Merlyn's Essays


  THOUGHTS  FOR TODAY

    The only prayer you
         ever need is
        THANK YOU!


 Thoughts become things.
   Choose the good ones!                 



                                                  FROM MERLYN,    AUGUST, 2014    

                    I try not to spend too much time talking about things like religion and politics, but
                it seems like both of them cause so much trouble and generate so much interest in
                a lot of folks, sometimes I can't avoid it.  Here are some of my thoughts on one of 
                those subjects, and also on something else that seems to be on everyone's mind.


                                         ECOLOGY, RE-LIGION, AND DOGMA 1
                                               (my karma ran over my dogma)     

                    RE-LIGION;  from the Latin religare, meaning "to bind back".
                                       (re - and ligare, to bind together)    

                    DOGMA:   That which one thinks is true - a positive, often arrogant                                                                          assertion of opinion.

                         The following is a quote from an essay by Lynn White, Jr. entitled
                              "THE HISTORICAL ROOTS OF OUR ECOLOGICAL CRISIS"

                        "Both our present science and our present technology are so tinctured
                    with orthodox Christian arrogance toward nature that no solution for our 
                    ecological crisis can be expected from them alone.  Since the roots of our
                    trouble are so largely religious, the remedy must also be religious, whether
                    we call it that or not."

                                                                       ***

                      I've been fascinated by and involved in the events and circumstances concerning
                the planet Earth forever, if one thinks about it in a "time" sense.  Earth, of course, is 
                not the only interesting thing in Creation, but it is definitely unique in a lot of respects.
                One need only turn one of those powerful telescopes we have on the rest of the orbs
                in your solar system to see that the sparkling blue jewel called Earth is not like the
                rest of them.  The more one focuses on and studies the composition and life-forms
                that make up this world, the more awe-inspiring it appears in all its complexity and
                beauty.  It is truly a treasure, and we are all immensely privileged to be connected to
                it as we are.  
                      For several millennia until this latest one, which began with the Christian era
                around 200 C.E., most of the organized "religions" in the world were based on a 
                reverence for the planet and all of it's inhabitants, whether they were animals, plants,
                or minerals.  Humanity largely viewed itself as an honored guest at a feast, and most,
                even when they were at war with each other, understood that we are all dependent on
                the benevolence of "Mother Earth", and treated her with due respect.
                      All belief systems were either totally or partially based on the premise that there
                was a spiritual component to every visible phenomenon, including the Earth herself.
                If there was a sense of worship, it was directed at the natural realities that support 
                life.  There were many variations on this theme around the globe, but man-kind and 
                woman-kind almost unanimously felt some kind of gratitude to nature.  No-one had 
                yet decided that we owned the place and could do whatever we wanted with it.
                      For some unknown reason, that began to change when the Greek civilization 
                more or less took over the Egyptian one and began concentrating on philosophy
                instead of ecology and astronomy.  Almost simultaneously, some leaders in what is
                now called the "Middle East" came up with the idea that we should be worshipping
                a personified male creator "God" who lived elsewhere in the cosmos, but gave 
                humans this planet to use as long as we would give him the credit.  Somehow this
                notion was accepted by enough decision-makers that they turned it into a mandatory
                religion and began to sell it - by force, if necessary.  Two thousand years later, we 
                now have three very large groups of human beings, each of whom is convinced that
                their take on this original idea is the right one, but they all began in the same little
                corner of the world and found a way to spread the word globally, 
                      I am referring, of course, to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all of which are 
                referred to as religions, presumably to set them apart from other philosophical beliefs
`               The key to the whole thing is this extra-terrestrial "God" who has a plan that we are
                supposed to follow, at the risk of some serious punishment if we don't.  Somehow,
                it seems we have been separated from this Creator, and require re-ligion (literally -
                re-connection)  to fix the problem, and it's our responsibility to do so, or else.  Along
                the way, we have more or less dropped the idea of treating the planet with respect, 
                since our allegiance is now supposed to be to a Father in the sky, and it doesn't 
                matter much what we do with Earth, since it belongs to us now and we're all going
                to end up somewhere else anyway.
                      A wise man once said; "The only true religion is an endless search for the truth, 
                and the man who never stops searching is the only religious man."  If that is true, 
                then it seems to be at odds with those who are convinced that their own particular
                book of ideas, called "scripture", is all the information they need.  Never mind the 
                fact that there are several of these books and we can't really agree on which one is
                right. About 1500 years ago when I was living in Britain, there were still a number of
                truth-seekers who called themselves "Druids" and who practiced and taught an 
                earth-centered wisdom that had been handed down for thousands of years.  One of
                their beliefs was that the truth was better served if it was not put into writing.  They
                taught by word of mouth, because when ideas were put into writing, then it was as
                though they had been carved in stone, and were subject to no further examination.
               Almost as soon as they were written, they became "dogma" (a matter of opinion 
                treated as a fact) and could not be changed. 
                      That, of course, is precisely what happened to the various "scriptural" writings
                used by organized religions these days.  The ideas have become so fixed that over 
                the years, millions of people have been cruelly murdered for simply disagreeing with
                them.  Needless to say, it's difficult to see how simply killing someone who disagrees
                with you could be part of a benevolent Creator's plan.  That defies common sense, 
                and certainly does not constitute re-ligion.  It's even possible to conclude that any 
                idea that becomes dogmatic enough to appeal to the majority is probably 180 degrees
                from the truth, and needs to be refuted.  I am going to propose a new course of 
                education for truth-seekers.  I think I will call it DOGMA 1. If one reverses that 180
                degrees, it becomes I AM GOD.  To appease the Jews, Christians, and Muslims who
                do not seem to want this responsibility, I will quote the Old Testament of the Bible.

                            Exodus 3:13   Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of 
                       Israel and say to them 'The God of our fathers has sent me to you, and 
                       they ask me 'What is his name?, what shall I say to them?"   God said 
                       to Moses; "I AM who I AM" and he said, "Say this to the people of 
                       Israel, I AM has sent me to you.

                      The I AM who is supposed to have had this conversation with the I AM in Moses
                is the same I AM that we all meet if we can turn off our personal ego and stop the 
                incessant chatter of our minds long enough to allow the truth of who we are to speak
                loud and clear to us internally.  That I AM is us.  It has simply divided into an infinite
                number of points of view in order to experience this amazing creation from every 
                conceivable angle.  This "truth that will set us free" does exactly that by super-ceding
                all the dogmatic opinions/beliefs that mankind has dreamed up.  Like all other freedoms,
                however, it comes with a little catch.  The word GOD is really an adjective, not a noun.
                It is the previous Anglo-Saxon spelling of the word we now spell with two o's and say
                GOOD instead of GOD.  If I AM GOD, then I have a built-in obligation to be GOOD.
                Presumably, I would also have a deep and abiding concern for the welfare of all the 
                other parts of my Creation, which are also GOOD.
                      That would also include not only every other human being, living or dead, but also
                every other component of the biosphere we call Earth.  It is fairly obvious to most of
                us that the plants and animals of the world are living creatures, but what is not always
                recognized is the "life" in every grain of sand and every drop of water in this and all
                the rest of the uni-verse (literally - one song).  One hears much from the scientific 
                world about searching for "life" in other planets or galaxies, and much from the 
                philosophers about searching for God.  It is even possible to catch some minds (I AM)
                making the statement that they don't believe in God (themselves).  I have seen where
                some supposedly intelligent educators are using that very intellect to conclude that
                the Creation really has no intelligence but is merely random.
                      In reference to that, can you imagine what is coming from wiser dimensions of this 
                infinite universe?  All the way from snickering to uproarious laughter, I hear.  Sadly, on
                Earth it is not so funny.  We are murdering trees, animals, and people almost as fast
                as we can because of our blindness, and even from my position outside of time and 
                space, we can still hear all of them crying.

                                                                                            ...Merlyn  








                                    LETS TALK ABOUT TIME AND SPACE 


                    For some time now, I have said to you "I am speaking to you from outside of 
            time and space".  Perhaps I should clarify that, and maybe we could begin by 
            defining time and space.  If one looks in a Webster's dictionary for the definition 
            of TIME(the noun), one finds approximately thirty definitions to start with.  Which
            of these am I "outside of"?  All of them, or perhaps none of them.

                Definition #1 begins:  "The period between two events ...."

                Let us just set that aside for a moment, and consider SPACE.

                Part of Definition #1 for SPACE is;  "Distance extending without limit ...
                within which all material things are contained."   

                It appears we cannot really define time without "events", or space without "things"
            (objects).  Perhaps there could be a time when no event happened, and maybe there
            can even be "empty" space, but I'm not convinced that either one of those conditions
            is possible.  In the world of three dimensions (plus time) something is always happening
            somewhere, and if we include things or events that are not noticeable to human senses,
            then "events" are continuous and all of space is filled with some objective form of energy.

                All right then, if space and time are always everywhere, where am I?  The answer can
            easily be illustrated with your simple experiment of a jar full of stones.  The jar is "full"
            when one can put no more stones in it.  Of course, pouring sand on the stones fills all
            the spaces in between them, doesn't it?  Now the jar is totally full, right?  Try pouring
            water in it - where does it go?  In between all the grains of sand, etc.  It's all a "matter"
            of different forms of matter.

                In the realm of finer energies, (Think: high frequency "waves", light, thought, etc.)
            all of them can exist simultaneously in the same time and space.  Technically, I am 
            not, therefore, outside of time and space - merely operating at a different frequency
            within them.  I cannot be seen by eyes or heard by ears while doing this simply 
            because those senses are not designed for the job.  

                But I digress.  To go back to our first concept, "What are time and space?". 
            Here, I believe, is a working definition:

                TIME is the medium in which events are experienced.

                SPACE is the medium in which objects are experienced.

                And  by what are they experienced?  That is the frequency we refer to as MIND -
           specifically, the "conscious" mind, which is usually tuned into SPACE/TIME.

                Since time and space are technically just "mediums", they do not really exist unless
            something is in them.  An "inch" or a "minute" or a "mile" or a "year", or even a "light-
            year is a concept, nothing else.  So how is it that we communicate with each other?  
            In the all-inclusive medium we call "consciousness".  That's really all there is, and 
            every thing and every event contains it (and is contained by it), so the communication
            never stops. 

                Nice talking with you.                                                  Merlyn

                            THE BASIC PHILOSOPHIES ARE BEST EXPRESSED IN LATIN

                                                       I think, therefore I am
                                                                           *  Cogito, ergo sum.

                                                       I am, therefore I eat.
                                                                           *  Sum, ergo edo.

                                                       I think, therefore I am depressed.
                                                                         *  Cogito, ergo doleo.

                                                       I think I'll have another drink.
                                                                           *  Cogito sumere potum alterum


        TASTES GREAT! LESS FILLING!  -  Iucunde sapit!  Minime implet! 
​                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
                                         WHERE AM I COMING FROM?


                    This is Merlyn, and as mentioned, I am speaking to you from
            "outside of time and space".  Perhaps that sounds a little too fanci-
            ful  for some of you, but I assure you that it is not.  You are all present
            outside of time and space while you are still focused in them whether
            you realize it or not.  Where are you when you are dreaming?  That is
            merely a hint of the possible other dimensions that you presently in-
            habit.  There are others - many others, but in order to be aware of them,
            we must periodically interrupt our intense outward focus on the world.
            The physical world of the flesh is very real, very important, and very
            fascinating, but it is only one little sample of our multidimensional and 
            limitless reality.  A wise man once said: "In my Father's house are many 
            mansions". 

