Ganesh is Fresh!

I was able to catch an interesting program on To the Best of Our Knowledge from Wisconsin Public Radio today on my way home from church focusing on the intersection between Eastern spiritual tradition, religion, and culture with 21st century modernity.

[Ganesh is Fresh t-shirt is inspired by MC Yogi's new album Elephant Power.]

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For more info you can visit the To the Best of Our Knowledge website, or you can click here to listen and download the one hour program entitled New East, Old Wisdom.

Although I missed the first segment on William Dalrymple's new book, Nine lives, on the search of the sacred in India and a report on China's influence and shaping of lives in Tibet, I did catch the segments on MC Yogi and Stephen Batchelor's book, Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist. Although Batchelor's book on rethinking the life of the Buddha is intriguing (and is now on my ever expanding booklist) I found the segment on MC Yogi phenomenal! MC Yogi blends elements of hip hop with Hindu mythology. I don't listen to much hip hop myself and I know the blending of religious imagery with modern music has been done before but I find Hindu hip hop invigorating, or should I say fresh?

Elementary Penguins...

I was late for class. [Expletive Deleted] I finished printing my homework, shoved it into my bulging backpack and started my trek across campus. As I exited the library the only thoughts on my mind was on the quality of the project I threw together last night in the recording studio. At this point I was too tired to care, I just wanted a passing grade.

It seemed everyone else was in the same state I was in, dazed from lack of sleep worried about their GPA as finals inch closer by the minute. We all buzzed by each other solely focused on our own issues unaware that we are all in the same boat. I passed a Rabbi to my left on his cell phone as he chatted away with an expression of surprise reacting to the words transmitted through the air and into his phone. To my right, smokers were inhaling their last few moments of sweet nectar before diving into the massive 4 story library. Ugh, it was cold, wet and I wished I had a bike, but then I wouldn't have met the monk on my way to class. At first I thought he was a former classmate who had recognized me until he pulled out the Bhagavad-Gītā As It Is, a commentary by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. I recognized the text as Hindu as he proceeded to show me a copy. He did ask for a small donation (which I hope wasn't his main concern for passing out copies of the Gita) and I informed him I couldn't at the time (I rarely carry cash). I told him I was late for class and gave him my email so that we may discuss these matters at a later time. The whole exchange took a matter of minutes but I left with more than just a pamphlet.

He seemed to emanate a genuine friendly and kind personality which is rare to find. And his approach to distributing religious literature was far more affective than the preachers from Pinpoint Ministries spouting wrath and hate from their lips. He seemed focused, centered, and showed more attention to another person than anyone else on campus. We all have busy lives but it is refreshing to come across those who will take the time out of their day to even speak to you. I did not catch his name but I hope he will contact me in hopes of dialoguing and developing a lasting friendship. So to my Hare Krishna friend I say peace and blessings be upon you brother, may we meet again.

The Spirituality of Dinosaurs?

My son loves dinosaurs. So much so that we've been watching The Land Before Time daily for the past week. It was one of my favorites when I was young and I hope it becomes one of his. The Land Before Time is a 1988 animated film about a group of dinosaurs, led by Littlefoot (an Apatosaurus), fleeing famine in search of the Great Valley, a Utopian dinosaur paradise.

[Though odd, comical, and completely unrelated, as far as I've researched this was a serious picture that was posted on the Dinosaur entry on Conservpedia and has since been taken down. Read more about Dinosaur riding Jesus here. There is another picture floating around the internet of Jesus riding a Dinosaur that is fake and meant to mock creationists.]

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The Land Before Time is a moving film and has always been a favorite of mine and my sister while we were growing up. It is an inspiring film which teaches young children the value of courage during hardship, the importance of friendship, and tackles the issue of prejudices.

While trekking towards the Great Valley, Littlefoot's mother is fatally injured by a Sharptooth (T-Rex) attack. Littlefoot, distraught at the loss of his mother, encounters Rooter, an aging Sauropelta, who appears briefly in the film to comfort him over his loss. Here is the film script.

Rooter: Hey! What's going on here?

[Littlefoot cries]

Rooter: What's your problem? You're not hurt.

Littlefoot: It's not fair! She should have known better! That Sharptooth... It's all her fault!...

Rooter: All who's fault?

Littlefoot: Mother's!

Rooter: Oh... I see. I see.

Littlefoot: Why'd I wander so far from home...?

Rooter: Oh, it's not your fault. It's not your mother's fault. Now, you pay attention to old Rooter: it is nobody's fault. The Great Circle of Life has begun, but, you see, not all of us arrive together at the end.

