Val Karas ~ A Message

1. 81

   Brenda Arledgeposted 3 years ago

   Val gives us his thoughts on Religion
   https://hubpages.com/literature/Religio … -a-Message

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2. 81

   Brenda Arledgeposted 3 years ago

   Val...
   It's sad that there are peooke who live their life like this...but it truly is not what is intended.
   
   I don't need a shrine either...God shines his love on allnof us whether we chose to see it or not...our choice.
   
   To me, treating others good is easy..well, until here lately.
   
   I pray for those who tend to lash out for they know not what they do.

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3. 86

   Jodahposted 3 years ago

   There are some hypocrites in every field you can name, not only religion. It is always up to the person how they act, what they say, etc. I'm willing to mingle with almost anyone, no matter what religion or none, nationality, or political party they vote for.

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4. 75

   Misbah786posted 3 years ago

   I believe that every single person on earth is worthy of love and respect regardless of others’ opinions. Our reality is what we make of it.
   
   I believe, self Love is important, without loving yourself, you cannot even Love God. We love others because we love ourselves. We need them to be around. There's a very thin line between self love and selfishness. But there is a line. Many people simply fail to notice it.
   
   
   Meditation is practiced by the majority of people who are not religious... Because in some sense they all want to stay connected... Now you may ask: Connected to what?.... Connected to the Universe, to the cosmos, to the energy that surrounds us... Believers call that energy as  'God' ... Some people find God while sitting in church, in mosques, in temples, some in prostration, others in meditation, and so on.... But somehow everyone of us believe that Energy/God exists and it is within us...
   
   I personally believe we don't need a shrine to talk with him or to stay connected with Him... He listens even when we don't speak...  He gives even to those who can't cup their hands for prayers....
   
   I believe Meditation helps to create self-love and acceptance. Only with self-love will you be able to be your true self and experience true happiness. I also do meditation I am not against of it In my opinion, you can't even love God if you don't first love yourself.
   
   We, the humans, are greedy creatures, and we mostly call Him (God) when we are in pain. We know He is with us all the times, but when we are in pain, we remember and call Him more than usual, in my opinion.
   
   But here's a question: If you don't need a shrine then why do you need a peaceful and serene place to meditate?
   
   I'm aware that Mr. Val does not respond to the forum posts. I'm expecting a hub on this topic. It's not to argue, but rather an opinion in response to his opinion.
   
   Thank you so much, Bredz, for sharing Mr. Val's work.
   
   Blessings to all!

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   1. 81

      Brenda Arledgeposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      Great words Misbah...
      He listens even when we don't speak... 
      
      This is so true & I can sense the energy in the air around me wherever I am.

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      1. 75

         Misbah786posted 3 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks Bredz.
         Sending you Blessings and Love!

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5. 86

   Jodahposted 3 years ago

   Well said, Misbah.

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   1. 75

      Misbah786posted 3 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you so much, John
      Blessings to you!

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6. 0

   Vladimir Karasposted 3 years ago

   Misbah -- Goes without saying, I respect your opinion, and here is mine. Just like a computer is not wired to have emotions, so we humans are not wired to think, know, and believe outside of our created concepts. So we have a concept abut God, love, energy, and the rest. No one knows what electricity is -- we just call it "energy" and use it as a phenomenon which "does" something.
   The concept of God is different in different religions and in different heads. Our beliefs are all our deliberate mental constructs, not a reflection of objective reality. On a quantum level we are mostly an empty space filled a dynamic information which orchestrates life in us. So, in our ultimate truth you are not a "Misbah", and I am not a "Val" -- we are just playing with concepts.
   As for a position that "all human beings deserve to be loved" -- I think differently. My love is selective, I just cannot love human beings like Hitlers, women-beaters, child molesters, dictators...and the list goes much longer.
   John -- I don't mingle with religionists who pretend to hold the bag with universal truth and go normative about what we "should" believe.
   Brenda -- Having a faith is a psychological function of brain which helps us through testing times, and the feeling of it may be just as pleasant as listening to a mellow music, having sex, or eating our favorite food. It's a feeling we evoke, and it helps us psychologically, but does it really "connect" us with divinity -- that's quite disputable.
   Misbah -- I don't need any special place to meditate, and many times I do it while walking on a mall and waiting for my wife who is window-shopping. Meditation is simply a very special state of mind while brain is operating in low theta brain frequency, with the front lobe of brain (with its conceptualizing function) is inactive. Something similar to hypnosis and I am practicing both on myself, so I know.
   It's another story what we choose to ascribe to meditation, to God, to love. Love and happiness should be synonymous, one being almost impossible without the other.
   But, hey, ha-ha-ha, this is turning into a mini-hub, so I might as well zip it.
   Your comments to my rhyme are certainly most welcome, and here -- who said that I "never" comment.