                    I am going to present some basic premises that will, I hope, help
            you to appreciate the statements you find in this site. I see the world 
            from a different perspective than many of you, and there are many others
            who are aware of far more realities than I am, so my limitations are also
            restricting me.  That is what makes this amazing creation so remarkable.
            We will never ever stop finding more of it.  Come with me on my journey.
            This is some of what I have found so far:

            * TIME only applies to this 3-dimensional level of reality.  Past, present,
            and future are really simultaneous, and all have an effect on each other.

            * SPACE is limitless.  It only appears to have dimensions and boundaries
            to our conscious, highly focused minds.

            * CONSCIOUSNESS is the only constant reality.  It is virtually a synonym
            for the word "God", and physically it appears as electro-magnetism.

            * HISTORY is only one thread in an infinite tapestry of creation.  There 
            are multiple histories, and because time does not really exist, they are
            always changing. 

            * REINCARNATION is a word that refers to multiple human lifetimes.  
            It is merely one small expression of our multidimensional selves.  We 
            all have many lives, and they only appear to be sequential because of
            our focus in time.  They also are simultaneous.

            * THOUGHTS are electricity in motion.  Because we are all parts of the
            Creative force, we endlessly create our own realities with our thoughts,
            intentions, and beliefs.  (Every single thought by every thinking entity,
            human or not, has an immediate and permanent effect on the entire 
            universe).  On Earth, with our present thoughts, we not only form our
            future, but also alter our past.

           * MATTER is the result of our collective concentrated thoughts. It simply
            has a slower vibration rate, so the constant changes are not as obvious. 

          WOW!  

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                                           THE ABSOLUTE, ULTIMATE ESSAY             JANUARY 2015    

                        How many times have you heard these words?  
            Ultimate, final ,total, absolute, fundamental, always, never, farthest, last,
            best, conclusive, terminal, decisive, unquestioned, indisputable, the end.  
                    We love superlatives, don't we?  Who is the best, the strongest, the
            smartest, the most beautiful, the oldest?  it's all about competition.  Where
            is the tallest building, the longest river, the largest country, the richest man?
            Is there a more popular book in the world than the Guinness Book of Records?
                    Oh yes, the Bible has sold more copies than any other book, right? Does
            that mean that Christianity is the ultimate religion?  There are many who think
            so.  It seems to me that I have heard someone else say "There is only one
            God, and his name is Allah".  Are we really even arguing about who has the 
            unquestioned, indisputable, final religion?
                    If we read very much non-fiction literature, we inevitably discover that
            even the most thoughtful and open-minded authors will, sooner or later, make
            a definite statement of what they see as a fundamental truth - the bottom
            line.  It seems we desperately need limits.  If we can't find any, we invent them.
            Some scientist/astronomers have even decided that we can measure the uni-
            verse in light years and find the edge of it.  Maybe the next move would be to
            discover some more universes and begin discussing which one is the biggest
            one.  "Universe Wars" - another great movie series.
                    Just for the sake of conversation, let us imagine that there are "other 
            universes" (an oxymoron) that are somehow outside of the one we live in. 
            If so, how would we go about finding them?  Wouldn't we begin to suspect
            that just maybe there really are no limits to be found?  If there are no limits,
            what does that say about words like "ultimate", "final", and "total"?

                            ...  self is a sea boundless and measureless.  Say not,                                                 "I have found the truth", but rather, "I have found truth".  
                                                                          ...   Kahlil Gibran 

                    Was Gibran right?  Is the truth really measureless?  What is so upsetting
            about that idea that we are constantly trying to avoid it?  Are we so desperately
            insecure that we cannot accept the possibility that we exist in a reality that
            never stops changing?  
                    Here is a truth to consider.  There is no such thing as the ultimate.  The
            universe has no limits.  Our lives have no limits except those we assign to them.
            That is not a curse.  It is a fantastic blessing.  If it is even partially true that the
            controlling factors of our reality are our individual and collective imaginations,
            shouldn't we be ecstatic?  
                    Alright, if we admit that there is not one truth, but many, then we must
            also consider the possibility that we are limited in countless ways.  That is 
            another possible truth.  How about this?  The first truth applies to you, and 
            the second one to me.  Maybe there is a different set of truths for each of us.
            If you could select the rules and regulations that were true for your life, what
            would you prefer?  I know what I would choose.
                    I would choose to live in a reality with endless possibilities.  I would 
            choose to experience a universe that constantly surprises because it is always
            changing.  I would choose to be aware of my internal connection to the un-
            limited creative force behind it all.  I would choose a truth that tells me I can
            make my own reality with my core beliefs and my intentions.  I would choose
            to know a Creator that is personal, impersonal, benevolent, and who exists
            within the whole physical and non-physical creation of which I am an active,
            creative part.
                    Those would be my choices.  What are yours?
                    The next time we hear or read of someone making a statement either
            orally or in writing that claims to be the final truth about anything, maybe we
            should stop right there and question it.  The truth, like the rest of creation, 
            just might be a living thing, which means it doesn't have to stay the same. 
            It also means that there is probably more to it than meets the eye.
                    One of the most glaring and egotistical uses of superlatives occurs 
            often in descriptions of human history.  Many writers have concluded and 
            stated very firmly that the present state of human society is the highest form
            of physical life ever created.  They use no qualifying phrases like "to the best
            of our knowledge", or "as far as we have yet determined".  No, they simply
            affirm that mankind has reached the pinnacle of social and intellectual 
            development.
                    Unbelievable!  Even the imaginative science fiction writers can conceive
            of higher "life forms" by the dozen.  If we look objectively at the sorry state of
            human politics, we are hard pressed to see homo sapiens as even equal to the
            animals, let alone superior.  Thanks to Charles Darwin, the scientific world has
            become locked into the idea that human development can be measured by
            the growth from one-celled creatures into the amazing human body and brain,
            and that the process has been linear, to boot.
                    We read phrases like "there has never been a society as technically 
            developed as ours", or "primitive man did not understand the world like we do",
            or " we are approaching the greatest era in the history of mankind".  Our 
            recorded history goes back only approximately six or seven thousand years.
            The earth is at least 300 million years old.  What makes us think that we know
            everything about it?  
                    The notion that man is a biological machine with some sort of nebulous,
            in-dwelling "ghost" has dominated western thinking for centuries.  Finally,
            however, some physicists were confronted with recurring phenomena that 
            simply could not be explained by Newtonian laws, and the idea of "quantum
            mechanics" was introduced.  Quantum theories suggest that the variables in the
            worlds of matter and other energy forms are far beyond any of the conclusions
            of our past linear theories.  Discovering that the energy we refer to as "matter"
            might not even exist until we turn our attention to it changes the whole game.
                    When we are finally forced to admit that the energy form we call
            consciousness is the only reality there is, we will have started down the road
            to a whole new level of human development.  Add to that the possibility that
            "time" does not even exist as we have thought, then all of the ideas of 
            beginnings, endings, first, last, and ultimate this or that disappear completely.
                    Maybe we should just keep an open mind.  Maybe the sea (think: the
            Self, the Universe, Life, the Creative Force, your reality) truly is boundless, 
            endless, and eternally alive and changing.  Wouldn't it be nice to know that
            no matter how good it gets, it can always get better?   

                                                                                    ...   Merlyn                


                       

                                


                                       




                                               ESSAY BLOOPERS

                    The essay form is as old as writing.  That is 
            because an "essay" is just one person's opinion
            on their chosen subject, and humans, even when
            they lacked everything else, have always had
            opinions. Some of the most entertaining opinions
            have been those of school students who didn't 
            really have a good grasp of the language, but
            were obliged to write essays anyway.  

                The following are some excerpts from "world 
            histories" compiled by an English teacher which
            contain some amusing mistakes of the students:

                    _____________________________

            GREECE

                "Socrates was a famous Greek teacher who 
            went around giving people advice. They killed him."

                "Socrates died from an overdose of wedlock."

                "In the Olympic games, Greeks ran races, hurled
            the biscuits, and threw the java. The reward to the
            victor was a coral wreath."

                "The government of Athens was democratic
         because the people took the law into their own hands."

                "There were no wars in Greece, as the mountains
            were so high that they couldn't climb over to see 
            what their neighbors were doing."

                "When they fought with the Persians, the Greeks
       were outnumbered because the Persians had more men."

            ROME

                "The Ramons conquered the Greeks."

                "History calls people Romans because they 
            never stayed in one place very long."

                "At Roman banquets, the guests wore garlics
            in their hair."

                "Julius Caesar extinguished himself on the 
            battlefields of Gaul.  The Ides of March murdered 
            him because they thought he was going to be 
            made king."

                "Nero was a cruel tyranny who would torture'
            his poor subjects by playing the fiddle to them."

                               ...   More to come,  Merlyn








                                                  MORE BLOOPERS

                                THEN CAME THE MIDDLE AGES                                                                                                                                                                           "King Alfred conquered the Dames."

             "King Arthur lived in the age of Shivery.                                                                                                                                                                                    "King Harold mustarded his troops before the Battle of Hastings,"                                                                                                                                                "Joan of Arc was cannonized by Bernard Shaw."  
                                                                                                                                   "Victims of the Black Death grew boobs on their necks."                                                                                                                                                              "Finally, Magna Carta provided that no free man should be                                         hanged twice for the same offense."                                                                
             "In Midevil times, most of the people were alliterate."                                                                                                                                                                "The greatest writer of the times was Chaucer, who wrote                                         many poems and verses and also wrote literature." 

             "Another tale tells about William Tell, who shot an arrow                                           through an apple while standing on his son's head."

                                                           Isn't history fascinating?




                                                                              THE HOURGLASS

                                                                          What a wonderfully symbolic
                                                        contraption is the hourglass. It 
                                                        consists of two reversible reser-
                                                        voirs - one at the top, and one
                                                        at the bottom.  In between the 
                                                        two is a tiny passage that is the
                                                        functioning part of the device.
                                                        Through this small opening,
                                                        sand can pass at a controlled 
                                                        rate from top to bottom with 
                                                        only gravity to propel it.  When
                                                        the top is empty and the bottom
                                                        full, one only has to invert the
                                                        apparatus to begin the process 
                                                        again.
                We use this appliance to record the passage of a pre-deter-
        mined amount of the magic medium we call TIME, but symbolic-
        ally, the hourglass can tell us much more.  Let us try to substitute
        some other meanings for the components of our glass and see 
        what we can find.
                To begin, we can say that the top of the glass is our PAST,
        and the bottom half then holds the FUTURE.  In order to get from
        the past to the future, the EVENTS of our existence (the sand)
        must pass through the precisely measured  passageway we can
        call the PRESENT.  If for some reason, the sand does not flow
        through this portal, nothing happens, and the hourglass is dead.
                It's important to note that the PRESENT in our little machine
        is the crucial part, because it determines the value by controlling
        the flow of EVENTS.  The PAST and the FUTURE can easily be
        altered by simply reversing the glass, but the PRESENT remains
        right where it is and continues on with its function.
                If we carry on with our analogy by imagining that the 
        hourglass represents our physical life, the sand in the top becomes
        our POTENTIAL and after passing through the present, it becomes
        RESULTS.  Of course, the duration of this LIFE will will be deter-
        mined by how much POTENTIAL is added or subtracted at the top.
        When there is no more potential, the LIFE is finished unless the 
        glass is reversed.  (Re-incarnated?)
                It goes without saying that each of our lives ends up with 
        some kind of results, whether or not they are satisfactory, but if
        we add one more little feature to our imaginary hourglass, the
        whole picture changes.  Suppose we were to install an adjustable
        valve in the center (PRESENT) so that we can regulate the flow.
        That place all the power for our device in the present, doesn't it?
                That is precisely where our power resides.  The valve we 
        use to control the EVENTS of our lives is our BELIEFS and our 
        INTENTIONS.  If we change these settings, the flow instantly 
        changes too, and we can only do this in the present.  When we
        adjust our PRESENT with new BELIEFS and INTENTIONS, the 
        movement of EVENTS actually changes in both our PAST and our
        FUTURE, and if we have improved the BELIEFS and INTENTIONS, 
        then the RESULTS will be better, too.  It's rather amazing, but it
        really does work that way.

