We KNOW What We Experience

Edited Mar 2, 2015.

The only thing we truly KNOW is what we experience.

For example, the way I see the colour blue, isn't necessarily the way you see the colour blue. I don't know how you see the colour blue, and you don't know how I see the colour blue. The only thing I truly KNOW is how I see the colour blue, and the only thing you truly know is how you see the colour blue.

Perhaps there are infinite ways to see the colour blue - you may see it one way, I may see it another way, someone else may see it another way etc. Someone else may even see the colour white instead of the colour blue [1]. The only thing I truly KNOW is what I see and experience, and the only thing you truly KNOW is what you see and experience.

We can't make the assumption that we all experience things the same way. We tend to assume that we do, but we don't actually know.

The only thing we truly KNOW is what we experience personally, and what we experience personally is our reality. Since we may be experiencing things differently, we may be living in different realities.

When we connect in mutual bestowal (changing from benefiting ourselves to benefiting others), we'll become united as one. Then, perhaps I'll experience your colour blue and you'll experience my colour blue. While we're immersed in selfishness, disconnected from others, we only experience our own individual sensation of the colour blue. When we all connect in mutual bestowal, perhaps we'll experience the infinite sensation of the colour blue (when all our sensations of the colour blue unite as one). Perhaps. I don't know.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.
__________
References:

1. Is this dress white and gold or blue and black? www.bbc.com/news. Feb 27, 2015. Retrieved Feb 28, 2015.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

We Can Only Come To The Truth Through Bestowal

When we're immersed in selfishness, we have many reasons as to why we shouldn't benefit others/Nature. When we enter into bestowal, those reasons 'disappear' because we see The Truth, the quality of bestowal.

1. Selfishness:
• While we're immersed in selfishness, we feel bad about our lives, things that have happened to us, things that we've done etc. 
• Also, because we're seeking only to benefit ourselves, we have an internal resistance to benefiting others/Nature. The intensity of this internal resistance depends on the desire - light desires are easy to overcome and more coarse desires are harder to overcome. For example:
• Loved Ones: If you were asked to benefit your loved ones, how would you react? You'd have some internal resistance and a few excuses as to why you shouldn't benefit them. These internal disturbances are exactly what you need to overcome. Because this is relatively 'easy' to do, many people are able to do it.
• Strangers: If you were asked to benefit a stranger, how would you react? You'd have more internal resistance and more excuses as to why you shouldn't benefit them. These internal disturbances are exactly what you need to overcome. Because this is harder to do, fewer people do it.
• Enemies: If you were asked to benefit an enemy, someone who'd hurt you, someone you didn't like, or someone who didn't like you etc., how would you react? You'd have strong internal resistance and a long list of excuses (with 'justifiable reasons') as to why you shouldn't benefit them. These disturbances are exactly what you need to overcome. Because this is very hard to do, few people do it.
• The internal resistance, obstacles, disturbances and excuses that prevent us from benefiting others/Nature, are exactly what we need to overcome. We have to rise above our egos and seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.
• We can only come to The Truth through bestowal, by seeking to benefit others instead of ourselves. We have to FIRST benefit others/Nature before The Truth is revealed to us.
2. Bestowal:
• We should cry out to The Creator to help us.
• Once The Truth is revealed to us, we go through a change in the perception of our reality and we see a whole new world, based on the quality of bestowal.
• This new perception of reality makes it easier for us to accept our lives - the things that have happened to us, the things we've done etc. - because we see that we're surrounded by love.
• This new perception of reality also makes it easier for us to benefit others. All the excuses, obstacles, and disturbances that previously prevented us from benefiting others 'disappear' because we see The Truth, a world based on the quality of bestowal.

In bestowal, we're demanded to be someone else, to be something else, to benefit others instead of ourselves, regardless of the situation.

Knowing that we're already in bestowal and surrounded by love doesn't mean that we can do whatever we want, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

It's Time For Businesses To Take Responsibility

Edited Feb 20, 2015

Today, businesses are focused solely on making money. In their quest to achieve their selfish goals, they harm their employees, customers and all of Nature. This kind of behaviour has to stop.

We have to change from selfishness (for me) to bestowal (for others). Instead of seeking to benefit ourselves, we should seek to benefit others and all of Nature.

Businesses have to start taking responsibility for how their products affect people, animals, society and all of Nature. 

