Posts by Jerry King11

ironcyclist752 said:😕 😕 😕

Everything actually stems from the individual's realization of themselves,
whereas I suppose an understanding of God is merely an illusion or a misconception.

You can fall into an illusion regardless of your approach if you’re busy manufacturing your own dogmas and biases. Whether you claim to be "understanding" humanity or God, you're missing the scale; man is smaller than God because God encompasses man. Besides, what does "knowing oneself" even mean anymore? To me, it sounds like little more than pop philosophy—that modern obsession with "self-care" and ego-driven "personal growth." It's all just people trying to find their reflection in God. 🤷

Here’s a slightly more substantial excerpt for you:

"But in America, along with a handful of other thinkers, Kuzanski refused to fall for that cheap democratic mantra of 'knowing oneself.' He knew exactly where one had to begin. *Deus est Yahweh*—or rather, *gnothi ton kyrion*: know the Lord. You have to start by knowing God. After all, man is already within God. It's an instantaneous wholeness where everything is gathered and everything is one. Nothing of substance comes from merely trying to understand oneself; everything flows from the knowledge of God."

Bela Hamvas

🙏

Hey, I stumbled upon another sharp little quote today.

"Nothing truly comes from human knowledge alone; everything flows from the knowledge of God." 🙂

Isn't a person's core essence essentially one and the same as God? Or do you all think what I'm talking about is just nothing more than the ego?

I think I finally figured out how to use the quote function. 😳 A little passage from that collection of Zen koans just popped into my head:

Thi San said:
- When the dissolutions occur, everything vanishes—objects, things, even myself—until the original emptiness is restored.
Then a student steps forward and asks:
- What happens once everything dissolves into emptiness?
Thi-San addresses the student by name.
- Yes, the student replies, stepping closer.
- Please, where does the emptiness go?
- You already answered that, the master says.

Lisa Morales4 said:If you want to handle those "more important tasks here on Earth," you first have to understand who you are.

You have to meet yourself.

In order for us to be of any actual use, we need to be charged,>
but how can you ever get charged up if you don't know which batteries you need?
You have to know yourself.
And you are one of a kind.
No one in all of God's creation is quite like you: not with your specific smile, your sense of humor, your unique talents, your reactions to the world, or your particular emotions...

How can you love the God of whom you are a part if you don't recognize that tiny piece of God's Body—yourself?🙂

I’ll leave you with a poem of self-worth:

I'M SPECIAL

I'm special.
In all the world, there's nobody like me.
Since the beginning of time, there has never been another person like me.
Nobody has my smile. Nobody has my eyes, my nose, my hair, my hands, or my voice.
I'm special.

No one can be found who has my handwriting.
Nobody anywhere has my tastes in food, music, or art. No one else sees things exactly as I do.
In all of time, there's been no one who laughs like me, no one who cries like me, and what makes me laugh and cry will never provoke identical laughter and tears from anyone else, ever.
No one reacts to any situation quite the way I would.
I'm special.

I'm The only One in All of creation Who Has my set of abilities. Sure, there will always be someone who is better at one of the things I'm good at, but no one in the universe can match the unique combination of my talents, ideas, abilities, and feelings. It's like a room full of musical instruments; some might sound great on their own, but none can match the symphony created when they are all played together. I am a symphony.

Throughout all of eternity, no one will ever look, talk, walk, think, or act like me.
I'm special.

I'm rare.
And in all rarity, there is immense value. Because of that value, I don't need to try to imitate anyone else. I will embrace—yes, celebrate—my differences.
I'm special.

And I'm starting to realize it isn't an accident that I'm special.
I'm beginning to see that my Higher Power made me special for a very special purpose. He must have a job for me that no one else can perform as well as I can. Out of all the billions of applicants, only one is qualified—only one possesses the exact right combination of what it takes.
That one is me.

Because... I'm special!

Thanks for the beautiful poem. 🙂

Here is one for you in return:

THINGS TO REMEMBER

One should know that every phenomenon is an illusion and will vanish as such. The spirit has no independent existence, no "Self," and thus it should be understood that it can only be compared to empty space.
One should know that the collection of thoughts which humans call the spirit is merely a chain of cause and effect; one feeds upon the other, yet both are illusions and will eventually fade away.
One should know that suffering is hidden within our actions. For these actions, no one is responsible except the individual. And that suffering exists solely to wake a person up.

Drags-po-Iha-rje (Unknown Location) 1079-1153, a Tibetan Buddhist monk

goldenbadger2 said:...it’s been said before: if you don't have love for yourself, you can't truly love your neighbor... know yourself, and you'll find brotherhood with everyone... trying to love others without knowing who you really are? That's just a lie and total hypocrisy...

That’s why I think the quote in florine's signature is actually pretty spot on:

It is the man I am who makes me a misanthrope. Jules Renard 👍

On the other hand, isn't "knowing oneself" just a tired cliché? It feels like a way for us to treat self-reflection and spirituality as a little hobby while completely neglecting actual empathy and looking out for others in the real world.
Maybe there's a reason people say intellect and knowledge can actually get in the way; they can inflate the ego and turn fixed opinions into deep-seated prejudices. You see it all the time with those simple, devout folks who live modest lives working the land—they often seem much closer to God than the ones who think they've mastered all the world's wisdom.

jademarlin26 said:The issue arises when you attempt to serve others without having resolved your own internal conflicts. In doing so, you end up failing those around you, creating a ripple effect that impacts people for generations. Introspection is necessary to find that inner clarity, which is a prerequisite for actually being of service to others.

