- Summary: The world seems embroiled in chaos and discord, yet in every age there are seers who claim to have experienced Reality as a transcendent state of present bliss.
- I began writing this post with an outline, thinking to add detail later, but if all the detail were added it would be book length, so here is the outline. (The book I wrote on Amazon earlier, is titled “How Do I Find Inner Peace.”)
- People tend to be gullible, driven by emotion to the exclusion of logic. Reason and revelation are not antagonistic.
- There is a wonderful aspect to Mind that is sometimes entirely unrealized. Meditation is very simple. It simply means finding the “off” switch for thought, so you don’t follow every random thought, but allow the mind to be still and present. The Bible states: “Be still and know that I am God.” Having the mind be quiet opens the understanding to ideas that are not finite.
- In Alduous Huxley’s book The Perennial Philosophy, Paul Tillich’s phrase defines God as the “ultimate Ground of all being.” I like that.
- Rather than “Do you believe in God?” the question should be “What do you believe God to be?” One might say “An opiate of the masses” as did Karl Marx, still the question provides a more open possibility to explore the nature of the Infinite. God is the unifying and organizing Principle of the universe. God is One.
- The Yogis have a branch of inquiry called “Gnani Yoga” and I read Yogi Ramacharaka’s books while still a youth. In it he describes that the materialist believes all that exists is matter, yet upon closer observation matter is resolved into energy. I usually think about Albert Einsteins’s famous equation linking mass to the celestial speed of light that made it possible to convert small amounts of hydrogen into very large amounts of energy in regard to matter being resolved into energy. And finally Yogi Ramacharaka describes that upon closer examination, energy is resolved into Mind. It took me about fifty years to understand and actualize that one.
- Belief is fallible. You may be mistaken. We believed the sun rises and sets over a flat earth. Sensory evidence supports this, too.
- There is such a thing as Truth irrespective of belief, beyond opinion.
- Understanding Truth is very powerful. The Master said it will make you free.
- The world seems embroiled in chaos and discord, yet in every age there are seers who claim to have experienced Reality as a transcendent state of present bliss. Zen terms it “Satori.” Yoga calls it “Samadhi.” Christianity calls it “The Kingdom of Heaven” – “Lo, not here or there” “The Kingdom of God is within you.” Buddhism calls it “Nirvana.” Richard Maurice Bucke, M.D., experienced it while nearly freezing to death crossing the Rocky Mountains around 1902, and wrote a book about “Cosmic Consciousness.” He maintained that the human race is evolving from simple consciousness, to self consciousness, to cosmic consciousness, and gave numerous examples. Psychologist Abraham Maslow wrote a short book called “Religions, Values and Peak Experiences” where he described “Self Actualization” and said often children experience it spontaneously. Mary Baker Eddy wrote several books and in the preface to one, dedicated it to “Sincere Seekers for Truth.”
- photo by Pablo García Saldaña
Open Letter to Atheists
Dear Atheist,
I salute your independence of thought, and logical approach to life.
Unfortunately you have been misled, uninformed, deceived.
Deception to be effective, cannot be obvious, hence this letter to open thinkers.
Nothing can be new to a closed mind, but if you are secure in your conclusions, why not consider a new concept, annuit coeptis if you will.
Fairly certain it was Bob Dylan who once observed: “It’s not where it’s at, it’s where it’s not at you gotta know.”
So let us examine what God cannot be. First, God cannot be limited. The most basic description must include the quality of being infinite. This is something of a problem for humans, since our conceptions are primarily based on sensory perception and inferences drawn therefrom, which are inherently finite.
You may wonder why God cannot be finite. This would invite the possibility of more than One. If you observe system engineering, some systems are stable and naturally self stabilizing whereas others tend toward dissolution. Since the universe has an observed long age, there must be some principle to longevity, rather than discordant pieces tending toward destruction.
Even in the material world, we observe conservation or unity of phenomena. Take for example, boiling distilled water at sea level. It is at the same temperature in South America as in Asia. Therefore there must be some consistent principle.
So too with numbers. Even vastly large numbers, such as the number of atoms in the visible universe, exhibit consistency and large numbers can be calculated repeatedly with verifiable results. Consider computer algorithms to manage vast amounts of data, there is consistency. It is not as though there are different parts and pieces everywhere which vary with no predictability. Two raised to the third power is always eight. Using binary digits, they are always one or zero. So consistency implies One Principle, not two or more.
I think the atheist’s disbelief arises from the fallibility of human conception. There have been many, many, conceptions of Deity throughout history, and many clearly fallacious.
But is there such a thing as Truth?
We have touched upon the verifiability of mathematics, music is another. Harmony is an observable phenomenon, vibration levels, octaves and so on.
The interesting, and not so easily seen impediment in understanding Reality, Truth, God, Life as it Is, arises from our observational bias which introduces error.
