Questioning again...

Upon the advice of a friend I started reading the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gītā: As It Is, as translated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. (In sanskrit, भगवद् गीता, "Song of God"). I never really read any holy book...some excerpts from the Bible, less from the Bhagavad-gita... But I have been practicing yoga for a few years now and felt some interest in this spiritual text. Prabhupada claims this version is superior to the many others in that, unlike other versions, he does not insert his own personal opinion, only translates directly from the sanskrit texts. I sit on my yoga mat, and prior to my morning meditation I open the book, curious as to the wisdom I will learn from it. I read the introduction, where it is stated:

"What is material nature? This is explained in Gita as inferior prakrti, inferior nature. The living entity is explained as the superior prakrti. Prakrti is always under control, whether inferior or superior. Prakrti is female, and she is controlled by the Lord just as the activities of a wife are controlled by the husband."

AAAAAAHHhhhhhhhhh!!!

........Contradictions aside.......

Here I am, 3rd generation questioner of all organized religion, searching for truth in this crazy world, always finding it in nature or through meditation or through open-hearted conversation, oftentimes finding it in ancient spiritual teachings, realizing yet again that on the journey to enlightenment one must always always question everything, even holy books, even one's guru, even the great Buddha himself.

It was my dad who originally taught me to question authority. And so now I wonder, since this (and all) spiritual teaching is so influenced by the culture of the people of that time, maybe we've got it all wrong. Maybe the supreme entity is dominated and controlled by us, the living entities. Maybe there is in fact no dominating force at all, but rather we are all equals, the original creator is equally supreme as we, the present creators. I do already believe that as humans we are god, creators and destroyers. But I did also believe that there is something greater than this experience, than our reality, that guides our way. Could this be so? When so much of my spirituality has been influenced by spiritual teachings passed down and ammended over thousands of years, spiritual teachings that are affected by cultural assumptions and limitations like the role of Woman in society, I must now go sit, unlearn it all, and continue to seek inside me for what is true in this crazy world.

Local art is better art

Open your eyes and you just might find that great art is just around the corner. I am utterly amazed by the talent of friend Daniel Lyons from neighboring Matawan, NJ. Soon he's off for the west coast, and in honor of him and his incredible artwork, here is a small selection of his prints... I am hoping to update this post, adding more information about this artist, including contact information if you are interested in purchasing his work.