KnowledgeReform.com » Living Consciously

Liberate Your Mind with the Empowering Wisdom of Hip-Hop – Part 4

Jason Cooper — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:34:19 +0000

Arise my fellow humans and stand up for nature, humanity and self-knowledge!

Mr. Lif drops some wisdom in the following thought-provoking tune, as he advises humanity to reconnect with nature and our spiritual selves, and to turn away from divisive and destructive man-made machinations.

I have to agree with Lif in regard the ubiquity and popularity of today’s technology (iPad anyone?), which has inexplicably all but disconnected our consciousness from nature and one another – as I have previously written about in the post Living Consciously in a Technological World.

We have also become ever more dependent on this technology to help us live our lives instead of relying on ourselves, which is setting a dangerous precedence, especially regarding us ever achieving the most important goal – and that is, self-knowledge.

Most worryingly, Man’s ignorant capability of being able to destroy this planet with his mechanical toys because of war is becoming increasingly possible in this present climate of uncertainty.

Unfortunately, the evidence of all this is plain to see within myself, as I sit here alone at an inanimate object typing this blog, instead of being outside with the people that I love whilst basking in the sunshine and absorbing all the wonders that nature has to offer.

Mr. Lif – Arise Lyrics

Here’s a vision
Imagine a whole globe made with precision
Continents of brown soil with green grass
That compliments deep seas and trees with multi-colored leaves
Mountain ranges that survive through the ages
Plus show expressions of time on rock faces
Now gaze up towards the glorious sky
Only appreciated by a powerful eye
As I understand, man is to cherish the land
As we coexist hand in hand
But as time has past
Man has created a vast
Mass of trash that has the capability to smash
Your natural desire to explore your state of being and
Discover you fire
For instance when a child is born
It posseses no intelligence of hate or scorn
But as it learns of hard ways
It becomes tuned from its original nature
As we destroy nature in the name of cash
All justified by laws made by the legislature
You never say *rekcufrehtom* cause that claim they aims to
Seek justice but ain’t it a shame
That that isn’t the case yo we all are so tame
That we’re all fair game
Thats why they got our name
Address social security number
Even though where you bought your last rest
Or mattress have you saying
“Oh that’s just the way things are”
Then I explain that you’re so far from your core
You need to explore
I wake up in the morning in war and saw
And go look for more
Weapons being prepared for nuclear war
And then when I found some no this is to god, hit
The ground son
With strong winds to make the clouds run
Step up in the laboratory
Keep it mandatory
Their response: Inflammatory
Now their dome’s all puffed up
Cause they *kcuffed* up
Give me the data chips
I’ll reverse gravity
So mad they’ll flip
Show these *kcuffer’s* the light
The adequate side of the scene, natty dips
Mankind should feel the effects
As he rips through the environment
Mash up the Earth’s power as if
It were required
The whole things blowin a cold heart
Stand as he asks where the fire went
Trapped in an Ice age and while you’re defrostin’
I kick open the door and let some Holocaust in
Then I remain sober in the galaxy
Take the form of the sun
So I can shine emphatically
Then I shed light on the tragedy
Step aside just to make way for remorse and apathy
Then I perform something you can all see
As I change the climate from cold to balmy
As temperatures rise
I squeeze acid water out of the skies
To burn out your eyes
Cause you could never see what I devise
And get your five lives and nine tries
But usually nobody survives cause I
Elevated far above and beyond
So you could be bombed, crushed to dust
You can be harmed
You can be armed with shanks and tanks
Bayonettes, Missile Threats
Yet I still launch lyrical text
That gets so intense
It could disassemble all of those other meds
So you should fear what the god invents
Since I was sent under the name of Lif
Which means to upLif
It’s my never ending duty to attempt to shift your mind
From one train of thought to a more positive state
So then in turn you can create
Control your own fate
Rather than having those with wealth dominate and complicate
Living to the point where we’re all imprisoned
People we should all pick our minds Its’s Time!
Look at how the world is designed
It’s major
We should all walk out of our manger
And start to educate the nearest stranger
Ignorance has no remainder
I manifest, prophesize visions of danger
With seven lines I show you seven signs
Time’s of the essence
Choose before you lose your physical presence
Perpetuate wickedness or walk along the path of god
The force from which we were all created
Stand amongst prosperity
Or fall devestated
Another victim of hatred
In a land where nothing is sacred
Except for these thoughts that I share
With no fear – to make you all aware of the nightmare
I see you puttin in a little work but we’re not quite there
Climb out of your darkness, the light is quite clear
We’re still to concerned with jewels and hype gear
But I’ma drop my thoughts until you open your eyes…Arise
It doesn’t matter what your color creed race or size…Arise

