The Order of the Universe

[michelle494]

I am studying the order of the universe but cannot grasp fully the
> meaning of 'Whatever has a front has a back'
> Buddha who has overcome all evil is good but has no evil.
> When/if we all attain Buddhahood there will be happiness with no
> sadness, health with no illness, good with no evil. How can whatever
> has a front has a back apply......or do macrobiotics not believe it
> is possible to attain enlightenment/Buddhahood?

I was thinking maybe these rules of the universe are for those who have not destroyed the root of suffering & those who have live in a universe that is different


Is there a book that
> explains these tenets in detail rather than just listing them with
no
> commentary as I wish to study them?
>
> Thankyou
> Michelle========================================== =====

[umeshoyu]

The Buddha died from eating a massive amount of pork! No sickness?

[Stephanie]

Hi Michelle,
A very good question.

Michelle writes: I am studying the order of the universe but cannot grasp fully the
> meaning of 'Whatever has a front has a back'

S: My understanding of it, so far is that it's kind of like the American expression "There are two sides to every coin" Only we tend to look as it as a good side and a bad side a positive side and a negative side. The orientals, if I understand it correctly, look at it as more of a balance, or a complement, and not as good or bad, but acknowledge that each object has one side and then the other side is it's opposite (a fundamentalist way of looking at it) or (complement - a more spiritual way of looking at it.

Hope this helps. It would be fun to hear some other opinions on this too. Where's mike?

Shalom, ~Stephanie

[mike chen]

michelle, have you seen ohsawa's book, "the order of the universe" published by GOMF in california? you'll note that
his original conception of the universe was a series of six
concentric circles. later on, someone ("a student,"herman said)
influenced him to install a seventh level and to adopt the spirallic pattern . . . this is a VERY interesting book!! did you know that it was translated from the spanish (by jim poggi)? you CAN'T begin to imagine why this is the case . . . and herman called it the most important of all of ohsawa's books! anyway, that's the place to begin, and you CERTAINLY don't have to fool around with buddha nature! i mean . . . there are still those souls in the universe who insist that the buddha expired from an OVERINDULGENCE OF PORK, of all things! (and now, if THAT weren't enough, were you to come to french meadows mb camp this july, you would also find out, say, what the relationship of PORK is to traditional mb thinking!)

[Johnnyzen]

Originally Posted by umeshoyu

The Buddha died from eating a massive amount of pork! No sickness?

the Buddha died from eating something that was poisionous or rancid. Some say it was a plant food called "pig's delight",others say it was pork, but no a large amount. He was a beggar and ate what was give to him.Where did you get this story???

[janeyric]

Forgive me, for this is not directly related to the front/back conversation, though:

If Budda died from eating something poisonous, his condition could have been too yin- as Ohsawa described a doctor and his student both swallowing a concoction of 'germs' to disprove the theory that this is what causes illness... the doctor survived and the student did not. The student was fearfull, (yin) and so succumbed.

Please note, This is not a criticism of Budda, or Buddists, only an adding-up of some information...

farlessness and harmony,
*j*

[umeshoyu]

I had learned that the Buddha died at a feast from eating pork.
His disciples were there and he did not want to them to eat pork
because it would lay a heavy burden on their consciousness, so he ate it.
He had had enough of this world and was ready to move on, so by eating
this pork, he could rid himself of his body.
Anyway, if it wasn't pork, it's still the same thing. If he had supreme
judgement or Buddhahood, complete enlightenment, then he knew
exactly what he was doing. He wanted to leave this world and knew the
meaning of food. Why did not all his students die as well if the food
was rancid or poisonous? Then he must have saved them from it by eating
it all himself. Pork is more poisonous than rancid vegetable food. He would
not have died from that. I eat rancid food all the time! If it is vegetable
quality, then it can be beneficial to the intestines. It makes one brilliant
and gives the ability to see into the future.
He may have been a beggar and no glutton, but a free man can eat a little
or a lot depending on the situation. He was not rigid and it was not beyond
him to eat a lot if he so chose to.

Front and back means yin and yang or the world of polarity. Beyond that is
oneness or the world of the infinite. The back of oneness is all phenomena.
There is no end to this movement. This could be argued, but only experience
can satisfy this query of the endless end.

Thanks

[onion]

I tend to think of it as a wheel that's ever revolving and right at the center of the wheel there's stillness...as soon as you move out from that central point, you're right into duality and yeah, if it has a front, it has a back..if it goes up, it'll come down...
I guess we all strive to be in that place of stillness - "enlightenment" and maybe some reach it or at least have some fleeting moments of being there, but the fact that we live in human bodies in the material world makes it a little challenging to live in that place of purity and bliss...the little moment's I've had in my life where I've touched it, sure leave me wanting more!

[Denise]

wow, it is amazing how complicated the world seems to people. Our world was created by the one and only God. He sent his son Jesus to this earth to seek and save the lost. He was crucified, although perfect in every way, and paid the price for our sins. We can have eternal life in heaven if we accept this truth and obey His greatest commandment which is to love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and mind. You will find no other way to heaven, ever, but through Jesus. It is so sad that the greatest book in the world is so rarely read. You will find answers to every question you will ever have there. And you will find your ultimate purpose in life. It is truly amazing...

