Session 23 March 2013

[sacriface]

I really like your images, ametist. I'm wondering if some of them are a bit too psychedelic for this project, though. What do you all think? Maybe it's just me. I think the ones I listed above work, though.

Thanks Approaching Infinity! The psychedelic-ness of the images wasn't intended but I see well what you mean. You might be right about some of them not quite fitting into the project, or being maybe too imaginative or I guess, subjective? I don't know how to put it better.. Let everyone to decide. Any changes can be made upon suggestions also.

Some of those images are pretty bizarre, but they do get the point across. Although the "networking" and "faith" ones are kinda lost on me. That could simply be because I don't understand them as well.

It's great to hear that they get the point across as this is the objective. The "networking" drawing is connected with/inspired by, the "will power". The "will power" came from plant sprouts that in some cases growing are able to push through virtually any material, and as great will power is fundamental to growth, the equation should come clear. From there we go towards the "network" - where growth together yields exponentially more result and that's what I intended to get across in that illustration.

Idea for "Faith" came from this quote:
"What is faith? A good description is from The Sufi Path of Knowledge: the basic meaning is, to be or feel safe and secure concerning your knowledge of God, i.e., the totality of existence, and to commit yourself to putting this into practice. It is speaking, and doing from the heart (higher emotional center), based on knowledge. It is striving to be your true self and acting according to the Cosmic Mind living within us, with full trust in the wisdom of the cosmos that is impersonal and not self-interested. In short, it is trusting the process."

The armchair is supposed to indicate the feeling of security within the "totality of existence" that is somewhat manifested 'outside' one's mind, but the former and the latter are still one.The top of the sphere is supposed to be Earth, although that's one of the parts that still need more work. The Earth-the world, creation, is manifested 'within' the armchair's headrest -thus within this safety and security that should be ever present. The position of the person is supposed to point towards meditation, Eiriu-Eolas, or any related spiritual exercise for that matter, where it can be said that this is putting into practice the knowledge of God and a forefront of 'speaking and doing' from the heart.

I hope this makes it a little clearer? But, as I said, it isn't finished yet, so maybe some things can change and become clearer, and also I'm open to suggestions.

And the attachements are below as per truth seeker's suggestion. :)

 

[sacriface]

continued..

 

[tschai]

I like the 8-2 cover also. Truly an amazing colaboration. Will the completed book be available for download or will it be for sale through RPP? How about adding somewhere the opening line to Hamlet's soliloquy..."To be or not to be?-THAT is the question!"

 

[anart]

Thanks for attaching them, ametist. They're interesting images. I agree that they're a bit too interpretive to work well for this particular project, though a few might work, like the wave image is fairly straight forward. fwiw.

 

[Aiming]

I don't suppose if this inspirational quote could be added to the booklet? It's from epilogue chapter of "The Exorcist in Love."

Life is an ongoing miracle. It really is a miracle. And the one thing I have learned just in the past few years is that if you don't see something miraculous in your life, if it seems dark or sad or it seems like a burden, the most miraculous thing you have is your ability to choose to be that miracle. I mean, to be it. I think once people choose to be a miracle, the universe reflects that back to them.

- Laura Knight-Jadczyk

Since you're bringing this up, Zadius Sky, and in case it's not too late yet, I'd also like to bring up another one which I think fits very well into our by the way gorgeous booklet project:

Q: In other words, the best way for an STO future to manifest is for us not
to anticipate that ANYTHING we do will matter. Because, if we are
anticipating that what we do will make a difference, it won't. It is
wanting. (A) I can't stop thinking that my working is going to be useful!
(L) I can't stop what I am doing either because it is what I DO. It is being
ME. We have to stop anticipating. We do what is in us to do without
expecting it to matter.

A: And you do it because you are directing you to do it from another plane
of existence where you know the score. Where you are on your present
awareness plane, you are largely, though not completely, scoreless and
clueless.

Q: So, it is from another level of reality that we create THIS reality?

A: Close.

Q: How much input do we have from this level of reality regarding the
creation of a future reality, and I use the term "future" loosely, but
meaning "future" as we perceive it from this reality? How much input?

A: About as much awareness as a small child does when contemplating how to
fly the plane they are riding on.

Is any of the above TRUE?

Who knows? As Ark likes to quote: those that follow that part of themselves
that is great, become great men; those that follow that part of themselves
that is small, become small men...

Many are called, but few are "chosen" ... that is, they do not choose to
take up the burden and become a good workman with no thought of reward, just
simply to be a good workman.

I know that is hard for a lot of people to understand: to do with no thought
of reward, simply because the job is there and you don't see anyone else
doing it and you do it because you can. Nearly all people do everything
they do for some reason, even if it is just to be acknowledged. That
predatory mind we have whispers all kinds of things to us when we are
thinking about why we do what we do.

