Prelude to Albedo

the One: Why did the chicken crossed the road?
the Other: Because it wanted to know the other side of itself.
the Third: Why, is there more to you than can be seen?
the Same: And are you as shallow as a puddle on the street?!
Reflectivity: You are my mirror!
She again: I am afraid of the darkness!
the Darkness: You are in my possession!
the Moon: I am what I will!
the Sun (to the Moon): Is this possible, my love?
the Stars (to the Sun): And what is not [possible]!?
the Light: For me to fill-up the entire Universe??
the Universe: I was born from Nothing into darkness and
I journey towards the light.
the Nothing: I created all and all is encompassed by Myself. However,
what is this objective that asks so many questions?
the Chicken: To all of your questions the answers I shall find!
the Public: [in silent contemplation]

[ - End of scene - ]

[t h i n k]

A Storm is Coming, Storm of Inspiration! And When It Arrives, It Will Shake the Universe!

“In the eyes of Eternity, mountains are as transient as the clouds.”
Zen

Everything is transient and every thing has an end.
Considering the unseazeable movement and vibration of every particle in the Universe, every thing is born into existence, develops through the stages of its life and eventually returns to a state of nonexistence, at least not in the cosmic realm we are aware of. Whether it is a tree, a crystal, clouds in the sky, biological cells, people, planets or stars.. all is transient. Even the Universe herself has an end, that will eventually arrive. Not in the lifetime of our Sun that is, and probably not in the lifetime of many other stars that will burn around long after the Solar System has disappeared. However, we should not really care about times as distant and as unreachable as this far, not more than a mindful grasp for the imagination to stand in awe for a moment and wonder… then return to Earth and to the now, where we have much more meaningful and pressing things to do.
One thing is Eternal and this is the Creator Force and Vessel of this cosmic reality we exist in.
Later on we will take a glimpse beyond everything we know into the unimaginable reality of God Itself.

Now, let`s return our thoughts to the transient nature of the cosmos and every smallest detail of it. This transiency is so deeply imprinted in everything, that it manifests itself even in abstract things like our thoughts, feelings and emotions, fashion tendencies… Our life and whole human history are composed of transient moments, that give rise to and follow each other. Tomorrow is never the same with today, because it is one step further up the spiral of time, or further down depending on the point of view.

The lifespan of a human being so short, so brief like a spark on the background of the black vastness of space. Despite the physical insignificance of the human being, we are amazing in this that in our short-lived existence we are able to encompass the whole Universe in our minds. There are no limits set to human mind, nor there are to human imagination!

Let`s take a plunge with the powerful tool of your imagination into the vast expanses of this cosmos we live in. Let`s begin by comparing different numbers, so that we give dimensional perspective to the visual model, we gradually create in our minds. To understand the world and your place in it, it is a must that you gather and combine all of the different elements into one big picture, so that you can examine the whole. This formula is valid for the betterment and thoroughness of understanding at large, whether it be the universe, society or yourself.

Developing the capacity of your imagination is an important part in the process of mental advancement. The information we synthesize in the thought process and turn into knowledge does not come to full life as one whole picture until we assimilate and comprehend it through the eyes of imagination!

Let`s begin with a single step. An average human step that spans the length of a meter. Imagine one meter, it is this long (gestures with hands). 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) is the length of 1000 average human steps. For most people, a kilometer is a no problem distance as a morning jog or a walk to work or school. The diameter of Earth is approximately 40, 000 kilometers, so that if someone decides to walk from start point “A” full circle close to the equator and then returns to the same point, he or she will have to make 40 million steps. Which distance still isn`t that much really, because if we take 7 km/h as an average human fast walk speed and divide Earth`s diameter by seven we get 5714, which divided by 24 hours a day is 238 days of constant walking. Of course, these are ideal conditions and in a real trial those numbers would vary greatly depending on a variety of factors.
However, all those calculations are for the purpose to dimensionally guide our imaginations` perspective.
But hey, Earth is a relatively small planet! Let`s take the mighty Sun as an object of size evaluation. Its` diameter is about 3 million kilometers and if some enthusiast decides to make a round about the Sun with a shuttle that flights with 80, 000 km/h through space she or he will make a full circle around the Sun for some 37 hours. Why that`s not bad at all?! And 80, 000 kilometers per hour (50, 000 miles per hour) is quite a fast speed as per average human standards.
Anyway, let`s venture on!

Consider the ultimate limit of acceleration, that is the speed of light (also electricity and radio waves too) this is the incredible 300, 000 km/s, which is around a mere 1 billion kilometers per hour in the frictionless cosmic vacuum. Now this is an impressive speed.

Having the speed of light with us, we can now venture beyond the limits of our beautiful Solar System home. Everyone has heard about the “light year” unit that is used to calculate distances in the huge black expanse of the cosmic vastness.
The light year is the distance that a photon will travel at around 300, 000 km/s for one Earthly year or approx. 365 days (the calculations in this exercise do not need to be exact).
So, the speed of light is 1 billion km/h and 1 year has ~ 8760 hours, thus 1 light year signifies the approximate stellar distance of about 10 trillion kilometers in a given direction.
Alright, imagine now if you make yourself a nice 10 trillion-kilometer morning jog. lol !

Anyway, numbers begin to seem ever more abstract and unimaginable. Try to imagine 10 trillion kilometers (6.25 trillion miles), try to divide it in meters and comprehend the length of this distance. Make a mental effort ! Challenge the limits of your imagination.