Error is a variation from the mathematical ideal, such as an aberration in the contour of a telescope lens, where a small imperfection is magnified when resolving distant images.
Our mental processes are subject to error. In fact, we can be so wholly deceived as to believe, experience, and be absolutely convinced of something completely false. Typical examples are the rotundity of the earth “no it’s flat!” The earth revolving around the sun, “No that contradicts the Bible you’re going to prison!”
These are but two examples.
Is it possible to know for oneself? Absolutely. (Pun intended.)
Human thought will not do it, but silence can.
“Fear not. Stand still and see.”
Most thinkers are likely to scoff at the notion of inward silence as unproductive and unworkable, yet nothing could be further from the Truth.
It’s like describing color to the blind, sound to the deaf, Love to the atheist, it’s there, but unknown, because the perceptive mechanism is flawed.
There is an “off” button for thought. Why must one continuously follow one thought to the next? Cannot we be inwardly silent for a short while?
We can.
It usually takes some practice to overcome the habit of allowing one thought then another to dominate our mental awareness.
Abraham Maslow once observed that children often experience “peak” states of joy spontaneously.
I was not one of those. Misery was my default. The world seemed joyless, painful, disappointing. My fifty plus year search ended with fruition, which to explain would be a book not a blog post, still, it is possible to understand and experience the ever presence of infinity here and now.
Paul Tillich as quoted in Arduous Huxley’s “Perennial Philosophy” defined God as the “absolute Ground of all being.” Mary Baker Eddy, whose primary work was dedicated to “sincere seekers for Truth” listed the unified synonyms for God as “infinite, divine, supreme, Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love.”
So those are clues.
The arrogance of infidelity places the individual at the center of the universe, when while this may appear to be so, in Reality we are subordinate to the Whole. The question is to discover its nature and present Reality as fact rather than fiction.
Rot in a box, or eternal Life here and now, the kingdom of God within. Hmmmm.
Sincerely,
Daniel
How to Memorize Bitcoin Private Key Seed Phrases Quickly, Easily, and Reliably
After researching memorization techniques from memory masters, and reading recommended memory techniques I found myself postponing the task of memorizing bitcoin seed phrases for months as just too intimidating, until I stumbled upon a method for remembering bitcoin seeds that is easy, fast, and enjoyable. Once learning the technique, I memorized 24 words in two days, spending only a few minutes each day. Before this, I tried several other methods that did not work, this one does.
Once you learn to reliably store your bitcoin private key seed phrase in memory in addition to secure storage elsewhere, you can import and restore your bitcoin savings from scratch, even if everything else is lost, starting with absolutely nothing, because you will always have your keys with you in mind.
Before recorded history, information was conveyed in ballads and songs, and the method still works today, where lyrics are broken into short phrases.
It is easiest to remember groups of three, so here is the secret: Break each twelve word bitcoin seed phrase into groups of three words, four deep. This may sound too simple, but try for yourself and see how effective it really is.
BIP 39 includes 2048 words as mnemonic devices to represent very large numbers. Here is a 12 word phrase from the center of the list. Your words will not all start with he same letter, but the process is exactly the same:
shoulder shove shrimp shrug shuffle shy sibling sick side siege sight sign
First, apply the super effective grouping by listing words three across and four down. Often bitcoin seed phrases are supplied preceded by a number, because they must be entered in the correct order, but when you actually enter the phrase in a wallet, just use the words themselves separated by a single space.
Remember (no pun intended), memorization techniques are still helpful, and the primary technique is to visualize and experience a strong emotional content with each word to imprint them reliably.
shoulder shove shrimp
shrug shuffle shy
sibling sick side
siege sight sign
Now vividly imagine, and emotionally experience in your mind, a violent bully injuring your shoulder, and feeling the pain from the shove – an abrupt, unexpected action, then being called a shrimp and hurting your feelings. Look away from the words, imagine the scene, and feel the feelings. Create the story of these three words in a way that is most meaningful and memorable to you. All imaginary of course, but something vividly imagined feels real. Understand this may not be the way you would really respond, but we’re learning the words given that secure your bitcoin.
Then move to the next three words. Because you do not know the bully and will never see them again, you shrug, but feeling embarrassed you look down at your feet and shuffle away as you feel shy for not having stood up for yourself. This is a hurtful and impactful experience and it stays with you. Once again, look away from the words and internalize the story and feelings to imprint them upon your memory.
It is easy to move to the next three words, and develop a story about visiting the side of your sick sibling adding details to make it memorable to you. Similarly, you can visualize a siege possibly violent and large, that you are in a position to see safely, that represents a sign that is a kind of unrest particularly relevant to you, so there is a siege within sight that signals a sign of something important, and by stringing together and filling out details, you create something memorable.
In this way, spending just a few moments, it is easy to learn the words given to you.
