From Cave to Cave

Despite the beliefs and teachings of religion and psychology, impulses are biological and psychic directional signals . . . for expression and development . . . and also to . . . social reality. - Jane Roberts

Seeking answers through scientific inquiry is one of the central activities of biology. Much in life is about adaptations, or adjustments.

Flying

Now, can humans fly through the air without wings and other contraptions? he New Testament further tells Jesus rose up in the air and disappeared there. (Acts 1:9-10) - It is a traditional day of celebration. So yes, maintains the Church, teaching that Jesus was taken up into heaven. "He was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. (Acts 1:19; cf, Mark 16:19).

The Church does not restrict flying to angels with goose-feathered wings fastened to a lump between the shoulder blades, without muscles and bones to make them likely to function in any eathly way, but much as an artistic device from antiquity. Yes, the Church tells there are many Catholics that have levitated, according to many sources. Others have been recorded to be fly-guys too. [One levitating Catholic and others]

Tibet's patron saint, Milarepa, has a reputation for flying in the yogi-way, from cave to cave over hills and valleys in Tibet. It may seem like a convenient way of transportation where no roads exist, but the preparations may be long, even though they matter in some major ways: Milarepa's main object was meditating, not flying. That could be the cue.

"I could actually fly without wings of any kind. Sometimes I flew to a castle to meditate. At other times I flew to the water source where I had a good cave."

Once when Milarepa was out flying, he happened to pass over a small village, called Long-da. A remote relative there was ploughing a field as Milarepa was flying over. The son said: "See, a man is flying!" [More]

Nature's Ways

Nature's ways are (t)here to learn from if we will. One key is to observe with ease if that can be. Many ways may serve if well sorted, refined and carefully adapted so as to "making the best of it".

Nature is a matrix built up of masterly intelligent designs - also inhospitable, devastating ones. Many things depend on which side your are on - a life-supporting, favourable one, or another. Wise deviations from any local, common fare may not be supported, and still could work for good if they were well implemented. It is a long story of life-improving inventions, like the cheese-slicer. The average is at best only so-so, says Abraham Maslow; it is not likely the standard of a good human fare, although there may be good within it. It is what deviates from the average in positive ways that are worth while, he thinks. Persons who do so, he terms plus-deviants. (Maslow 1987, esp. chap. 11)

There is much to learn. A fit and fair learning process needs to be encouraged, not stilted, and especially not stilted by formal schooling, which is widespread.

Much of what is to be learnt in life, is out there. Something is also within. Psychology amd the best spiritual teachings offers examples. Something is both within and outside. Biology covers such a field of learning.

Often humans learn something of themselves by the living beings around – animals and humans alike. To learn better, one had better bear in mind that "comparisons halts" more or les so. Still, often there is no better way of telling things initially. Comparisons – allegories, figurative mentions, and figurative elements – make it easier to grasp intending meanings on some level of interchange.

Perhaps Learning from Animals

If you want to establish if donkeys can talk as in the Bible (Numbers 22), test it. If not one in a million or trillion can do it untaught, you could perhaps drop fervent belief in the matter. But keep an eye open to that possible one-in-a-trillion donkey if it exists. The reasoning is: "If we have found no talking donkey after testing a trillion of them, that does not mean that the trillion-and-oneth cannot talk unless it has been tested. There may be room for some philosophical indeterminism of such a kind up to a point where it is hardly practical at all.

Another example: If you are told that humans can fly without wings and other outward aids, study the evidence. That is the staunch thing to do. [Levitation]

Those who believe or disbelieve blindly, do not deal well enough with the issues at hand. "Twin fools; the one believes all, the other nothing (American)." It behoves us to study fit and great evidence. For example, the many attested stories of Catholics who have been observed levitating or flying. Milarepa too.

Besides, it matters to learn from animals. Human beings can learn to observe animals and birds and reptiles and learn a lot from them. Some proverb contain such learning, but not all of them. Prejudice is into a large number of proverbs too.

Birds fly

If a parrot talks, it is at times surprising.

