Posts by Richard Walker79

casualtiger2 said:Look, people can't possibly read everything posted here.
The current title works fine for me, and there are a few reasons why.
1. My (more experienced) fellow moderator changed it.
2. I don't have any personal experience with drugs—and honestly, I'm not a big fan of using them for spiritual purposes (maybe in extreme cases, during specific developmental stages, under strict supervision, and for very select individuals)
3. It's good that this topic exists and that we're discussing it, but don't expect me to be particularly sympathetic—the damage people suffer is just too high (I've seen it firsthand in my own circle) for me to easily buy into the whole "using drugs for spiritual growth" idea—especially since some teenagers probably read this forum too.
4. In my view, there are no shortcuts on the spiritual path, and drugs aren't going to help you get there.

The title stays.

Well, even if you haven't personally tried anything, I'm sure you're at least aware of how psychedelic spirituality has been practiced in India, Mexico, the USA, Jamaica, and so on...

Quincy:

3. It's good that this topic exists and is being discussed, but please don't expect any sympathy from my side. People suffer far too much damage—I've seen it firsthand in my own circles—for me to just casually accept the idea of "using drugs for spiritual growth," especially since teenagers are likely reading this forum too.

I honestly don't understand why we're insisting on using the derogatory and offensive term "drugs," which immediately brings an addict to mind...
When we are actually talking about psychedelic spirituality involving natural psychedelics rather than street drugs.
Teenagers actually *should* be reading this to get educated rather than being scared off... though that’s a weak excuse on your part since teenagers generally aren't interested in spirituality anyway.

Quincy:

4. I believe there are no shortcuts on the spiritual path, and substances won't help you there. The title stays.

Personally, I believe that natural psychedelics are essential and irreplaceable (meditation and other practices are merely human-made substitutes for psychedelics) in spiritual development.
You can think whatever you want, but reality and history tell a different story.
You've stated your opinion, but it conflicts with freedom of speech and restricts the freedom to practice spirituality. In my view, you shouldn't let your personal biases dictate your moderator decisions.
Otherwise, you're just acting like a total autocrat.

Basically, the word "drugs" is just an insulting label used by those against psychedelic spirituality. You are completely ignoring that point.

casualtiger2 said:Hey everyone,
It’s been a minute since I’ve been active here—and now, out of nowhere, I’ve been tapped as a moderator. So, I’m asking you all to jump into this poll so I can get a decent pulse on where we actually stand right now.
I want to hear from the old guard—the "seasoned veterans" who probably use this place as their digital fountain of youth 😉—as well as the newcomers who just joined the party.
The site changes every single day, obviously, and I know "quality" is a pretty hard thing to pin down—especially on a Spirituality Forum—but I think it’s worth taking a snapshot of where we are in this little corner of the internet.

So, here are some prompts to get us started (feel free to throw in your own thoughts too):
- What do you think of the forum over the last few weeks or months?
- What are you actually enjoying?
- What’s getting on your nerves?
- How could we make this better (if it even needs it)? Basically, what’s missing?
(Just trying to make sure everyone stays happy while reading or posting. 🙂)

Look, I know everyone’s going to have subjective takes—some might even be total opposites—so please, let’s avoid any heated arguments over whose opinion is "right." A cool, civil dialogue is always welcome, though.

Since I’ve posted quite a bit myself, here’s my quick, telegraphic take on how things feel to me.

I’ve only really been active here for about two years—even though I registered ages ago for one specific post, then basically went ghost. For a while, this felt like a great spot, both for the community and the topics. But lately, it feels like things have slipped a bit. Part of that was the chaos regarding where we'd host the site, part was the struggle to find permanent moderators—even though, honestly, every mod I've worked with so far has done a killer job—and part was losing some core members who really made this place what it was. It led to this weird illusion that there's some massive drama happening in real life outside of these threads. 😁 Plus, at one point, it felt like a bunch of argumentative personalities were starting to take over.

That said, over the last week or two, it feels like the spiral is finally turning back upward—both in terms of how people talk and the actual content being shared. I’d love to do whatever I can in my capacity to keep that momentum going.

I’ll be opening a dedicated thread soon specifically for moderation and direct communication.

I would kindly ask that the thread regarding "(Evil) drug use and spirituality?" be renamed to something more appropriate, as the word "drugs" carries such a negative and derogatory connotation.
My suggestion: "Psychedelic spirituality."

nimblemaker30 said:Are you trying to be a missionary with those quotes you just Googled...😵😵 😵

You missed the right subforum. Your posts belong in the religion section. This specific subforum supports free-form spirituality—you know, introspective spirituality outside of religious organizations.

Aside from you saying in your own words that the Holy Spirit is a gentleman and not evil like the bad spirits, everything else you just copied and pasted. Anyone can Google what you pasted. And that bit you said in your own words? It was a little childish.

The issue isn't that you don't know what or who the Holy Spirit is. Nobody truly knows. It's not a problem that you explained the unknown to someone else—meaning you said the Holy Spirit is God. Since everyone knows God, they'll immediately understand what the Holy Spirit is... But nobody truly knows God; God cannot be known... So the problem isn't your lack of knowledge regarding God or the Holy Spirit; the problem is that you have this urge to preach here and try to convert and save people. It’s irritating, infantile, and honestly, kind of funny.👎

That's just where he is right now; he still has a long way to climb.

nimblemaker30 said:No, suffering doesn't truly exist. All of this—this whole messy experience—it feels incredibly real, doesn't it? But in truth, it’s all an illusion, nothing more than a dream. Because our perception is so inherently illusory, and because we lack any real understanding of WHO WE ARE, this concept of "suffering" emerges as just another layer of that mirage.

If there is a will behind any given action, then the responsibility rests solely with that will. But if we consider that free will is itself a myth, and that everything unfolding is simply God's will, isn't it true that no one else can be blamed? It falls squarely on Him—the Creator, the owner, and the CEO of this entire universe, who seemingly forgets to watch what He's dreaming about.

This kind of teaching isn't meant for those who remain ignorant; you can't really "teach" these truths.
Only someone who has completely transcended suffering can say this, but there are very few such people, and they cannot teach it to others.

Michael Moore3 said:Jesus' teachings always pertain to the life we are living right now.

Karma isn't really the cause of suffering; rather, it just sets the starting line for your next reincarnation, though it doesn't dictate the actual hardship you might face in that next life. For instance, someone might not suffer at all in their next incarnation if they return as, say, a snail due to bad karma in this life, only to eventually earn their way back into a higher being during their time as a snail. On the flip side, someone reincarnated as a human—perhaps someone born into high society or a position of privilege—could easily descend into the absolute gutter of humanity simply because that "good" starting position gave them the leeway to ignore the spiritual growth that would have been so much easier to achieve from such a vantage point.

Suffering in this life is exclusively the result of ourselves—specifically, our own current actions during this lifetime. As my old man used to say, "nobody can cause you as much trouble as you can cause yourself," and I’d probably add Buddha’s take to that: "Desire is the root of all suffering."

A cup full of wisdom. 👍

But karma is a complex law; it might not catch up to you until your tenth lifetime. What do you think?

mistygull16 said:Look, shadownomad4, I think you're a good guy and I believe Jesus loves you, but honestly? What you're saying feels pretty naive, almost like something out of a kid's book. It's not like Jesus or Satan are comic book villains where we're just waiting to see which hero wins the fight. That's not how you read the Bible; it doesn't line up with science or even just basic common sense. We know dinosaurs existed, we know about evolution... the idea that everything popped into existence overnight from Adam and Eve is more of a metaphor. Reading things that way just breeds fear and makes people hate other religions. It ends up making God look like some kind of tyrant, which is exactly what you're preaching. But God is love. He isn't out to torture anyone for eternity. Take it easy!

Does suffering actually exist?

If such a thing even exists—who exactly is held accountable?🙂

placidjackal36 said:Look, it’s simple math. If you actually want to see a profit, you have to move the product. Just piling inventory up in some warehouse isn't going to help anyone—least of all the guy who spent all that money filling the shelves in the first place. If there's no demand for what you're holding, you aren't selling it, and if you aren't selling it, you aren't making a dime. It’s just dead weight.
Look, it’s pretty simple: it just has to happen. No company is out there intentionally pumping out junk just to pollute the environment. That would be incredibly expensive and completely irrational from a business standpoint. It doesn't make sense.
Look, it’s pretty simple: raw material consumption is skyrocketing because we’re a bigger population and, frankly, we’ve become a lot more demanding. It isn't just about the fact that there are more of us out here consuming stuff; it's also about the sheer scale of what we expect from our gear. We aren't just looking for basic tools anymore—we're chasing constant technological breakthroughs. That relentless drive for the next big thing in tech is what's really pushing the demand through the roof.

The whole point of being in balance is that you don't just breed like crazy without thinking about it; you live in a way that stays in sync with nature. It’s about not overextending yourself beyond what the environment can actually sustain.

We moved past that ages ago. There’s no going back now—unless some plague or an asteroid, a comet, or even the Sun itself decides to thin our numbers out first.
Some people actually go as far as advocating for violence against certain groups of folks. Honestly? I’m with them. I say let everyone pushing that kind of rhetoric pack their bags and head out to some remote Pacific island where they can tear each other apart in peace. It would solve two problems at once: we wouldn't have to listen to their mindless nonsense anymore, and frankly, the planet would be a little bit better off for it.

The real headache isn't actually that complicated if you look at it clearly. The biggest issue we’re facing is the massive amount of resources being poured into factories that churn out absolute junk—stuff nobody actually needs and half of which is low-quality garbage. Then you've got the whole automotive sector driving up the mess. Honestly, once you address those two sectors, everything else becomes easy to fix. It's just basic math.

Spot on. If they actually managed to phase out cash, they’d probably manage to cut down on the sheer amount of nonsense being produced too. Though, honestly? I don't think it would be enough. There are just too many of us, and some people are still out here starving. It’d be a whole different story if everyone actually had enough to eat and a decent place to stay warm, too...

A parasite is a destroyer—not just of its host, but eventually, it ends up destroying itself too. It’s a cycle that always catches up to them.

Parasites don't necessarily just destroy themselves. It’s rarely that simple. 😕
It’s pretty simple, really. Whether it's a piece of iron or some microscopic pathogen, they’re going to consume resources until there’s nothing left, and then they just die off. It's basic biology. You see it with an elephant, a gazelle, or a cheetah—they live, they eat, they exhaust their environment, and that's the end of the line. Humans are different, though. We’re the only ones with brains developed enough to actually realize we're messing with our own surroundings. Once we catch on, we try to pivot. We look for alternatives or find ways to cut back on consumption because, let's face it, we aren't quite that stupid.

That’s precisely the point—parasites live like there is no tomorrow, operating under a "burn it all down" mentality. Native Americans, at least, lived with their descendants in mind; they respected nature and took only what was necessary, as history shows us. That’s why they were wiped out, along with other civilizations that actually lived in harmony with the land. Our own history, especially lately, just proves how destructive and oblivious we can be.

We may not be foolish, but we are certainly crazy if we're willing to wreck the entire planet—and ourselves in the process—just for the sake of some colorful scraps of paper.
budo is right: there is no good or evil, there is only awareness versus ignorance.
We lack wisdom, which is why gentlemaker6 is writing in vain here; you can't pass on mystical insights through an online forum.

I honestly find myself looking forward to the collapse of this modern, destructive civilization that convinced us that luxury is the only way to live. I just wonder what most people are feeling under all that stress and discontentment. Subconsciously, they know we're living unnaturally—racing around in a high-speed, high-stress frenzy just to achieve things.

As the Native Americans used to say: we will return.🙂

placidjackal36 said:The reality is, this is just the byproduct of rising living standards and a growing population. More people means more demand, which means more energy needed. To put it in simple, illustrative terms: for an Indian to live a tolerable life throughout the year, let's say they need about 1 GJ of energy annually, sourced from wood. That is a tiny amount of energy, and there aren't many Indians to begin with.🙂
The sheer volume of wood a tribe harvests to burn for energy is so minimal that it’s actually less than the forest's natural growth rate. We love to say an Indian "lives in harmony with nature," but it's not really about harmony; it's just that they take less than what the environment can replenish. If the forests were smaller and the population larger, the consequences would hit them almost immediately.

Once you reach a highly developed society with a massive population, your energy consumption skyrockets. Nowadays, your average American home requires upwards of 50 GJ of energy per year.

It seems irrational to expect humanity to just abandon everything we've built, move into shacks, freeze in the dark, and spend all day doing absolutely nothing. This is where we are, and this is the reality we deal with.
In principle, all heterotrophic organisms are parasites on the Earth. They feed at the expense of autotrophs and the planet itself. Plants behave similarly. Any living thing requires matter and energy to survive. If those resources disappear, the organism either dies or moves to find a better spot. A plant will shift its growth to soak up more sunlight. A giraffe will track down a tree with juicier leaves. A bear isn't going to sit by a dry creek bed waiting for fish to appear; it’ll go find a stream that actually has something in it. An elephant herd will clear out a patch of bushes and then move on.
Humans, in addition to looking for a more comfortable place to live, look for wherever the fuel is. Once we dig up and extract the very last ton, we just move on to open a new mine.

At the end of the day, we’re all essentially parasites; some of us are just more destructive than others.

Actually, it’s more about the unnecessary destruction and pollution caused by pure greed.

The amount of wood a tribe harvests to burn for energy is so tiny that it’s actually less than the forest's regrowth rate. People always say an Indian "lives in harmony with nature." In reality, they aren't necessarily living in harmony; they are simply taking less than what nature can replenish. If the forest shrank while the number of Indians grew, we would feel the impact very quickly.

True harmony means not multiplying faster than what stays in balance with the environment.

Once you have a highly developed society—meaning a massive population—you end up with huge energy demands. Nowadays, an average American home requires over 50 GJ of energy per year.

The real issue lies with factories churning out junk and useless products, followed by all the cars on the road... All of that is actually quite easy to fix!

In principle, we are all parasites; some are just more harmful than others.

A parasite is someone who destroys everything—and eventually destroys themselves in the process.

gentlemaker6 said:I am not looking for someone to blame. My point is about action—specifically, the need to shift our collective consciousness and how we approach everything. This isn't just for a select few; it requires everyone to step up, regardless of their status or background. Only through that kind of internal shift will we see genuine external change that benefits us all.

Ecology is merely one piece of the puzzle—it's an effect. My focus remains on the underlying causes.

You keep using "we," but let's be real: change only ever happens at the individual level.
If people want to change, they'll do it.
It's not your business.

gentlemaker6 said:Every single person on Earth needs to be part of this. I wasn't just talking about a select few; I meant everyone.

Each of us has a role to play, and we ought to play it. We should contribute at whatever level we are able. As the saying goes: "Think globally, act locally."

I'll say it again: you are looking for blame in all the wrong places. Most people don't even have basic human rights. How can you expect an average citizen to take action when the government and the ultra-wealthy are already dictating their thoughts and actions? You're living in a total illusion.

Take it up with the billionaires and their buddies in power. They are the ones polluting and wrecking the planet. You capitalist imperialists will destroy not just the environment, but the very people who live in harmony with it, all for a tiny bit of profit.

Try reading some uncensored history books—they are the best teachers in life. Just look at how the Native Americans, the pagans, and others who lived in tune with nature ended up.

There isn't much you can do here, my friend. Save one tree, and they'll just go ahead and clear-cut the entire forest. Look at our polluted rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans!
To truly grasp these issues, you need a much deeper perspective. Right now, you simply lack that insight and wisdom.

In short, only those actually in charge have the power to be a Savior—to stop the destruction and the pollution.

gentlemaker6 said:I spend my mornings catching up on the news and watching whatever is trending on TV just to stay informed. Of course, there are certain pockets of peace and prosperity out there—small enclaves of a truly comfortable life. Unfortunately, those are nothing more than isolated islands. Marketing, naturally, employs every trick in the book. They manufacture a sense of lack within us just to push a product or a service, promising we'll feel better once we buy in. But what I am getting at goes much deeper than mere consumerism.

It feels a bit arrogant to suggest that we need to "save the planet." This world will endure regardless of our existence; it has survived far worse than a few billion parasites. If we overstep, nature will simply wipe us out and make room for whatever comes next.
I believe the process of building peace and unity is already underway and gaining momentum. In fact, this is one of the most peaceful eras in history for the average person living on this planet.

I likely mislabeled this thread. My intention was to discuss life on our planet. Fortunately, we haven't quite reached the point where we have the physical capacity to actually destroy the world.

Peace alone isn't enough; we need a life actually worth living. The peace we currently enjoy is deceptive. Not long ago, our own soil was torn apart by war—right here in civilized Europe. The Middle East remains a powder keg, as does Africa, and crisis points are popping up on every continent. Even in America, we’ve become a police state. They are rolling out new national ID systems that will track everything from your bank account to your property holdings; you won't be able to breathe without being monitored. And frankly, that’s the mild version. We are headed toward a much stricter, more authoritarian model where every email and text message is archived and scrutinized. There is even talk of mandatory microchipping on the horizon. In New York City, there are so many cameras that the average resident is recorded 300 times a day. It is a tragic irony that, in the name of security, we are surrendering our freedom bit by bit every single day.

Where is this all heading? It seems we are drifting toward an even deeper divide—not just between "us" and "them," but within our own communities and among those closest to us. We are moving further away from the truth I’ve been trying to share: the simple reality that we are all one.

Every individual on this planet deserves a life of dignity. We deserve food, clothing, shelter, employment, and freedom. By virtue of being part of the human race, everyone deserves joy, love, and happiness. Throughout history, however, these basic rights have been systematically denied to us.

We are the only ones left to save this planet. It falls on us to protect life within this beautiful country. As long as we remain divided by "us versus them," success will remain out of reach.

So, how exactly does this change anything? We’re all made of atoms, after all. Big fucking deal.

It is an undeniable truth that we all possess the power to fundamentally alter the course of this entire planet. Every single one of us. From the very foundation up.

Don't kid yourself! The only people who can actually save the planet are the ones currently destroying it—the ones allowing it and promoting it.

Direct your energy toward those in power and the billionaires pulling the strings.

I’m doing what I can to help, but honestly, I'm more of a pagan at heart, so my efforts feel like a mere drop in the ocean.

If those in charge can decide whether I’m allowed to spit on the sidewalk, swear, or what I put into my own body, then they certainly control much bigger things, like pollution and the destruction of wildlife and our environment.

Edward Flores4 said:Man, you're really digging deep here... saying "I" entered "into" samadhi.

Is that what they call puberty where you're from? 🤣

It's what happens when someone obsesses over the packaging instead of the actual content. 🙄

Honestly, folks, the absolute best kind of meditation is just washing the dishes every single day, both morning and night.
Don't go thinking I'm joking here; I actually found my way into a state of total zen quite easily.

Anthony Rivera17 said:I say, though many fail to hear, that it was far easier for a caveman
to reach enlightenment than it is for us today... many still cling to the idea
that we require special "tools" located outside ourselves to get the job done,
because the mechanics of the reality we live in suggest that hammering a nail is easier
with a tool than with bare hands... "if a hammer makes it easier
to drive nails, then there MUST be a way to reach
enlightenment more easily using some human invention"... a delusion that isn't easily cast off, one that many have earned through sheer persistence... 😉

The truth is, enlightenment is already right here, but it's buried under layers of mental garbage that need clearing out.
And how many people are actually willing to let go of the junk they've tied their entire identity to?
Not many. Very few. It sounds so incredibly simple, yet that very simplicity makes it nearly impossible for most.
My advice to everyone? Try deprogramming yourselves through conscious meditation and focused concentration.

Anthony Rivera17 said:

"so many, so many people have talent
but no money to get into the studio
then when they drop an album, the crowd spits on them,
calling them hacks, calling them sellouts...
idiots always have something to say, though their rhymes never quite land"

Edo Maajka

The lines above aren't directed at anyone in particular, it just
"occurred" to me after reading those verses about my favorite Master😲

It isn't about the rhyme,
it's about having something worth saying.

And that Edo guy is a total moron.

steeleagle13 said:But hey, Jim is back
bringing fresh news straight from the deep blue sea.🤣

Where on earth is Jim now, master?
The King of Spiritual Rhymes?
He really dug himself into a hole this time!
That guy really did a number on him!
Where has the society of master craftsmen vanished to?
What happened to our local preachers? They’ve gone completely downhill!
You guys really went and broke up the whole union, didn't you?
To all you Marshall supporters and everyone else acting like they’re some kind of spiritual guru—get real!🙏😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Brenda Cook4 said:So, where did he head off to?

He bailed because the whole ship was sinking, steered by nothing but a crew of rats.
The helmsman had no choice but to jump ship before he went down with them.
It isn't just my take, either; I see others noticing the exact same thing...
I suppose Richard Walker79 wasn't just talking nonsense before the final disaster hit.

FAREWELL TO OUR JIM

Our Master Ivan has finally left us,
a man who was truly a lost cause.
He peddled all sorts of strange mysticism,
cheating on every spiritual scale and balance.

He rubbed plenty of people the wrong way,
puffed up his ego until it hit the clouds.
But now he has finally fallen,
that wicked, fake guru.

He’ll be remembered for his malice and folly,
for his selfishness and his spite.
He made so many grand promises,
yet delivered so very little.

Our master clone is gone,
and the other masters won't even give him the time of day.
He was nothing more than a passing fad,
only relevant while the spiritual sales pitch lasted.

Where are all those other legendary masters now?
The one who created them is nowhere to be found.
They have all tumbled into the abyss,
shitting themselves in sheer disgrace.

I said long ago that they were all frauds,
posers, hypocrites, and fake spiritualists.
They refused to clear their minds of nonsense,
so in the end, they simply burned themselves out.

My final farewell to the forum:

Like a Zen proverb says, there comes a day when even the most peaceful tool must break,
much like a matchstick that starts the fire, only to be consumed by the flame itself.

Brothers and sisters within the All One,
I simply must depart from this forum once and for all!

The realization has finally hit me, and since some things are better left unsaid,
it’s best to take my leave with grace and dignity.

As Big Manit always says: life is meant to be a game and a joy,
so I refuse to spend any more precious time here on trivialities.

Please forgive me for being such a nuisance and a bother,
but even this loud, barking voice must finally fall silent.

ambereagle642 said:It's that "just" that totally gives you away and honestly, it's such a load of crap... 😁

Do you "ONLY" need to plug your computer into a wall outlet just to get online?