Then using “spaced repetition” review them periodically to ensure they remain clear in mind and are retained permanently.
What to do if the three words seem unconnected and non memorable? Listen, read, attentively, and carefully, for the following method has been proven, not through speculation but reliable, repeatable, experience.
Patience. Adopt the attitude that the bitcoin protocol selected these words specially for you. Eliminate any mental resistance or doubt, and quietly await a relationship between the words to be revealed to you. Wait expectantly, and you will find it only takes a few minutes, for relationships and images to appear. Often a location will suggest itself and you can relate each word to a shared space. The key is to avoid mental resistance and accept the order given as workable. Then as relationships appear in mind, select the one most appropriate.
Devote a few minutes now – one to five to ten, and you will find you can now retain these bitcoin private key seed phrases in memory for a lifetime.
Sometimes you may find the order of the group of three words changed in your memory as you check against the list, so simply modify and embellish your inner story to more accurately represent the actual order of the words. Sometimes, you may temporarily forget the next cluster of words, so form an image to link the two. If you forget the sibling series comes after the word shy, remember your sibling as also shy for example, to tie the two phrases together in mind. These are just refinements, once you already remember almost everything, to cement them in place. One final tip, go easy on yourself, limit learning to no more than one twelve word bitcoin seed phrase per day. Congratulations! You’ve taken what could have been a daunting task and attained mastery.
If you’d like to know more about finding inner peace please see my Kindle (and print) book on Amazon, titled “How Do I Find Inner Peace? A Step By Step Guide” by Daniel Dreifus.
The Opposite of God
Excerpt: “It is remarkable that humans can believe with the strength of perception and experience that which is completely false, the geocentric model of the universe being a prime example, which persisted in human experience for millennia, and presages the birth from sense to Soul, where the false sense of individuality is sublimated into the True.”
The common view is that material sense and the body represent Reality, but this view loses sight of the Source of all Being reducing it from infinity to limitation.
This (supposed) loss of an integrating Principle gives rise to the absurd proposition that the organization of appearances results from non-intelligence, or random chaos, thus, in one’s experience, annulling wisdom.
OK then, so what is Truth?
Holy scripture relates that God is a “still, small, voice” – could this be perhaps, that gross human, mortal thought tends to elevate self interest and overwhelm the word of wisdom? We think “yes.”
Be still and know that I am God does not mean that the finite is infinite, but that incessant reasoning from observed sense perception to remembered sense perception traps human thought in an endless loop which is escaped through inner silence.
Jesus (widely misunderstood and misapprehended when viewed solely through the lens of human perception as miraculous rather than exemplary) spoke of the Comforter and was titled “Christ.” What is Christ – the white light brighter than the sun that blinded Saul soon to become Paul on the road to Damascus? It is the facility whereby one reflects, expresses, and knows Deity, the divine, the impartation to man that is the light of the world, the light of understanding that illumines all with eternal (as opposed to mortal) Life, actuality, Reality.
It is remarkable that humans can believe with the strength of perception and experience that which is completely false, the geocentric model of the universe being a prime example, which persisted in human experience for millennia, and presages the birth from sense to Soul, where the false sense of individuality is sublimated into the True.
In mechanical engineering, what is it to “true” an assembly? It is to remove deviation, such that for example in a rotating assembly, vibration, or imbalance is minimized or removed entirely, that is to say, perfected.
“Be Ye therefore perfect.”
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It has been cleverly pointed out that the Devil’s greatest trick was to persuade humanity that he doesn’t exist, yet in actual fact, its only reality so-called, is the temptation to accept and believe, to recognize as true that which is false.
The only reality of deviltry is the focus on a limited self to the exclusion of All, which cannot be excluded in Reality but only in imagination.
And now re-read the first sentence, at the beginning herein.
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For more please see: https://a.co/d/f68VhIU
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Apps won’t load after transfer to new iPhone – fixed!
Here’s how I got Apps to load when stuck after transferring to a new iPhone, and certainly I felt much more peaceful after getting everything installed and working perfectly again.
Apple has a wonderfully simple method for moving data to a new phone with Bluetooth just by pointing the new phone’s camera at the old phone and capturing a cluster of dots displayed. Everything then appears exactly as on the old phone. In my case the system software had to update first, then all files transferred.
My problem was that for well over an hour all my Apps displayed text saying “loading…” beneath, with a pie shaped progress image superimposed that never moved or advanced. Tapping over the App icon only caused the loading process to “pause.”
For an iPhone 12 running iOS 14.3, the following step solved it. Press and hold an App that is “loading,” and select the choice to “prioritize” downloading. On the first try, I held too long and every icon began moving, so I repeated the “press and hold” a bit more quickly to select “prioritize this App.” After this everything began to pop into position fully installed, one App at a time. Interestingly, the App I “prioritized” was not the first to install, but one by one, starting from the top of that screen the full App icon popped into view. The I went to the next screen to the right, and they began to load properly, and so on until all were complete in a matter of perhaps five to seven minutes.
