have also experienced these little glimpses into a “greater reality“, but most dismiss them as imaginary due to the false constructs created by educational systems, mass media, etc..

A VISIT TO ANOTHER DIMENSION

My first experience of nonordinary reality occurred when I was just 7 years old. At this time in my life, my parents were contemplating divorce and I was constantly teased and picked on at school. As a result, I was extremely shy and very unhappy. But it was my parents almost splitting up that hit me especially hard. I can recall completely breaking down and screaming and crying at the thought. It was during this period that I had a rather profound dream that I never forgot (and even now, nearly forty years later, this “dream” is still almost as vivid as the day it occurred). However, as I grew older I dismissed this experience as nothing more than a dream. I am now absolutely certain that this was much more than just a dream.

In this dream, I suddenly found myself in place that might be considered “heaven-like”. It wasn’t a physical location and I did not see anyone or anything, there was just a sort of midnight blue darkness. I did however feel the presence of other beings all around me and, most profoundly, a strong and positive feeling of pure love. It was the most powerful sensation of love that I had ever experienced, before or since. It seemed to envelope me and everyone there, it was a warm feeling of completeness, acceptance, caring and safety.

I didn’t know where I was, but I did know that I never wanted to leave. In hindsight, I believe that I was there simply to be comforted by the other beings that were all around me. This “dream” did not last very long and before I knew it, it was communicated to me that I had to leave. I can recall being told (not in words, but in a type ‘thought’ language, where words are unnecessary) that I had to go back by one of the beings, whom at the time I interpreted as someone akin to the leader. I asked them to let me stay, but once again it was communicated to me that I had to go back. There was no explanation given, and I can recall being confused and saddened at the prospect of leaving. I remember waking up in the morning wondering what had just happened and wishing that I was still there.

A curious thing about this event, at this time in my life, age 7, I was deeply devoted to my parents. In my young eyes they could do no wrong and I loved them deeply. The fact that I was ready and willing to leave them forever in order to stay in this place demonstrates to me that when we leave this earthly realm, we will not miss this world nor our loved ones, even though we may still love and care about them. The type of love many of us experience here in this physical dimension is typically based on conditions and is essentially just another form of attachment. The love that permeated my dream was so powerful that I am truly at a loss to describe it. It is partly due to this dream that I am now so heartened and optimistic about our future. I recently read an article about a man who died and was later revived. He was an atheist and didn’t believe in life after death until this experience. His description of what he calls “Heaven” is almost exactly like the dream I had. His very interesting story may be found here: Le Magazine Chrétien: The man who came back from the dead

INSTANT KARMA

Another nonordinary event that occurred to me happened a few years later, when I was about ten years old. I now think that it may have been a karmic lesson for me. I had recently made a new friend named Sid who liked to steal things from stores. At age 10 I was very honest, and truly lived “by the golden rule”. And while I believed that stealing was wrong, I also had few friends and low self-esteem. I thought others were better and smarter than me, so as it turned out, one day I decided to “go along” and steal something too. We both went to a toy store in town where he and I each stole a windup balsa wood airplane. Not only that, but I also rode my bicycle into “town”, which was about a mile from my home and I was forbidden to go.

So here I was doing two things that I knew I shouldn’t all in a single afternoon. After we each stole a windup plane, my friend and I hopped on our bikes and headed back home. We had just started our ride back when we had to cross a double-lane road. As I pedaled along, I turned my head and looked for any oncoming cars. I could see one car approaching, but it was very far away and I had plenty of room to cross.

And yet, as soon as I entered the lane, I was struck by that very same car. As I flew over the handle bars I outstretched my hands to brace myself for the pavement. I must have flown several feet in front of the car. What was so strange about this event, besides the fact that the car hit me even though it seemed too far away, was that after I hit the pavement, I got up without a scratch on me.

As I was being driven home by the man and his family who had hit me (my bike was completely ruined and could not be ridden), I looked at my hands and they were completely clean, without so much as even a pebble indent on them. Even as a ten year old, I realized how unusual that was. I should have had at least some scrapes on me somewhere, but there was nothing. I can also recall wondering how in the world the car hit me in the first place and thought that he must have been speeding to reach me so fast. For years afterward I thought bitterly how unfair the accident was. I felt that the driver’s speeding was why I had gotten hit (and as a result, was in big trouble at home). And yet at the same time I wondered why, if he was traveling so fast, I didn’t recall hearing any tires screeching and why I had