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7. 81

   Brenda Arledgeposted 3 years ago

   Val
   You say it's a feeling that helps when are tested in life, like those troubled moments of hardships.
   
   Yet I feel it's existence surrounding me every day, no matter the feelings I have on a particular day.
   
   It is as good as sex or my favorite food.  It makes you feel warm inside like a soft comfortable blanket when you cozy up on the couch.
   
   It's hard to explain, but it's not a feeling or thought that I conjure up to get me through.
   
   It's part of my being...part of the universe.
   
   I'm sure you sense it & quite honestly; it is probably part of your life.
   
   I doubt that anyone could be as charismatic & enjoy life the way you do without it touching his soul.
   
   That is indeed the "Energy".

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8. 75

   Misbah786posted 3 years ago

   Thank you so much for your response, Mr. Val. I'm glad you say that you can meditate even when you're in the mall with your wife.... That is, certainly, something interesting and energizing..
   
   I'm sure it's a wonderful feeling.... Now I'm wondering why Gautham Buddha left his kingdom to meditate in the forest... why do eastern spiritual teachers advise us to meditate in a calm place.... I believe you can meditate in a noisy environment without a serene setting, just as I believe I don't need a shrine to pray...
   
   At the end of the day... We are all small particles in this vast universe...
   
   I appreciate your kind response.
   
   Take care and stay blessed!!

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   Vladimir Karasposted 3 years ago

   Brenda, dear -- I feel mostly "at home" while I am in the unknown, without giving names to anything of a "higher reality". On a most intimate level I am not even defining myself, it's all experience which gets refined by my practices, and it insists on constant change. Thus, qualitatively, my meditation changes, like in a divine dance -- and in my mind it has nothing to do with a deity, there is no duality of "me-and "him", it's all just experience that is all-including. To me it's even a sort of comical that we conceptualize God by giving "him" a masculine gender of "he".
   I don't need to "get in touch" with anything divine, because I cannot be "out of touch", so all religious routines and interpretations are totally alien to me, together with prayers and the rest. There is no need for me to "believe", I just experience my beingness, whatever it may be, and I don't want to give it any names, which would be wrong anyway and merely playing with my deliberate concepts.
   Misbah, dear -- Buddha knew that people were not mentally disciplined enough to stop thinking -- hence his advice to do meditation at a place where they would be minimally distracted. Mantra basically has this purpose to dull the front lobe of the brain with repetitions, so to quiet down all incessant inner chatter.
   After half century of doing (my own version of) meditation, it doesn't matter where I am, because I am used to giving my inner world a priority over the outside world, so what is happening around me has way less significance comparing to my awareness about how I am processing it all.
   By the way, we can never truly grasp Buddha's motivation for leaving his princehood. He was too advanced to be able to translate it into language of everyday, ordinary folks, so he gave us only an approximation of all that.
   So, here I go again going yuppy about all this, ha-ha-ha, well, we older people sometimes can't find that "Stop" button.

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      Misbah786posted 3 years agoin reply to this

      Great! One more question:  If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it exist? If no one hears me, do I exist?
      
      We're all different, and we all see the same thing from different perspectives... Even truth has multiple versions in today's world. I believe we should all respect and accept one another for who we are.
      
      No doubts, older people are wise, but they have also gone through the same stages of life that younger people are experiencing today.
      
      I believe, it's never about age; it's always about the evolution of the soul. A 9-year-old can ask a teacher a question that can cause her to pause and think.

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      Brenda Arledgeposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      Hey Val...
      That's one of the qualities I love about you.  The ability to be in touch with everything.
      
      Believe it or not...it's a rare quality, which is why others need to connect with other sources.
      You are one with the world.  Awesome!

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    Vladimir Karasposted 3 years ago

    Misbah -- You are referring to that Zen koan which originally asks: "What is the sound of a falling tree if there is no one around to hear it?"
    My answer is: there is no sound, because a cracking tree produces air vibrations which can only be converted into a sound by human or animal ear, or by a recording device.
    But of course, we are all different, starting with our fingerprints and our DNA.   Respect is a tricky word, though. We can only respect others' right to have an opinion, not necessarily what they think. In an extreme that should be mentioned -- a village idiot also has an opinion.

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    1. 75

       Misbah786posted 3 years agoin reply to this

       Mr. Val, I think the world requires idiots. They exist because they are important. History has proven that many village idiots have done some outstanding works. I guess life would be very dull and boring without idiots.
       
       We may label an insane person as an idiot, but guess what: an insane has more guts than a sane and can actually turn a sane into an insane in no time. It was a pleasure to chat with you.
       
       Stay safe and happy.
       
       Take care and stay blessed.

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