Enlightening Wisdom of Peace to Dispel the Darkness of a Conflict-Ridden World

Jason Cooper — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:42:00 +0000

Inspirational Words from Two Men of Wisdom and Peace

Two courageous and wise men.

Two great minds with a vision to overcome racial bigotry, social divisions and worldwide conflict.

Their ultimate goal was to unite all people of different race, religion and nationality.

They sought to inspire millions to turn their backs on ignorance and war, and to instead, walk towards “the promised land” of wisdom and non-violent protest.

They enlightened the world with their insights into Man’s problem with conflict and his continuing folly towards self-destruction.

Both became martyrs for peace when they were violently struck down by an assassin’s bullet.

Unfortunately, despite their noble efforts before their passing, the world, as of today, still remains tightly gripped by the Dark Spectres of ignorance and violence.

As these two great human beings continue to turn in their graves, this post will hope to both provoke our conscience and elevate our consciousness with their resonant message to us all.

Let us now remember their pacifistic efforts and learn a very important lesson, which is to improve ourselves with wisdom towards a peaceful existence and unity so that we can make this a better world for future generations to come.

The two men in question, if you didn’t know by now, were Mohandas Gandhi (1969-1948) and Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968).

Martin Luther King, Jr

Watch King’s Powerful and Inspirational “I have a Dream” Speech:

Watch King’s Prophetic and Emotional “Last Speech” Before His Tragic Death:

Mohandas Gandhi

Watch Gandhi’s Famous “One World” Speech Given in London 1931:

Watch The Impact Gandhi Made on the World:

Quotes of Wisdom and Peace

“Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.”

~ Gandhi

“Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.”

~ Martin Luther King

“I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.”

~ Gandhi

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

~ Martin Luther King

“It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.”

~Gandhi

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

~ Martin Luther King

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

~ Gandhi

“Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man’s sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.”

~ Martin Luther King

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it–always.”

~ Gandhi

“Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”

~ Martin Luther King

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

~ Gandhi

“Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars… Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

~ Martin Luther King

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”

~ Gandhi

“Segregation is the adultery of an illicit intercourse between injustice and immorality.”

~ Martin Luther King

“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?”

~ Gandhi

“Ten thousand fools proclaim themselves into obscurity, while one wise man forgets himself into immortality.”

~ Martin Luther King

“Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.”

~ Gandhi

“Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”

~ Martin Luther King

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”

~ Gandhi

“Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

~ Martin Luther King

Avoid Becoming a Slave to Debt this Christmas…and for Life!

Jason Cooper — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:26:45 +0000

With Christmas being just around the proverbial corner, the short video featured in this post has been delivered by Santa (or more like Stefan Molyneux) at just the right time to empower me to emancipate myself from this mesmerising system of consumerism.

I think we all know about the social pressures and demands for us to spend what we don’t have on material goods, especially during the Christmas period.

Who doesn’t have children or loved ones who expect a bounty of prized possessions awaiting them under a twinkling tree towering over wrapped up temporary pleasures?

What the recipients fail to understand is the impending stress and anxiety of debts owed by the giver, who mostly through guilt have previously sold their soul to that yoke of a credit card.

Alternatively, one may have instead signed on the dotted line for a loan from a person wearing a suit and persuasive smile, and who resides in a building where your dreams can supposedly come true (well, that is is what we’re led to believe) – which is nothing but a facade.

These seemingly nice people who work for banks hide a little, but oh so important secret; and that is, once you’re enticed into the trap of borrowing money to fulfill your needs, you at once become a slave to the slave masters of debt. You are then forced to give your hard-earned cash to your masters every month, as they become richer off your labour.

Debt is a huge problem not only for the money that needs to be paid back but also the interest accrued, which can hugely affect your life and relationships because of the stress of needing to keep up with repayments. We have all but become modern day slaves to money, which can make life miserable if not managed properly.

I have been in this situation myself so I know what it feels like when you have all and sunder chasing you for money, and threatening you with the law of the land if you do not pay.

Fortunately, I have at last paid all what I owe which is like a huge weight being lifted off my head – and now I am free once more to say that I do not owe anyone a thing. The peace of mind and liberty that being debt free brings far outweighs loaning the money to buy possessions, which is a situation that can bring too much risk for too little reward in the long run.

So here is the wisdom I now live by so not to fall into the trap of debt because of borrowing money:

Avoid debt to begin with
Live within my means
Only buy the things I actually need
Avoid the use of credit cards
Avoid the need to take out a loan
Always save the money I have to buy something that I can’t afford at the time
Living consciously and being aware of society’s marketing ploys and traps trying to manipulate me into buying something I don’t need
I have become indifferent to feelings of guilt, pressure and impulse to spend money frivolously
Be honest to loved ones about not being able to afford presents. If they still don’t understand or are unreasonable I will tell them to read this post
If I do decide to buy presents or general items, I choose the wise action of being frugal in my spending so that I won’t break the bank – it’s the thought that counts
Finally, live simply and find contentment in things I have in life other than money and possessions

In conclusion, the world is maybe in a financial crisis but we don’t have to be in one. That’s the wise choice everybody can take – no excuses!

We must learn to manage money and not let it manage us. So Break the chains of debt and remain free to live a rich and fulfilling life with nothing but contentment, happy relationships and peace of mind being our most valued possessions.

The video below applies to everyone living in a developed country, and not just America.

Kymatica (2009)

Jason Cooper — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:18:00 +0000

Kymatica is a thought provoking documentary and is somewhat controversial, if not interesting. All I ask is for you to have an open mind, as the information offered will challenge your belief system and world view. The following quote comes to mind,

“This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.”

~ Morpheus from the movie ‘The Matrix’

Who knows? You may learn something of great value in regards liberating your mind towards connecting with your true selves and nature. Enjoy!

Summary
Sequel to the popular film Esoteric Agenda, this movie focuses on human and universal consciousness and points out a psychich disease that mankind has induced that is creating insane illusions which is allegedly the main cause of pain and suffering.

Kymatica goes deeper into the metaphysical aspects of reality and connects ancient myths and history with modern ways of society and political outcome. Explains shamanism, duality, and reality behind DNAs and modern false beliefs.

Kymatica is another movie which attempts to point out the fundamental misconception that humankind are facing today that has resulted in imbalance between planet, nature and species. Made by filmmaker Ben Stewart.

No related posts.

Living Consciously in a Technological World

Jason Cooper — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:38:18 +0000

Living consciously is, perhaps, nigh on impossible in today’s digital age. It’s hard not to notice that technology has advanced tremendously in the past 100 years or so.

Since entering into the 21st century almost a decade ago, the age of communication has risen phenomenally and has, at the same time, made the planet a smaller place in terms of networking with other human beings in every part of the globe.

What troubles me is that most of us have become all so dependent on technology for everyday tasks (well, I’m typing this blog on a computer, aren’t I), as well as allowing it to affect our emotional state detrimentally if it dares go wrong – as I have witnessed many a time happen to staff members at my workplace.

The thing I’ve observed is that we have allowed our own consciousness to be superceded by this technology, something that in the long run, I feel, will do us more harm than good.