                                                         ...  Merlyn







                                                AN ESSAY ON WORLD PEACE

                For thousands of years, man has tried to create a better and more peaceful
        world politically, economically, and/or militarily, and we are now in worse shape
        than we ever were.  We still have disease, starvation, war, and a pending eco-
        llogical disaster.  Obviously, these solutions are not working very well.  We have               tried organizing "religions" to help figure out and fix what is wrong, and now we               have religious warfare where all sides think that "God" is on their side.  This                     doesn't seem to be solving the problem, either.
                What will work?  What will really create the peace and happiness we all 
        say we want?  Read on, and see if there is an answer here for you.  Are you 
        happy with your world?  If you are, stop right here and read no farther, because
        the rest of this doesn't apply to you.  Just go on with what you are doing with 
        your life and continue being happy.
                If your answer to the first question was "no", then there must be some-
        thing you would like to change about your world.  Do you know what you want
        to change and how to do it?  If so, stop right here and read no farther, because 
        the rest does not apply to you.  Just go on with what you are doing, and try to 
        implement the change you seek.
                If you are frustrated because you want to change your world for the better
        and don't know how, keep reading.  You have probably already read a lot of
        written material that promised to help you fix your world, and have perhaps 
        applied some of the suggested methods.  If you are still not happy, then so far,
        at least, those methods are not really working yet.  Let's see if we can find out
        why.
                The first thing we need to do is define "your world" so we know what you
        are trying to improve.   Let's start with a definition of "you".  Then we can worry
        about why you even have a world.  Who are you?  Do you really know?  Don't 
        you think you should?  What chance is there of BE-ing a successful and happy
        human if you are not sure what a human BE-ing is?  This is who you are in as
        few words as possible.  (If you want to know where this definition comes from,
        you will have to do your own research to find it.  These are just the facts.  The
        explanations will be found elsewhere.

                YOU ARE AN UN-LIMITED AND TIMELESS INDIVIDUAL HOLOGRAPHIC
        EXPRESSION OF "ALL THAT IS", WHICH IS THE CREATIVE FORCE IN ITS 
        ENTIRETY.  YOU ARE CURRENTLY FOCUSING SOME OF YOUR ENERGY IN A 
        MIND AND A BODY TO EXPERIENCE AND TO CREATE ON THIS LEVEL.  YOU
        ARE NOT JUST A BODY OR A MIND - THEY ARE MERELY TOOLS THAT "YOU"
        ARE TEMPORARILY USING FOR THIS EXPERIENCE.

                Let's call you your "SELF".  (Superhuman Experiential Living Force)
        If you are unable to accept this definition of who you are, you may as well stop
        here and do your homework until you can accept it, because you won't make
        much more progress until you do.
                Okay, are we ready to move on?  Now that you are sure who you are, we
        can start working on your world so you're happy with it.  The next thing we need
        to decide is whether you want long-term happiness or if you're willing to settle
        for temporary ease and comfort.  If you go for the short-term happiness, you 
        have to realize that it comes and goes in cycles, so you can't rely on it always
        being there.  Sure, it's advisable to care for your tools (mind and body) properly
        so that they will work for you when you need them, but eventually they will 
        wear out anyway and you'll be replacing them, so your long-term satisfaction
        will only come from taking better care of your SELF.  Remember, you are:

                                            a Supernatural being
                                               Experiencing
                                            a Limited
                                               Focus

                How can you care for your real SELF?  Well, your SELF already knows that
        answer, but it's so interesting we're going to state it here anyway.  It's easy.

           Step 1.  Realize that:  everyone else is the same kind of SELF as you.
           Step 2.  Realize that:  all these SELVES are part of the ONE creative force.
           Step 3.  Realize that:  this means we are ALL ONE SELF.

                So to take care of your SELF, all you have to do is take care of as many 
        other SELVES as you can, because they are you.  Start spreading the peace 
        and happiness you want everywhere and watch it come back to you by natural
        law.  Is that not the answer you were looking for?  If everyone did that every 
        day, starting today, would not most of the world's unhappiness begin to 
        disappear overnight?  What are you waiting for?  BE the change you wish to 
        see in your world, and watch how contagious it will become.
                We have nothing to lose, because what we're doing now isn't working
        anyway.  The above approach will have an immediate and profound effect on
        all our organizations, whether they are political, economic, military, or even
        religious, because they will then be permanently repaired one SELF at a time,
        from within.

                                                                        ...   Merlyn



                            




                AND EVEN MORE CLASSIC BLOOPERS FROM KIDS

                                          THE RENAISSANCE

                "The renaissance was an age in which more people felt the
                value of their human being."

             "Martin Luther was nailed to the church door at Wittenburg
                for selling Papal indulgences."

             "He died a horrible death, being excommunicated by a bull."

             "It was the painter Donatello's interest in the female nude
                that made him the father of the Renaissance."

             "It was an age of great inventions and discoveries.  Gutenberg
                invented the Bible."

             "Sir Walter Raleigh is a historical figure because he invented
                cigarettes."

             "Another important invention was the circulation of blood."

             "Sir Francis Drake circumcised the world with a hundred
                foot clipper."

                                 ...    WE'LL TRY TO FIND MORE OF THESE
                                         HISTORICAL (HISTERICAL?) FACTS       


                                                                                                                                                                                                           WHAT'S ON THIS PAGE?

        *  Where Am I Coming From?        
        *  Let's Talk About Time and Space
        *  The Absolute Ultimate Essay
        *  The Hourglass
        *  Ecology, Religion, and Dogma !
        *  An Essay on World Peace
        *  Essay Bloopers
        *  Let's Talk About the Future
        *  Let's Talk About POLITICS
        *  Making Promises
        *  A Treatise on Ignorance

        *  THE OCEAN  (A Short Story)
        *  Words Fail Me
​        *  The Charmed Life
​        *  The Gospel According to Merlyn

                Click on the link above to go
               directly to the title you choose.












​                                                                                                                                                  June 2015 
                                                THE OCEAN  (A Short Story)
                                               by Merlyn


                                             CHAPTER ONE

              Once upon a time there was an ocean.  No - wait a minute - once, when
        there was no time, there was an ocean.  And like most oceans, this ocean was
        really big.  I mean, REALLY big.  It wasn't just any old ocean, though.  This                 ocean was the only thing there was - there wasn't anything else!  
                How could that be?  An ocean has to have shores, doesn't it?  Maybe.
        Maybe not.  Maybe shores weren't invented yet.  The truth is, it didn't even
        look like an ocean.  It wasn't made of water.  Guess what it was made of.
        It was made of LIGHT.   Bright, beautiful light, with every color of the rain-
        bow in it - and colors that aren't even in the rainbow.  It was awesome!
        And do you know what else it was?  It was alive.  It was aware of itself.  It
        knew what it was, and it could think - about anything!
                Boy, did it think.  It thought about things we can't even imagine.  It 
        wasn't doing anything, though, just thinking.  So what happened?  What 
        happens to you when you just sit and think too long?  You get bored, don't
        you?  Well, so did this ocean/light. It got bored.
                Then what happened?  Well, it thought, "Maybe if I just did something -
        anything at all, then I wouldn't be bored anymore.  Hmm, what shall I do?
        Let's see - what could I do?  Why, I can do anything I want to do.  There's 
        only me, and I am ever so powerful, there's no limit to what I could do.  So
        what do I want to do?  I'll think about it."   So it thought and thought and
        thought about it.
                Finally, it said: "You know, I'm really Good - really, really Good.  So
        I want to do something that's Good - just like me.  I'm going to make some-
        thing - maybe a lot of things, and they will all be Good things, because I don't
        know how to do anything else.  I'm going to use all this power I have that 
        makes me feel so Good -- I think I'll call it Love - that will be my power, and
        everything that I make will be made out of it, just like me."
                So the ocean that looks like light huffed and puffed and gathered up all
        the love power it could manage - and made something.  Do you know what
        it made?  You don't?  Neither do I.  Actually, the ocean/light didn't know     
        what it was, either.  There had never been anything like it before, so the light
        didn't know what to call it.  It said, "It's still Me - and it looks just like me, too.
        I don't know if I've made anything at all.  Now what shall I do?"

​                                                                                                                                                                                               CHAPTER TWO

                So our beautiful light/ocean started thinking again.  And it thought and
        thought and thought.  At last it thought: "I've got it!  I know what the problem
        is.  I'm all by myself, and everything I make is still Me.  Why don't I make a
        whole lot of things that don't even know they are me - and I'll pretend they're
        not Me, too.  That way, I won't be alone anymore.  What a great idea!
                Wait a minute! Not only that, I'll give everything I make the love power
        I have so that it can make things, too.  Then I can watch and see what gets 
        made without even thinking about it.  And best of all, it will still all be Good,
        just like me.  Wow!  That's a lot of thinking.  -  and I have a lot to do.  I think
        I'll take a rest." 



                                                  CHAPTER THREE

                "Well now," the light said,  "that's enough rest - it's time to get to work.
        Time? What's time?  There isn't any time - all there is is NOW.  I'd better 
        think some more."  So it did.  It thought and thought and thought.  "Okay,
        here's what I'll do.  Since all these 'things' I'll make won't know they are me,
        and they'll all be making things too, it might be confusing when it all happens
        at once.                                                                                                                                          I'll fix it so that it looks like everything they do or make seems like
        it's happening all by itself, and the next thing they do will be by it-self, and
        so on, and so on.  All my little selves will be able to keep track of what they
        do, and I can watch them one-at-a-time.  That's what we'll call it - TIME.
        What a Good word!  Oh, my Goodness!  Did I just say WE?  That's wonder-
        ful.  I'm starting to think I'm not alone anymore."
                That made the light very happy.  It was so happy it started to sing.  That
        was even better.  There had never been any singing before, and of course it
        was Good singing - like everything else the light did.  It wasn't just Good, 
        though, it was miraculous!  Every single musical note turned into something
        else that was just as beautiful.
                Once the Light started making things, it just couldn't stop.  The more it
        made, the more it sang, and the more it sang, the more it made.  And the more
        it thought - and thought - and thought.  And it thought: "This music and the
        things I am making are so spectacular I need someone to share them with.
        How can I do that if I am all there is?  Where are the WE that I just thought of?
                I'm on a roll now - I know what I'll do.  I will create a lot of lights that can
        think just like me, only they won't even know that they are me.  They will be 
        able to think, though.  And they will be able to create things just like me, and
        they will be able to sing, too.  Just like me, they will LOVE everything they 
        make, and they will love their music - and everything they do will be Good,
        because it was made by love.  
                I've had a lot of Good ideas, but I think this is the best one yet.  I'm
        going to make millions and millions and millions of my little 'Lights'.
        I will love them, too, because they are Me, and they will love Me even when
        they can't remember why."