Littlefoot: What am I gonna do? I miss her so much.

Rooter: And you'll always miss her. But she'll always be with you, as long as you remember the things she taught you. You'll never really be apart, for you're still a part of each other.

Littlefoot: My tummy hurts.

Rooter: Well, that, too, will go in time, little fella. Only in time.

To most, this may seem as a routine Hollywood comfort scene meant to lighten the mood while avoiding mention of the Big 'G' or even 'G' junior (a.k.a. Jesus Christ). It's short, sweet and, to a child with a short attention span, quickly forgotten. But after taking a course in Religion in Popular Media by the inspiring Rabbi Rami, I can't watch a movie without analyzing it for its religious and spiritual symbolism.

Rooter: It is nobody's fault.

No one (not even higher powers) caused Littlefoot to lose his mother. It is nobody's fault. This is one of the most powerful lines in the film which addresses the loss of a loved one to young children who often seek to blame themselves (or others) for deaths, divorce, or parental abandonment. In a tender period in their lives it is comforting to know that when someone close dies, it is nobody's fault, not even God's. These things just happen.

Rooter: The Great Circle of Life has begun, but, you see, not all of us arrive together at the end.

Here is where we get into the nitty gritty. This can be interpreted as a water down explanation of the Monotheistic afterlife but the phrase Circle of Life implies that those who pass on will return maybe even in a different form, but return none the less as if caught in a circle. The Circle of Life was popularized by the 1994 Disney animated film, The Lion King. In essence, the Circle of Life describes the interconnectedness of all life and that the Spirit shared by all living beings stays intact even after the death of the physical body. This is a Pantheistic (and even Panentheistic) concept which I have found best described in Hindu terminology: there is but one spirit/reality (Brahman), and all that exists has this spirit deep within themselves. Conscious creatures like ourselves can seek out and uncover this universal, cosmic spirit by peeling back the layers of our ego to reveal our Atman, our True Self. Our individual bodies may die away but our core is still intact. Eventually, when we fully realize our true state (according to this belief) we break free from the circle, moksha. There is no 'end' in a circle so one could say that Rooter is describing Pantheism (or Panentheism, although I have yet to fully study the differences between the two). You can even go so far to say that Rooter is a Pantheist, but of course I'm sure the film makers were trying for more of a comfort instead of a spiritual scene.

Rooter: You'll never really be apart, for you're still a part of each other.

Another line that restates that they share the same source (Brahman) but their egos keep them from fully realizing that they are a part of each other. Of course this could all be rubbish and I'm probably making a big deal of out of nothing but I love analyzing religion in film and tv.

The theme of life from death (the circle of Life) is best illustrated in my favorite film of all time, The Fountain, Darren Aronofsky's 2006 sci-fi film about one man's quest to save the woman he loves. I wrote a paper analyzing the spiritual and religious symbolism on the film for my Religion in Popular Media class. It can be found in three parts, here. I plan on writing a new updated version that correlates with my current views.

Although poor old Rooter had a tiny part in the Land Before Time, his comforting words echo throughout the film. No matter what Littlefoot and his friends had to endure they never had to endure alone. This I believe is the heart of the film: though life may be tough at times, there will always be someone there to guide and comfort you.

The Hylian Avatar

I've written in length on the religious symbolism found in Nintendo's Legend of Zelda series, and even though I told myself I would move on I could not help but touch on one more subject: Link as a Hylian avatar. (Even though I say one more subject I may be tempted to continue since there are two new Zelda games coming out this year and possibly next.) In Hinduism,

Avatar or Avatara (Sanskrit: अवतार, IAST Avatāra), often translated into English as incarnation, literally means descent (avatarati) and usually implies a deliberate descent from higher spiritual realms to lower realms of existence for special purposes. (Wikipedia)

I admit I know very little about Hinduism and the following is just my creative view on Link's role as a heroic iconic symbol to Zelda fans everywhere. While Link's main purpose is the role of a hero he also serves the role of an avatar who returns to remind the people of Hyrule the source of their origin and purpose in life.
Note: Plot spoilers ahead.

[A shot of Link's Shield from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]

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Last week my 11 year old brother-in-law asked me what the bird on the Triforce emblem on my wallet meant as we were discussing Zelda on our way into town. I explained to him that the the emblem (click here to view my nerdy wallet) is the Royal Family crest of Hyrule consisting of a red phoenix-like bird and the Triforce. The phoenix wings also doubles as rays of glory and power emanating from the sacred artifact.

