Lies Bring Us To The Truth

Updated February 27, 2017

Michael Laitman explained that the strength of a lie is in its concealment. If a lie is revealed (that it's a lie), it's abandoned, bringing us to the truth. A lie wants to remain concealed/hidden because that's how it continues to exist. As a lie spreads, as more people use it, buy into it and engage in it, eventually they realize that they have nothing, that it's a lie. The lie is then abandoned, bringing us to the truth. The lie brings about its own death, specifically, the widespread use of a lie, brings about its own death. In a world of lies, it is lies that bring us to The Truth.

He went on to give an example: Let's say a company manufactures a product that's not that great. They sell a few here and there and make some money. Eventually, they want to make more money, so they advertise to sell more. More people buy the product and discover that it's not that great. People stop buying the product and the company goes bankrupt.

Based on that explanation, let's take a look at our society. We've built a society that's based on a lie - that the quality of selfishness will fulfill us. The widespread use of this lie, all the many ways that we're selfish, is bringing about its own death because we're beginning to realize that we have nothing, that we remain empty, unfulfilled and unhappy. Eventually, the lie (selfishness) will be abandoned, bringing us to The Truth - that our happiness and fulfillment comes from connection, from unity and from doing good to others/Nature instead of ourselves. By this, we'll reach harmony and balance with each other and with all of Nature.

Also, there are negative/destructive lies, which harm us, others and all of Nature; and there are positive/constructive lies, which benefit us, others and all of Nature. Negative lies should be abandoned because they cause harm, leaving us empty and unfulfilled. An example of a positive lie is saying that I want to go to the gym when I don't; however, going makes me healthy. Another example of a positive lie is saying that I want to bestow (I want to do good to others/Nature) when I don't; however, doing so brings connection, unity and happiness.

In a world of lies, it is lies that bring us to The Truth - that bestowal (seeking to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves) and not selfishness (seeking to benefit oneself with no regard for others) is our true source of happiness.

Be completely honest with The Creator because The Creator sees the heart.

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

Copyright © 2017, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved

Killers And Pranksters

People who kill civilians to make a point and pranksters who scare/humiliate others both enjoy harming others. #DifferentDegreesOfSelfishness #AprilFools

That said, remember, nothing bad has ever happened to us, others or all of Nature. We're surrounded by love, we just have to realize it. That doesn't mean that we can do whatever we want, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others/animals/Nature instead of ourselves.
http://carterkagume.blogspot.ca/2016/01/bestowal-in-selfishness-and-bestowal-in.html

Copyright © 2016. Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

"Bestowal In Selfishness" And "Bestowal In Bestowal"

Updated Jan 24, 2016

WORK IN PROGRESS:
This post is a work in progress and is subject to changes, revisions, edits and deletions.

Nothing bad has ever happened to us, others or all of Nature. We're surrounded by love, we just have to realize it. (That doesn't mean we can do whatever we want, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves. There's no coercion in spirituality - a  person must come to bestowal voluntarily.)

Bestowal is bestowal is bestowal; however, there's a difference between bestowal that exists in selfishness, and bestowal that exists in bestowal.

How is it possible that we're in bestowal, given the state of affairs in the world today? Here's an explanation:

1. Being In Bestowal While Immersed In Selfishness:
• Today, we're all immersed in selfishness, seeking to benefit ourselves with no regard for others. How then, can we be in bestowal?
• A) A Harmer and A Person Who's Been Harmed: Let's say I harm you (God forbid). There's me, the harmer, and there's you, the person who's been harmed. How can we both be in bestowal?
• The Harmer In Bestowal: As the harmer, I'm in bestowal because I make life so miserable for you that I push you to question the meaning of your life and to cry out to The Creator for help. This brings you to bestowal, which is the purpose of creation. I act as a birth pain, a contraction, in order for you to give birth to your own internal quality of true bestowal.
• Also, I'm in bestowal because I TAKE pleasure from you, automatically putting you in a position of being the bestower of pleasure. I make you a bestower of pleasure.
• (This doesn't mean that we should intentionally harm others/Nature, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves.)
• The Person Who's Been Harmed In Bestowal: As the person who's been harmed, you're in bestowal because you've given me pleasure. I get pleasure from harming you, which is the nature of the quality of selfishness, inappropriate, but it's pleasure all the same. You don't give me pleasure voluntarily, I take it from you, but nevertheless, that puts you in a position of being the bestower of pleasure.
• (This doesn't mean that we should intentionally allow ourselves/others/Nature to be harmed, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves.)
• There's no such thing as a 'victim', only a person who gives pleasure.
• It's important to note in this scenario that pleasure is TAKEN.
• B) We're Teachers Of The Quality of Selfishness: While we're immersed in selfishness (acting selfishly towards each other and influencing each other in a negative and destructive way through our social environments), we benevolently teach each other about selfishness. Learning about selfishness is necessary because we learn from opposites (i.e. hot/cold, hate/love etc.) First we have to learn about the quality of selfishness in order to fully appreciate its opposite, the quality of bestowal.
• (This doesn't mean that we should intentionally be selfish, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves.)
• C) We Tell Each Others' Stories: This is connected to perception of reality. What we see on the outside is a reflection of who we are on the inside. The 'good' and 'bad' both tell a benevolent story of our internal qualities.
• D) Arc-Story In Creation: There's an arc-story in all creation (that includes the 'good' and the 'bad') that tells the benevolent story of our relationship with The Creator.
2. Being In Bestowal While Immersed In Bestowal:
• We have to change from selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to bestowal (seeking to benefit others/Nature). Once we're in bestowal, we'll act benevolently:
• A) A Bestower And A Receiver: Let's say I do good to you. There's me, the bestower, and there's you, the receiver of my bestowal.
• The Bestower in Bestowal: As the bestower, I'm in bestowal because I seek only to do good to you, to benefit you in a positive and constructive way, and I do so to bring contentment to The Creator. The pleasure I feel comes from the happiness I give you and The Creator. Your happiness and The Creator's happiness makes me happy (gives me pleasure).
• I stop harming you, others and all of Nature.
• The Receiver In Bestowal: As the receiver of my bestowal, you're in bestowal because you receive my bestowal not for your own sake (not to benefit yourself), but to make me happy, and by so doing, to make The Creator happy. The pleasure you feel comes from the happiness you give me and The Creator. My happiness and The Creator's happiness makes you happy (gives you pleasure).
• It's important to note in this scenario that pleasure is GIVEN.
• B) We'll Teach Each Other About The Quality Of Bestowal: Once we're in bestowal (seeking to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves), we'll begin to benevolently teach each other about the quality of bestowal. We'll set examples for each other, we'll inspire each other, and we'll influence each other in a positive and constructive way (through our social environments) to be benevolent.
• C) We'll Tell Each Others' Stories: This is connected to perception of reality. What we see on the outside will be a reflection of our internal benevolent qualities.
• D) Arc-Story In Creation: We'll continue to tell the benevolent arc-story that exists in all creation, the story about our relationship with The Creator.

There's a difference between bestowal that exists in selfishness, and bestowal that exists in bestowal. We have to change from selfishness to bestowal. We have to move away from bestowal that exists in selfishness, and begin to live in the bestowal that exists in bestowal.

Nothing bad has ever happened to us, others, or all or Nature. We're surrounded by love, we just have to realize it. This 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.

Copyright © 2016. Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

The Hypocrisy Of The American Dream

Updated Jul 25, 2015.

The American dream [1] promises opportunities for success for anyone willing to work hard for it. It's rooted in the 1776 Declaration of Independence, which states, "... all men are created equal ..." Equal to do what? Equal to engage in aggressive competition where people seek to be greater than others? This isn't equality, it's hypocrisy.

How can you on the one hand say "all men are created equal", yet on the other hand expect them to engage in aggressive competition where everyone is seeking to be better than others, thereby creating inequality?

Here are my notes:

1. Societies Built On Selfishness:
• Today, we're all immersed in selfishness, seeking to benefit ourselves with no regard for others. The European societies of old were also built on the quality of selfishness. 
• Emigrants left Europe for America fleeing poverty, oppression and the injustices of aristocratic governments that sought to benefit themselves at the expense of everyone else. Money, power and authority was consolidated in the hands of a few.
• New American immigrants set out to create a country where "all men are created equal". However, the people didn't change, meaning their selfish nature didn't change, so the USA was also built on the quality of selfishness, where everyone was (and still is) seeking to benefit themselves at the expense of everyone else. The result? Poverty, oppression, and the injustices of the division of wealth (the huge gap between the rich and poor). Money, power and influence is consolidated in the hands of a few - those with the ability to best acquire it. Have the Americans created the country they originally set out to create? No. The USA is identical to the Europe that early immigrants originally fled.
• Every time mankind has tried to be better than others, to dominate others, to control others, to subjugate others etc., it's failed. Why? Because such systems don't work. The discrepancies created by such systems leads to tension and conflict, which ultimately results in its demise.
• The only solution is connection. We have to change from selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to bestowal (seeking to benefit others and Nature).
2. Aggressive Competition & The Aristocratic Mentality:
• Aggressive competition creates an aristocratic mentality. People who engage in aggressive competition seek to be better than others, to be greater than others, to be more important than others, to be richer than others etc. This is the same aristocratic mentality that existed in Europe, that early emigrants originally fled. 
• The USA is built on aggressive competition:
• In business, people are expected to engage in aggressive competition in order to be greater than others. This isn't equality. How can you be equal to others when you're trying to be better than them?
• It brings out a type of business aristocracy - the aristocratic rich and everyone else.
• Are "all men created equal"? No, not when everyone is trying to be better than others. Not when there's a huge gap between the rich and the poor.
• In sports (baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer, tennis etc.), athletes are expected to engage in aggressive competition in order to be greater than others. This isn't equality. How can you be equal to others when you're trying to be better than them?
• It brings out a type of sports aristocracy - the aristocratic winner and everyone else.
• Are "all men created equal"? No, not when everyone is trying to be better than others. Not when there's one winner and a whole bunch of losers.
• In foreign affairs, Americans engage in aggressive competition with other nations in order to be greater than them. This isn't equality. How can you be equal to others when you're trying to be better than them?
• It brings out a type of country aristocracy - the aristocratic Americans and everyone else.
• Are "all men created equal"? No, not when the USA thinks it's better than everyone else.
• Some people justify aggressive competition as a motivator that brings out the best in us. It doesn't, it only brings out our most egoistic side. Also:
• When people seek to benefit themselves, their potential is limited because they're only thinking about themselves; however, when people seek to benefit others/Nature, their potential is unlimited because they're thinking of others and all of Nature.
• Love is an even greater motivator. A mother, who is motivated by love, will do anything for her children, to ensure they're well taken care of. Even when she's sick, she still performs her motherly duties.
• Cooperation and collaboration is better than aggressive competition. Nature is an integral system that's interconnected and interdependent. Nature is pushing us to connect and we must do so through mutual cooperation and collaboration.
3. Equality:
• "All men are created equal" in that we all have the same basic needs, including food, water, clothing, shelter etc.
• We need to simply our lives and focus only on meeting our basic needs. We need to ensure that the basic needs of everyone on earth are met.
• All men are not created equal in terms of our abilities and talents. Different people have different talents, strengths, abilities, ambition, etc. We're different and we have different roles to play in society. In the USA (and around the world), those with the greatest talents, skills, abilities, ambition, connections, prestigious family heritage etc., are the ones most likely to succeed. This isn't equality, it's people taking advantage of their God-given potential, attributes and station in life to benefit themselves at the expense of others.
• We all have different God-given potential. If John's God-given potential output is 100 and Peter's God-given potential output is 10, it would be extremely unfair to expect John to aggressively compete against Peter because John would win every time. In his frustration, Peter may resort to undesirable practices to compete with John. However, if both John and Peter used their God-given potential to benefit others/Nature, they'd be equal because they'd both be working at their full potential, John at 100 and Peter at 10. Even though John's output (of 100) is greater than Peter's output (of 10), it doesn't mean John is working any harder, it comes to him naturally because it's his God-given potential. Since they're both working at their full potential, they're both equal, even though they're different, and they have different roles to play. With love as a motivator, John would use his full potential to benefit others/Nature and Peter would use his full potential to benefit others/Nature.
• Equality means one thing in selfishness and it means something else in bestowal:
• In selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves), the phrase, "all men are created equal" means all men have the equal opportunity to engage in aggressive competition, to selfishly seek to benefit themselves (even at the expense of others), to use their God-given potential and attributes to benefit themselves (for their own selfish profit and gain), to try and be better than others etc. The result is inequality.
• In bestowal (seeking to benefit others and Nature), the phrase, "all men are created equal" means all men have the equal opportunity to do good to others, to benefit others/Nature in a positive and constructive way, to use their God-given potential and attributes to benefit others/Nature etc. The result is TRUE equality, with everyone using his/her potential to benefit others/Nature.
• We have to change from selfishness to bestowal.

