1. Introduction
Mon, 01/21/2008 - 16:31 — admin
The crimson hue slowly faded as the sun began its ascent into the early morning sky. As it began to rise above the ridge, dawn's first rays streaked across the valley, illuminating the eastern face of all that lay in their path. As patches of light appeared among the trees and pathways, a lone figure could be seen sitting on a pine log recently fallen from the surrounding forest.
Michael chewed on a long stem of grass and, from the corner of his eye, caught the brilliance of the sunlight as it danced through the trees and came to rest in the clearing. Michael often came to this very spot in the early morning hours, and the appearance of the sun was to him like the arrival of an old friend. He edged his body a few feet down the log and out of the shadows so he could catch the full warmth of the sun's first rays. As he watched the shadows disappear from the edge of the valley, he considered the harmonious ways of nature.
“Every morning the sun rises precisely on time; never too early and never too late. And at the end of the day it also sets on schedule; it never sets at two o'clock in the afternoon or eleven o'clock at night. Day always follows night, and night always follows day. Also, the tides rise and fall, not in a haphazard or chaotic manner, but influenced by the moon, which also seems to follow its set pattern month after month and year after year, they rise and fall in a highly regular fashion. Each year the seasons likewise make their appearance in the same pattern. Summer regularly follows spring, spring follows winter, and winter follows autumn in a cycle unchanged, as far as we know, since the beginning of time. And, on a larger scale, the planets and other luminaries in the sky always complete their orbits at a precisely regulated speed, and over an accurately predictable span of time. Wherever I look I seem to see harmony in nature.”
Three Simple Questions1. Introduction
Let me ask you a few simple questions: Do you exist at this moment? Did you exist five years ago? Are you your body? Most people would answer “yes” to all three questions. But if you identify your body as yourself, and simultaneously accept that you exist now and also existed five years ago, then you have a problem: The body you had five years ago does not exist today. There is a dynamic turnover of atoms and molecules which make up your body.There isn’t a single particle of matter — not one atom — present in your body today that was present five years ago. The body you have today is not the same body you had five years ago. It’s not that the body you had still exists but has now changed somewhat. No. The body you had is gone. That collection of atoms appearing as flesh, bone, blood, hair, and so on no longer exists. Yet you still exist.
Science of Identity Foundation – Siddhaswarupananda
The crimson hue slowly faded as the sun began its ascent into the early morning sky. As it began to rise above the ridge, dawn's first rays streaked across the valley, illuminating the eastern face of all that lay in their path. As patches of light appeared among the trees and pathways, a lone figure could be seen sitting on a pine log recently fallen from the surrounding forest.
Michael chewed on a long stem of grass and, from the corner of his eye, caught the brilliance of the sunlight as it danced through the trees and came to rest in the clearing. Michael often came to this very spot in the early morning hours, and the appearance of the sun was to him like the arrival of an old friend. He edged his body a few feet down the log and out of the shadows so he could catch the full warmth of the sun's first rays. As he watched the shadows disappear from the edge of the valley, he considered the harmonious ways of nature.
“Every morning the sun rises precisely on time; never too early and never too late. And at the end of the day it also sets on schedule; it never sets at two o'clock in the afternoon or eleven o'clock at night. Day always follows night, and night always follows day. Also, the tides rise and fall, not in a haphazard or chaotic manner, but influenced by the moon, which also seems to follow its set pattern month after month and year after year, they rise and fall in a highly regular fashion. Each year the seasons likewise make their appearance in the same pattern. Summer regularly follows spring, spring follows winter, and winter follows autumn in a cycle unchanged, as far as we know, since the beginning of time. And, on a larger scale, the planets and other luminaries in the sky always complete their orbits at a precisely regulated speed, and over an accurately predictable span of time. Wherever I look I seem to see harmony in nature.”