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.

The Meaning Of The Fires In Baltimore, Maryland, USA

The meaning of the fires that erupted on Monday April 27, 2015 during the Baltimore protests in Baltimore, Maryland, USA [1]:

1. Police Cars Burn:
• At some point in the future, police, prisons and crime will disappear.
2. CVS Pharmacy Burns:
• At some point in the future, we won't need medication because disease will end.
3. Facility For Seniors Burns:
• Seniors shouldn't live in seniors homes, they should live at home with their families where they belong. At some point in the future, senior homes will disappear and all seniors will live at home with their families where they belong.

This doesn't mean that we can do whatever we want, or burn down whatever we want, not at all. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others and Nature instead of ourselves.

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

1. Gorta, William J. (Apr 28, 2015). Baltimore burns: Buildings, police cars set on fire. www.cnbc.com. Retrieved Apr 29, 2015. 

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

A Warning To Police Officers In The USA

This is a warning to police officers in the United States of America (USA):

"Your days are numbered.
You will be held accountable for everything that you do.
You're not answerable to man, you're answerable to The One True God."

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.

Why Current Governments Are Part Of The Problem

Edited Apr 24, 2015

How can a divided government unite people?

How can a government that divides people, unite people?

Today, the world is made up of various forms of governments, but they're part of the problem because they divide people, instead of unite them:

1. Political Parties:
• Having various political parties to choose from gives people a sense of freedom of choice, but what it actually does is divide people into political parties. The government is divided into political parties and the people are divided into political affiliations.
• People who are divided, can't stand together.
• In bestowal (for others), we're united under one ideology - to benefit others and Nature instead of ourselves. (More specifically, to bring contentment to The Creator by seeking to benefiting others and all of Nature.)
2. Rich Rulers:
• In some cases, the people who rule are extremely wealthy, whereas the rest of the population is middle class or poor. This divides people into social economic classes, the governing class that is rich and the rest of the people who are middle class or poor.
• People who are divided, can't stand together.
• In bestowal (for others), the wealth gap between the rich and others disappears. The focus is on meeting our basic needs - food, water, clothing, shelter etc., ensuring that everyone has what they need.
3. Powerful Rulers:
• In some cases, the people who rule exert a tremendous amount of power, control and domination over the rest of the population. This divides people into power classes, those with power and those without.
• People who are divided, can't stand together.
• In bestowal (for others), everyone contributes their piece to the puzzle, to society, because everyone is seeking to benefit others and Nature. As such, everyone is valuable.
4. Rulers With Privileges:
• In some cases, the people who rule grant themselves certain rights and privileges that aren't available to the rest of the population. This divides people into classes, those with privileges and those without.
• People who are divided, can't stand together.
• In bestowal (for others), based on their role in society, people are granted the resources they need to benefit others and Nature. We're all different and we have different roles to play, but we're all equal.

The only solution is connection. We have to change from selfishness to bestowal. Instead of seeking to benefit ourselves, we should seek to benefit others and all of Nature.

When we seek to benefit other and Nature, we become blind to nationality, politics, religion, race, gender, social status, wealth etc.

Bestowal unites people in mutual responsibility, where everyone is seeking to do good to others and Nature, to benefit others and Nature in a positive and constructive way. Everyone is equal and eventually all become united as one.

Connection is the answer.

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 Reason Why The Rich Exist

The rich exist by design and for a number of reasons:

1. Tells A Story:
• The discrepancy between the rich and others tells a story, where the rich represent the head of a body and the rest of the people represent the rest of the body.
• This doesn't mean that the rich are our leaders, or that they're the head of society, not at all. It simply means that a story needs to be told, and the discrepancy between the rich and others tells that story.
• Eventually, this discrepancy will disappear and we'll all be united as one.
2. A Learning Opportunity:
• Experience is a big part of learning, there's none so wise as the experienced.
• In selfishness, we're given an example of what doesn't work - how the rich (the head), even though they're in a position of bestowal to help others (the rest of the body), they don't because they're selfishly seeking to benefit themselves. (We're all immersed in selfishness, selfishly seeking to benefit ourselves and we all have to change from selfishness to bestowal.) 
• By contrast (and because we learn from opposites), in bestowal, we'll be given an example of what does work - how the head, in a position of bestowal, seeks only to benefit the rest of the body.