The American dream, where "all men are created equal", is hypocritical because the American society is rooted in selfishness, driven by aggressive competition where people are seeking to exploit others for their own personal profit and gain. The result is inequality - poverty, oppression, winners and losers, and a huge gap between the rich and the poor.

The only way the USA can realize its dream, where "all men are created equal", is if people change from selfishness to bestowal and seek to benefit others/Nature instead of themselves. This will result in TRUE equality.

The USA has a big influence on the entire world. If positive and constructive change comes to the USA, the entire world will be positively affected. It's not just the USA that has to change, the entire world has to change from selfishness to bestowal, from aggressive competition to cooperation and collaboration.

It's time to leave the old, archaic, aristocratic mentality behind, the mentality of engaging in aggressive competition and trying to be better than others. It's time to unite in mutual bestowal, in a mentality of benevolence, cooperation, collaboration, compassion and empathy, where everyone is seeking to benefit others/Nature instead of themselves. If we all did this, we'd all be truly equal.

We're different and we have different roles to play, but we're all one family. In everything we do, we should use our God-given potential to seek to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves.

___________

References:

1. American Dream. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved Jul 13, 2015.
2. Declaration Of Independence. www.archives.gov. Retrieved Jul 13, 2015.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Why Are We Obsessed With Being Better Than Others?

Updated July 12, 2015.

We're obsessed with being better than others because we're immersed in the quality of selfishness, seeking to benefit ourselves with no regard for others or Nature. The quality of selfishness wants to be greater than, better than and important than others.

Some people justify this behaviour by saying aggressive competitive brings out the best in us. It doesn't. It brings out our most egoistic side, which is negative and destructive.

It's better to cooperate and collaborate than to engage in aggressive competition.

Here are my notes:

1. Money & Wealth:
• Businesses - Today, businesses are driven by aggressive competition. Most companies seek to make as much money as possible - to be the richest, to be the biggest, to have the highest market share, to have the highest profits etc. They pursue their I'm Better Than Others title at the expense of others, exploiting other businesses, employees and customers to achieve their selfish goals.
• Individuals - Today, individuals are driven to make as much money as possible - to have the biggest house, the nicest car, the most expensive possessions etc. They pursue their I'm Better Than Others title in order to feel greater than others. However, these pleasures are fleeting and they're left feeling even more empty than before.
2. Sports:
• Today, sports is driven by aggressive competition. Most sporting organization (and individual athletes) want to be the champion. They're also motivated by money because winners get prizes and endorsements. The problem in sports is that there is only one winner and a whole bunch of losers. Athletes pursue their I'm Better Than Others title at the expense of others, hoping others will lose, so they can win.
3. Countries:
• Today, countries are driven by aggressive competition. Some countries seek to gain the most power, control and wealth. Countries pursue their I'm Better Than Others title at the expense of others countries.

In the story of Snow White [1], a wicked queen constantly asks her mirror, "Who's the fairest one of all?" and expects her mirror to reply, "You're the fairest one of all". This is where we are today - we're the wicked queen, obsessed with being better than others.