Technology has its benefits but certain questions must be asked in terms of our own general interaction with it and personal growth:

1. Have we become psychologically and socially more aware of ourselves and surroundings because of technology?

2. Do we actually use our brains more than we did before the advancement of technology?

3. Can technology enhance our spiritual growth and wisdom of mind?

For me, the answer is a big fat “NO” to all the questions above. You are absolutely free to disagree with my sentiments, so if you have any complaints either email, fax, text, or twitter me on whatever mode of technology you so wish to use.

Before you rush off to do just that, let me first ask you an observational question, which may or may not change your minds: have you ever noticed anyone (or even yourself) in the street who is so engrossed into their latest fashion accessory (iPhone, Blackberry, Mp3 player, etc) that they are completely unaware of their surroundings? I have noticed, so much so that I have seen people almost run over in the road because they were so distracted – or on a more annoying scale, bumping into me without even the little so-and-so’s realising and apologising for it.

A recommended book that comes to mind and is relevant to my observations on technology distracting the human mind is Distraction: Being Human in the Digital Age which focuses on our obsession with technology in our everyday lives and it’s possible negative effects on us and society as a whole.

So, we must learn to strike a fine balance between the use of these machines and being conscious of ourselves, nature and human relationships. Technology should be only used as a tool to do certain tasks and not it to become a way of life. Personally, I’ve got a lot to learn in that regard.

For the sake of future generations we, who at present have forced upon them this technological beast, must be careful not to teach them just that. Encouraging within tomorrow’s children human wisdom, consciousness and spirituality would benefit this world a whole lot more than just teaching them to become mindless mechanical beings who have knowledge of computers but not of themselves.

Surely, if we can succeed in imparting wisdom into their impressionable minds they will hopefully learn to respect and look after the planet, and not just their machines.

I will leave you with a quote from the late philosopher, Alan Watts which should wake you up from out of your self-imposed prison of The Matrix.

“Inability to accept the mystic experience is more than an intellectual handicap. Lack of awareness of the basic unity of organism and environment is a serious and dangerous hallucination. For in a civilization equipped with immense technological power, the sense of alienation between man and nature leads to the use of technology in a hostile spirit—to the “conquest” of nature instead of intelligent co-operation with nature.”

~ Alan Watts, Psychedelics and Religious Experience

How to Manage your Time doing the Important Things you Love – Part 2

Jason Cooper — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:52:26 +0000

This is a continuation of the “How to Manage your Time doing the Important Things you Love” and the last in the series. The first post in the series can be found here.

What does it mean to live consciously?

Living consciously does not only mean one having awareness of oneself and their surroundings, but it can also include being aware of the shortness of time and how one should make good use of it when they still can.

All this talk about the shortness of life provokes memories of a wise Roman Emperor who wrote down a particular meditation, or call it a piece of positive psychology, that perfectly described my thoughts on being conscious of the apparent dwindling thing called time…

“Live each day as if it were your last”

~ Marcus Aurelius, ‘Meditations’

The emperor’s words should prompt you towards managing your time for you to do the important things that will eventually benefit you and others in your life.

What’s the difference between psychological and chronological time?

1. Psychological time is one such illusion created by the mind that involves the past, present and future. This particular time must not take precedence in your life as it can produce impediments such as fear and procrastination. One must aim to live in the here and now (the present) and not to carry the burden of the past or fear of an unknown future and project them into the present. One must take each day as it comes and to instigate meaningful actions immediately if and when it’s called for.

Living in the past can cause:

Guilt of something you know or that you have done
Regret in not doing something positive when you had the chance
Fear or low self-esteem because of a past traumatic event
Stagnation of your personal growth and development because of the above past burdens

Living in the future can cause:

Fear of the unknown and anxiety of what may or may not come
Too busy making plans whilst neglecting the present moment
Delays action – something positive that can be done now will be postponed until tomorrow, and so it continues

Fear and regret are the most debilitating factors in regards of psychological time…

“Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves – regret for the past and fear of the future.”

~ Fulton Oursler

2. Chronological time is the one you must master in your life, and for you to take the opportunity to use it when free for your own self improvement and personal growth.

Obviously, we have to take in account certain daily tasks which we are obliged to do for either survival (attain money through working) or duty (looking after a relative who is not able), but despite these time consuming activities that you or may or may not want to do, you should still be able to find the time in-between to do what you enjoy.

What do I spend my time doing that can help me learn something of worth?

These are the following things I try to fit into my life for as much time as possible:

Friends and family
Reading books
Writing (especially this blog which takes up too much of my time)
Self-reflection
Exercise (I got to be honest with you, I’m quite out of shape at the moment due to neglecting myself for nearly a year since my girlfriend gave birth to our baby)
Watching educational talks, interviews and documentaries

Personally, these make up the key elements that go towards enhancing my self-learning, mood and personal growth.

However, it is one thing being able to do the above, and another thing trying to find the time to fit them all within a busy schedule. That is the reason you must be able ascertain what is most important to you and gives you the most joy. Once you have realised the things that provide you with both the lessons of self improvement and contentedness then you will need the spiritual motivation to presently act upon them.

What things do I avoid spending too much time on in life?

These are the following things I try not to do or waste too much time with:

Work (strictly 9 to 5, 5 days a week for me. Overtime? No chance! I’m not career orientated and treat work as a means to an end, that provides money for me to put food on the table and a roof over our heads)
Watching Big Brother, Pop Idol, Coronation Street (well, maybe sometimes – I’m trying to cut down on this addictive soap…promise) or any other trash on television
Reading glossy celebrity magazines
Negative recreational activities
Chasing superficial and conditioned means to happiness and achievement such as; status, position, success, title, possessions and money (although, I could do with the extra bob or two towards buying Baby J’s 1st Liverpool FC kit for his upcoming birthday – I’m serious!)
Following man-made ideologies, political structures and organised religions (again, all of these are external to you and maybe false, go against your nature and restrict your self growth)

Work, unfortunately is unavoidable and will form a large part of your life if you want to secure means to live for you and your family, but that does not mean that you need to live to work (for all you workaholics out there!). During your working life you will probably spend more time at work than with your family and friends, which doesn’t make sense to me.

Don’t get me wrong, you maybe in a fulfilling job and you may love the work you do – but seriously! Don’t you think there is more to life (as well as your mind and spirit) than picking up a monthly wage packet doing something that may not contribute to your own self improvement? I’m sure, there will be plenty of debate over the virtues and vices of working (not to mention the length of hours we work and percentage of our wages the government steals from us in taxes) so I will leave that subject for another day.

What can you do to manage the time doing the important things you love?

These are a few things you can do:

Think seriously about what is and isn’t important in your life, so you can make a much wiser choice of what will benefit you in the long run
Create a weekly schedule so you can better plan and organise when and what you will spend your time doing
Take every opportunity to do something positive for your mind, spirit and body even when your time is taking up by a necessary task. For example, I love to read books so when going to and from work I read on the bus. When at work during lunchtimes, I’ll read and then take a nice walk round the block whilst clearing my mind doing some self-reflecting – killed 3 birds with one stone in an hour!
If you have any days totally free such as weekends it would be a good opportunity to spend time with friends and family. Maybe arrange for your friends to come around for dinner or maybe go to the park for a picnic. It’s free (so no excuse for those with no job or no money) and you get to spend the day with the people you love – you can’t get any better than that.
Lastly, make the most of any spare time you may have because they don’t come round that often, especially in this short busy life.

Conclusion

You have to wake up and realise what is important to yourselves and what gives your lives meaning no matter what the outside pressures dictate to you. To fulfil your purpose you must gain the knowledge and wisdom to ascertain what time consuming activities are conducive towards liberating the mind, strengthening the body and motivating the spirit for the better.

I warn you from now, this is no dress rehearsal where you’ll get the opportunity to repeat your life until you get it right. This life will be your first and final act. The world is your stage so use what little time you have left wisely to provide the best performance you can…

“It’s not the length of life that’s important, but it’s what you do with the little time you have that counts.”