The true test is: what do you do and continue to do in the face of
overwhelming obstacles when nobody would fault you for giving up? When the
pressure is on and you have absolutely NOTHING to gain from continuing, and
yet you keep going, step after weary step, because to do otherwise would be,
to your being, unthinkable. Giving up simply is not an option.

Oh, sure, you might pretend to give up as a strategic maneuver, but anyone
who knows you well, observes you closely, only sees that you have changed
your strategy.

In the end, it is only results that count. And as each day passes, all of
us move to meet ourselves in the future... to become that other self, that
new self... and for me, it seems that this other self, this Higher self is
one that CAN stand in the gates of Time and Bridge worlds. If that is what
is needed. We don't know. It's a pretty theory and story and may have some
value one day. What is important, however, is what we do NOW with the work
in front of us to do. If we don't do what we can NOW, then we will never
become what we can BE.

 

[nicklebleu]

I also had another idea ... also quite late in the project, but I'll post it anyway.

I thought it would be nice if the booklet was broken down into 14 chapters, which would be equal to 14 days of daily contemplations. So one could settle into a two week cycle and once through get back to the start and go over it once again.

It might have maybe some ritualistic flavour for some, but i kind of like the idea to have a dedicated contemplation for one particular day - like having the routine of EE on Mondays and Thursdays.

Of course one could settle into a 12 day cycle, but for me that is more chaotic ... and I like order

FWIW

 

[Scribblenauts]

I don't suppose if this inspirational quote could be added to the booklet? It's from epilogue chapter of "The Exorcist in Love."

Life is an ongoing miracle. It really is a miracle. And the one thing I have learned just in the past few years is that if you don't see something miraculous in your life, if it seems dark or sad or it seems like a burden, the most miraculous thing you have is your ability to choose to be that miracle. I mean, to be it. I think once people choose to be a miracle, the universe reflects that back to them.

- Laura Knight-Jadczyk

Since you're bringing this up, Zadius Sky, and in case it's not too late yet, I'd also like to bring up another one which I think fits very well into our by the way gorgeous booklet project:

Q: In other words, the best way for an STO future to manifest is for us not
to anticipate that ANYTHING we do will matter. Because, if we are
anticipating that what we do will make a difference, it won't. It is
wanting. (A) I can't stop thinking that my working is going to be useful!
(L) I can't stop what I am doing either because it is what I DO. It is being
ME. We have to stop anticipating. We do what is in us to do without
expecting it to matter.

A: And you do it because you are directing you to do it from another plane
of existence where you know the score. Where you are on your present
awareness plane, you are largely, though not completely, scoreless and
clueless.

Q: So, it is from another level of reality that we create THIS reality?

A: Close.

Q: How much input do we have from this level of reality regarding the
creation of a future reality, and I use the term "future" loosely, but
meaning "future" as we perceive it from this reality? How much input?

A: About as much awareness as a small child does when contemplating how to
fly the plane they are riding on.

Is any of the above TRUE?

Who knows? As Ark likes to quote: those that follow that part of themselves
that is great, become great men; those that follow that part of themselves
that is small, become small men...

Many are called, but few are "chosen" ... that is, they do not choose to
take up the burden and become a good workman with no thought of reward, just
simply to be a good workman.

I know that is hard for a lot of people to understand: to do with no thought
of reward, simply because the job is there and you don't see anyone else
doing it and you do it because you can. Nearly all people do everything
they do for some reason, even if it is just to be acknowledged. That
predatory mind we have whispers all kinds of things to us when we are
thinking about why we do what we do.

The true test is: what do you do and continue to do in the face of
overwhelming obstacles when nobody would fault you for giving up? When the
pressure is on and you have absolutely NOTHING to gain from continuing, and
yet you keep going, step after weary step, because to do otherwise would be,
to your being, unthinkable. Giving up simply is not an option.

Oh, sure, you might pretend to give up as a strategic maneuver, but anyone
who knows you well, observes you closely, only sees that you have changed
your strategy.

In the end, it is only results that count. And as each day passes, all of
us move to meet ourselves in the future... to become that other self, that
new self... and for me, it seems that this other self, this Higher self is
one that CAN stand in the gates of Time and Bridge worlds. If that is what
is needed. We don't know. It's a pretty theory and story and may have some
value one day. What is important, however, is what we do NOW with the work
in front of us to do. If we don't do what we can NOW, then we will never
become what we can BE.

Like!

 

[WIN 52]

Nice work!

It reminds me of watching my 1 yr old Granddaughter learning to walk. She needs to grab onto something every so often, to catch her balance.

Much the same way is this path we are on, where it seems necessary to have some reminders from time to time about where we are trying to go. It would seem like there is a progression, much like learning to walk, that a person has to work through and as stated to work on the basic things of being in the present will take a person a long way down the path.