I, as well as most other Zelda fans, have probably wondered why a phoenix (which as I recall the bird does not appear in any of the games) would be used as the Royal Family crest. I believe the phoenix represents Link's spirit as the Hylian Avatar destined to return to the land in times of trouble and except for direct sequel titles, every single Link in the series is a different incarnation of this eternal spirit. They each come into the story, save the day, and then disappear into legend. Their main purpose is that of defeating the current evil but they each serve another specific purpose which only Link can fulfill.

My religious studies professor, Rabbi Rami, explained to us that a role of an avatar is to remind us that we are all character's in God's play which consists of ALL of Reality. In Hinduism, Avatars descend to remind us that even though we are characters in God's cosmic dream we are really much more, and we can shake off this illusion (maya) of duality which states that the Self and the Universe is separate. Avatars act as guides to help awaken our Atman (soul or True Self) to this illusion.

The symbolism of Link as an active force against the illusion found in this dreamlike state is best expressed in the 1993 Gameboy Zelda title, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Link goes on a voyage across the sea and shipwrecks on the island of Koholint. After recovering his sword he is visited by an owl which explain to him that he can only leave after awakening "the guardian of Koholint—the Wind Fish who is dreaming in a giant egg on top of Tal Tal Mountain" (Wikipedia). Link fights his way through dungeons collecting sacred musical instruments to awaken the guardian spirit. The Nightmare, the spirit keeping the Wind Fish asleep, explains during the final battle why it is preventing the Wind Fish from awakening.

"We were born of nightmares... To take over this world, we made the Wind Fish sleep endlessly! If the Wind Fish doesn't wake up, this island will never disappear! We would have been the masters of this place...But you had to come here and disrupt our plans! Heh heh! You can never defeat us!!! Let's rumble!"

— The Nightmare

Link, the Hylian Avatar, descends into the dreamworld (reality) to battle the illusion that keeps the Wind Fish asleep, but even as Link fights to awaken another he is unaware that he is also asleep. Once he defeats The Nightmare both Link and the Wind Fish awaken revealing that the entire island of Koholint and its inhabitants were all a part of the Wind Fish's dream.

In The Wind Waker, Link manipulates wind direction with a magical baton called the Wind Waker which is also used to awaken the spirit of guardian sages within their descendants revealing their true nature. Centuries have passed since the gods flooded the land of Hyrule to keep evil from creeping over the land and the inhabitatants have forgotten their ancestry. Link arrives to remind them of their lost past and inspires them to never forget their true potential. In the Twilight Princess, Hyrule is covered in a veil of twilight that transforms the inhabitants into formless spirits and creatures into dark and twisted shadow beasts completely unaware of their changed state. With the help of Midna, a member of a race of magic-wielders, Link seeks out and restores Guardian Light spirits which push back the twilight that has twisted and deformed the land.

Link, the Hylian Avatar, is reborn in the land of Hyrule in times of trouble to help those in need and guide them back to their True Selves. Even though heroes may die they will arise from the ashes in a flame of holy fire consuming the veil of illusion keeping us from discovering our True Self. The hero's flame is passed on from generation to generation glowing brighter with each pass. What will you pass on? What courage will you add to the torch passed on to us? Will you seek out your true nature?

Stranger in a Strange Land: Part 3-Thou art God

"His idea is that whenever you encounter any other grokking thing — he didn't say 'grokking' at this stage — any other living thing, man, woman, or stray cat… you are simply encountering your 'other end'… and the universe is just a little thing we whipped up among us the other night for our entertainment and then agreed to forget the gag."
-Stranger in a Strange Land

[Cover art (by James Warhola) for Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein]

I have recently finished reading Robert Heinlein's cult classic Stranger in a Strange Land and I hope the rest of his work is as good as this. Stranger in a Strange Land is one man's journey from the nest of his birth to the nest of his origins and the fire this young Prometheus brings to humanity. He is human yet he thinks in Martian. He is what we can become if we follow this 20th century Moses to the Promise Land. Only time will tell if humanity will be able to grok Valentine Michael Smith as fully Martian and fully man.

Part 1: Grokking in Fullness
Part 2: Water Brothers

::Possible Spoilers Ahead::

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Stranger in a Strange Land is a difficult book to read and even I have not grokked it completely but one of the main characteristics of the Martian Way is that it appears to resemble a form of Pantheism. In Stranger in a Strange Land, Michael teaches in his new "church" that all that groks is God. They welcome each other with the phrase "thou art God" not as a statement of theological belief but as a statement of unity which is physically expressed through the sharing of water. But if thou art God, and that grasshopper art God, and all that groks art God then who, or what, exactly is in charge of the universe?