[andybuildz]

Front and back....This may not really be the answer to that question but it does bring this to my mind.
I just spent three days with Jon Kabat-Zin in a workshop upstate NY. He showed us a short video of six people throwing a basket ball to one another. He asked us to count how many times the people in the white shirts passed the ball back and forth. Some got it right some didnt. HE asked if anyone saw anything odd in the video. Out of 207 people less that a handful raised their hands. So he had us "just watch it" again. And again he asked if anyone saw anything odd. Only a few more people raised their hands and laughed.
HE used a laser pointer the third time pointing at a person in a gorilla costume walking back and forth right in front of us in this video. It was incredably obvious yet most of us never saw it. Totally amazed me to almost disbelief.
The point was to me how much we miss thats right in front of us. Sort of understanding how many sides there are to things in spite of what we personally may think, see or not see at any one moment.
Be well
Namaste'
andy

Hi Michelle

The answer is what is evil for one, may not be evil for another. We humans have made up a whole lot of gobble such as good + evil, strone + weak - IN the universal spirit their is none of this garbage; there is only oneness. And as individual spirits we came from the creator, which is the universal spirit (OR as others call it God, Budha, what ever - its doesnt really matter) So since we came from the universal spirit we have to be like it, we cant be otherwise. There for we are all related, and cannot be defined because the universal spirit is undefineable.

I hope this helps you, there is a lot of information out their in the world. And the societies and the media LOVEEEE Religion, because it is a billion daollar money moking machine. So be aware, and take on others perspectives but use your inutition to find what fits you.

God bless you x

[Sarah Liddle]

The answer is what is evil for one, may not be evil for another. We humans have made up a whole lot of gobble such as good + evil, strong + weak. In the universal spirit there is none of this garbage; there is only oneness. And as individual spirits we came from the creator, which is the universal spirit (OR as others call it God, Budha, what ever - its doesnt really matter) So since we came from the universal spirit we have to be like it, we cant be otherwise. There for we are all related, and cannot be defined because the universal spirit is undefineable.

I hope this helps you, there is a lot of information out their in the world. And the societies and the media LOVEEEE Religion, because it is a billion dollar money making machine. So be aware, and take on others perspectives but use your inutition to find what fits you.

Good luck, it sounds like you are having an exciting time learning an expanding consciousness.

God bless you x

[Denise]

Hi Sarah,
Just a quick question- how can you say it doesn't matter who created the world? Be it God, Budha, whoever. Budha didn't claim to create the world, God himself did, and indeed he did just that. He was (Budha) a sinful man just like any of us with no real relationship with the Creator (God) or His Son. There is good and evil in this world, whether people want to believe it or not. There is, if you would like to call it, "oneness" with Jesus Christ who is the only way to the Father, Creator, God Himself (in heaven). But you have to accept Him to have that oneness. I don't have alot of money, nor does my church, so knowing and having a relationship with Jesus isn't a business for me. Unfortunately it is for some (those people have no clue who Jesus really is). But the real prize is having the Holy Spirit living in your heart (given to us from God's Son, Jesus). Once you receive that one's eyes are finally opened. I guess I have one more question, do you know what is going to happen to you when your body is no longer alive on this earth?

[Sarah Liddle]

Hi Denise
I am saying it doesnt matter what we choose to call our creator.
What means good to you may mean bad for me. What Hitler did may mean to him that it was good, but for the majority of the world was bad. There is only oneness, it is us human beings that attatch emotion ( labelling things into good and evil catergories depending on our perception at the time of the event). Does a snail believe in good or evil? Who created that snail? The source did. Who created us. The source did. What you call this source is your business.
The people that use Religion as a money making machine aren't in awe with themselves or the source. I do realize that not everyone is like this, but there is a percentage.
I do agree with you, saying that the real prize is the prize of having the Holy Spirit in your heart.
Thanks for the great question:
Yes, my body will decay - But my spirit will transcend - And where it goes nobody knows


God bless you
xxx

[Denise]

Hi Sarah,
I hope we can continue talking without being defensive as I have experienced from other people. I find it very interesting to hear different views but I have to challenge people too, because sometimes it doesn't make sense to me. You say you agree with my comment about the Holy Spirit, right? I am referring to the Holy Spirit as part of the trinity, which is the Father (God-Creator), Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit (which was given to us as Jesus ascended into heaven after He was crucified), if we would just believe in Him. Are you referring to the same? If you are then you should know where your spirit is going. There are only 2 choices here. Do you agree with that or not? As far as labeling, people can label all they want or not. It is written through words that were God-breathed that there are good and evil spirits throughout our existence. But that's not the important issue. If you agree that someone created this world, why not call Him by His proper name? Nobody else claimed to do this but God Himself so why is it an issue? Question- Do you think what you are doing with your life is all there is? Just be born, do some neat things, and then die not knowing where your spirit is going? God has a purpose for every single person that ever existed. Our life hear is seconds compared to where we will spend our eternity. Well, I either made you very mad or very interested... Denise