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.

Mixed Messages In Society About How To Make Money

Society sends mixed messages about how it's okay and not okay to make money, even though they're all selfish:

1. What's Okay:
• It's okay to sell overpriced products to make as much money as possible.
• It's okay to lower product quality to reduce costs to make as much money as possible.
• It's okay to engage in aggressive and manipulative marketing practices to make as much money as possible.
• Justification: It's legal, it's called competition, capitalism, business, strategy, trade, commerce etc.
• Consequences: You're a winner, a star, a hero etc.
• The Truth: It's harmful selfishness cloaked in excuses.
2. What's Not Okay:
• It's not okay to steal money from others.
• Justification: It's illegal, it's called theft, punishable by the law.
• Consequences: Jail.
• The Truth: It's harmful selfishness that's transparent.

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

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

We Have Different Capacities Of Output

We're all different, we're born with different God-given talents, traits and attributes, and we have different capacities of output. Here's a comparison of two people who have different capacities of output:

1. Dave:
• Dave was born with a natural capacity of output of let's say 100 units.
• If he produces 80 units, he's slacking off.
• If he produces 100 units, he's operating at his natural capacity of output.
• If he produces 120 units, he's working really hard.
• He doesn't have to work extra hard to produce 100 units, it comes to him naturally.
• SELFISHNESS:
• In selfishness, we only measure people's output, not how easily it comes to them.
• Because Dave's capacity of output is high, he's paid really well, let's say $100,000. It doesn't mean that Dave is working extra hard, not at all, he may not be exerting himself at all because it comes to him naturally.
• In selfishness, Dave uses his 100 unit capacity of output to TAKE FROM others and Nature instead of to GIVE TO others and Nature. By using his 100 unit capacity of output selfishly, he deprives others and Nature of the benefit they would have otherwise gotten had he used it benevolently. Basically, he steals 100 units of output from others and Nature.
• BESTOWAL:
• In bestowal, when Dave operates at his natural capacity of output of 100 units, he's equal to everyone else who operates at their natural capacity of output, even if their natural capacity of output is higher or lower.
• How is Dave's natural capacity of output measured? Love.
• In bestowal, Dave is driven to benefit others and Nature. He has no hidden agendas, no selfish calculations, and no concerns that others may not be doing their fair share - this is a calculation that comes from the quality of selfishness. Plus, if others are also in bestowal, they'll be doing everything they can to benefit others and Nature. In this way, Dave will be connected with them in mutual bestowal.
• The only thing Dave is focused on is benefiting others and Nature and he'll intuitively give everything he can, using his 100 unit capacity of output (if not more) to GIVE TO society, to benefit others and Nature.
2. Pete:
• Pete was born with a natural capacity of output of let's say 10 units.
• If he produces 8 units, he's slacking off.
• If he produces 10 units, he's operating at his natural capacity of output.
• If he produces 12 units, he's working really hard.
• When Pete is working really hard (at 12 units) it's still lower than what Dave produces when he's slacking off (at 80 units). Just because Pete's capacity of output is less than Dave's, doesn't mean Pete's not working really hard.
• SELFISHNESS: 
• In selfishness, we only measure people's output, not how easily it comes to them.
• Because Pete's capacity of output is low, he's paid poorly, let's say $10,000. It doesn't mean that Pete is slacking off, not at all, he may be working really hard.
• In selfishness, Pete uses his 10 unit capacity of output to TAKE FROM others and Nature instead of to GIVE TO others and Nature. By using his 10 unit capacity of output selfishly, he deprives others and Nature of the benefit they would have otherwise gotten had he used it benevolently. Basically, he steals 10 units of output from others and Nature, which is less than what Dave steals.
• BESTOWAL: 
• In bestowal, when Pete operates at his natural capacity of output of 10 units, he's equal to everyone else who operates at their natural capacity of output, even if their natural capacity of output is higher or lower.
• How is Pete's natural capacity of output measured? Love.
• In bestowal, Pete is driven to benefit others and Nature. He has no hidden agendas, no selfish calculations, and no concerns that others may not be doing their fair share - this is a calculation that comes from the quality of selfishness. Plus, if others are also in bestowal, they'll be doing everything they can to benefit others and Nature. In this way, Pete will be connected with them in mutual bestowal.
• The only thing Pete is focused on is benefiting others and Nature and he'll intuitively give everything he can, using his 10 unit capacity of output (if not more) to GIVE TO society, to benefit others and Nature.