                                                  CHAPTER FOUR

                And so the Good Light thought and thought and thought some more.
        It made sounds to hear, and a way to hear them.  It made beautiful things to 
        see, and a way to see them.  It made things to smell and taste good, and ways
        to appreciate them.  Then it figured out how to make the Love power into 
        some things to touch, and fixed it so the little Lights could touch everything
        and love the way it felt.  
                It made billions of Lights - even more than that - a number so big that
        it can't even be counted.  Oh yes, I forgot to tell you.  The light made 
        numbers, too, because counting things is so much fun.
                It made little lights that could fly and something called AIR to fly in.
        It made some that could swim and another thicker kind of AIR to swim in.
        It made even thicker, heavier stuff and some creatures that could crawl on 
        it - then gave them legs so they could get up and walk.  And on and on and
        on.  There was no limit to what the Light could think of and make.  
                It made some Lights that only needed to think and think like the Big
        Light and they could do everything themself.   Actually, all the little Lights 
        could do that, but they didn't know they could, so they could have the fun
        of learning how, one-lesson-at-a-time.  And believe it or not, everything 
        was still part of the Ocean that looked like Light, and it never stopped 
        being Good.

                                                                                   ...  Merlyn


                (This has been reprinted on our front page in February 2022)                                           ​







                                                                                                                                 JUNE 2015


                                                        WORDS FAIL ME


                " A word is a finger that points at the moon.  The goal of zen 
        students is the moon itself, not the pointing finger."

                                                       from "A Zen Forest"
                                                       by Soiku Shigamatsu   

                Similarly, a religion, however profound or sincere, is still just a
        finger pointing at the moon, the same as a word.  Here is another                            related quote from Mr. Shigamatsu:
                "However wonderful an expression (or a religion) may be, it 
        will be a stake that binds you unless you keep yourself free from it."
                I have added the words "or a religion" to the gentleman's 
        sentence, because I believe that the most difficult test facing the 
        human ego is to create a "religious" path to the realization of our
        true nature, and not be seduced by the path. Every religion in the 
        world, past, present, or future, whether highly organized or not, has
        its enthusiastic adherents.  Most of these are sincere, dedicated 
        people who truly believe that they are on the right path.  
                For each of them individually, that may indeed be true.  Their
        current journey may be exactly right at that point in time for the 
        development of their higher self.  The problem is that many of them,
        when they have traveled the road, are so caught up in its scenery 
        that rather than move on to the next step, they spend the rest of 
        their lives walking back and forth over the same spiritual terrain.
        Real growth slows to a halt as the worshipper becomes more and 
        more fascinated by the finger that is pointing the way, and forgets
        about the real goal.
​               At every point in human history, there have been those who 
        have not lost sight of their real mission, and above and beyond any
        and all religious forms, are committed only to seeking the truth.  
        These people, if they are recognized by a large enough group of 
        their peers, are often referred to as "prophets" or "saints" or 
        "bodhisattvas", depending on who recognizes them.                                              If they are truly enlightened they all have one thing in common.               They are not Buddhists, they are not Christians, they are not Muslims,             they are not members of any of the other hundreds of other world                   "religions".  They are children of the one living Creative force that is
        beyond words or labels.  
                Patanjali, a prophet revered by many Hindus, wrote these words:

                "The causes of suffering are five.  (1) Ignorance of our real 
        nature,  (2) Egoism,  (3)  Attachment,  (4)  Aversion, and (5) The
        fear of death.  IGNORANCE OF OUR REAL NATURE IS THE SOURCE
        OF THE OTHER FOUR."

                If he was right, and I am convinced that he was, then he
        could just as easily have said that there is only one cause of 
        suffering ... ignorance of our real nature.  And if that is true, then
        all of us should immediately drop what we are doing and concentrate    
        on finding our what our true nature is, thereby ending our suffering.
                If the advice of Patanjali does not convince us, since we are not
        "Hindus", then here are some words from the mouth of Jesus that 
        never found their way into the New Testament.

                "Look within yourselves; in His perfection, my Father never
        makes mistakes.  He will point to the path that your illusory 
        personality tries to hide.  Be no longer who you think you are, my
        brothers, for however sweet your dream may be, it is bound to fall
        short of the truth.  Become your essence, and then both the know-
        ledge and the force of the worlds will radiate in your mind and in
        your hands."
                                            ...  and again;

                "Thus, when you speak in my name, I ask you not to establish
        a new religion.  Your world has already known so many of them. 
        They are all shadowed by their dogmas, as are cities by their walls.
        They forget that the earth rumbles and that winds blow.  Live and
        help others to live; feel and help others to feel; think and teach
        others to think.  Do not impose what you know to be true, but help
        others to love the search for truth."

                                                                    ...  Merlyn

                 







                                      Salvete, Civis  -    Hello, from Merlyn

                I'm back, Heaven only knows why.  I suppose I knew all along that it
        would happen, but I kept hoping (and praying too, I must admit) that it would
        not be necessary.  It has been almost fifteen hundred years since I was here 
        last, and there certainly have been a lot of changes.  Technological changes,
        I mean.  Everyone is moving faster, communicating faster, and even multi-
        plying faster, but I don't see much improvement in the things that really 
        count, like tolerance, forgiveness, kindness, character, and that most impor-
        tant quality of all, individual responsibility.  
                   When I left, I thought that we had made some progress.  Some "new"
        ideas had been introduced, like "right makes might", etc.  We had taken a 
        pretty primitive society and calmed it down a lot, to the point where it seemed
        that most people would be able to live their lives and chase their dreams
        without constant pressure and harassment from power-hungry leaders who 
        wanted to own instead of lead.
                Well, here we are again.  Everyone fighting over their own little piece of
        turf, and the organized religions of the world, who ought to be solving the 
        problem,  are still trying to build their own kingdoms and slice off their own
        small piece of the pie.  
                I'm going to try again.  Not with a sword this time, but with a pen.  
        Someone along the way said that pens are mightier than swords.  We shall
        see.  I've had a lot of time to think in the past fifteen hundred years, and I
        have been paying attention to the world, even though I wasn't here in the 
        way that you think of being "here".  If I told you where I have been, most of
        you wouldn't believe me anyway, so I suppose I will just offer some obser-
        vations I have made along the way.  There's a lot to be said for several 
        thousand years of experience.  The last time I was here, they called me a
        "magician".  I confess that I just let them think I was, because I got more
        attention that way.  The truth is, anybody can be a magician if they put 
        their mind to learning how to do things for as long as I have.
                "Magic" is everywhere.  Every new infant that is born is a miracle. 
        Every sunrise is a wonder.  If one but seeks to learn the source of these 
        "normal" phenomena, one will also find the way to perform many smaller
        miracles.  Actually, the only slightly unusual ability I have is that on occasion
        I am able to clearly see the probable future result of what is currently going
        on.  I've spent so much time predicting the "future" that people used to say
        that I was living backwards in time. 
                That's ridiculous, of course.  What I did was simply locate a level of
        consciousness where time is not a factor.  Past, present, and future are really
        simultaneous anyway, so if we know where to look, we can all see into the
        future.  I hope I can be some help to the people who will be on earth in the
        "21st" century.  It should turn out to be more fun than the 6th century was.
                The plan is this.  I'll take a variety of subjects that are matters of 
        universal concern nowadays just as they have always been, and try to shed
        some new light on them.  The form is one that I believe you now call "essays".
        They will be short, confined to one topic, Merlynized  by my view, and will by
        no means be a complete discussion of all the possibilities.  This is a time-
        honored means of communication.  There have been essays ever since the 
        beginning of the written word.  I recall being forced to read them (and write
        them) when I was a youth pursuing my own education.  I will sincerely 
        attempt to make this collection interesting enough so that most of you will
        not require being forced to read it.  
                There are, no doubt, those of you who will disagree with what I have 
        to say on all my chosen subjects.  That is perfectly all right.  The world would
        be a dull place indeed if everyone always agreed with everyone else.  You
        needn't see the world from my point of view at all.  I merely ask you to hear
        me out.  Check your pre-conceived notions at the door, and step into my world
        with an open mind.  My perspective has been widened considerably since I
        have been able to recall several lifetimes on earth, as well as a good deal of 
        what went on between them.  Therefore, you may be somewhat surprised by
        my observations.  If you will but persevere and remain patient with me through
        this whole collection, you may discover at last that your own view has been
        expanded.  
                Here is one of my own favorite excerpts from an essay of my friend
        Aristophenes, who lived from 450 to 385 B.C. (in your terms).

                           "Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may
                                  wet my mind and say something clever."

                                                                              ...  Merlyn
                         

​                  
​                                                                                                                                January 2016

                                      LET'S TALK ABOUT THE "FUTURE"

              Hello again from Merlyn.  I promised at the end of last month to
        offer some thoughts about the future.  At this time of year when all of
        you are making "resolutions" and focusing on the coming twelve months,
        the subject is appropriate, even from an outside-of-time perspective.
        Even if the only time there is is NOW, it sure looks like it's moving from
        past through present to the future when you're focused on Earth, so 
        let's see if we can help solve that riddle.

                            ___________________________________

              fu'ture,  n.   (Webster's Dictionary)

              Def. #2.    What is going to be; what will happen;
                              as, no-one can foretell the future.

                No-one can foretell the future?  No-one?  Never?  Why not?
        Are you sure, Mr. Webster?
                Well, it depends.
        Depends on what?
                Usually it depends on how far into the future you want to look.
        What do you mean, how far?

                Well, look at it this way.  Suppose the business we call "time"
        was a perfectly straight line, and every action or thought proceeded
        forward in one direction along that line.  If something else happened
        that interrupted that thought or action, then it would have to reverse
        itself and come back along the same line, wouldn't it?  That result 
        would probably be predictable, I guess.
                But suppose that time was not a straight line, but looked some-
        thing like this: ...






                                                           ...  looks like a tree, doesn't it?

                What if every action (or thought) started a re-action that almost
        immediately began "branching" off in many directions?  What would 
        happen then if something else intersected that energy and caused it  
        to reverse?  Could anyone predict the result?  
                If one throws a rubber ball against a perfectly flat wall, the 
        resulting rebound is somewhat predictable, but that is certainly not the
        case if the wall is very uneven on its surface.  Who knows where the 
        ball will bounce then?  That is our problem.
                The physical world we all experience is really a vast field of energy,
        some of which has physical form, and even more that does not.  Every
        thought and every action is also made of energy that is projected into
        this field, and to complicate the situation further, the field is not static -
        it is constantly changing.  What are the chances of accurately predict-
        ing the result of that thought or action?
                Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could always be sure that the         
        results of our efforts would always be the same?  In a word, NO.
        That would be a disaster.  True, it is often helpful to know the possible
        or even probable reaction to what we do, say, or think, but without the
        unknown factors in a constantly changing universe, the whole system
        becomes life-less.  The movement we call "growth" is always dependent
        on the variables.

                Wait a minute!  If the future is totally unpredictable, then what 
        does that say about the "laws" of physics, or even the cycles of nature,
        for that matter?  Some of what we observe certainly seems to be 
        constant and dependable.  Doesn't the sun "come up" every morning?