The wicked queen represents the quality of selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) and Snow White represents the quality of bestowal (seeking to benefit others and Nature). We have to change from selfishness to bestowal, from the wicked queen to Snow White.

Instead of being motivated by aggressive competition, we should be motivated by love. E.g., a mother, motivated by love, works tirelessly to provide for her children.

We're all one family and we should treat each other as one family. Competing aggressively with other family members and exploiting them for our own personal profit and gain seems inappropriate and out of place. It's more appropriate to see ourselves as having different roles to play in our worldwide global family.

Instead of seeking to benefit ourselves and being obsessed with being better than others, we should seek to do good to others, to benefit them in a positive and constructive way.

Cooperation and collaboration is better than aggressive competition. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves.

________

References:

1. Snow White: www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved July 9, 2015.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Living In A World Without Money

We don't need money, we just need each other.

If all the money in the world disappeared, what would happen to us? Would we all cease to exist? Not at all. It's possible to live in a world without money, but we have to change from selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to bestowal (seeking to benefit others/Nature).

So then how would we live?

• Volunteer: We'd all volunteer our services. Instead of working for money, we'd work to benefit others and Nature. When we contribute to society in a positive and constructive way, society would in turn take care of us. If you look around you, there are people with a wide variety of skills, talents, abilities and traits. If everyone volunteered their services to society, together, we have what it takes to create a great society without money.
• Basic Needs: We need to simply our lives. We need to focus only on meeting our basic needs - food, water, clothing, shelter etc. If our basic needs are met, what else do we need? We don't need anything else to live. Imagine living in a world where food, water, clothing, shelter is all free. It would simplify our lives tremendously. We could have community kitchens/dining rooms, clothing facilities, simple dwellings etc. It's possible.
• Education: We need to learn about bestowal, how to benefit others and Nature. There are so many ways that we can benefit each other and Nature. Education will be a big part of the transformation.
• Motivated By Love: How can we ensure fairness in such a system, to ensure some people don't take advantage of others? We'd be motivated by love. When you love others, you give everything of yourself to them without any calculations and without expecting anything in return. If we all did this, it would work.
• Bestowal is the key. Instead of seeking to benefit ourselves, we should seek to benefit others/Nature. If we all lived to benefit others/Nature, we'd become connected in mutual bestowal. Our focus would be on our connection, and connection makes us happy.

It is possible to live in a world without money. All we need is each other. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves.

Don't be afraid. God is with us.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Connection - Changing From Selfishness To Bestowal

This YouTube video [1] shows how today, we're all immersed in selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) and how we have to change from selfishness to bestowal, and seek to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves.

________
References:

1. Cogwheels. www.youtube.com. Retrieved Jul 2, 2015.

The USA Is Headed Towards A Transformative Event

Updated May 8, 2015

(NOTE: For the purposes of simple expression, I've used the terms black or black people and white or white people. No disrespect or offence is intended.)

The United States of America (USA) is headed towards a major transformative event that will take place sometime in the near future. The event will be a violent one, the injustice so grievous, it will shake the foundations of the entire country.

The USA is experiencing birth pains. One of the manifestations of the birth pains is the racial tension and injustice occurring in the USA today. The birth pains are taking place because we're about to give birth to the quality of bestowal (seeking to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves). The event that will take place in the near future will be one of the things that will bring the USA to bestowal.

We have to change from selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to bestowal (seeking to benefit others and Nature). The ultimate goal is to bring contentment to The Creator by seeking to benefit others and all of Nature.

Today, black people are protesting because black men are dying unnecessarily at the hands of police. Most recently, Freddie Gray [1] died while in police custody.

While many white people have taken part in the protests, for the most part, the majority of the protesters have been black.

The reason why more white people haven't been MOVED en masse to help black people is because white people are complacent. They know there's a problem but they're too busy with their own lives, distracted with other things, including many meaningless things. Also, they think it's a black issue that will eventually get resolved.

The USA is a country that's sensitive to social injustice and inequality, in fact, it was built on its sensitivity to these issues:

• The American Revolution [2] occurred because of the injustice of the British taxation system and its aristocratic governance,
• The American Civil War [3] occurred because of the injustice of slavery,
• Soon, a social revolution will take place because of the injustice of the quality of selfishness.

White people have fought for black people before. The American Civil War was fought over black people. White people fought other white people for the freedom of black slaves.

When the black slaves were freed, they became a part of American society, and most white people expected them to create their own lives under their newfound freedom.

Unfortunately, things haven't worked out quite so well for most black people because many black communities remain marginalized, subjected to racism, inequality, abuse, police brutality, social neglect etc. Black people are among the poorest people in the country.

White people KNOW this, but they haven't been MOVED en masse to do anything about it. The recent injustices against black people at the hands of police has made that issue more transparent, and it's touched the consciousness of white people.

However, it will take a specific event to MOVE white people to action. 

At some point in the near future, a violent, unjust event will take place that will ignite such anger and fury in both blacks and whites, that the entire nation will erupt in protests. The protesters won't necessarily be violent, but their response will be swift and decisive, and the consequences will result in real change.

That is the event that will MOVE white people en masse to do something about the way black people, poor people and other minorities are treated.

In fact, black people won't have to do much because white people will fight for them, just as they did during the civil war. Realizing that they're all one family, white people will see that some of their family members (blacks and others) have been neglected, abused, bullied, mocked and even killed, while the rest of the family has been sitting around doing very little about it.

