2000-11-11 06:12:00
Travis writes:
"If one is in the center, why would they want to move left or right? To me, freedom is the center, right means you believe government should control your personal life, left means government should control your financial life. There is some blending, but this works overall."
JJ:
That is a different slant than I gave, but a good one Travis.
Pat writes the following on Purpose:
"Purpose, as I see it, is eternal. It is what connects 'what is' with what has been and with what is going to be. It is what provides the propellant or impetus to move (from) the past into the present and (from) the present into the future, while at the same time making the NOW the most important part (or time) of it all, for it is in the NOW that Purpose is being made manifest. It just occurred to me that it might be possible to give Purpose the nickname of 'Becoming."
JJ:
Very intelligent comments, Pat. The first principle of purpose is as deep as the human mind can contemplate and the more we meditate on it the more light will be shed. I'm not sure if I welcomed you to the list but wish to do so now.
Peter writes:
"There is nothing wrong with real liberal change (The word liberal has the same roots as liberty) that would not be corrected by using accurate language. What you are objecting to is not liberal change, but licentious or dissolute change."
JJ:
I am not one of these people who think that everything liberal is bad. Many liberal and conservative ideas are good, but all good becomes a great evil when implemented by force.
Judes -- I do see the desire you have for freedom and opportunity for all and I agree with the goal. In the implementation lies the difficulty.
It is probably good that you are stimulating additional discourse on freedom and the midway point as they are extremely important topics of which their underlying principles are difficult for many to see.
First I would not say that responsibility is closer to the foundation principle than freedom. For instance Hitler felt very responsible for Germans, the Nazi party and his ideology, but that mislead responsibility caused a loss of freedom and death for millions of people. Every tyrant has a strong sense of responsibility. Responsibility only enhances freedom and prosperity when it is reasonably free from illusion and motivated with pure intent. It is a virtue but virtues can be misplaced.
On the other hand, tyrants do not believe in the principle of freedom and do nothing to enhance it.
I submit here that you are not yet seeing clearly the principle of freedom as I teach it.
You say:
"We have many people who do not have freedom is this country....they do not have the freedom to spend quality time with their children or to obtain proper health care or to have time to even pursue spiritual endeavors due to their enslavement to their economic condition. MYSELF included."
JJ:
Again let me emphasize that there are two philosophies on freedom. One is used by those in darkness and the other used by those in Light.
The Dark Brothers try and convince us that true freedom comes by receiving an endowment of goods or favors. In other words, he who has the most stuff (possessions) is the freest.
The Brotherhood of Light promotes the idea that freedom comes with the enhancement of the actual power of decision and the removal of obstructions thereof.
Now you seem to equate freedom with possession and this is where I believe the illusion lies.
Your examples of freedom are:
Other examples of the illusionary freedom of possession are:
All possessions are transitory and have a beginning and end whereas principles are eternal. The principle of freedom deals with an endless benefit that will resurface again and again until the seeker is finally one with it and will never lose it.
One cannot say "I have money, therefore I am free!"
Why?
Because the time will come that he may not have money and therefore by this definition freedom is limited I time.
What is true freedom then?
Again, it is the removal of restrictions either imaginary or real, so the power of decision has complete freedom within the sphere of its plan.
Let us then apply money to these two methods of freedom.
He who sees freedom as belonging to the power to possess will not see himself as being free in relation to money until he has possession of it. Often it does not matter how that possession is obtained. All that matters is that he possesses it whether earned or not. The lottery winner, or even thief, with this attitude feels just as free as he who earns the money.
He who comprehends and accepts the principle of freedom does not see the principle playing out in the temporary possession of money, but is happy to have the opportunity to decide in that direction if he wished. Then if he does decide in that direction he sees freedom as the power to proceed in that direction unimpeded by unnatural restrictions.
Natural restrictions are not seen as restrictions of freedom but as obstacles to overcome.
Examples of natural restrictions are:
Examples of unnatural restrictions are:
The interesting thing is that the entrepreneur can permanently overcome most the natural restrictions and can eliminate them for the rest of his life, but not so with the unnatural ones.
For instance, if a person lacks education he can go to school and get one. If he has an old car he can work overtime and get a better one.
But...
If there is a law telling him he has to pay a certain wage or have white linen curtains on his windows then there is nothing he can do about that. He can work around the law but no matter how hard he works the restriction will not go away and that is the difference.
Most natural restrictions can be overcome by the individual and made to disappear for life.
Unnatural restrictions cannot be overcome by the individual and hang around to thwart him with no end in sight.
The true principle of freedom lies in the idea that the soul energy is freely released so its life can flow through the ideas and thoughts of the pilgrim until all desires are fulfilled.
"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift."
Albert Einstein
Copyright © 2000 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved