Solo-G

The Heart and Mind of a Composer

Teachings Of A Little Hummingbird

Jan 29

Posted by Solo-G in Biography | No Comments

“It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude”.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

It was a beautiful day as Nina and I enjoyed the warmth of the jacuzzi located next to the building of the apartment complex where she lives. Nina looked happy. I could see it in her eyes. There were beams of light radiating from her smile. I was also happy.

Suddenly, Nina said, “Look, there’s a hummingbird! It just landed on that little twig in the tree!” She pointed it out for me and there it was. So tiny and fragile yet so amazing whenever it began fluttering its little wings at an incredible rate. “I think it likes us,” she said. “Perhaps it feels our happiness,” I thought to myself. It was a beautiful thing to witness.

That same night I had a long and enjoyable conversation with a good friend of mine, Zaira. She is about my age and has yet to find a man suitable enough to be her companion. Knowing her as long as I have, I’ve often wondered why. She’s good-looking and intelligent. She also possesses values that are worthwhile. She loves her parents; she also loves her brother and his two young children. She’s not materialistic and accepts people as they are. What more could a person want in a companion? Well, after much pondering and conversing on the subject, we arrived at a most critical point—integrity.

Who wouldn’t want his or her companion to possess integrity? I believe it’s safe to say no one. But, whether or not integrity is a quality people look for in a companion is not the question. The matter at hand has more to do with how we sometimes violate our own integrity for the sake of being in a relationship. It’s not that Zaira doesn’t want to have a companion—perhaps there is nothing she would like more—it’s just that she’s not willing to put her integrity on the line in order to conform to the “demands” of a relationship.

I’ve heard it said that the older a person gets, the more difficult it is for that person to modify his or her life to accommodate a companion. I believe there is a lot of truth to that statement. In my case, age has brought with it a desire to be stable to a certain degree. Zaira is such a case—she has admitted it; however, it doesn’t mean she would be absolutely incapable of being in a relationship where she shares a home with her companion. She’s very capable, in fact. She’s just not willing to conform. Is she selfish or is she just extraordinarily resolute?

Zaira’s case is but one in countless cases. To some people she may be selfish. It is all ultimately relative. To me she is definitely unlike any other woman I’ve known. Her blatant honesty is far more valuable than the sugar-coating that seems to be so prevalent in all sorts of relationships from personal to professional. I salute those who refuse to give in. Billy Joel’s famous song says that “honesty is such a lonely word” and, while it may feel that way at times, it really isn’t so. Just as one star in the seemingly infinite vastness of space can overcome the darkness, one honest friend can make our earthly existence worthwhile.

People are like hummingbirds. When a man or a woman meets that special someone for the first time it is a beautiful thing, just like the little hummingbird that appeared above Nina and me. It is also a fragile thing, however. It is far too easy for the demands that sometimes exist within a relationship to remove that precious hummingbird from its natural surroundings and deprive it of that which captivated us in the beginning.

Tags: , , , ,

Kybalion: Final Thoughts

Jan 9

Posted by Solo-G in Esoterica, Kybalion | No Comments

In a certain odd way, it is really impossible for me to have “final thoughts” on what I have learned from the Kybalion. In fact, I don’t think I will ever cease having thoughts on the vast knowledge this little book contains. I have already started to apply—to the best of my abilities—the principles of the Kybalion. Perhaps the principle I will mostly benefit from, if properly applied, is that of transmutation. It will save me a lot of stress to learn how to effectively transform states of low vibration (negativity) into states of high vibration (positivity).

To anyone who intends to embark on a philosophical journey to unveil the deeper truths of this universe we live in, the Kybalion is an excellent starting point. It seems to be the introductory text for those interested in hermetics. I am still quite new to this particular field, yet I feel I have known quite a bit about it for some time. This feeling of familiarity is something I’m sure many others have also felt. It makes sense for me—the knowledge contained within the Kybalion is not exclusive to the Kybalion. It is not the “definitive” text, but it certainly is definitive in the sense that it very effectively defines a set of universal principles that have been referred to in countless texts, especially in those regarded as holy scripture for the world’s major religions.

I look forward to a life of greater fulfillment that can only be achieved by the practice of universal principles such as those contained in the Kybalion. Awareness is a great beginning, but it is only that—a beginning. Practical application of the principals in the name of The All is the ultimate goal.

Tags: , ,

The Gospel of the Virgin Mary

Jan 3

Posted by Solo-G in Apocrypha, Esoterica | No Comments

Yes, there is a Gospel of the Virgin Mary. According to the introduction provided in the book The Lost Books of the Bible, this gospel’s author is considered to be Matthew and was accepted by certain early Christian groups. Personally, I was very surprised to learn of its existence—perhaps you will be too.

Certain details from this gospel are quite fascinating and remarkable. For one, Anna, the Virgin Mary’s mother, was quite advanced in years and had not borne any children. Joachim, husband of Anna, was visited by an angel and told that, despite Anna’s age, she would bear a child whose name would be Mary. Anna also received a visit from the same angel who gave her the good news.

Chapter 2, verse 5, reads as follows:

“And so when he shuts the womb of any person, he does it for this reason, that he may in a more wonderful manner again open it, and that which is born appear to be not the product of lust, but the gift of God.”

Yes, according to this gospel, the Virgin Mary herself was the product of immaculate conception. She was also brought to the temple at the age of three years and offered as a sacrifice. This gospel also states that Mary was brought up in the temple until the age of fourteen, leading a life of constant communication with God and devotion to Him. It seems that tradition in these ancient times held that all virgins were to be betrothed (arranged for marriage) at the age of fourteen. Mary, knowing she served God exclusively, challenged this tradition and apparently caused somewhat of an uproar.

Of course, Mary ended up being betrothed to Joseph, although he had nothing to do with the conception of Jesus. The passage that recounts how Mary was betrothed to Joseph is still a bit unclear to me. Perhaps it will be the subject of a later entry.

Tags: , , , ,

Kybalion: Mentalism

Jan 2

Posted by Solo-G in Esoterica, Kybalion | No Comments

For those of you who do not know, the Kybalion is a relatively small book that contains knowledge of a philosophical nature. I will not bother with providing more background information on it, because I feel that those with sufficient interest will undoubtedly find themselves immersed in its pages in a timely fashion. The title of this blog entry has the word Kybalion in it, but I find that many of the points made in this wonderful little book have been present in my mind for a long time in one way or another. In other words, I found myself making a very strong connection as the Kybalion seemed to reaffirm certain things I had always believed while teaching me new ones. No doubt it would have such an effect on many others.

The concept of mentalism, in very simple terms, teaches us that we exist within the mind of The All. The universe, with all of its objects, breathing and non-breathing, thinking and non-thinking, is the creation of a great mind outside of which nothing exists, because it is The All. Dimensions–length, width, depth, time–cannot be used to describe The All, because doing so would place limitations on a concept that has none. The All knows not beginning nor end.

There is great transformational power in the words of the Kybalion. Understanding them can eliminate certain misconceptions regarding that which many of us call God. It gives us complete power over the phenomena of the universe, for we now hold the key regarding the true nature of all things. Many who read this blog entry will be familiar with the concept of mankind being created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). In the Bible, God is sometimes referred to using the capitalized pronoun He, but if we are to truly believe that God is The All from whence all other things have originated, we cannot see the use of the capitalized pronoun He to refer to God as anything more than a convenient and limited way of referring to something that knows no limits. God is neither He nor She. The All could not have created us had it been subject to the same limitations as us.

The Kybalion is not to be regarded as the ultimate source of truth. I personally do not believe any particular book should be the object of such a belief. The knowledge contained in the Kybalion is nothing new to the many schools of philosophical thought that have existed and still exist on Earth today. In fact, the Kybalion is already within all of us, for it must no longer be a secret that the key to creation is to be found in our hearts. Remember We were created in the image of God. We are mind in the same manner as The All is mind.

Tags: , , , ,

1,086 Days And Counting

Dec 31

Posted by Solo-G in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Where will you be in 1,086 days? God willing, I will still be alive and somewhere in Yucatán, México, preferably in the presence of one of the great Mayan pyramids. Yes, on December 21, 2012, this is where I would like to be.

If you are one of those people who relate the arrival of this famous future date with the arrival of catastrophe for planet Earth, all I wish to say to you is this–please stop thinking this is what December 21, 2012, means. I am not an expert on Mayan prophecy. In fact, I do not believe I have ever read Mayan prophecies, although I do believe I saw a book with a relevant title.

There should not have to be a specific date for the arrival of a transforming event. I, for I can only speak for myself, should take responsibility and bring about transformation in the one place that can truly have an impact on those around me–my heart. Let us not sit idly in expectation of a great flood or meteor shower that pounds the surface of the Earth with death and destruction.

Throughout my life I have learned that, as much as I search around me, in books or in the minds of wise people, the answer to my personal dilemmas is always waiting inside of me. Although I can inspire others around me, there is very little I can do to stop the madness that reigns in the popular media. In other words, I can feel very upset and even angry when I hear of massive injustices going on in the world; injustices that cause the suffering of hundreds, thousands, even millions. Alongside such anger there is quite often a sense of helplessness. The truth is, I can help, but the first step is to help myself. How? By bringing about transformation in my heart.

On this day, hundreds, thousands, even millions will make New Year’s “resolutions”. To them I say, “I support you.” May your resolutions be such that they profoundly transform who you are and have a lasting effect on you and those around you. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” As for December 21, 2012, perhaps those of us who believe it has some special significance can disconnect it from all thoughts of catastrophe and create new thoughts of a profoundly transformed world. The power is within us.

Tags: , , , ,

The Bible

Dec 30

Posted by Solo-G in Bible, Esoterica | No Comments

The Bible is a collection of writings. It has been translated into several languages—how many I do not know, but most likely the great majority of them. I once heard someone say it is the all-time best seller and I am inclined to agree. Personally, I find it to be a most intriguing phenomenon. There are those who believe the Bible is divinely inspired, another point I am also inclined to agree with. At the moment I cannot find a way to prove the Bible was divinely inspired—I can only say that when I read its words, I feel there is, without a doubt, an air of great wisdom that seems to emanate from its pages. Even so, I find myself full of questions and a desire to know more.

One question in particular concerns the biblical canon. The biblical canon is simply the list of those books that are considered authoritative. For example, the New King James Version has a total of sixty-six books in its canon. Simply go to the table of contents and count all the titles. Any other books besides these—of which there are several—are simply not considered as authoritative. Why? Historically, the question of which books to include in the biblical canon was addressed by certain individuals whose knowledge of scripture was obviously great enough to deem them as authorities on the subject. There were also councils of bishops that convened on several occasions throughout the early history of the Catholic Church. Many of us have come to accept the Bible as it is, unaware of the existence of other writings from the same part of the world and within the same timeframe as both the Old and New Testaments. Should these writings be disregarded by us simply because they were not included in the biblical canon? Why were they disregarded in the first place?

The fact that other writings besides those of the biblical canon exist intrigues me. Without a doubt it has intrigued many others before me and it will continue to intrigue many others in the future, unless the day comes when all such mysteries are fully resolved. In my next blog post on this topic, I will comment on the Gospel of the Birth of Mary, a truly fascinating narrative of the life of the Virgin Mary.

Tags: , , , , ,

Thanksgiving

Nov 26

Posted by Solo-G in Uncategorized | No Comments

A very wise person once told me that being grateful means saying “yes” to life. Today, I say “yes” to life and everything it has offered me. I am not immune to life’s pains, but I live in the full knowledge that I am an eternal spirit embodied in physical form on Earth. Every experience is a precious gift from the Creator. The Earth is indeed a great classroom and life is its curriculum, preparing all of us for life in the next plane of existence, however certain or uncertain we may be of what that next plane is like.

Let us all say “yes” to what we have today. Life is a miracle, not a random coming together of elements and circumstances. Let us treat life as something sacred, as well as all that lives and breathes on the Earth. If gratitude represents the highest vibrational state, then ungratefulness must surely be the lowest. When we live our lives in an ungrateful manner we are saying “no” to all we have. We are telling the Creator that we do not want all we have been blessed with. We have so much power, for our thoughts surely do become who we are in the present. Let us use that power to enrich our lives by being grateful; let us say “yes” to the Creator and in so doing open our hearts and minds to receive all the blessings that are available to us by divine decree.

Tags: , , , ,

Lucky To Be Alive (Part I)

Nov 24

Posted by Solo-G in Biography | 6 Comments

It’s been almost two months since I last posted an entry on my blog. I sometimes tell myself I should blog every day, but I just don’t. Sometimes there’s just not too much to blog about. Well, I’d rather have a few meaningful entries than a whole lot of uninteresting ones. A lot has happened since my last entry entitled “Reincarnation”. Actually, I just noticed there is a sort of funny connection between that entry and this one. You see, in a way, I was reborn on November 18, 2009.

It all started around 6:00 pm that day. There’s this girl whose name I won’t mention for now. She and I were headed to a friend’s house for dinner. She’s not just any girl. I am in love with her as I have never been before. She often tells me she feels the same way about me, which, of course, makes me feel very special. We were in one of the right lanes of the freeway that runs near her house. There was traffic. I even recall asking her why there was so much traffic. She told me it was the 6:00 pm rush hour.

The right lanes were just too slow. That’s because there was a freeway junction nearby. So, I shifted over to the leftmost lane. I was driving my 1993 Pontiac Sunbird convertible. The top was up, because it was just too cold to have it down. Besides, it was almost dark. I had just bought the car about a week ago. It was in pristine condition for a sixteen-year-old car. We were cruising along at about 65 miles per hour when the traffic came to a stop. We were on southbound interstate 805 in San Diego. Not far from us was the interstate 8 junction, hence the traffic. Very close to where we stopped was the point where the 805 provided an exit to the 163. I came to a pretty sudden, but successful stop. My girlfriend says the car behind us also managed to stop. I looked into the rear-view mirror and just saw lights. There was one thing I did notice–the sound of screeching tires.

When I woke up I was moaning in pain. My girlfriend had my head in her hands. She told me we had been in an accident. How, I just don’t recall. I never saw it coming nor did I feel it strike. All I felt was tremendous pain in my left side as I was pinned between the driver-side door and the center armrest. My girlfriend spat glass from her mouth. She was aware during the whole accident and had received shattered glass in her mouth as she screamed. I had been knocked unconscious. I don’t even remember being hit. From our original position in the leftmost lane we were pushed all the way across the other three lanes and into the embankment on the opposite side of the freeway. The driver at fault, who I later learned was driving a Chevy Tahoe SUV, had struck us on the left side. I can only conclude that, in her effort to stop, she lost control and somehow entered the emergency lane, dealing a blow that smashed the left side of my car from the door to the rear.

Luckily for us, we were out of the emergency room and the hospital about three hours later. I was surprised. No internal bleeding and no brain damage, except for that caused by the concussion. A few fractured ribs, awful head, neck, shoulder, back, and buttocks pain were also there to deal with. My girlfriend had her share of pain in her neck, back, and abdomen. Sitting in the emergency bed, the chaplain came by. I couldn’t help but shed tears. What would I have done without her? What would her son have done without his mother? We’re lucky to be alive. The next few days were emotional. She and I cried many times together. Sometimes they were tears of pure joy and gratitude. There was also that feeling of “What if…?” that is so shocking. Either one of us could have been one more traffic fatality.

Tags: , , , ,

Reincarnation

Oct 1

Posted by Solo-G in Esoterica | 4 Comments

I believe I am immortal in the spirit. My body will wither away, inanimate as any corpse save for the organisms that shall feast on it. So, even a lifeless, rotting corpse fulfills a purpose. Why then, should my life be so meaningless so as to say that after death there is only nothingness? What can a person say about his or her life experiences? What have I learned through nearly forty winters? Surely, I can say I have learned a lot. What for? Shall I simply discard everything from my mind when the time comes for me to depart? I believe my mission in life is to find spiritual realization. I also believe I must extend a helping hand to others. Knowledge of truth is my never-ending quest, it seems. Someone once said, “Only the truth shall set you free.” I believe it, but knowledge without compassion is useless.

In all my early years of Catholic upbringing I don’t believe I ever heard the concept of reincarnation discussed. It is no surprise, indeed. So, what of the millions of Buddhists who do believe in it? What can we say of the Dalai Lama? Does he not claim to be the reincarnation of his predecessor? That would make him his predecessor, of course. Most, if not all Christians, would say that heaven is obtained solely through the grace of Jesus Christ. If I accept Jesus Christ as my savior, then all will be taken care of. He died for me on the cross and, in so doing, washed away all my sins. If I what I have written is inaccurate, I stand open and willing to be corrected, for I do not, under any circumstances, claim to possess the ultimate knowledge of such things.

So, where does that leave me? What of my personal responsibility? Have I not free will? I reminded a friend about Albert Einstein’s law of conservation of energy which in one way or another leads to the conclusion that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but only transformed. If I light a piece of wood on fire, it will transform. After burning completely, it will become ashes. But, during the process, energy will be released in the form of heat and visible light. I believe death is somewhat similar, but much more complex, for humans possess much more than that which is possessed by a piece of wood. The rotting of our bodies is analogous to the the burning of wood in that complex chemical processes will transform it into something totally distinct from what it was before that which gave it life departed. That which gave it life is intangible and invisible, but undoubtedly alive and full of life experiences and knowledge in its purest form. It is the eternal component of humans.

So, what of reincarnation? Why believe in such a thing? If the concept is so popular among millions, surely it is no coincidence. Of course, this doesn’t mean I necessarily believe in it. Even so, the arguments in its favor are, at the very least, intriguing. Let us take a murderer, for example. There are many murderers in the world, some of whom aren’t the least bit regretful of the fact that they took another human being’s life. What will happen when they die? Must they suddenly experience a tremendous deal of regret and accept Jesus Christ as their savior in order to enjoy the everlasting peace and joy of the heavenly paradise? Perhaps I am oversimplifying. If so, someone, please explain. The thing is, most Christians, as I’ve experienced it so far, have only oversimplified with an answer like, “Well, the Bible doesn’t mention reincarnation and the Bible is the truth, so that means there is no reincarnation.” Not a convincing argument as far as I’m concerned. Of course, there are Christians of varying levels of knowledge regarding sacred scripture. Let it stand very clear that I do not intend, in any way, to offend anyone who professes Christianity as their faith.

So, I still haven’t offered anything regarding reincarnation itself. This is a complex subject and I must admit it is very difficult to not deviate in some degree–I’m only human, so please be nice. I say that a murderer, upon his or her death, may still have to “pay” for what he or she did. Getting back to Einstein’s law of conservation of energy, I believe that when the murderer committed the crime, a “debt” was created. It is an imbalance of energy that must be corrected. It seems to me that, if we speak of a God who is just, then such debts cannot go unpaid. Of course, at this point we can touch upon the concept of hell, that place bad people go to in order to pay for their evil deeds. Quite an archaic concept, don’t you think? Perhaps reincarnation is the means through which we are given numerous, if not endless opportunities, to correct our wrongdoings. It’s nothing new, really. I seem to recall a few films based on a similar concept. Besides, isn’t it possible for a human to create hell on Earth? If tomorrow, while driving, an otherwise good person runs over someone else and kills him or her, will that person not know the meaning of hell on Earth? What about heaven? Do two lovers not experience a glimpse of heaven when they share their love for each other? Does a parent not experience a glimpse at the first sight of a newborn baby?

We are so infinitely powerful; much more than we are willing to take responsibility for. We have the ability of obliterating our entire race with weapons of mass destruction, yet we deny possessing the very same ability in an equal degree of creating a world of peace and justice. When will we take responsibility for our actions?

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Freemasonry

Sep 21

Posted by Solo-G in Esoterica, Freemasonry | No Comments

Freemasonry is not something that can be easily summed up in a few words. It is simply too vast and would be like trying to define the ocean itself in a few sentences. There once was a certain class of men known as masons who worked with stones to build temples. These ancient builders are known specifically as operative masons. The masons who meet in lodges throughout the modern world are known specifically as speculative masons. Some of these masons may in fact be gifted in working with stone and other building materials, but a man does not have to be so gifted to become a speculative mason. Even so, a man who becomes a freemason will build a temple–the temple within.

Besides being a free man who is of age and of sound mind, he who desires to become a freemason must believe in the existence of a supreme, creative power. Simply stated, a man must believe in God. How a man conceptualizes God is entirely his personal choice. In a lodge of freemasons, religion is never discussed. Political discussions are also deemed inappropriate. Of course, once outside the lodge, such a restriction no longer applies. It is no secret that several well-known men who were freemasons were also politicians, including several U.S. presidents. Without a doubt, these men engaged in political discussions quite frequently. One reason that stands clear for not engaging in political or religious discussions within the lodge is that such discussions, rather than promote cohesion among fellow masons, could potentially create division and even antagonism.

Freemasonry has sometimes been deemed a secret society. If freemasonry were such a thing, lodges would not place that well-known symbol consisting of a square and compass as conspicuously as they do for all passersby to see. Non-masons may enter a masonic lodge and ask for information about freemasonry. In reality, what is held secret by freemasons are the details concerning the ritual that is practiced within the lodge. A ritual is quite simply a ceremony; a series of steps that, in the case of freemasonry, have been passed on throughout many years of tradition. Those who partake in these ceremonies are not hazed or subjected to indignant treatment. Some members serve as officers of the lodge, carrying out certain necessary functions. One or more may be present to receive any one of several degrees that are conferred by the lodge. Others simply go to further their knowledge of freemasonry and to be in the presence of their fellow brothers.

Tags: , , , ,