And that will be the beginning of real change in the United States. For the first time since it was created, The United States will become a united people, one family.

For the first time since it was written, The Declaration Of Independence [4] will ring true, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

• "Life" - being the quality of bestowal, when we seek to benefit other and Nature instead or ourselves
• "Liberty" - means being free of the quality of selfishness
• "pursuit of Happiness" - means realizing that connection makes us happy, that being connected with each other in mutual bestowal, that being aligned with the integral laws of Nature, and that being connected with The Creator in equivalence of form, brings true joy and happiness.
• (See this separate post about independence in selfishness and bestowal.)

For the first time, the words of Abraham Lincoln from the Gettysburg Address [5] will ring true, " ... that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people and for the people ..."

• "that this nation" - means people united under one ideology, seeking to benefit others and Nature instead of themselves
• "under God" - means operating under God's quality, the quality of bestowal
• "shall have a new birth of freedom" - means being free of the quality of selfishness
• "and that government of the people, by the people and for the people" - means people united in mutual bestowal, seeking to benefit others and Nature instead of themselves.

For the first time, the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. from the I Have A Dream [6] speech will ring true: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

• "free" - means being free of the quality of selfishness

Labour is a process that involves contractions, blows that push us to give birth. We are about to give birth to the quality of bestowal and the USA is experiencing birth pains.

Among other things, it will take one major event (a blow, a contraction) that will bring the USA to bestowal.

We have to change. Our internal qualities have to change from selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to bestowal (seeking to benefit others and Nature), with the ultimate goal of bringing contentment to The Creator by seeking to benefit others and Nature.

Do not be afraid. God is with us.
___________
References:

1. Death of Freddie Gray. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
2. American Revolution. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
3. American Civil War. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
4. The Declaration Of Independence. www.archives.gov. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
5. Gettysburg Address. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
6. I Have A Dream. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved May 2, 2015.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Taking A Stand Against The Quality Of Selfishness

Edited May 1, 2015

We should all unite against our internal quality of selfishness, which makes us seek to benefit ourselves with no regard for others or Nature. We have to change from selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to bestowal (seeking to benefit others and Nature).

The ultimate goal is to bring contentment to The Creator by seeking to benefit others and all of Nature.

We don't do anything on our own, The Creator does everything:
      - He changes our internal qualities from selfishness to bestowal.
      - He changes our perception of reality.
      - He reveals The Truth.

The only thing we have to do is WANT (desire) to be in bestowal and ASK Him for help.

We enter the quality of bestowal by taking a stand against the quality of selfishness. This happens in two ways: By deciding that we don't want to harm others and Nature anymore, and by acknowledging that we're unfulfilled in our current system of selfishness:

1. Not Wanting To Harm Others And Nature:
• While we're immersed in the quality of selfishness, we harm others and all of Nature.
• At some point, the horror of it reaches a breaking point, and we decided that we don't want to harm others and Nature anymore.
• By deciding that we don't want to harm others and Nature anymore, we take a stand against the quality of selfishness, which brings us to bestowal.
• Be brave and don't be afraid to go against your selfish inclinations. Cry out to The Creator and ask Him for help.
2. Acknowledging That We're Unfulfilled:
• All the systems of this world have been built on the quality of selfishness - family, school, work, countries, politics, religion, science etc.
• All the pleasures that we feel - food, sex, family, money, honour, knowledge, power - are pleasures that we feel within the quality of selfishness.
• At some point, we begin to despair because the pleasures of the quality of selfishness are fleeting, and no matter how hard we try, we remain empty and unfulfilled. Nothing fulfills us anymore, meaning, nothing of the quality of selfishness fulfills us anymore.
• By acknowledging that we're unfulfilled by the quality of selfishness, that we remain empty and that something is still missing, we take a stand against the quality of selfishness, which brings us to bestowal.
• Be brave and don't be afraid to admit that you're unfulfilled. There's a hole in our heart that only God can fill. Cry out to The Creator and ask Him for help.

We should all unite against our internal quality of selfishness. When we decide that we don't want to harm others and Nature anymore, and when we acknowledge that we're empty and unfulfilled, we take a stand against the quality of selfishness, which brings us to bestowal.

The ultimate goal is to bring contentment to The Creator.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others and all of Nature in order to bring contentment to The Creator.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

There Are Two Kinds Of Bestowal

Edited Apr 27, 2015

WORK IN PROGRESS:
This post is a work in progress and is subject to changes, revisions, edits and deletions. I've presented it here to give you an idea of a general concept; however, I'm not sure I've done a very good job explaining it. Please bear with me as I continue to work through this.

Some people may ask, "If we're already in bestowal, surrounded by love, why should we change? Why not just continue to live our lives as we do today?"