One of the ways to achieve this (and in the spirit of transparency), is to disclose how their products are made through clear and obvious labeling. Here are some suggestions, perhaps you have your own ideas:

1. Food:
• GMOs:
• All genetically modified foods (GMOs) should end immediately.
• Where they temporarily persist, GMOs (and products with GMO ingredients) should be labeled.
• GMO Free:
• All food that isn't GMO (and products that don't have GMO ingredients) could also be labeled, e.g. GMO FREE.
• Nutrition Scale:
• All food/products ingested by people and animals should have a label with a nutrition scale. For example:
• 1 - for low (or no) nutritional value
• 10 - for the highest nutritional value
• All items could be subjected to this scale, not only food, but also things like cigarettes, alcohol etc. Special labels could be used for products that are known to cause harm to others. 
2. Treatment:
• Products should be labeled to let consumers know how employees, suppliers etc., are treated. For example:
• Ethical Treatment of Animals (ETOA)
• Ethical Treatment of Farmers (ETOF)
• Ethical Treatment of Suppliers (ETOS)
• Ethical Treatment of Employees (ETOE)
3. Environment:
• Products should be labeled to show the impact the product has had on the environment. For example:
• Environmentally Friendly Product (EFP) could mean that no herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, growth hormones, fertilizers, toxins etc., were used. Or that no harm was caused to the air, land, waters and Nature as a whole.
4. Recycling:
• Businesses should be more actively involved in recycling their own products. Having a recycling logo on a product isn't enough.
• Businesses could include clear recycling instructions, even mailing instructions if need be.
• Businesses could also offer money, credit or other incentives for used products that are returned, which could include items such as electronics, to burger wrappers, to coffee cups, to gum wrappers etc.
• Whenever I see fast food wrappers, gum wrappers, cups, bottles with logos etc., littered on the ground, I always think - why aren't the companies doing more to make sure that doesn't happen. It's negative advertising for companies when their wrappers / products / containers (with their logos) are strewn as litter.
5. Benevolent Score: 
• Just as FICO [1] scores are used to measure consumer credit risk, benevolent scores could be used to measure business benevolence - the positive impact businesses have on people, animals and all of Nature.
• Businesses that harm people, animals and all of Nature, receive a low benevolent score.
• Businesses that benefit people, animals and all of Nature, receive a high benevolent score.

It's time for businesses to take responsibility for their actions, specifically how their products affect people, animals and all of Nature. It's no longer about making money, because that system is antiquated and unsustainable.

Round tables need to be established to discuss these issues and find solutions that benefit people, animals and all of Nature.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

_______
References:

1. FICO. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved Feb 19, 2015.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Stealing From Others, Society And Nature

Edited: Feb 12, 2015

We're all born with specific talents, skills, abilities, traits, attributes etc., which are meant to be used to benefit others and all of Nature.

When we don't use our talents, skills, abilities, traits, attributes etc., to benefit others and Nature, but instead, to benefit ourselves, we exploit others and Nature in two ways:

1. Stealing:
• First, we steal from others and all of Nature because our talents, skills, abilities, traits, attributes etc., are a resource, and all resources in the world belong to everyone equally and are meant to be shared. Meaning, our talents, skills, abilities, traits, attributes etc., don't belong to us, they belong to others and all of Nature.  (This is one of the ways we're interconnected and interdependent.) When we use them selfishly, to benefit ourselves, we deprive others and Nature of the benefit they would have otherwise gotten, had we used them benevolently. We steal, by not contributing benevolently to society and Nature.
2. Selling Stolen Property:
• Not only that, to add insult to injury, we sell our talents, skills, abilities, traits, attributes etc., to others for a fee. Basically, we ask them to buy their own stolen property. (Like a thief who steals your own property, then asks you to buy it back.) Extremely unfair.

We have to change the way we interact with others and all of Nature. Instead of using our talents, skills, abilities, traits, attributes etc., for our own selfish purposes, profit and gain, we should use them to benefit others and all of Nature.

This doesn't mean that we impose our benevolence on others, not at all. We shouldn't force our good deeds on others. Rather, we should receive permission before we engage in acts of bestowal, or know that our benevolence will be well received.

We have to give ourselves to others and Nature.
We have to share ourselves with others and Nature.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others and all of Nature.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Stealing From Nature To Make Money

The resources of the earth belong to everyone equally.

When individuals, families, groups, businesses, organizations and/or countries take resources from Nature and sell them as their own (for their own personal profit and gain), they exploit others in two ways:

1. Stealing:
• First, they steal from others because the resources of the world belong to everyone equally. Even though people spend time, energy, effort and money to get the resources, doesn't mean the resources belong to them. They appropriate the resources and claim them as their own, even though the resources are not theirs to take.
• Just because the resources are in a specific country, doesn't mean they belong to that country. The world doesn't have geographic boundaries, we created them.
• Imagine that the world is a house, with different rooms that serve different purposes, a kitchen, a bathroom, bedrooms etc. Through no action of our own (call it divine providence), we find ourselves living in one of the rooms. Instead of cooperating with others in the house, we charged a fee for them to use our room - a fee for the kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms etc. It's inefficient and absurd.
• The resources of the world belong to everyone equally, and even though different places of the world have different resources, doesn't mean those resources belong to those places. All the resources belong to everyone equally. 
2. Selling Stolen Property:
• After the resources have been wrongfully appropriated, they're sold to others for money. Basically, people are forced to buy their own stolen property. (Like a thief who comes into your home, steals your property, then asks you to buy it back. Or more specifically, like a family member who takes family property, then asks other family members to buy it back.) Extremely unfair.