The Sanskrit work Markandeya Purana (Pargiter 1904) tells of birds talking together about deep issues. Can birds talk and not just parrot? There is evidence that some birds do, and some count too. Crows are among them. [More]

Bats fly

In Chinese, 'bat' is called "Fu". That is the same sound as "blessing" or "happiness" in Chinese. So to the Chinese the bat symbolizes blessing, luck, happiness and long life. And to the British, a black cat across the road signals good fortune.

Learn from the bat not to be found flying about in the air in a circus tent for someone else, for no money and no acclaim on your part. Instead, try and find out where the money goes and to what ends. Esteem in this world tends to follow the money flow.

Bats fly about in the air at twilight hours – few notice them at it.

If most humans learn to fly, they might complicate matters, to the end that free movements are regulated. Then some amount of freedom has been taken away. What follows car crashes and drone invasions may furnish good examples.

Bats talk by how they manage; by common results.

Pigs

In an ancient tale about Vishnu, the planet was drowned and submerged in the ocean. On seeing this, Vishnu (as Hari) took the shape of a boar and dived so well that he caught it down there, and brought it to the surface by astounding use of his tusks. A swine deserves more than "Good god!" and a few pats on the back for such a feat.

How kind should men be to pigs, all in all? A general guideline is: allow them suitable tracts of land and leave them alone, and then pigs may do what pigs naturally do.

Bears

Black, brown and white bears have learnt how to lower their metabolism during winter, so as to survive in unfriendly environments.

Some bears take sheep. Others who comfort little children in bed, are called teddy bears. There is much more to say about bears.

Half-rituals bind many, far and wide

Insects communicate by seeming rituals, like "dances". Rituals and half-rituals make people slavish on a long road down to "insectish" living.

If you think everybody is good at heart, you may lose your life: Psychopaths will not mend their hardened ways – do not expect it [cf. Sirnes 1968].

The wife of the former monk Martin Luther was a nun that had fled from a convent, and had six children with him.

If shared beliefs are out of step with reality, it can mean trouble for adherents.

What the opponent hold as great, you may wisely try to change the value or esteem of.

If you are spoken of as valuable, try and preserve your assets, or else you may be made use of and entangled – caught in many ways that many celebrities do not seem to get away from while alive and well.

Fools may invent standardised ways of expressing things that go contrary to the much revealing ways of offhand and drunk people.

Lacking good housing, straight neighbours and heart-warming friends, some resort just to sexual intercourse - some for oh-lá-lá's, some for oh-lá-lá's plus money; and some sell dolls and toys.

What reaches deep inside can be activated by art and pets too.

Don't believe much, if you can. Try some cool reservations

The fool on top is not wise

"How foolish it is to . . . waste one's time . . ." - Dogen, (in Masunaga 1970, 46)

King Solomon spent long years on building "harem stables". In fact, more time, effort and money on buildings for his harem than on the temple his father David had designed as if by whim and folly led: the Bible's Lord had majestically ordained in previous books of the bible that he would be worshipped only in his goat skin tent for all time to come. Why did it not come to pass? Consider well.

Despite that Solomon went astray and allegedly ruined the royal dynasty, Jesus calls him the wisest man ever. Oh well, still consider well.

Farm animals (cult and sect members) have a right to get enraged on their own behalf. However, some do not manage to identify the real culprits behind their entrapments, and funnel their anger marringly. It may eventually become one of the basic issues concerning sect half-slaves.

Promises kept and broken may lead to sorry endings

Some tricks backfire. Yogananda often claimed the world is an illusion, and where did it get him? He tried to get away with it. [Evidence]

Don't ignore a cultivated outlook: The Bhagavad Gita teaches that those who teach that the world is illusory, are demoniacs - (Bhagavad Gita 16:7-9 ff.)

On the other hand, so-called faithful obedience is bad if essentially unfit and spiteful.

A serious lesson: Adhere to the guidelines of Yogananda, and you may find yourself lagging behind. Why? Some guidelines that concern sex, sleep, work and clothing etc. are greatly unfit for many persons.