Ten years of Church of the Churchless blogging. I'm thankful.

With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up here in the United States tomorrow, I was trying to decide whether to write something thanks giving'ly for today's blog post. 

Problem is, I don't like forced or expected expressions of any sentiment, including thankfulness.

If it isn't spontaneous and natural, an emotion isn't truly genuine. At least, that's the way I feel. Telling someone, "Say that you love me" -- pointless.

But then I thought about the month and year, November 2014, and realized that it's been almost exactly ten years since I started this Church of the Churchless blog. My first post was November 21, 2004.

(The first month's posts can be perused here.)

This realization stirred up some genuine thankfulness in me. Mostly toward the people who have read my writings, commented on posts, emailed me with praise, criticism, and questions.

I'm deeply grateful to each and every one of you -- including those who have showered me with some wonderfully creative insults and profanity. For them I started a "I Hate Church of the Churchless" blog where haters could leave their entertaining comments. 

For me this blog has been a terrific learning experience. Also, fun.

I never really know what I'm going to say until I finish writing a post. Meaning, the act of trying to communicate my churchless ideas brings out fresh insights. 

As of today this blog has totaled 1,998 posts; 29,056 comments; 2,303,753 page views. Yay, us! You, me, everybody. 

The posts serve as a sort of diary for me. A diary that I can search via the Google box in the right sidebar, something I do frequently. I enjoy going back in time and seeing how my views on various subjects -- God, meditation, morality, whatever -- have changed over the past decade.

There's a trajectory here. Difficult to sum up in a few words, or any words. Yet evident to me. 

By writing every other day or so about what's on my mind philosophically/ spiritually/ scientifically, I feel like I've grown more than I would have if I'd kept my ideas to myself. Everybody is different. For me, trying to express what is ultimately inexpressible -- how I see myself and the world -- brings me more in touch with whoever or whatever the heck I really am.

More and more, I feel there is no such thing as I really am. Which is refreshing. When I started this blog, I felt there was some hidden inner essence of me and reality -- soul and spirit -- that needed discovering. 

Now I've become... I don't know how to say it. 

A mash-up believer of non-religious Buddhism, Taoism, and neuroscience perhaps is the best way I can put it. I don't believe in an unchanging self or soul, nor in life after death. The questions I tried to unravel for over thirty-five years have mostly dissolved for me. 

I haven't arrived at any answers that make sense for anyone other than myself. That's enough for me now: living as happily as possible; doing what I can to make my neighborhood, city, state, nation, and planet a better place; trying to know what can be known, while letting the unknowable rest as it is.

I'll keep on with this here Church of the Churchless until I feel like not keeping on. Don't know when, or if, that will happen. I'm fine with not knowing this, as well as lots of other things. 

What I do know, though, is that I'm thankful for everybody who reads my posts and comments on them. Without you, this blog would be a lonely place.

Comments

[Tony]

And keep blogging! I've benefited from your wide reading and insights.

[june schlebusch]

Well let me be one of the first say."well done and thank you"...This forum has been a great help and inspiration to me, odderly enough I came across it about one year ago...It has been a wonderful experience to find other satsangis that share the same doubts and questions I have had about Sant Mat....The only difficulty I have with some of the bloggers is that they don't except eternal life and, dare I say it..The Almighty...But that's ok...I hope you will be blogging for many more years.

[Jon]

Congratulations on ten years, Brian.

I've been visiting for over four years now and it's fair to say that this blog has been part of my learning experience too - apart from anything else, it's been a great resource for finding books that are right up my street (I'm also on that non-religious Buddhism/Taoism/neuroscience tip.)

Here's to the next ten.

[Anita Dai]

The same way, personally I am very thankful for your blog which I found a few months ago. I think we all started here from Sant Mat and most of us remain faithful to your blog since we find it intriguing and fascinating when it comes to theosophical and metaphysical matters. Many of us have the same urge, the urge of earnest seeking of reality of human nature Awareness at the physical and after death realms. Personally, I find you authentic, spontaneous, very knowledgeable and does not matter if all of us don't agree on different topics and some of your posts. That is the beauty of human brain diversity on an individual level. I wish you continue this blog form many more years, and I am sure it has a positive impact on most of us.

[One Initiated]

Brian, I wish you humble and Love filled RADHA SOAMI !!

regards,
One Initiated

[a believer in truth]

THIS SITE GAVE A TRUE INSIGHT INTO SANT MAT FROM EXPERIENCES BY OTHERS,WITH SUPPORT AND WITH DISCUSSIONS,BY ALL AND ALL AGES, INSTEAD OF BEING A LISTERNER TO ONE SPEAKER ON STAGE, THEN GO HOME.
EXAMPLE COMES TO MIND OF OSHO, HIS VIDEOS TOO GIVING HIS TRUE VALUEABLE INPUTS THROUGH THE YEARS FROM HIS PERPESPECTIVE AND VISIONS SEEN THRUGH HIS EYES AND HEARS AS WELL AS YOURS BRIAN AND THE OTHERS.

loved : Sevadar egos gone wild at RSSB's Haynes Park center - See more at: http://hinessight.blogs.com/church_of_the_churchless/radha_soami_satsang_beas/#sthash.tHOCwOik.dpuf
lOVED :Video of Gurinder Singh Dhillon, the secretive guru - See more at: http://hinessight.blogs.com/church_of_the_churchless/radha_soami_satsang_beas/#sthash.tHOCwOik.dpuf

[Mike Williams]

There is only one thing I am certain of ......