                That's right - isn't it beautiful?  We have this incredible created 
        universe that not only functions like a well-oiled machine, but also has
        so much built-in flexibility that we can somehow change its course by
        just thinking about it.  How is that possible?  Well, from an outside-of-
        time perspective, this is what it looks like.  Apparently, we have several
        controlling forces at work here.
                FIRST, there is the original creative force (mind, consciousness,
        life, God, random activity, the big bang, or whatever else you want to 
        call it) that is so vast and powerful that it is way beyond our comprehen-
        sion.  It is making and running an infinite number of galaxies with un-
        believable precision.  Thankfully, it seems to be benevolent.
                SECOND, This "Creator" must also have the ability to sub-divide
        endlessly into myriad life-forms that seem to have individual conscious-
        ness, even though they must all be part of the same source.  Some of
        them even show up on this little planet called "Earth" with separate 
        "personalities", or "egos".  I guess that must be one more of the 
        characteristics of the creative force.
                THIRD, - and this is what is so amazing.  Every single one of these 
        sub-divisions has the ability to create its own little slice of reality, and 
        can do it individually or even collectively with the other ones.  That's 
        where the variable "future" comes in.  Somehow, along with existing in
        a dependable, rule-driven creation that appears to be separate from us,
        we, as individual "Creators" can still make our own version of the whole
        thing turn out the way we want it.  Talk about infinity!  How many
        individual "universes" are there if each one of us is making their own?
        It's no wonder we can't figure it out.
                Okay, here's one more observation we have from our point of view.
        No matter what it may look like to any one of us at any point in "time",
        the whole process of change never stops working in a positive direction.
        Every single little world in every galaxy, and that includes Earth, is
        constantly progressing outward into a better and better form.  The only
        reason it doesn't appear that way is that while we are focused here, we
        can only see the short-term changes, and they don't always please us.
                From where I sit, it looks like our little planet is about to make a
        quantum leap forward in its development, and many of us will be very
        happy with the result.  Big changes usually cause an uproar of some
        kind, and that's what is currently going on, but these "labor pains" are
        about to produce a new and better world. Believe it, your beliefs matter,
        because you, like all the rest of us, are a Creator!

                                                       Happy "New Year"  ...  Merlyn                        

























                                                                                                                            August 2016


                                                  LET'S TALK ABOUT POLITICS


                    Has it occurred to you lately that the root form of the word
        POLITICS is the same as the word POLITE?  In an English dictionary
        the synonyms given for POLITE are:

                civil, courteous, genteel, polished, refined, well-bred,
                             accomplished, and finished

        Those given for POLITIC are:

                     prudent, wise, sagacious, provident, diplomatic 

                    It appears that if any one person exemplified all of the 
        above qualities, he or she would probably be the consummate
        politician. People like that are usually outstanding no matter what
        career they choose, but often the business of politics tends to 
        attract some who are severely lacking in several of these desirable
        traits.
                    Since the business of any governing body is, or should be,
        the smooth and efficient management of civil affairs so that everyone
        shares the benefits of community life, it is important that everyone,
        especially the leaders, accept this responsibility.
                    It should be obvious to anyone in the "21st" Century that the
        model of government used by the United States of America, while not
        perfect, has certainly been the most efficient one for 200 years. Why
        else would so many from other countries keep trying to move there?
                    In our humble opinion, the key word in America's full name
        is UNITED.  It is unity of vision and purpose that makes society work.
        in my last experience, the "Roman" Empire had existed for about
        1100 years, until it finally fragmented into so many pieces that the 
        sense of unity had all but vanished. 
                    In the current "time" period, more than one attempt has been
        made to join the various nations of the world into one cooperative
        group, with both some successes and failures.  It is necessary that 
        these efforts continue so that humanity learns how to avoid violent
        and destructive conflicts.
                    It seems that there are still some rather loud voices promoting
        the differences among us instead of realizing that diversity does not
        mean that we are not members of the same human family.  Are all the
        instruments in a symphony orchestra the same?  Are all the ingredients
        in a delicious food recipe the same?  We are certainly capable of being
        diverse and united at the same time.  It has already been proven.
                    Those who would divide us are ultimately doomed to failure -
        the instant global communication system has now virtually guaranteed
        that.  What has to happen now is that POLITICAL leaders set the 
        example of one-ness, and and that each individual accepts the
        responsibility of creating it in his/her own world.

                                                                            ...  Merlyn






​                                                                                                                          
​                                                                                                          February 2017

                                    THIS IS ABOUT MAKING PROMISES

                        Very interesting!  The United States of America now
            has a new president who has virtually no experience as a 
         public servant.  It appears that the battle lines have already
         been drawn as to whether or not he was a good choice.  
         Apparently, he made some rather bold and controversial 
         campaign promises to get himself elected, and is now 
         attempting to keep those promises.  We must admit that is
         somewhat unusual, and perhaps it is simply a result of his
         amateur status.  
                    Let's examine one of his attempts to keep his word. 
         He has emphatically stated that he would do something to 
         prevent certain immigrants from entering his country if they
         came from one of several "mid-east" nations in an effort to
         stop some radical Muslim terrorists from taking advantage of
         America's open borders. His attempt to do this has taken the
         form of a temporary "Executive Order" forbidding anyone from
         the named countries to enter the USA.  
                    Maybe this "shotgun" approach was not very well 
         thought out, because it seems that there is a strong back-
         lash from some who already live there, and also other very
         desperate refugees from war-ravaged countries, none of
         whom, of course, are terrorists.  He is now being complimented
         by some of his supporters for trying to keep his promises.

                    Consider this similar hypothetical situation, if you will.
         Suppose there was a good sized neighborhood in some city, 
         and one of its residents was a rather cranky old man who did
         not like dogs at all.  As a matter of fact, he swore to anyone 
         who would listen that if he owned a gun, he would begin to 
         shoot every dog in the area because there were a couple on 
         his block who sometimes barked all night and kept him awake.
                    There were also a few others who heard him say that, 
         and decided to call his bluff by providing him with a suitable
         weapon and some ammunition.  They found out that he wasn't
         kidding when he began to kill a few of his neighbor's pets.
         Well, that created a huge uproar among the local dog lovers, 
         to be sure, and got him in some serious trouble.  Sure enough,
         his fellow dog "haters" backed him up by saying that he proved
         he was a man of his word.  
                    Needless to say, that did not sit very well with those 
         who had already lost their pet, and others who were terrified
         to take their dog out for a walk.  One might say that it is not
         necessarily a good idea to keep all of ones rash promises,
         until most of the unintended consequences are considered.

                                                                ...  Merlyn 







                                                                                                                              January 2017

                                I THINK MAYBE WE SHOULD ALL KNOW THIS


                                        A TREATISE ON IGNORANCE

                        "We are all ignorant in our own way."      ...    Merlyn  

            There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance." ...   Socrates
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             _______________________________________



            Saint Jerome (c.342-420)  ...  "It is worse still to be ignorant of your ignorance"  

          Christopher Marlowe (.1564-1593)  ...  "There is no sin but ignorance."  

            Moliere (1622-1673)  ...  "A learned fool is more foolish than an ignorant one."  

           Johann W. Von Goethe ... Nothing is more terrible than ignorance in action." 

           Sir William Osler (c.1849-1919)  ...  The greater the ignorance, the greater
           the dogmatism.   

                                             ________________________________

           Daniel Webster (New Universal Unabridged Dictionary):

                        Ignorance,   "Lack of (or the unawareness of) knowledge, education, etc."  

                        Ignore,   (from Latin - ignorare - not knowing)   "To pass over or by
           without notice; to act as if one were unacquainted with; to shut the eyes to;
           to leave out of account; to disregard; as to ignore facts."                                                      
                                            _________________________________

                    It is not a coincidence the words ignore and ignorance have derived from
            the same root.  The strange fact is that every single human being, having the
            same origin, is fundamentally aware on some level of the same basic truths.
            Those who appear to be ignorant of these truths have for some reason chosen
            to ignore them and pursue a course of action that produces negative results.
            When enough humans collectively ignore the basic needs of successful 
            existence, the ultimate result is usually chaos.

                    For most of the recent history of the planet called Earth, the reaction to 
            this by those who do NOT choose to ignore the rules for living there,  has been
            to label the ignorers (or ignorant ones) as "evil" and often tried to eliminate 
            them.  Since, as any good parent knows, two wrongs don't make a right, this
            approach has simply increased the problem and hastened the chaos.

                    According to the definition, the opposite of ignorance is supposed to be
            knowledge, or education.  Perhaps it is a form of education to threaten someone's
            life if you don't agree with them, but the system does not seem to be working
            very well so far.  Humankind has been engaged in almost continuous warfare
            for several thousand years, and shows little sign at this date of trying a different
            approach any time soon.

                    Having participated personally in some of those ugly wars, and also had
            the opportunity to witness the long-term results, I am moved to offer a suggestion
            to this generation which again has developed the ability to annihilate most of the
            world's population.  Many who are living on the planet at this "time" are not 
            aware of it, but this has already happened many times before.  It is a distinct 
            possibility again.  Thankfully, it is also possible that enough earth residents will
            awaken to the fact that we are all the same, and continuous warfare is never
            going to create the world we want.  Millions are awakening globally as we speak.

                    Our point in writing this little essay is that no matter how it appears, there 
            are really no "evil" humans who are trying to destroy the world.  The worst acts
            of terror or aggression are performed by those who in their confused minds
            actually believe that their world will be made better by their actions.   They are
            guilty only of ignorance, and the remarkable thing is that in their heart of hearts,
            they all know better.  They are "ignorant" because they are "ignoring" the voice
            within that is telling them they are wrong.  Of course, when ignorance is acted
            upon, the results can be disastrous, so we collectively have an obligation to do
            something about it.  

                    Since the cure for ignorance seems to be education, from an "outside of
            time and space" point of view, I would like to offer some information that might     
            be helpful, if acted upon.

            (1)  WHY ARE THERE SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE?

                    This is not generally known, but the truth is that "homo sapiens", the
            human species, appeared on earth in four different locations at approximately
            the same time, and this was done for a specific reason.  Humanity is basically
            a noble experiment, and it was known that if only one type of human populated
            earth, then eventually the inter-breeding would weaken the resulting blood-
            line and cause humanity to eventually die out.  To prevent this, four different
            "races" having different characteristics and strengths were introduced.  Humans
            were endowed with free will, but it was hoped that they would see the wisdom
            of cross-breeding all four types to create a "super race".

                    We still have these four types, but so far the experiment has produced
            mixed results,  They are, of course, recognizable by slightly different skin color.
            The "black" race was endowed with superior physical skill, the "yellow" race
            was generally given higher intellect, the "brown" race was charged with 
            spiritual insights others did not  have, and the "white" race was to be the 
            organizers and leaders.  In general, we have so far failed to produce the planned
            super race because we insist on focusing on our differences, and the "white" 
            race misinterpreted their leadership gift by assuming that it somehow made them
            "better".  If this information became common knowledge, it could perhaps 
            generate more global cooperation, which is sorely needed.

            (2)  WHY DO HUMANS TEND TO BE SO DESTRUCTIVE?

                    The narrow view that the human species in general is superior to any other
            life form, and therefore is more important to all of creation than any other form
            has severely stunted our understanding of the universe we inhabit.  We have 
            become so caught up in our focus on physical "reality" that we actually began
            believing  that we are highly developed "animals" whose job it is to fully under-
            stand and take over the physical universe.  It may be true that we are on the 
            leading edge of our own little corner of creation, and we have freedom of 
            expression that is not available everywhere, but like every other gift, it comes
            with a corresponding responsibility.  The human experiment is only one small
            part of a much larger group of individual entities, some "humanoid" and some
            not.  What may set us apart is that we have been granted the ability to create
            our own reality with NO limits.  This of course means that all our decisions do
            not necessarily produce a positive outcome.