The closest star to our parent Sun has the exotic name of Proxima Centaur and is located at about 4 light years away.
Our shiny Milky Way galaxy has a diameter of about 100, 000 light years .. And the closest other galaxy Andromeda is distanced at a mere 2 million Light Years away. That is 2 million multiplied by 10 trillion and you get the distance in kilometers.
And this is still way too small for the farther objects in the deep and faraway expanses of the Universe!

Indeed, the cosmos is a place of staggering and mind-blowing proportions.
So, if you have been able to visualize and encompass these distance, you probably feel utterly lost and insignificant. This is a kind of an emotional indicator for your well doing in this mental exercise. Just think about the fact that your thoughts are reaching beyond our galaxy, while you haven`t moved your but. There are places, where human thought travels, faraway places where human being will never set foot. Ponder that for a while!

As a conclusion, the human being is an amazing creature that lives in an amazing universe!
In the span of our short life, a human mind has the ability to penetrate deep into the hidden mechanisms of reality and expand its` reaches far beyond the physical location of the individual.
For the modest length of a human lifespan, the human mind has the capacity and potential to relive and encompass the whole of Creation and expand the limits of your mind to a level where it seems as if reality itself exists with the sole purpose to be grasped, realized and understood by the human mind.
And this is the true mystery!

There is an utter meaning in this to be homo sapiens, a living soul, self-aware consciousness that breathes and is made out of flesh. The meaning is imprinted in the fabric of reality and is gradually revealed when you explore the hidden depths of your mind, of yourself. What`s more, your mind is a gateway to other dimensions, there are no limits to the reaches of the mind riding on the wings of active imagination!

Travel the Universe, without moving!
Advance your mind, improve our world!

[Please, do read our “Manifesto .. “ opening post, if you haven`t done so yet]

Questions, thoughts and reflections

"... I feel endless torment deep in my inmost self which grasps my soul like a cold gust of frost that engulfs my heart when I see all the sorrow, all the pain, all the tears, all the hatred, all the violence, all endless conflicts that engulf our world like the frost engulfing my heart. It burns of sorrow and melts the ice off of it, and bloody tears leak through my being, soaking my mind.."
Ateviel, October 28, 2006

Why people learn to apologize at an early age, instead of learning not to behave in a way that will require an apology?
Why when we meet something different our first reaction is aggression?
And why when our beliefs are questioned, we always assume defensive positions, without even taking the time to think about what is being said?

Why we overuse the words, so they loose their emotional meaning for us? For instance, we use "love" for just about everything we like and find agreeable - "I love chocolate", "I love pink", "I love this movie" and then we look at the people we share emotional affection with and say to them with the same "passion" that we love them too (almost as much as beer).

As for the opposite emotion - "hate" - things are the same. Just that I want to ask, why do we need to use this word at all? Why do we have to hate?!

Why we need religion to believe in God?
Does God need religion in order to exist?
If we do not think about the Universe, does it vanish?
Why we act first and then think about the consequencies?
Why there is so much discontent, unhappiness and conflicts in the world?
Why the human mind is constructed in a way, so that it prefers ignorance and inactivity rather than expantion of its conscious horizons?!
Why we don`t pay attention to the reasons behind our reactions and behavior?
Why we are used to not think too much and why it is so hard for the ego to overcome itself?
Why do we prefer to be instinctive, and unaware?
And why we prefer someone else to think for us?
Why people behave aggressively and become racists when meeting with different peoples?
And why we need to fill our lives with intrigues, lies, fights, insincerity and problematic relationships?
Why do we always search for the blame only in others and never in ourselves?

And why we read a question and forget about it at the moment we finish reading the sentence, instead of reflect on it and search for the answer and then imply it in our daily lives?

Know yourself is the answer key. You know, in my life so far I came to the conclusion that the ancient proverbs are indeed true. You do get to know other people and understand them much better when you understand yourself. When you understand the reasons behind your reactions, moods, affections and characterological traits.

In the upcoming series of lectures we will search and discuss the answers to all those questions and more that will raise in the process. I wish to share some poetry with you. The first is written in the old Persian Sufi style and the second is a spontaneous product of rushing emotions written in the summer of 2004 and it is an appeal to all those who are love-sick or brokenhearted.

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Look outside and see the morning glory blooming under the inspiring rays of the morning sun.
It`s light spreading across the blue sky, touching the clouds with mild pink and purple smile.
Hear the song of the birds, praising life and the air we breathe.
See the playful dance of the wind with the leaves of the lush trees - green, red, yellow and orange, like the rainbow in the summer sky.
Feel the tranquil rush of the river down the mountain hills, reaching towards the ocean.
Become one with the sounds of the Universe preaching a perfect unity of the whole of Creation.
Each atom resonates with the beat of your heart. Submerge into yourself, dissolve in yourself, fuse with yourself.
The whole Universe is listening to your song, don`t stop dancing, become One.
Fly with the light across every corner of the cosmos, reach each molecule with your thought.
Fire burns within your soul of water, filled with fresh air from the soft Earth.
Open your eyes and see the beauty all around, that fills your being and makes it shine as the brightest star!

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What is Love?
It is the fire within our souls!
What is Hate?
It is the fire within our souls!
What is the difference between Love and Hate?
The difference is that one is constructive and the other - destructive.
But to destroy, you must first create.
Don`t destroy what you have created!
Don`t hate what you have once loved.

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There are two criteria for the utter happiness - a sense of meaning and inspiration!
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This girl is not me, it is a photo I stumbled upon searching for visual material on a specific topic,
but her eyes got straight into my heart - as if they speak to you with the language of the soul, expressing thousands of words, as if you can peer into her young soul. Those innocent eyes of a child hiding much pain, yet a subtle smile is stretching for the photo, after all the smile is an international language that all people understand.