That I am certain of nothing ...

and know absolutely nothing ....

[Mike Williams]

It is not necessary to become enlightened ...
.......for all men seek enlightenment ...

.....but few there be that seek and ...
......find compassion

There is no logic in this uncharted territory.

[tucson]

I am thankful for this blog. I think I have been coming here for maybe 7-8 years. No, that can't be!

I sell stuff online and between processing orders and looking for deals and actually making the stuff I sell I sometimes have a little time on my hands. This blog has given me an alternative to click on instead of articles topics like Kim Kardashian's butt or the deplorable state of humnanity of which mass public interest in Kim's butt is indicative of.

I appreciate the opportunity to read and discuss topics that have some philosophical depth although I doubt any have approached the depth of Kardahsian's posterior crevasse.

One thing I have learned here, is that I know nothing except for my own predjudices and relative, conditioned beliefs.

[moongoes]

Tucson do you sell knifes?.. Do you know how to fight with knifes?

[cc]

Mass interest in the published photos of Kim Kardashian's great big butt indicate a healthy interest in female anatomy. What indicates "the deplorable state of humanity" is the appalling number of humans hopelessly addicted to religious nonsense.

[observer]

Brian, I very much appreciate your blog and the very interesting diversity of the commenters opinions. Thanks for allowing me to join in.

Hi tucson, I always enjoy your comments. Yep, butts seem to be the centre of attention for a lot of people at the moment, what with twerking and also sticking massive butts out for attention. Reminds me of primate behaviour. Humanity devolving.

[tucson]

cc,

I disagree. The societal obsession with superficiality is not so good, imnsho. A little of this, OK. I mean, I've looked at KIm's ass, but she's not my type. I like skinny ass chicks. Old fashioned I guess.

[Brian Hines]

Humans are animals. We have animalistic instincts and proclivities. Always have. Have now. Hopefully always will have.

If we lose our animal nature, we will lose our human nature. I'm not interested in becoming a robot, religious zealot, or other entity that seeks to be a artificial creature lacking normal human desires..

I sought out and enjoyed Kim Kardashian's latest explicit photos. My wife enjoyed them with me. Kim does have an amazing ass. What impressed me equally was how fit and toned she looks now, overall. I've always thought she was quite flabby. No more.

Behold:
http://www.papermag.com/2014/11/kim_kardashian.php

Some photoshopping is alleged, though (which wouldn't surprise me):
http://www.tmz.com/2014/11/14/kim-kardashian-unedited-ass-paper-magazine-no-photoshop-fake-pics/

[Nietzsche]

I don't believe in eternal life or the almighty. I think we are all the same and I think I don't know how I move my legs but some part of me knows perfectly well how to move my legs. So some part of me knows how to control the universe too. The part that does not know will die and the other part will be reborn in all people that are born all over the universe. So I won't live eternal and there is no almighty. Or I should call myself almighty for being able to walk.

[tucson]

I know what you mean, Nietzche.

Good photography, Brian. The champagne pic, great. Very cool. However, I am unimpressed by massive booty. Millions of people are though. I guess I'm the odd man out. What does impress me is turning that massive booty into an even more massive fortune. Those are some savvy business people, those Kardashians

Moongoes,

Yes, I make knives, all kinds (not folders). I practice the use of the defensive knife...silat and all that. No big deal.

I am most proud of my green belt in Tae Kwon Do that I achieved in 1972. Green belt is two belts higher in rank than white belt (beginner) so watch out brudda unless you have a blue belt.

Before that I used to train with Ed Parker in kenpo in L.A. who was Elvis' karate teacher. I never met Elvis. Parker also did karate cameos in the movies. He was very fast with his hands and feet. For some reason he liked kicking me in the head. Something about keeping my guard up. Then when my guard was up he'd kick me in the ribs. I hated that.

Later on I did some of the Taoist arts like hsing I, lo kap bak fat and pa qua at the Taoist Sanctuary in San Diego. I sucked at all of them. My teachers were disgusted but one put up with me because I took him out for a pancake breakfast after training one morning. He patted me on the head and say in broken English, "Don't worry. You will learn someday." I'm still waiting for someday.

I used to box when I was a kid. I think I learned more from that than anything. Can you imagine? At my elementary school we actually had boxing every Thursday. No PC BS. To climb the ladder you did a better job of smacking the other kid than he did of smacking you. No ribbons for coming in second and all that "everybody's a winner" crap. Ah, for the good old days.

But really, my best defense skill was to run. I was faster than most people. My ability to outrun stoned/drunken greasers bent on beating the hell out of me has saved my hide a number of times. I hope I don't run into any greasers now. I'm not so fast anymore.

There, that's more than you asked for and more than I needed to say. But so it is.