                    The metaphorical story of Adam and Eve and the "Garden" is about this.
            Having obtained the knowledge of both "good" and "evil", we literally and 
            voluntarily abandoned a perfect and peaceful existence (the Garden) for one
            with wildly fluctuating contrasts. It is more interesting, to be sure, but more 
            painful at times as well.  To correct the situation, we simply have to recognize 
            that it is our own choices that put us where we are, and start making better ones.
            It's up to us to determine how long we take to do this.

            (3)  TWO MORE METAPHORS THAT EXPLAIN OUR SITUATION.

                    Speaking of metaphors, there are two examples of this form which could
            help us understand who we really are, and what to do about it.

            EXAMPLE A.   A professional actor or actress usually performs many roles, and
            the success of these activities is largely dependent on the skills and dedication
            of the performer.  It is important that in order to create a good performance in 
            any specific role, that the actor's attention is totally focused on the present
            character.  That is a perfect example of a human being who is really a timeless
            entity experiencing one role at a time on 3-dimensional Earth.  We are rarely 
            aware of any other roles that are being played in the past, present, or future, 
            since that would make concentration on the current one much more difficult    

            EXAMPLE B.   The timeless "entity" referred to here is often referred to as a
            "soul", and it is really who each of us is, while the human personality we tend 
            to identify with is merely one temporary expression of that soul.  Each soul/entity
            has many of these expressions functioning in an assortment of places and 
            times, not all necessarily on planet Earth.  The relationship of these individual
            expressions to their timeless SELF is much like that of a puppet being controlled
            by a puppet-master who is not even seen by the audience during the show.

                    The miracle of this whole business is that somehow each puppet is given
            the ability to decide what experiences it will have while the show is on.  These
            become an important part of the total soul experience, and in some amazing way,
            actually affect the entire creation.  Understanding how this works is beyond the
            comprehension of most humans caught up in one of their roles, but that doesn't
            mean it is not happening.

                   The great creative "mind", called by many names, that is busily and endlessly
            creating new and more interesting universes will always be far ahead of each
            of our individual expressions of it.  That's the game we are playing.  We are all 
            operating with a different level of "ignorance", and if we ever figured it all out,
            the game would be over.  It appears that is never going to happen.

                                                                                                 ...   Merlyn
​            





                                                                                       ..        

  WIZARDS COME     IN ALL SHAPES        AND SIZES!

​                                            
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     RANDOM THOUGHTS                                                                                                            (on what it means to be a human being.)
                                                                                             ...  Merlyn                

                  At the end of Thomas Sugrue's wonderful biography of the seer Edgar Cayce,       
           which was entitled "There is a River", the last chapter is entitled Philosophy.  The
           chapter begins with the sentence, "Man demands a beginning and a boundary".
           That's true, and it is our collective problem.  We do insist on having boundaries 
           and limits to everything so that we can measure it and somehow understand it
           better.  The difficulties we create for ourselves by this insistence are, if you'll 
           pardon the expression, endless.
                 Many of us have enjoyed the fascinating feeling of swimming underwater.
           Especially in a natural surrounding like a coral reef, there is something magical
           about immersing oneself in a completely different and amazing aquatic envir-
           onment.  To experience this watery world, we merely have to accept the limit-
           ations it imposes for a short period of time.  Those limitations, of course, are
           many, and rather important.
                 We no longer have access to the air that we need to stay alive unless we 
           take some along with us, and even then we only have a short period of time
           available.  We cannot walk, talk, or hear normally anymore, and our vision is
           often severely reduced as well.  Specifically, without electronic help, we have
           almost completely lost our communication with the world above the water
           suface.  Eventually we tire of working our minds and bodies in the modified
           efforts we call swimming, and happily return to the familiar realm of sunlight
           and fresh air.  
                  This is almost a perfect metaphor for what happens when our real multi-
           dimensional self, sometimes called a "soul", elects to dive into the relative 
           world of time and space.  When we voluntarily lower the curtain of our aware-
           ness to focus our new "conscious" minds on the merely three-dimensional
           realms, the shock is very much like abruptly plunging into cold water.  Our
           new infant physical body invariably begins to cry ... loudly.  I suspect that for
           many of us our first thought immediately after our "birth" is, OMG, now what
           have I done?
                  In spite of the narrow view of the skeptics among us, there exists a huge
           body of information, much of it now in writing, about the circumstances surr-
           ounding a human soul when it is not presently here on earth.  Apparently, there
           is a limitless variety of experiences available to all of us, and no two are exactly
           alike (think snowflakes).  However, there is an amazing consistency in the 
           reports that we have about the quality of the reality we have when not focused
           in a physical body. 
                  Descriptions of this reality always contain words like freedom, joy, security,
           beauty, oneness, peace, contentment, wonder, excitement, lightness, well-
           being, harmony, balance, etc.  These are words we might use to describe a 
           place like the one we call heaven.  It certainly seems significant that everyone
           who tries to describe this experience uses the same terminology - it implies 
           that the viewpoint has definite validity.  
                  In order to carry our swimming analogy forward, we are forced to assume
           that the "souls" we are talking about exist prior to physical birth on this planet.
           In our mind that is a far more logical assumption than the notion that an eternal
           entity is created only when a human baby is born.  Even the scientific society has
           now concluded that time does not really exist, so eternity becomes a permanent
           NOW instead of merely a one-directional extension of time.  
                  At any rate, it is not surprising that a soul living in the blissful freedom of
           a heavenly environment would have a big adjustment to make when suddenly
           faced with this world's limitations.  It begins to make sense that we all require
           a growing up period before accepting the responsibility for our own earthly life.
                  This raises the inevitable questions.  Why on earth would we come here in
           the first place, and why can't we remember where we came from?   These 
           questions have been answered repeatedly over the centuries by countless 
           enlightened souls, many of whom have been ignored, laughed at, or even 
           martyred for answering them.  Now, in the century we call the 21st, there seems
           to be slightly more open-mindedness and a quickening global trend toward 
           awareness of who we really are.  It's about time - we're coming dangerously 
           close to destroying the whole game (again?).
                  Wisdom tells us that the limits we encounter here are voluntary, self-
           imposed, and temporary.  The enlightened ones say that we are here because
           we chose to come here, and we are "swimming" in the ocean of time and space 
           for the sheer exhilarating experience of doing so.  The boundaries of relativity,
           like the rules and the sidelines of an athletic contest, are what make the game
           satisfying and fun if we let them. 
                  Like all the self-help gurus have been telling us, "attitude is everything".
           We can jump right in, live in the NOW, try to remember who we are and why
           we're here, and thoroughly enjoy the challenges we call life, OR - we can claim
           we didn't ask to be born, bemoan our fate, imagine that we are victims instead
           of creators, and make ourselves and others unhappy in the process.  It's our
           God-given "free will" choice.  What is the potential result of choosing to be the
           eternal multi-dimensional beings we truly are?  I thought you'd never ask.
                  In the 1970's a remarkable woman named Jane Roberts "channeled" for
           several years an entity who said "I don't really have a name, but you can call 
           me Seth".  With the help of her husband, who transcribed every word, Jane/
           Seth produced a vast and profound body of consistent observations, in writing,
           on the human condition.  It is available to anyone in several books and in book 
           stores as well as on-line.  This is a sample from "The Nature of Personal Reality".
           (copyright 1974 by Amber-Allen Publishing)

                  "The human personality has no limitations except those which it accepts.
           There are no limits to its development or growth, if it will accept no limits.
           There are no boundaries to the self except those boundaries which the self
           arbitrarily creates and perpetuates.  There is no veil through which human 
           perception cannot see, except the veil of ignorance which is pulled down by
           the materialistic ego.
                   That which appears empty, such as your space, is empty only for those
           who do not perceive, who are blind because they fear to perceive that which
           the ego cannot understand.  The ego, however, is also capable of greater 
           knowledge and potentiality and scope.  It dwells in the physical universe, but
           it can indeed also perceive and appreciate other realities.  The ego is part of 
           the personality, and as such it can partake of sturdier, heartier, more vivid
           realities.  The personality can dwell and does dwell in many worlds at once.
                   The inquiring intuitions and the searching self, like summer winds, can
           travel in small and large spaces, can know of actualities that are more minute
           than pinheads and more massive than galaxies.  The power and ability of the
           human personality, in a most practical manner, can be seen as unlimited."

                                                                                           ... Seth

                   If perhaps you are one of those who are not satisfied with channeled 
           information, here are two more examples of the same kind of advice offered
           by different sources.  One is contemporary 21st century wisdom, and the 
           other refers to centuries past.  Nothing has changed.  Those who are aware
           have always been so.
                   FROM THE PRESENT:  A quote from a wonderful author, speaker, and
           modern-day guru named Mike Dooley, who inspires thousands of people daily
           with his personal "Notes From the Universe" at www.tut.com.  We heartily 
           recommend that you do yourself a favor and get to know Mike.  

                  "Admission into time and space requires a belief in limits; a belief that
           both time and space are real; that you can therefore have and have not; that
           love can be lost or found; and that you are what your physical senses show
           you and no more.  
                   These illusions immediately lead you to believe that you are incomplete.
           Yet, far from indicating you are flawed, they reveal your brilliance by filling you
           with desire, igniting your emotions, fueling your passions, and catapulting you
           out into the world where journeys are begun, connections are made, and dreams
           come true ... only to be replaced by new dreams as your divine sense of 
           incompleteness persists.  
                   This is by design.  Feeling incomplete does not make you so.  It's how
           legends are born, giants are made, and history is written.  It's why you're here.
           To ever so briefly escape your true identity as you live with an unquenchable
           thirst that will lead into adventures of grandeur, discovery, and a realization 
           that love is all there is."

                    FROM THE PAST:  There is a treasure trove of knowledge often referred 
           to as Ancient Wisdom, and is sometimes called The Mysteries.  The Mysteries,
           or Mystery Schools, were ancient colleges of spiritual training.  They existed 
           all over the world in various forms from Polynesia, to Mexico, to Europe, to
           China, to what we now call the Middle East, and specifically Egypt.  Undoubtedly,
           the knowledge is older still, but our historical records are incomplete.  
                   The curricula were long (often twenty years), rigorous, and highly motiv-
           ated.  Their objective was no less than to produce super-human beings who
           would be the spiritual teachers and guides of the human race.  This training 
           pre-dates Christianity by thousands of years, and its true objective was to 
           elevate the selected trainees to the level of conscious co-creators of the 
           universes.  The key word in that sentence is conscious, because we are all
           co-creators whether or not we know it consciously.  The only reason that our
           world struggles to survive is because of a majority who tend to co-create un-
           consciously, thus generating less-than-ideal results. 
                    In the foreword of Manly P. Hall's encyclopedic volume on philosophy
           (copyright 1988 by The Philosophical Research Society), Henry L. Drake, the
           Society's Vice President, says:

                    "In the program of the Mysteries, each individual must grow into the
           comprehension of truth.  Before he could be entrusted with the divine powers
           of mind and will, he must accept knowledge as a responsibility to his Creator
           and his world, rather than as an opportunity for the advancement of 
           personal ambitions.  The masters of the Mysteries taught secret practices and 
           disciplines by which the properly qualified disciples could develop the potent
           abilities latent within the soul, and so, come into conscious communication 
           with spiritual realities."