All resources of the earth belong to everyone equally, which means:

1. We need permission from the whole world to use the resources of the earth, and
2. They resources of the earth must be used to benefit the whole world.

We have to change the way we interact with each other. Instead of pursuing selfish individual business ventures, we should realize that we're all one family living in one house. We should establish a global, cooperative and collaborative living arrangement, where family decisions are made to benefit others and all of Nature.

We have to change our internal qualities from personal selfishness (for me) to bestowal (for others). Instead of seeking to benefit ourselves, we should seek to benefit others and all of Nature.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

The Selfish Nature Of 'the money gods'

I heard of the realm of the gods, where gods selfishly seek to secure their own power and influence, thinking only of themselves with no regard for others. They continually exploit others to secure their own position. And I thought to myself, how can such a thing be possible?

Then I looked at this world and saw 'the money gods', people who have a tremendous amount of wealth, power and influence, and even though they have the means, resources and money to help others, they don't. They continually exploit others to secure their own position. They think only of themselves with no regard for others. Then I realized that such a thing is possible.

We have to change from selfishness (for me) to bestowal (for others). Instead of seeking to benefit ourselves, we should seek to benefit others and all of Nature.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

The Corruption In Men And Women

Society has many corruptions, one of which is the corruption that exists in men and women:

1. Corruption In Men:
• Men are influenced by society (especially TV and movies) to be a certain way - to be machismo, tough, arrogant, competitive, independent etc. These faulty ideals are a lie, influenced by the quality of selfishness.
• If men show any feminine qualities, they're teased and mocked for being a sissy, whipped, too emotional etc.
• There's a discrepancy between who men really are and who society tells them they should be. This discrepancy creates confusion, tension, stress and unhappiness, as men try to fit in to the faulty societal ideal of what a 'real' man should be.
• Men should simply be themselves. Men should be brave and not be afraid to be caring, tender, compassionate, considerate, thoughtful etc.
2. Corruption In Women:
• Women are influenced by society to be more like men, to nullify their own true essence, their feminine qualities and adopt masculine qualities instead. This faulty ideal is a lie, influenced by the quality of selfishness.
• Women are teased and mocked for being too needy, clingy, emotional etc. Being a mother (one of the most important roles in society) is considered meaningless - you're JUST a mother, how boring - when in fact, the opposite is true. Being a housewife is also considered meaningless, when the opposite is true, taking care of a home is an extremely important role.
• There's a discrepancy between who women really are and who society tells them they should be. This discrepancy creates confusion, tension, stress and unhappiness, as women try to fit in to the faulty societal ideal of what a 'real' woman should be. Worse yet, women are trying to be like the men than men themselves are trying to be like.
• Women should simply be themselves. Women should be brave and not be afraid to be caring, tender, nurturing, gentle, compassionate etc.

In this world, masculine qualities (defined as being fierce, powerful, aggressive, competitive) are idolized over feminine qualities (defined as being nurturing, caring, tender, compassionate etc.) This lie is influenced by the quality of selfishness.

We have to change from selfishness (for me) to bestowal (for others). We have to build a new society that's rooted in bestowal and The Truth, one that inspires men and women to be themselves.

The Truth is that God Himself (who relative to us is masculine) is gentle, kind, nurturing, loving, caring etc. He has all the qualities - defined in this world as feminine and undesirable.

Men should be inspired by God Himself, to know what a real man should be.

Women should be inspired by God Himself, to know that there's nothing wrong with their feminine qualities.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Slavery In Selfishness - Enough Is Enough

People and animals want to be free. When people and animals lose their freedom, it makes them unhappy and it's obvious to see. Today, we're all in slavery, but we're blind to it because we're immersed in a lie.