[cc]

I've looked at KIm's ass, but she's not my type.

Therefore, photos of Kim's extraordinary posterior is an indicator of "the deplorable state of humanity". You're putting us on, aren't you, tucson?

[Brian Hines]

tucson, you've got an interesting martial arts background. Getting repeatedly kicked in the head by Ed Parker -- way cool! Something to be proud of, for sure.

I started training in traditional Shotokan karate rather late in life: my 40's, in the 1990's. My instructor and others would talk about the "old days" of karate training in the late 70s and 80s, I believe.

Man, it sounded brutal. Much less concern for safety and the psyche's of students. They'd get wailed on by the instructors, and each other. I remember one story about a student getting a lucky punch in on a notoriously tough-guy instructor. The student ran for the restroom and locked the door, fearing for what was coming next.

Regarding the Taoist arts, also mucho interesting. I've been into Tai Chi for about ten years, and have learned (but not mastered) a version of the Li He Ba Fa form that my instructor teaches in a semi "closed door" fashion. Meaning, the form isn't for beginners. See:
http://www.clearwaterkungfu.com/our-curriculum/liuhe-bafa/

It is often said that Li He Ba Fa, or Water Boxing, is a blend of Tai Chi, Hsing I (or Xing Yi), and Baqua. I don't know much Baqua, but it looks like a way cool art for both self-defense and exercise, what with all the turning and uncoiling.

I agree that boxing is probably the most practical martial art. Maybe along with jujitsu, since most fights end up on the ground. I suspect most karate guys would get whipped by a skilled boxer. Or, as I saw it put on one blog, by a marine in the parking lot of a bar after he'd had a bunch of beers. Toughness and attitude count a lot in fighting.

Running away speed is important also, as you noted.

[moongoes]

No tucson i asked that much... and that is really cool answer. I would like to have your knife one day..these days i am in russian systema and brazilian jj.before i signed up with shabd yoga i quitted with many of physical stuff..but now after miles of hours of meditation i became free of everything and thus do what i like daily.

[Appreciative Reader]

Thank you, Brian, for this terrific blog that you’ve got going all of these years. And congratulations on reaching the 10-year mark!

Naturally you do it because you enjoy the process and it helps sort your thoughts—as you say—but I really cannot overstate the benefits we readers derive from your blog. Like you say, we each have our own individual journey. The point isn’t to arrive at the exact same destination, and certainly not, for each of us here, to do that at the exact same time : but I, for one, came across your website at a fairly crucial stage in my own spiritual “evolution” (the quotes around “evolution” indicate that I recognize—if not necessarily accept at this time, but do acknowledge its possibility—your view that it may well be that there may be no evolution necessary or even possible, except in how we think about it). No matter what we do, no matter how we do what we have to do, it is necessary to stay rational, to stay critical of others and oneself so as to not stumble into mindlessness (as distinct from thoughtlessness, heh heh). That was my own key take-away from your thoughts as expressed here. Which, although it sounds trivial enough when one puts it in words, is exactly the opposite of trivial, at an experiential level.

Your blog stands head over shoulders over anything else out there in the Internet (that I am aware of). Others who write online about “spirituality” fall into two categories : (a) those out to proselytize others to their own viewpoint (whether theistic, atheistic or agnostic) ; and (b) those with minuscule knowledge and experience, out to flog their pathetic all to somehow gather “eyeballs” and therefore money. You on the other hand write from truly vast knowledge, and truly deep experience. You’re someone who’s walked the long walk, and therefore has unreservedly earned the right to now talk. And yet you talk with the utmost humility, recognizing the essential subjectivity of your own “realizations”, and without attempting in any way to ram them down your readers’ collective gullet. Like I said, no other blog or website (that I’m aware of) comes anywhere close.

Also, your blog is so much better than any book, than any shelf full of books even, because of the sheer diversity of the views and topics you’ve covered here. Not to forget the excellent and thought-provoking comments that people sometimes come up with here. No matter how good, no single book (or set of books) can come close to covering so much matter so extensively (within the broad area of “spirituality”).

In short, then : Thanks, Brian. Great blog, great work. I look forward to reading many, many more of your articles here. And in some small way participating in the fascinating discussions that sometimes crop up.

[777]

First time agreeing with Mike Williams :
he sais :

.....but few there be that seek and ...
......find compassion

There is no logic in this uncharted territory.

Uncharted, ? .....
It's very charted
A non compassionated evolution is auto destructive

Thus it was solopisticly created/conceived from the beginning :
Only Love can do, not intellect or IQ

Compassion without agendas" is the best that humans are able and invited produce in terms of Love.

It's the closest to real 'uncomprehensable' Love
Also the reason that Saints become aware of such a Jeeva" and then organizing an exit for the individual Jeeva
from this mess

777

[Who else ... George]

I thought the photos of Kim arse were outstanding. She doesnt have anything between her ears but then who cares..

[Raj]

Thankyou Brian.

I read your blogs thoroughly before getting initiated(in 2007) and has helped me to develop a broader outlook on Spirituality.

You have done a great service.

I wish you well on your own journey and hope you will find the answers to your own questions.

Science of the SoulJi