                     So how do we, as Seth's "human personalities", access our unlimited
           potential?  First, by realizing and accepting that it is there, and second, by
           repeatedly directing our attention inwardly to the source of our power.  The
           connection is always there.  It is our responsibility and our destiny to remember
           how to turn it on.  Is there one "secret" that will allow us to open the door to
           our hidden potential?  Probably not.  There are no doubt as many secrets as
           there are seeking souls trying to find one, because each of us is walking his/
           her own path, but there is one attribute we all have that can provide a clue.
           It is a talent that belongs to every child from day one, and grows daily until
           "maturity" slowly eats away at it and renders it ineffective.  It is the MAGic
           we refer to as iMAGination.
                     Why is our imagination so important?  Consider this.  We cannot see
           the end of the heavens.  There are literally billions of galaxies in the heavens, 
           and we will never be able to count them all, but we can imagine them.  We
           cannot see the energy we call atoms, either.  Atoms are really invisible, but
           even if they weren't, they are so small as to be almost beyond our under-
           standing - and now we have dissected them into far smaller components. 
           How can we grasp this reality?  By imagining it, that's how.
                     What are the limits of imagination?  There are none that I know of.
           The term "limited imagination" is an oxymoron, since no matter how vast we
           imagine our multi-verse to be, it could always be greater.  Science has
           postulated the "big bang" theory which imagines our physical universe to be
           expanding at an accelerating pace.  Nobody yet to our knowledge has 
           mentioned that it could also be diminishing at the same rate in the opposite
           direction, but that is equally plausible.  Or perhaps the universe is expanding
           in multiple directions simultaneously, and we are only  aware of one.  Who
           can prove this is not so?  
                    How many realities can you imagine? The final chapter of the book I 
          mentioned at the beginning of this article (There is a River) makes it clear that
          all of man's philosophies combined are not large enough to begin to explain
          our reality, which has no beginning, ending, or boundaries.  And the beauty of
          it is that we are all participating in its ongoing creation.  
                    Let me offer a gift left for us by Jane Roberts in 1979.  In addition to 
          being a channel for Seth, Jane was also a gifted author and poet.

                                    What magicians we all are, 
                                    Turning darkness into light, 
                                    Transforming invisible atoms 
                                    Into the dazzling theater of the world.
                                    Pulling objects
                                    (people as well as rabbits)
                                    Out of secret microscopic closets;
                                    Turning winter into summer, 
                                    Making a palmful of moments
                                    Disappear through time's trap door.

                                    We learned the methods
                                    So long ago
                                    That they're unconscious
                                    And we've hypnotized ourselves
                                    Into believing that we're the audience,
                                    So I wonder where we served 
                                    Our apprenticeship.
                                    Under what master magician did we learn
                                    To form reality
                                    So smoothly that we forgot to tell ourselves 
                                    The secret.

                                                                                                                                                                    January 2018


                        We have many times mentioned the fact that our lives are created by our beliefs and our                         intentions.  There is an interesting on-line organization calling itself "The Intenders of the
             Highest Good"  (office@intenders.com)  Their newsletter for January 2018 has a message
             we would like to share on our site.  It strikes me that this intention would be beneficial if it
             was adopted by everyone from the U.S. president on down.  What do you think?

                                                                                                            ...  Merlyn

                                         ______________________________________

            The President's Intention Circle

            The President and all his people stood in a large circle on the lawn, holding hands.  In the 
            circle this day were cabinet members, staff members and congressional leaders from both
            parties, as well as the President's immediate family.  All went quiet as a tall stranger on the
            east side of the circle welcomed the group.  This man was a non-political, non-sectarian,
            figure who emanated a personal power that was perhaps even more magnetic than the 
            President's.  As he spoke, a hush fell over the gathering.

            "Today, we do something new," he said.  "Today, we invite the Highest Good into our world
            and into our lives.  Today, we abandon the old manipulative ways of manifesting our wants
            and needs.  No longer will we resort to the Skull and Bones, Bohemian Grove methods for
            invoking dark idols for the purpose of advancing our own personal motivations.  Instead, we
            stand here today to make intentions as One dedicated to the Highest Good for all mankind."

            You could hear a pin drop as all intention was riveted on this strange, powerful man who
            seemed to glow from the inside out.

            "Accordingly", he went on, "I intend that from this day forward, everything we say and do on
            behalf of this country and the world takes the Highest Good of each and every person on 
            earth into consideration.  Furthermore, I intend that all wars, warmongering and personal
            gain from human suffering stops now and forevermore; that all profiteering from another's
            sickness stops now and forevermore: that all gene-splicing and geo-engineering stops now
            and forevermore; that all man-made weather interference programs stop now and forever-
            more; that all debt is lovingly cancelled and forgiven from this day forward; that all unclean
            environmental practices are stopped as of this moment; and that all current forms of energy
            production are quickly transitioned into the 100% efficient, zero-point energy prototypes we
            have secretly had at our disposal for over 60 years."

            A few grumbles were heard around the circle, but, undaunted, the stranger continued.  
            "Instead of the ways we've done things in the past, now, today, we embark in a new direction.
            With our intentions we have set the gears in motion for unprecedented change, change such
            as our present generation and all generations past could never have imagined.  For as we
            all align with these intentions, we open the gate for Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
            to return to all mankind."

            He paused momentarily to look at the crowd and gauge their reactions.  No one stirred.

            "With these intentions we will create a world where all men and women are free and un-
            encumbered; where all men and women are truly equal in the eyes of one and all; where
            all people will know that they can live their lives out without it being interrupted or inter-            
            fered with by anyone anywhere; where optimum health and vitality are returned to every-
            one; where all secrets are brought out into the light for all to see; and where everyone is
            given equal access to all the bounty this world has to offer."

            The grumbling had subsided now because those present had rarely heard anyone speak
            with such power, such certainty.  For these few moments, the President's own power was
            eclipsed by this unusual stranger.

            "This day marks the the time when we have cleared the way for all good things to come
            to our people.  The by-products of our intentions here today are many," he said, "for the
            new direction we take here by coming into alignment with these visions and intentions
            will bring into manifestation abundance and blessing untold.  Indeed, with the advent of
            zero-point energy, all peoples are freed from debt and isolation; with the advent of a 
            clean environment, all people will enjoy good health returning to their bodies; with the     
            advent of no man seeing another as beneath him, equality and true brotherhood returns
            to our world; and with the laying down of all weapons and manifesting mercy toward our
            fellow men and women we step into a world of peace.  This is what we create for our
            children's children here today - a world of freedom, a world of joy, a world of peace that
            gives rise to the greatest civilization ever to exist on this magnificent earth.  With these
            intentions we set the stage for a new direction where we are expanded and filled with
            love for one another, where all people everywhere are free, truly free, now and forever-
            more!  And finally, with these intentions we clear the way for all hearts and minds to open
            wide, for our joy to shine forth from within and for peace to reign for thousands of years
            and beyond!"
    
            Again, he paused and took a long breath before continuing, "Are we all in alignment with
            the intentions made here today for the Highest and Best Good of the Universe, ourselves
            and everyone everywhere?"

            Without exception, the word "YES!" resounded from each leader in the circle, echoing 
            across the lawn, across the city and out into the far reaches of the cosmos.  And the 
            cosmos smiled down on the new light emanating from the earth.  This is what the cosmos
            had been waiting for.  Now there would be peace.

                                _______________________________________________                    


            
    


                                                                                                                                                         April 2018


                                                                    THE CHARMED LIFE


                    The following quote is from the epilogue of a book entitled "The Oversoul
            Seven Trilogy" by Jane Roberts.  The three parts of that trilogy were written
            over the period of 1973 to 1984, and are part of an extensive body of work
            that included twenty-six published books (Amber-Allen Publishing, San Rafael,
            CA) between 1963 and 1997.  Her work was unique, to say the least, and
            very profound.  Any part of it would be a valuable addition to the library of
            anyone seeking to learn more about the true nature of human life.

                                                                                    ... Merlyn

                                ______________________________________


                "Each life is charmed, yours and everyone else's, and you must                            never forget it.  The instant you're born you're charmed, because                            life is a charm.  Each being is charmed into existence in whatever                            reality it finds itself, and given everything it needs to operate in the                        environment.  Your body is charmed, too:  It's a magic part of every-
            thing else;  springing up from all the things you see about you.
            Atoms and molecules go singing through the miraculous air, forming
            themselves into rocks and trees and dogs and cats and people, too. 
            You are magic.  You charm the air so that it thickens into your body
            wherever you are.

                When you want to move, you think the air ahead of you into 
            becoming your body, and the air behind you then stops being your
            body ... all very magical indeed.  You move your arm just one inch
            to the right, and the air to the left one inch stops being part of your
            arm.  But it all happens so quickly, your snatching of the air and 
            making it turn into your body, that you never notice it at all, and
            take it quite for granted.  Which is why it works so well, you see.

                But your life is charmed.  And there is a secret, a very simple one.
            Really, it's not a secret.  But you have to remember that your life is
            charmed.  People who forget can't use their magic nearly as well as
            they did before, and they have a tendency to get angry at those who
            can.  So, often they pretend that no magic exists at all.  Then they 
            evolve great philosophies to prove it, which is itself magical, of
            course.  But they can't see that, because they're so convinced that
            magic doesn't exist."   

                                                                                ... Jane Roberts         



                                                                                                                                                                May 2018

                                                                 A MESSAGE FROM MERLYN              


               This "message" I believe was printed a few years ago on this website, 
          but the world situation is such that it seems to still be relevant.  We
          would like to offer it again this year in case it still resonates with you.

                                            ________________________

                Hello, friends.  It has been a while since we talked.  I have been busy.
            When one is not confined to only that part of this creation that is ruled by
            the limits of time and space, there is a great deal more to capture the 
            imagination.  I feel the need, however, to converse with you who are thus
            occupied to share some ideas that may be of interest, and perhaps expand
            your view.

                It seems there are still some misguided folks on Earth (mostly men) who
            believe that society can be improved with a violent approach, even to the
            point of simply eliminating those who don't share their perspective.  That is
            truly a shame.  It has never worked before, and it won't work this time, either.

                As a small example, we can look at the situation I faced in Great Britain
            some 1600 years ago.  We truly thought that we had a noble cause in our
            attempt to unify a large number of belligerent factions into one peaceful
            nation.  For a short time, it appeared to be succeeding, but do you know how
            long the "peace" really lasted?  About 50 years.  After that, the next generation
            simply went back to fighting, and the only real change was that the means of
            killing each other continued to get more and more efficient.

                Speaking of efficiency, your present society seems bent on setting new 
            records in the business of mass murder.  In the last century alone, you have
            conducted two "World Wars", and several smaller ones that claimed even
            larger numbers of casualties.  (Again, mostly men.)  And the weapons have
            improved (?) to the point where almost everyone lives in fear of mass
            destruction.  

                Of course, you still have zealots who do not require a national cause for
            their mayhem.  Many are content to create only localized "terror" by 
            selecting non-military civilians for targets, and generously include women
            and children as victims.  

                This is not exactly a new problem, however.  Julius Caesar, when comman-
            ding his Roman legions, was known to have massacred upwards of 60,000
            civilians at a time to prove Rome's superiority, but even an 1,100 year old
            Roman civilization is now just history.  Like I told you, it doesn't work. It 
            might make you wonder, if you think about it, why we keep employing the
            same tactics over and over again.  