Thanks

 

[mocachapeau]

I like 8-2, as well. Looks good!

 

[sacriface]

Thanks for attaching them, ametist. They're interesting images. I agree that they're a bit too interpretive to work well for this particular project, though a few might work, like the wave image is fairly straight forward. fwiw.

Thanks Anart, I'll work more with the "faith" one because i think it might be useful if I do it right, no harm done if it won't, though.

***

I mentioned it few posts above but it might've gone unnoticed, wrapped up in <quote> by accident, do you guys think it would be helpful to include "The Temple Of Secrets" in the parables section? I always found it very educational, so to say..

The Temple of Secrets is located on a high mountain, and everywhere thorns are covering the path leading to the Temple. The inconceivable, mysterious height of the mountain is the reason why many people doubt the existence of the Temple of Secrets. Some think of it as a Fairy Tale, some consider it an old Myth and others believe it to be the Truth.

At the entrance of the narrow path stands IGNORANCE, with her sisters STUPIDITY and LAZINESS, and they tell awful tales to the travelers and of horrible adventures the travelers will encounter if they set foot on this path. That is how lazy Human Beings and fearful Human Beings can easily be persuaded to turn back.

There are a few Human Beings on which ignorance attempts her deceptions in vain. They climb up the first part of the thorny steep path, and when they are about half way up the mountain, they reach a plateau on which they find the Temple of Self-Love. Next to this Temple stands Self-Conceit, Pride and Know it-All and they offer the traveler a cup, out of which he drinks his own Self in great gulps and thereby becomes intoxicated with himself, with his own "I."

These travelers then become so intoxicated with themselves that they imagine that their Temple, the Temple of Self-Love is the Temple of Secrets and there is nothing, but nothing, above them. The inscription on this temple, the Temple of Self-Love, reads as follows: The Sanctuary of the Wisdom of the World.

Desires, passions and wantonness are the servants of these priests. However, those whose heart searches for the truth will not find any satisfaction with this and they will keep on searching.

A few thousand steps from this Temple you will find a very secluded little hut, inhabited by a hermit, with the following inscription above the door: The Residence of Humility.

The man who lives here guides the strangers to the residence of humility, which in turn leads them to Self-Recognition. This Divine Beauty becomes the traveler's companion, and with her, he conquers the inaccessible mountain. Whosoever tries to reach the Temple of Secrets without this Divine Beauty can very easily be misled by his Self-Love, and as a result, will follow the wrong path. His greed for knowledge will lead him to the Temple of Curiosity. The inhabitants of this Temple are: fraud, seduction and deception, the founders of most of the secret societies, and those Human Beings who , in search for the Truth and for the Temple of Secrets will, if they join these Secret Societies, be robbed of the ability to see with their Soul. They are then led to the top of the mountain, where they fall into the abyss or into the labyrinth or maze, in which they will walk in circles for eternity without finding the Truth.

Humility alone is the best guide. This alone will lead the seeker to the Master of Teachers of all secrets. This Master Teacher is the PURE WILL.

This pure will becomes the friend of the highest of knowledge and they enter into a bond of eternal union.

The knowledge of the effects of the Eternal Light of godliness in all created beings is True Magic in Theory.

The conception of this Light, or the transition from the intellect to the will, is True Magic in Practice. [Von Eckarthausen, Magic: The Principles of Higher Knowledge, 1788]

***

 

[Mahael859]

Thank you Grini for the covers, I do prefere the 8-2 it seems more balanced to me.
Thanks to Ametist too for those drawings, although I also feel the psychedelic touch, I particularly like the "purposeful attention" ones and "the wave".
I think in the end this book will look great!

 

[grini]

Do we have a winner? :)
I made some changes on the cover 8-2 and added the back cover with the POTS. Don't know how that looks all together...
I also made two versions, RGB (for electronic displays) and CMYK (for printing). CMYK was too big to attach it here, so I uploaded it somewhere else.

CMYK:

 

[nicklebleu]

Do we have a winner? :)
I made some changes on the cover 8-2 and added the back cover with the POTS. Don't know how that looks all together...
I also made two versions, RGB (for electronic displays) and CMYK (for printing). CMYK was too big to attach it here, so I uploaded it somewhere else.

CMYK:

grini,

I think that looks great!
Thumbs up from my side!

 

[Lee.T]

Looking good, one thing, is there a spine that is different from the front and back image. If there is, it works. If this is the front/spline/and back it would work better feathering the distinct line between the two images to make it seamless. The vertical joint of the universe images between front and back stands out to much.

 

[Lee.T]

On closer inspection I would also remove the two bright stars that are located in the border at the right hand side of the main text block. They are clashing in brightness with the brighter border line.