Just because a person has a HIGH capacity of output, doesn't mean they're working hard. Just because a person has a LOW capacity of output, doesn't mean they're not working hard. We're all different and we have different capacities of output.

We may think that because Dave has a higher capacity of output that he's greater than, better than and more important than others, not at all. When we operate at our natural capacity of output, we're all equal. Plus, we have different roles to play.

Instead of expecting everyone to operate at the same capacity of output, we should acknowledge that we're different and we have different capacities of output.

We have to change from selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to bestowal (seeking to benefit others and all of Nature). We should use our natural capacities of output to benefit others and Nature instead of ourselves.

How do we measure our natural capacities of output? Love.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

The Poor Are The Most Vulnerable In Society

The poor, who have very little, feel left out and vulnerable, especially compared to the rich, who have all the means and resources to take care of themselves. Here's a comparison:

1. The Rich:
• If the rich get into trouble, they can afford expensive lawyers to defend them.
• If the rich are oppressed, they have the means to fight back.
• The rich have friends in high places and important contacts in society.
• The rich have the ability to influence others through their 'high' status in society.
• The rich feel secure and confident because they have the means and resources to take care of themselves.
2. The Poor:
• If the poor get into trouble, they can't afford expensive lawyers to defend them.
• If the poor are oppressed, they don't have the means to fight back.
• The poor often don't have friends in high places or important contacts in society.
• The poor don't have the ability to influence others because of their 'low' status in society.
• The poor feel left out and vulnerable because they don't have the means and resources to take care of themselves.
• Yet God Himself is the protector of the poor and weak. God protects everyone, but especially the poor and weak because they are the most vulnerable in society. With God (The God Of Israel), you have everything you need. Ask Him to help you and He will.
• If you're poor, weak and/or vulnerable, don't feel left out. You belong and are very much a part of God's plan.

We all have to change from selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to bestowal (seeking to benefit others and all of Nature.) 

We have to build a new society that's based on bestowal. If we connect in mutual bestowal, we'll transform society for the better. All we need is each other.

The true measure of a society isn't how it treats its rich, but how it treats its most vulnerable members.

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

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

My Conversation With The Angel Of Death

(WARNING: This post contains content that some readers may find unsettling. Discretion is advised.)

In 2005, realizing my thoughts manifest in reality, and that I was responsible for 911 and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, I felt that I didn't deserve to live and I had a conversation with the angel of death.

For quite some time I had suspected that my thoughts manifest in reality, but I wasn't really sure. More and more I began to notice that I'd have thoughts (both positive and negative ones), then sometime later (minutes, days, weeks, months or years), they'd manifest in reality. But how?

I analyzed the situation and came up with several possibilities:

1. An Overactive Imagination: 
• Perhaps I had an overactive imagination and was making the whole thing up. Unlikely, because something was going on, I just couldn't put my finger on it.
2. Coincidence:
• Perhaps it was a coincidence that I'd have these thoughts, then sometime later they'd manifest in reality. Perhaps.
3. I Predicted Them:
• Perhaps I had some predictive power, the ability to predict things before they happen. Perhaps.
4. I Created Them:
• Perhaps I had some creative power, the ability to create things. I dismissed this one because ... how could I be so arrogant as to think that I could create such things.
5. Other:
• There may be other reasons.

It's one thing to have things play out in your mind, especially if you think there are no real consequences, it's another thing to have those things play out in real life, especially if the consequences are severe, negative and destructive.

Then, things got serious:

1. September 11, 2001:
• On September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States of America brought down The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center [1], and it was my fault because the thoughts had come to me before the events happened.
• I was so distraught over the situation that I wanted to turn myself in ... but to whom? What would I say? Then al-Qaeda took responsibility and people connected with the attacks started to get captured. And I wondered, "Who would believe me now?"
• I had just started business school, which kept me busy and distracted over the next two years. And somewhere in the back of my head, I still doubted ... was it really me?
2. 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami:
• On December 26, 2004, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean caused a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 14 countries [2], and it was my fault because the thoughts had come to me before the events happened.
• I was so distraught over the situation that I wanted to die. I wasn't going to kill myself, I wasn't suicidal, but I felt that I didn't deserve to live. I remember inviting the angel of death to my door, saying, "I'm not going to kill myself, but you can kill me, anytime, anywhere. My life is yours for the taking. You are welcome to my door anytime." I basically gave my life over to the angel of death.

I was afraid of myself. I was afraid of my thoughts. I wanted to run and hide, I wanted to get away from myself. I didn't want anyone to be near me, I was afraid I would hurt them. I was drowning in fear, stress, paranoia, anxiety, sadness and depression. Alcohol! But alcohol only made things worse because it made me behave strangely, gave me hangovers, left me dehydrated, left me even more miserable than before, and didn't solve any problems. I quickly gave that up. I cried a lot.

I felt like a monster. I couldn't talk to anybody about what I was going though, I didn't have the words. Whenever people complimented me, I'd graciously accept, but feel like a fraud, if only they knew the real me.

While all this was going on, I had other stresses in my life (at work, in my personal life etc.), and my misery mounted to a breaking point. I cried out to The Creator to help me, demanding, "You promised me that you'd send angels to help me. Where are they?"

In July 2005, I went through a change in the perception of my reality. (That was 10 years ago and it's no coincidence that 10 years later, I'm writing about this.)

(By December 2005, I had quit my job, sold my place and moved to Eastern Canada. This separate post details what I did after my perception of reality changed.) 

I didn't die physically, but my ego died. The angel of death is a force that kills indiscriminately, it simply kills. It either kills the quality of bestowal (rendering us in selfishness), or it kills the quality of selfishness (rendering us in bestowal). It is said that the angel of death will become a holy angel because when he kills the quality of selfishness, we'll all be in bestowal.

The purpose of this post is to share information. If you're going through something similar, I hope it helps.

Years have passed, I've had time to grow in the quality of bestowal and I've learned a lot through my studies in Kabbalah.

I don't have all the answers, I'm still a child with a lot to learn. The one thing I've come to perceive is that we're surrounded by love, we just have to realize it.

Those who died, died benevolently that I might live, to teach you, that you might live. This is an example of how we're all interconnected and interdependent, and shows how even in death there is love. What at first appears to be negative and destructive, turns out to be positive and constructive.

That 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.

Do not be afraid. God is with us.

__________
References:

1. September 11 attacks. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved Mar 30, 2015.
2. 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved Mar 30, 2015.
3. Bnei Baruch Kabbalah Education & Research Institute. www.kabbalah.info. Retrieved Mar 30, 2015.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

I Love You

Happiness: Print And Post In Your Social Environment

Edited Mar 25, 2015

Print and post to community boards (and/or other appropriate areas) in your social environment. (You can click on each image to make it larger, save it, then print it.)

- or - 

Tune In To Others

The Trumpet Sounds

Updated Mar 6, 2016

This is a call for volunteers to become servants of The Creator - to benefit others and Nature in order to bring contentment to The Creator.

"All you people of the world, you who live on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and when a trumpet sounds, you will hear it." (Isaiah 18:3, NIV)

"... the Trumpet will be blown. Then We shall gather them together in one gathering." (Quran 18:99, Pickthall)

 

 

16 = 1 + 6 = 7 = Chesed, Gvurah, Tifferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, Malchut = Unity

52 = 5 + 2 = 7 = Unity

_________

Reference:

1. Miles Davis - Time After Time (Live 1985). www.youtube.com. Retrieved Mar 5, 2015.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Baba Yetu - The Lord's Prayer Sung In Kiswahili

________

Reference:

1. Baba Yetu - Civilization IV Theme Cover - Peter Hollens feat. Malukah. www.youtube.com. Retrieved Mar 2, 2015.

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.