The answer is because there are two kinds of bestowal - bestowal above selfishness, and bestowal of bestowal. They're actually the same thing, they're both bestowal, but for the purposes of understanding them, let's split them up:

1. Bestowal Above Selfishness:
• Today, we're all immersed in selfishness, seeking to benefit ourselves with no regard for others.
• In this state, we harm ourselves, others and all of Nature, which is the world that we see today.
• All the systems that exist in the world today have been built on the quality of selfishness.
• While we're in selfishness, we're oblivious to a number of things:
• We don't know that we're in selfishness, and 
• We don't know about bestowal.
• We come to know bestowal (and specifically the bestowal above selfishness) only after we change from selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to bestowal (seeking to benefit others and Nature). (Eventually, the negative aspects associated with the quality of selfishness change and become something positive. The negative aspects disappear and all that's left is bestowal and love.)
2. Bestowal Of Bestowal:
• Once our intention, our internal qualities change from selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to bestowal (seeking to benefit others and Nature), we go through a change in the perception of our reality and we 'see' a number of things:
• For the first time, we 'see' the quality of selfishness
• For the first time, we 'see' the quality of bestowal
• Eventually, we come to 'see' bestowal above selfishness.
• While we're in bestowal, we seek to do good to others (and Nature), to benefit them in a positive and constructive way.
• This means that we create new systems, a new world built on the quality of bestowal. The world that we build with the quality of bestowal will look very different from the world that exists today.
• When we build that world, we'll see bestowal of bestowal, a world of bestowal that's been built by the quality of bestowal.

It's absolutely necessary for our internal qualities to change from selfishness to bestowal because there are two kinds of bestowal - bestowal above selfishness, and bestowal of bestowal. 

When we change from selfishness to bestowal, we move from one operating system to another, and we'll build a new world based on the quality of bestowal, a world that will look very different from the world that exists today.

Knowing that we're 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 and Nature instead of ourselves.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Independence in Selfishness And Bestowal

Edited Apr 21, 2015

In selfishness, being independent means being separated; whereas, in bestowal it means being connected:

1. Independence In Selfishness:
• In selfishness, independence means being separated, isolated, alone and unhappy.
• Independence From Family:
• As children grow and develop in their individual families, they learn how to do things for themselves, which means they become increasingly less reliant on their parents for help and support. Eventually, they gain full autonomy, move out of the house and begin a life of their own, completely separate from their parents. This leaves parents and children separated, isolated, alone and unhappy.
• Also, to be independent, people get divorced, separated etc., which doesn't necessarily lead to lasting happiness.
• Independence From Bestowal:
• When we become independent from bestowal, it means we become free of bestowal and immersed in selfishness - seeking to benefit ourselves with no regard for others. This leaves us separated, isolated, alone and unhappy.
2. Independence In Bestowal:
• In bestowal, independence means being connected, united, in dependence (dependent upon, interdependent) and happy.
• A Jigsaw Puzzle:
• If we think of ourselves as a single piece of a jigsaw puzzle, we're each unique and independent and we independently contribute our piece to the whole.
• At the same time, when we contribute our piece to the whole, we lose ourselves to the whole, we lose our independence and become connected as one. When you look at a completed jigsaw puzzle, you look at the whole picture, not the individual pieces. The individual pieces 'disappear' and become united into one picture.
• When we connect in mutual bestowal, we're both independent (contributing our piece to the whole) and not independent (losing ourselves to the whole), our connection is so complete that we become united as one.
• Independence From Family:
• The whole world is one family. As we grow and develop in bestowal, we learn how to benefit others and Nature instead of ourselves. We become independent in that we can benefit others and Nature on our own, once we've learned how to do it. However, when we benefit others and Nature, we adopt their desires as our own and seek to benefit them, which means we become increasingly more connected to them.
• We become connected to others in mutual bestowal, and we become connected to The Creator through equivalence of form. This connection makes us really happy. 
• Independent From Selfishness:
• When we become independent from selfishness, it means we become free of selfishness and immersed in bestowal - seeking to benefit others and Nature instead of ourselves. Connection makes us happy.

Connection is the answer. In selfishness, independence means being separated, isolated, alone and unhappy; whereas, in bestowal, independence means being connected, united and happy.

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

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

The Truth, Our Internal Qualities And Causality (Karma)

Edited Apr 27, 2015

WORK IN PROGRESS:
This post is a work in progress and is subject to changes, revisions, edits and deletions. I've presented it here to give you an idea of a general concept; however, I'm not sure I've done a very good job explaining it. Please bear with me as I continue to work through this.

Imagine that there are three systems that operate separately: The Truth, our internal qualities (our intention - selfishness and bestowal) and causality (karma). They're actually all interconnected, but for the purposes of understanding them, let's split them up:

1. The Truth:
• We can only perceive The Truth through bestowal, it has to do with perception of reality.
• 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. (This doesn't mean that we can do whatever we want, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others and Nature instead of ourselves.)
• We perceive that all negative things (associated with selfishness and 'negative' causality) change and become something positive. Eventually the negative aspects disappear and all that's left is love.
2. Our Internal Qualities (Intention - Selfishness and Bestowal):
• Our internal qualities are our intention, and our intention determines our connection with others and The Creator. While we're immersed in the intention of selfishness, we're disconnected from others and The Creator; whereas, while we're in the intention of bestowal, we're connected to others and The Creator.
• Selfishness:
• This is where we are today, but we don't know we're immersed in selfishness, because we have nothing to compare it to. Jesus said, "... they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34, NIV) 
• In selfishness, we seek to benefit ourselves with no regard for others. We harm ourselves, others and all of Nature, which means we operate within 'negative' causality.
• While we're immersed in selfishness, we're disconnected from others and The Creator, which leaves us isolated, alone and unhappy.
• Selfishness has to do with the 'bad' things we do to others and Nature, and the good things we could have done, but didn't.
• We sense the pleasures of our 5 senses - food, sex, family, money, honor, knowledge, power.
• When our intention, our internal qualities change from selfishness to bestowal, we stop being immersed in selfishness.
• Once we're in bestowal, we perceive The Truth, that nothing bad has ever happened to us, others or all of Nature. We're surrounded by love, we just have to realize it.
• We perceive that the negative aspects of selfishness change and become something positive and constructive.
• Eventually, all negative aspects of selfishness disappear and all that's left is love.
• This doesn't mean that we can do whatever we want, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others and Nature instead of ourselves.
• Bestowal:
• This is where we need to be. Our intention, our internal qualities have to change from selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to bestowal (seeking to benefit others and Nature).
• When we first enter bestowal, we go through a change in the perception of our reality - we 'see' selfishness for the first time, and we also 'see' bestowal for the first time. We have the ability to compare our two internal qualities, selfishness and bestowal. (Eventually, all negative aspects of selfishness change and become something positive and constructive, and all that's left is love.)
• In bestowal:
• We rise above our selfishness,
• We stop harming others and Nature,
• We adopt other people's desires as our own (we 'feel' them, sense them and connect with them), and
• We seek to benefit them instead of ourselves.
• While we're in bestowal, we're connected to others in mutual bestowal and we're connected to The Creator through equivalence of form. This connection makes us really happy.
• Bestowal has to do with the good things we do to others and Nature, not for our sake but for theirs, and specifically to bring contentment to The Creator.
• When we're born into bestowal, we need to grow and develop, just as a baby grows and develops into an adult.
• In our new perception of reality, eventually we come to perceive The Truth, that nothing bad has ever happened to us, others or all of Nature. We're surrounded by love, we just have to realize it. This doesn't mean that we can do whatever we want, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others and Nature instead of ourselves.
• We sense a new intense pleasure, which is a direct stream from God.
• While we're in bestowal, we do good to others, which means we operate within positive causality.
3. Causality (Karma):
• Causality [1] (karma [2]) is a law in nature, just like gravity. This law of reciprocity is also known as The Golden Rule.
• Causality isn't specifically about our intention, our internal qualities, because we can do 'bad' while immersed in the intention of selfishness, but we can also do 'good' while immersed in the intention of selfishness.
• What you do, happens to you:
• Causality has to do with what we do, and the consequences we face as a result of the things we do. Causality isn't just about what we do, but also, what comes back to us as a result of what we do.
• For example, if I slap someone and years later I get slapped, there are two events to contend with - the slap I give and the slap I get, and both are related.
• The question is: Why isn't causality instant? Why does it sometimes take so long for the consequences of our actions to come back to us? How can a person learn if there's a delayed response to the consequences of our actions?
• The answer is love:
• There's an arc-story being told in all creation that uses many facets of our experiences (both good and 'bad'), and that arc-story is a positive story of our relationship with God.
• If we did 'bad' things and immediately 'bad' things happened to us, we'd become paranoid and afraid to live. Whereas, if we just live our lives, we learn through experience, and there's none so wise as the experienced.
• Also, if we did good things and immediately good things happened to us, we'd do good things for selfish purposes, not for the sake of others, which wouldn't connect us to bestowal, The Truth or the purpose of creation.
• 'Negative' Causality ('Negative' Karma):
• If you do bad, you get bad. Meaning, if we do 'bad' things, 'bad' things happen to us.
• While we're immersed in selfishness, we tend to harm ourselves, others and Nature. So we operate within 'negative' causality.
• When our intention, our internal qualities change from selfishness to bestowal, we stop being in 'negative' causality.
• Once we're in bestowal, we perceive The Truth, that nothing bad has ever happened to us, others or all of Nature. We're surrounded by love, we just have to realize it.
• We perceive that the negative aspects of 'negative' causality change and become something positive and constructive.
• Eventually, all negative aspects of 'negative' causality disappear and all that's left is love.
• This doesn't mean that we can do whatever we want, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others and Nature instead of ourselves.
• Positive Causality (Positive Karma):
• If you do good, you get good. Meaning, if we do good things, good things happen to us.
• From Selfishness:
• We can 'do good' to others while still immersed in selfishness, but we don't do it for their sake, we do it for our sake. We may want to be seen as do-gooders, gain favour in the eyes of others, receive a reward etc. Because we're still immersed in selfishness, we don't connect to the next world of bestowal. We don't experience any of the phenomenon of bestowal - The Truth, a new perception of reality, a new sensation of pleasure etc.
• However, by 'doing good' to others, we operate within positive causality.
• From Bestowal:
• When our intention, our internal qualities change from selfishness to bestowal, and we seek to benefit others and Nature instead of ourselves, we do good to others, not for our sake, but theirs.
• By doing good to others, we operate within positive causality. Plus, our intention, our internal qualities are in bestowal, which means we reveal phenomenon of bestowal - The Truth, a new perception of reality, a new sensation of pleasure etc.

The Truth, our internal qualities (intention - selfishness and bestowal) and causality (karma) are all interconnected, but they're also separate systems. Once we understand them, it will help us operate safely within them, not for our sake, but for the sake of others and Nature, in order to bring contentment to The Creator.

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

__________

References:

1. Causality. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved Apr 12, 2015.
2. Karma. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved Apr 12, 2015.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Do We Have The Right To Harm Others?

Today, we're all immersed in the quality of selfishness, seeking to benefit ourselves with no regard for others.

We have to change from personal selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to mutual bestowal (seeking to benefit others).