Just prior, I had gone to the App Store and downloaded a random App of possible interest, just to be certain I was properly logged in and the downloading process was working. I had also logged out and re-entered my password in “Settings” just to be sure.
If you are experiencing this problems, hope this works for you as well.
Photo by Tyler Lastovich from Pexels
Don’t you understand?
from “My Friend Flicka” 1943:
“Don’t you understand, Ken?
If a person or an animal finds love it’s the same as finding safety.
It’s comfort and friendliness and help.
Everyone longs for it.
And if Flicka’s found it, and yet doesn’t have sense enough to know she’s found it, and goes around being crazy and silly with fear, then … she’d be loco.”
How To Fix Apple (Mac) Mail Going Blank
Certainly contributes to inner peace to get Mail working again, so here’s how.
I’m using El Capitan, hope this is helpful to others.
Occasionally, when opening Mail, the Notifications work, and the Mail icon shows the number of messages, but the screen is blank.
Open System Preferences and select “Internet Accounts”
Go through the Account names one by one and uncheck or deselect Mail. Then close System Preferences and open Mail. You should see a new blank window which did not appear before.
Now just go back to System Preferences and Internet Accounts to check the box next to Mail for each account you wish to enable.
Close System Preferences and all should be back to normal.
Become As Little Children
One of the fundamental distinctions, is the difference between outer and inner knowing.
This is the difference between knowing and perceiving.
Childlike joy and optimism looks without the static of past experience, undimmed by disappointment.
This is an attitude of Mind, not a collection of years.
Even if you did not experience the fresh seeing of childhood as a child, the experience is open to you now.
Living Beyond the Speed of Light
Light is a fundamental basis for our world of sense.
The electromagnetic spectrum is comprised of visible and invisible light.
Living in the world of appearance, virtually everything is perceived at the speed of light.
But it is a representational reality.
Beneath and beyond it all, is the Truth of Being, known directly.
I wonder if this is why video games hold such appeal as participants transcend themselves in becoming immersed. Like Star Wars’ first film where Luke Skywalker in attacking the Death Star had to push aside electronic targeting assistance and perceive directly to overcome blindingly fast opposition.
If you’re a musician you can find an analogy in the difference between practicing technique and playing for sound and perfection of the piece.
In business, setting aside preconceptions of thought, and moving directly into the moment, being whole and present expands your possibilities exponentially and transforms the mundane into an experience of joy.
The intent of this entry was to share a magnificent realization that unfolded this morning, not to promote my book. Still, the Inner Peace book is a compilation of the practices that lead to these insights, so feel free to investigate further there.
Feeling Inner Peace
The feeling of inner peace grows as a conflicted sense of self wanes. So there is a paradox. You need to get your “self” out of the way to admit a larger sense of being, a greater sense of peace and wholeness.
Here are some ways of describing the dichotomy: outer-inner, matter-spirit, seen-unseen, finite-infinite, unreal or temporal-real or eternal. Mary Baker Eddy suggested that Mind cannot be compressed beneath a skull bone.
The Illusion
Our belief in a limited sense of self has been described as illusion, hypnotism, dream. The paradox of transformation is that identity shifts. An expanded “you” emerges only as the “you” that limits awareness fades.
Great Joy
Ever notice how butterflies flutter? They jump around almost as if to say their joy cannot be contained. Could it be they’re just so happy to no longer be a worm?
Imprisonment
Scripture describes one Saturday when Jesus in the Temple got up to read a passage from Elijah about setting the captives free and opening the eyes of the blind. Enlightenment is about releasing bonds and discovering a new way of seeing beyond outward appearance.
Freedom
Here is a personal story about the beauty of holiness and rotten apples. The weather has been very hot recently – around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I had been doing yard work as sunset approached, cutting up tree branches while wearing leather gloves and a breathing filter tending to make things even warmer. The next task was picking up many apples that had fallen from the tree, were turning brown, rotting and attracting little fruit flies. You pick them up one by one and place them in a plastic bucket for disposal.
I realized my attitude could have been human and bitter. “This job sucks! It’s too hot! I’m uncomfortable, sweating! This is a thankless task! Woe is me,” but having learned to live with a quiet mind, none of these thoughts were present. Instead, I began to notice how tiny almost invisible flies circled the apples and seemed to represent the idea that Life is infinite and even the fallen apple is cared for. The sun was setting and the twilight gave an almost other worldly glow. It was a setting of great tranquility and peace and wholeness as I picked up the little apples one by one. It was a scene of such transcendence, beauty and stillness that I was just transported and transformed into great inner joy and peace just to be in it.