From feelings of discomfort to just flat out heresy some here in the West may struggle with pantheistic ideas even though faint echoes of Pantheism are found in Western religions. What is so irking to the West about all reality being equated with God is just that, God can not be a dog doing his "duty" on the lawn or a blind beggar on the street. God must be completely separated from while existing (?) outside of his creation. Humanity is too sinful to be equated with God, and God too holy, either way it just sends shivers up a lot of monotheistic spines. Although I have not read much into Eastern religions the best explanation for Pantheism (or maybe Panentheism?) I've read so far is found here. Basically everything in reality is a manifestation of God with God being the sum of all parts. So the totality of reality, let's call it Brahman (or you can select your own name for God), can be found within each piece of reality but not localized specifically in one being. Tat Tvam Asi (Sanskrit: तत् त्वम् असि or तत्त्वमसि) is the Hindu phrase "that thou art" meaning that the spirit/soul, or the Atman, is identifiable with and understood to be Brahman, the soul of the universe. Michael brings a message of brotherhood, by way of Pantheism, to encourage unity among a very passionately tribal creature, Man. I don't believe, or at least I don't remember, that he goes as far as saying that ALL reality is God but that all that groks is God. So I guess a snake is God but not a rock, that is of course if a rock is unable to grok. You grok?

The heart of the message is unity and as that message is grokked the darker side of humanity begins to dissolve until one does not feel the need or want to commit such atrocious acts against his fellow man. There is no need to save lost souls, do good deeds (no Judgment day either), worship any one god, or even hold any theological or philosophical beliefs. Ultimate Truth is revealed to those who choose to accept the "fire" that Michael has brought to humanity.

We're not trying to bring people to God; that's a contradiction in terms, you can't even say it in Martian. We're not trying to save souls, because souls can't be lost. We're not trying to get people to have faith, because what we offer is not faith but truth — truth they can check; we don't urge them to believe it. Truth for practical purposes, for here-and-now, truth as matter of fact as an ironing board and as useful as a loaf of bread… so practical that it can make war and hunger and violence and hate as unnecessary as…. as — well, as clothes here in the Nest. But they have to learn Martian first. That's the only hitch — finding people who are honest enough to believe what they see, and then are willing to do the hard work — it is hard work — of learning the language it can be taught in. A composer couldn't possibly write down a symphony in English… and this sort of symphony can't be stated in English any more than Beethoven's Fifth can be. (Stranger in a Strange Land, Ch 31. Pg 347.)

It's not a theory, religion, or any other man-made philosophical belief but Truth that man has been searching for thousands of years, at least for those in the book. I'm not proposing that this would actually work in the real world because we don't have any practice like grokking to test our belief systems. We can guess, theorize, and hold onto our beliefs in faith, but imagine if we can experience Truth within ourselves, a truth that is patient, kind, humble, protective, trusting, and always, always loving. It is one thing to believe (which most of us including myself fall in this camp) and it is another to experience Truth first hand.

What I've learned from Stranger in a Strange Land.

As I've said earlier I have not grokked the book completely and I will most certainly continue to learn new things along the way. Regardless of our differences, faults, and issues caused by both, we yearn to ease our collective suffering. Throughout history those who have experienced the Divine have shared their Fire with us, and now we compete with each other to see who's flame burns brighter. We all grok different paths but the differences lie within our own human diversity and our ability to grok them, not in competing Truths. As we journey through life grokking the universe dig deep down into your Atman/Soul and examine your foundation. What is it? Is it Loving? Is it Joyful? Is it Patient? Is it Compassionate? Is it Understanding? Is it all of the above? Is it God? If your foundation causes you to love your brother then look, stare, meditate, and become your foundation. Once we truly grok Love we can not help but become Love.

Happy Birthday Vishnu!

With Christmas knocking on our door (3 hours from now) I thought it would be in the Christmas spirit to include everyone for this joyous holiday. This is also a time to spread love and cheer to everyone we meet. With Christmas being traditionally the celebration of Jesus Christ's birth I didn't want anyone to be left out. So I'd like to send a very happy birthday to the other deities born on or around December 25th:

• Mithra
  
• Osiris
  
• Bacchus
• Attis
• Saturn
• Sol Invictus
• Cernunnos
• And any other Deities that I may have left out