Human rights, animal rights and earth rights* exist to protect us and all of Nature from the abusive and exploitative nature of the quality of selfishness. The quality of selfishness is a negative and destructive force that seek to harm us, others and all of Nature.

1. The Right To Not Be Harmed By Others:
• We (and Nature) have the right to not be harmed by other people's negative and destructive quality of selfishness, when they seek personal profit and gain at our (and Nature's) expense.
• Which is why there are many protective measures in place, to protect us (and Nature) from other people's quality of selfishness.
• The Positive Use Of Freedom of Speech/Expression:
• We use freedom of speech/expression to protect ourselves from other people's quality of selfishness, when they want to oppress us, when they don't want us to speak and/or express ourselves.
2. The Right To Harm Others?
• We don't have the right to harm others (and Nature) with our negative and destructive quality of selfishness, to seek personal profit and gain at other people's (and Nature's) expense.
• Which is why there are many protective measures in place, to protect other people (and Nature) from our own quality of selfishness.
• The Negative Use of Freedom of Speech/Expression:
• We use freedom of speech/expression to justify ourselves when we want to harm others with our quality of selfishness.
• For example, if I say, "I think you're an idiot. That's my personal opinion and I have the right to my personal opinion. It's called freedom of speech." It's called being immersed in the quality of selfishness, seeking to benefit myself with no regard for others. The quality of bestowal would say, "Is there anything I can do to benefit you?"

Putting protective rights in place helps protect us and Nature from other people's quality of selfishness, and it helps protect others and Nature from our own quality of selfishness, but it doesn't get to the root cause of the problem. It doesn't solve the problem because it doesn't address our internal quality of selfishness.

The only thing that will solve the problem is if we change our internal qualities from personal selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to mutual bestowal (seeking to benefit others).

If we connect with each other in mutual bestowal, we won't have the need for rights because instead of harming others and all of Nature, we'll protect each other and all of Nature.

We'll intuitively seek to benefit others instead of ourselves. Just as there are no rights to let us breathe, because we breathe intuitively, so too there won't be any rights to protect humans, animals and all of Nature because we'll protect each other and all of Nature intuitively.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.
That is our only true right.

* Earth rights - The rights of the earth to not be polluted, exploited and abused.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

The Killing Of Children Has To Stop

The quality of selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) is responsible for the killing of children that we've seen recently:

1. Police & Militants Killing Children:
• On Dec 16, 2014 in Peshawar, Pakistan, Taliban militants killed 132 school children and 9 adults, 141 people in total. [1]
• On Nov 22, 2014 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, police officer Timothy Loehmann killed 12 year old Tamir Rice. [2]
• Rice was brandishing a toy gun in a park, and sadly, he probably learned his behaviour from watching adults on TV or elsewhere.
• On Aug 9, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri, USA, police officer Darren Wilson killed 18 year old teenager Michael Brown. [3]
2. Children Killing Children:
• On Apr 20, 1999 in Colombine, Colorado, USA, senior students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 12 students, 1 teacher, then killed themselves. [4]
• Children learn their behaviour from the violence they see on TV, in movies, in video games, in comic books etc. The violent content is generated by adults. We teach children how to be violent then we're shocked when they behave violently.
• We have to set positive and constructive examples for children so they don't learn negative and destructive behaviour.
• Here is a list of all the school shootings in the USA. [5] (Not all were perpetrated by children and the list includes colleges and universities.)
3. Parents Killing Children:
• On Jun 18, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Justin Ross Harris left his 22 month old son Cooper in a hot car all day. When he returned to his car, he found Cooper dead.
• Parents selfishly don't want to look after their own children. They don't want to be up all night, worried all day, dealing with exhaustion, lack of sleep etc. They see their own children as interfering with and/or interrupting their own lives. To eliminate 'the problem', they kill their own children.

Who suffers? The children!

We're surrounded by the quality of selfishness all the time - homelessness, poverty, the gap between the rich and the poor, crime, pollution, injustice etc. The killing of children is just another manifestation of that same quality of selfishness.

The quality of selfishness always has an excuse to justifying harming others - I was doing my job, it was revenge, I wanted more time to myself etc.

There are hundreds of millions of children living in slums, in deplorable conditions, exposed to disease, exploitation and even death. Yet we're not violently shocked by that. We've become numb to it, we don't even think about it.

A time will come when the deplorable state of the world will shock us and we'll weep for the world that we've created. 

We have to change from personal selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to mutual bestowal (seeking to benefit others).

If we don't change, we'll see more examples of the quality of selfishness, and it will only get worse.

That said, remember that there is none else besides Him. God has a way of making everything right. Nothing bad has ever happened to us, others or all of Nature.

That doesn't mean that people have free license to do whatever they want. Not at all.

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

_________

References:

1. Pakistan Taliban: Peshawar school attack leaves 141 dead. www.bbc.com. Dec 16, 2014. Retrieved Dec 17, 2014.
2. Shooting of Tamir Rice. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved Dec 17, 2014
3. Shooting of Michael Brown. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved Dec 17, 2014
4. Colombine High School massacre. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved Dec 17, 2014.
5. List of school shootings in the United States. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved Dec 17, 2014.
6. Karimi, Faith, Michael Pearson (Jul 9, 2014). Georgia toddler death: Who is Justin Ross Harris. www.cnn.com. Retrieved Dec 17, 2014.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.