                From my time-less perspective, I think I might be able to shed some light.
            The problem is terminal short-sightedness.  Any attempt to create a long-term
            solution to a problem, whether it is personal or global, requires one to look
            down the corridor of "time" and consider the un-intended consequences of 
            one's action.  

                When confronting in-your-face violence, it is of course often difficult to
            find this perspective, but that is no excuse.  History shows clearly that 
            nothing else will work.  Violence begets violence, and kindness will  
            ultimately beget kindness.  It is a natural law, and will not change, but as
            long as one chooses to live in time-space, one has to be willing to wait for
            the seeds of kindness to grow.  An immediate reaction of "an eye for an eye'
            will only aggravate and increase the problem.  Look at the record.  Is the
            world a more peaceful place now than it was 100 years ago?  500 years ago?
            1,000 years ago?  When will we learn?

                                                                                     ... Merlyn           







                                                                                                                                     June 2019

             And Jesus said,
          "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."                                                                            ...  Luke 23:34
                    ___________________________________________

                The above biblical quote is a comment from Jesus about the 
            Roman soldiers who were in the process of crucifying him, along
            with two others.  If anyone ever had the right to be bitter or critical
            of someone else, it certainly would seem to be appropriate here.
            The comment "they know not what they do" indicates that Jesus
            didn't feel that way at all.  He apparently thought that they just 
            didn't know any better.  Is there a lesson here for all of us?

                Below is an essay that we wrote on this subject a while back 
             with some of our thoughts on this subject.  I will add some more
             current information shortly that seems might be helpful now.    

                   ____________________________________________



                                                                                                                              January 2017

                                I THINK MAYBE WE SHOULD ALL KNOW THIS


                                        A TREATISE ON IGNORANCE

                        "We are all ignorant in our own way."      ...    Merlyn  

            There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance." ...   Socrates
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             _______________________________________



            Saint Jerome (c.342-420)  ...  "It is worse still to be ignorant of your ignorance"  

          Christopher Marlowe (.1564-1593)  ...  "There is no sin but ignorance."  

            Moliere (1622-1673)  ...  "A learned fool is more foolish than an ignorant one."  

           Johann W. Von Goethe ... Nothing is more terrible than ignorance in action." 

           Sir William Osler (c.1849-1919)  ...  The greater the ignorance, the greater
           the dogmatism.   

                                             ________________________________

           Daniel Webster (New Universal Unabridged Dictionary):

                        Ignorance,   "Lack of (or the unawareness of) knowledge, education, etc."  

                        Ignore,   (from Latin - ignorare - not knowing)   "To pass over or by
           without notice; to act as if one were unacquainted with; to shut the eyes to;
           to leave out of account; to disregard; as to ignore facts."                                                      
                                            _________________________________

                    It is not a coincidence the words ignore and ignorance have derived from
            the same root.  The strange fact is that every single human being, having the
            same origin, is fundamentally aware on some level of the same basic truths.
            Those who appear to be ignorant of these truths have for some reason chosen
            to ignore them and pursue a course of action that produces negative results.
            When enough humans collectively ignore the basic needs of successful 
            existence, the ultimate result is usually chaos.

                    For most of the recent history of the planet called Earth, the reaction to 
            this by those who do NOT choose to ignore the rules for living there,  has been
            to label the ignorers (or ignorant ones) as "evil" and often tried to eliminate 
            them.  Since, as any good parent knows, two wrongs don't make a right, this
            approach has simply increased the problem and hastened the chaos.

                    According to the definition, the opposite of ignorance is supposed to be
            knowledge, or education.  Perhaps it is a form of education to threaten someone's
            life if you don't agree with them, but the system does not seem to be working
            very well so far.  Humankind has been engaged in almost continuous warfare
            for several thousand years, and shows little sign at this date of trying a different
            approach any time soon.

                    Having participated personally in some of those ugly wars, and also had
            the opportunity to witness the long-term results, I am moved to offer a suggestion
            to this generation which again has developed the ability to annihilate most of the
            world's population.  Many who are living on the planet at this "time" are not 
            aware of it, but this has already happened many times before.  It is a distinct 
            possibility again.  Thankfully, it is also possible that enough earth residents will
            awaken to the fact that we are all the same, and continuous warfare is never
            going to create the world we want.  Millions are awakening globally as we speak.

                    Our point in writing this little essay is that no matter how it appears, there 
            are really no "evil" humans who are trying to destroy the world.  The worst acts
            of terror or aggression are performed by those who in their confused minds
            actually believe that their world will be made better by their actions.   They are
            guilty only of ignorance, and the remarkable thing is that in their heart of hearts,
            they all know better.  They are "ignorant" because they are "ignoring" the voice
            within that is telling them they are wrong.  Of course, when ignorance is acted
            upon, the results can be disastrous, so we collectively have an obligation to do
            something about it.  

                    Since the cure for ignorance seems to be education, from an "outside of
            time and space" point of view, I would like to offer some information that might     
            be helpful, if acted upon.

            (1)  WHY ARE THERE SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE?

                    This is not generally known, but the truth is that "homo sapiens", the
            human species, appeared on earth in four different locations at approximately
            the same time, and this was done for a specific reason.  Humanity is basically
            a noble experiment, and it was known that if only one type of human populated
            earth, then eventually the inter-breeding would weaken the resulting blood-
            line and cause humanity to eventually die out.  To prevent this, four different
            "races" having different characteristics and strengths were introduced.  Humans
            were endowed with free will, but it was hoped that they would see the wisdom
            of cross-breeding all four types to create a "super race".

                    We still have these four types, but so far the experiment has produced
            mixed results,  They are, of course, recognizable by slightly different skin color.
            The "black" race was endowed with superior physical skill, the "yellow" race
            was generally given higher intellect, the "brown" race was charged with 
            spiritual insights others did not  have, and the "white" race was to be the 
            organizers and leaders.  In general, we have so far failed to produce the planned
            super race because we insist on focusing on our differences, and the "white" 
            race misinterpreted their leadership gift by assuming that it somehow made them
            "better".  If this information became common knowledge, it could perhaps 
            generate more global cooperation, which is sorely needed.

            (2)  WHY DO HUMANS TEND TO BE SO DESTRUCTIVE?

                    The narrow view that the human species in general is superior to any other
            life form, and therefore is more important to all of creation than any other form
            has severely stunted our understanding of the universe we inhabit.  We have 
            become so caught up in our focus on physical "reality" that we actually began
            believing  that we are highly developed "animals" whose job it is to fully under-
            stand and take over the physical universe.  It may be true that we are on the 
            leading edge of our own little corner of creation, and we have freedom of 
            expression that is not available everywhere, but like every other gift, it comes
            with a corresponding responsibility.  The human experiment is only one small
            part of a much larger group of individual entities, some "humanoid" and some
            not.  What may set us apart is that we have been granted the ability to create
            our own reality with NO limits.  This of course means that all our decisions do
            not necessarily produce a positive outcome.

                    The metaphorical story of Adam and Eve and the "Garden" is about this.
            Having obtained the knowledge of both "good" and "evil", we literally and 
            voluntarily abandoned a perfect and peaceful existence (the Garden) for one
            with wildly fluctuating contrasts. It is more interesting, to be sure, but more 
            painful at times as well.  To correct the situation, we simply have to recognize 
            that it is our own choices that put us where we are, and start making better ones.
            It's up to us to determine how long we take to do this.

            (3)  TWO MORE METAPHORS THAT EXPLAIN OUR SITUATION.

                    Speaking of metaphors, there are two examples of this form which could
            help us understand who we really are, and what to do about it.

            EXAMPLE A.   A professional actor or actress usually performs many roles, and
            the success of these activities is largely dependent on the skills and dedication
            of the performer.  It is important that in order to create a good performance in 
            any specific role, that the actor's attention is totally focused on the present
            character.  That is a perfect example of a human being who is really a timeless
            entity experiencing one role at a time on 3-dimensional Earth.  We are rarely 
            aware of any other roles that are being played in the past, present, or future, 
            since that would make concentration on the current one much more difficult    

            EXAMPLE B.   The timeless "entity" referred to here is often referred to as a
            "soul", and it is really who each of us is, while the human personality we tend 
            to identify with is merely one temporary expression of that soul.  Each soul/entity
            has many of these expressions functioning in an assortment of places and 
            times, not all necessarily on planet Earth.  The relationship of these individual
            expressions to their timeless SELF is much like that of a puppet being controlled
            by a puppet-master who is not even seen by the audience during the show.

                    The miracle of this whole business is that somehow each puppet is given
            the ability to decide what experiences it will have while the show is on.  These
            become an important part of the total soul experience, and in some amazing way,
            actually affect the entire creation.  Understanding how this works is beyond the
            comprehension of most humans caught up in one of their roles, but that doesn't
            mean it is not happening.

                   The great creative "mind", called by many names, that is busily and endlessly
            creating new and more interesting universes will always be far ahead of each
            of our individual expressions of it.  That's the game we are playing.  We are all 
            operating with a different level of "ignorance", and if we ever figured it all out,
            the game would be over.  It appears that is never going to happen.

                                                                                                 ...   Merlyn
​            





                                                                                       ..        


                                                                          January 2020

                An old Cherokee man was teaching his                grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me,"
    he said to the boy. 
             'it is a terrible fight and it is between two                wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow,
    regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, lies,
    resentment, inferiority, false pride, superiority,
    and ego."
            He continued,  "The other is good - he is
    joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness,
    benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, faith,
    and compassion.  The same fight is going on 
    inside you - and inside of every other person, too."
            The grandson thought about it for a minute
    and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf will
    win?"  
            The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one
    you feed."



                                                                                                                                                                    June 2020

                                                          WHAT IS AN INVASIVE SPECIES?

                           Here are three quotes from Wikipedia that will answer that question.

                     1.  "An invasive species is a species that is not native to a specific location, and that                      has a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause damage to the environment,                        human economy, or human health."

                2.  "An invasive species is widespread:  Humans. which can be found on every 
            continent, floating on every ocean, and even circling the skies above can certainly
            meet this aspect of invasiveness."

                3.  "An invasive species has to be non-native." 
                            _________________________________________________

                That is the catch.  Now here is the underlying truth that science is slowly trying to
            determine.  Our little home, which we call planet Earth, is part of a timeless experiment
            in creative frequency which we call the "third" dimension.  By definition, this would
            assume that there must also be other dimensions than the third.  There are many 
            others, as a lot of you already know.

                We who are calling ourselves human beings are really referring to only one small 
            expression of our timeless reality that exists in those many dimensions.  The "third",
            along with the fourth dimension, is probably the only one that involves what we call
            time, and we like to measure time in years, so we try to guess how many years 
            humans have actually been here.  Well, no-one really knows for sure, but even the
            scientists have concluded that it's at least 200,000 years.  Were we somewhere else 
            before that?  No doubt we were, because we are really time-less entities that have
            been around forever.  Turns out we're just visiting here as part of the noble exper-
            iment, and we are co-creators with a "free will" that we have misused.

                Earth has been here a lot longer than that, and was getting along just fine
            without us.  We are NOT a native species, and during  our time here, we have
            certainly become invasive.  Thousands of other species have already become
            extinct under our wonderful care, and unless we wake up soon, so will we.

                                                                                        ...   Merlyn