There are two kinds of slavery (bad and good) and two kinds of freedom (bad and good):

Slavery:

1. Bad Slavery: Being slaves in the quality of selfishness.
• This is where we are today. The leaders of this world have us trapped in slavery, but it's so subtle and the lie so complete, that we don't even know we're slaves:
• People work all day and have no life. They're slaves to their jobs.
• People live in debt their whole lives. They're slaves to debt.
• People buy things they don't need. They're slaves to materialism and consumerism.
• People live with crime. They're slaves to fear.
• This results in emptiness, loneliness, and depression, leading to various addictions as people try to escape their lives and numb their emptiness, but nothing works, leaving them even more empty than before.
• When do we say - ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!?
• Nobody wants to live a miserable, unhappy life forever, it's not sustainable. Eventually, as we know from history, we reach a breaking point, and we react to our situation, which is where we are today.
• Cry out to The Creator for change and demand it, because there is another way to live, but we have to ask for it.
2. Good Slavery: Being slaves in the quality of bestowal.
• We have to change from selfishness (for me) to bestowal (for others). When we're in bestowal, seeking to benefit others and all of Nature, we become slaves/servants to The Creator, but it's a positive and constructive way of life, one that brings joy, happiness and fulfillment. We enjoy it and we justify it.

Freedom:

1. Bad Freedom: The illusion of freedom in the quality of selfishness.
• In selfishness, we have no freedom, we have the illusion of freedom, but we're not really free.
• Freedom of expression, freedom of religion etc., gives us the feeling that we have freedom, but it's all an illusion because we're still immersed in selfishness.
• The freedom to choose between an apple and an orange isn't true freedom, it's simply a preference.
2. Good Freedom: Actual freedom in the quality of bestowal.
• The only way we can experience TRUE freedom is when we're in the quality of bestowal, because we become free from the oppressive nature of the quality of selfishness.
• Freedom doesn't mean that we don't do anything, but rather, that we agree with what we do.

We have to leave the slavery of the quality of selfishness. Cry out to The Creator for TRUE freedom and He will grant it to you.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

The Truth Transcends Karma

Updated Oct 7, 2015

Karma is a concept of causality (cause and effect) that says - if we do something good, something good will happen to us; and if we do something 'bad', something 'bad' will happen to us.

Some people may think that karma is the governing law in Nature, it's not. Love is the governing law in Nature. The Truth transcends karma. The Truth is that - nothing bad has ever happened to us, others or all of Nature. We're surrounded by love, we just have to realize it.

Karma tends to be associated with eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism etc. It's also in The Bible, as it is written, "As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head." (Obadiah 1:15, NIV) Also, one of the greatest rules in the Bible is "... love your neighbor as yourself." (Leviticus 19:18, NIV) Jesus also said, "Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6:31, NIV)

Karma isn't something to believe, it's something to observe. It's a law in nature, just like gravity.

You can be a scientist and observe the law of karma in your life. Think back to all the things you've done ... things that have also happened to you. For example, one time I slapped someone, and years later, I got slapped - karma. Or, do something positive and wait and see what happens.

Some people who know about karmic forces, do good deeds, not because they're seeking to benefit others/Nature but because 1) they're expecting a reward - for something good to happen to them, and/or because 2), they don't want something bad to happen to them. Either way, they're not actually seeking to benefit others/Nature, they're seeking to benefit themselves, which is selfish.

Other people get caught up in balancing their karmic forces, trying to figure out what they've done and whether or not it's connected to what they're going through. This can be exhausting, a burden, leading to fear and paranoia.

Never think that 'bad' things are happening to you because of something you've done. Never think that 'bad' things are happening to others because of something they've done. This isn't the right approach. The right approach is to justify everything as love.

It's important for us to understand the laws of Nature so we can operate safely within them. Just as we know gravity and we know how to operate safely within the law of gravity, so too we should know karma so we can operate safely within the law of karma. However, just as we don't dwell on gravity, so too, we shouldn't dwell on karma.

To operate safely within the law of karma, the easiest thing to remember is: Seek to benefit others/Nature instead of yourself, and do so to bring contentment to others/Nature and to The Creator.

Knowing that The Truth transcends karma doesn't nullify karma - karma continues to operate, we just have to learn how to operate safely within it.

Also, knowing that The Truth transcends karma doesn't mean that we can do whatever we want. Not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves.
_____________
References:

1. Karma. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved Feb 4, 2015.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Jesus, Love, and The Pharisees and Sadducees

Jesus taught about love, yet he openly criticized the Pharisees and Sadducees, even calling them a 'brood of vipers' (Matthew 3:7, NIV).

The question is - isn't this a contradiction? Shouldn't someone who teaches about love, love everyone equally?

The answer is - it's not a contradiction because you can't assume that Jesus' attitude towards the Pharisees and Sadducees wasn't coming from a place of love:

1. He may have known that they were going to kill him and knowingly set them up to hate him, putting events in motion that would ultimately lead to his death.
2. He may have been using them as an example, to teach people what NOT to be and how NOT to behave.
3. Just as a parent disciplines a child who misbehaves, he may have been reprimanding them for their bad behaviour, because they were leading people astray.
4. There may have been other reasons as well.

Love comes in many shapes and forms, but that doesn't mean we can do whatever we want, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

This example is given for teaching purposes only. Remember, Scripture talks only about our internal qualities.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.