I agree, though I’d argue that by serving others, we also build ourselves up and move beyond our own narrow egos—and I don't mean using busyness as an escape from a sense of inner emptiness. Too often, even "spirituality" can become a form of self-delusion, a way for people to inflate their own importance in their own eyes.

Lisa Morales4 said:yeah...

we are Unity

part of one single Body

Unity is paramount!

know God to understand yourself
know yourself to reach God

know yourself to reach the Universal Consciousness*
know the Universal Consciousness to better understand yourself

____________
* Universal Consciousness - the universal spirit

the essence of every being can be described through these synonyms:

the all-encompassing Spirit
the unity of the soul
consciousness
Universal Consciousness
God

understanding how our consciousness interacts with external physical systems is actually understanding how reality operates at a subatomic level, where everything is organized into energy packets or quanta

An individual's realization that we are all integral parts of this Unity/Oneness/one God is directly proportional to how much a person reflects God through their own life

meditation, through communication with God, helps a person find themselves within the natural law of Oneness
all power lies within our own self-reflection

there are no boundaries between a being and Nature, except for those we create ourselves
by reaching for the Truth in which we are self-aware under the guidance of our conscience, we outgrow those artificial social barriers
in our self-realization, we become aware that the suffering and joys of others are truly our own suffering and joys
we experience one another through a unified field, through Unity

humanity is an extension of natural laws, which means we can understand that we serve as mediums for the creator of the universe
we are composed of the same essence known as God
we are cells within the infinite Body of God
we are all made of God
of the Universal Consciousness
of the Universal Consciousness
we are One

to continue growing, we must follow the higher purpose: living for one another
life isn't just a result of random mathematical probabilities; it is the result of an intelligent universe that possesses Intent and is self-aware

just as our consciousness is the subject, the first person
the one that oversees our awareness, our mind, the object, the third person
as the one that sees all and cannot be seen

so too is the Universal Consciousness, God, all of us together—the singular super-consciousness, Jehovah, the Great Spirit, the all-seeing eye, Gaia, Mother Earth, the unified field of dynamics—the invisible, non-material subject
which governs us as objects of the perfect law of nature (the universe)

so, there you have it—what we are
what I am, what YOU are, what WE are

BTW, if I had held the elevator door open for as long as I sat on this page typing this out until I got exhausted and sick, the entire city of Chicago would be standing in line outside the lobby.

🙂

But what does "understanding yourself" actually mean? Maybe it’s just about stripping away all the trivial layers we pile on, until the experience of the "ego" doesn't even matter anymore—leaving nothing but the essence. Some people call that "awakening Christ within." I honestly don't know if truly great figures in history ever wasted their time with "self-help" or deep introspection; they usually had much bigger things to deal with here on Earth, right? Or look at what Zen teaches: lose yourself in your work, become one with the task, until the "self" simply vanishes...

Lisa Morales4 said:jademarlin26, if you aren't working on yourself, you're basically just an amoeba at this point
that’s not really a big deal
even an amoeba can become something more 🙂

Self-work isn't just about your own ego; it's about honoring the Absolute that you're actually a part of 🙂
it's all for the sake of Unity
but look, if someone hasn't reached that realization yet—seeing themselves within the Absolute (within Unity)—then they're just stuck focusing inward on themselves
and that's okay too

I am an integral part, a single fragment, of an eternal force
and that force is no illusion

force is energy
and energy is indestructible
you can store it, accumulate it, or manifest it, or you can transfer it

energy is eternal
I was born from the eternal
It's up to me whether I choose to nurture that spark and grow it into a flame
or if I'll just smother it until it's gone

I am The Flame and the Keeper

I am The Keeper

I actually find your perspective pretty compelling. There’s something to be said for that idea of discovering yourself within the absolute—the notion that you're fundamentally part of the same thing as the "You" standing right next to you. It's that concept of us all being pieces of one massive, universal spirit. 🙂

I honestly don't think we should be inflating our egos or playing judge when it comes to someone else's spiritual journey. To be blunt, I’ve always had an issue with the whole "self-improvement" cliché. It implies that everything is about focusing inward on yourself rather than actually showing up for others. If all we're doing is working on ourselves, then what we're building is ultimately hollow.

I’ve already posted this somewhere else, but I figured it belonged here too:

A student once posed a question to Dai Sui:
What exactly is my "self"?
Dai Sui responded:
That’s just who I am.
How is it even possible that my "I" is actually your "I"?
It’s just like you.

🙂🙂🙂

Post from the controversial thread:

sinkezg said:Psychotic people aren't my type, just ignore them!

It wasn't censored, but instead (several weeks later), it was scrubbed to hide how certain "alternative" types and so-called "doctors" express themselves, and how their little lobby manipulates the moderation. Everywhere I try to cite it, I get an "invalid link." It’s effectively vanished, taking with it the very evidence I used to call out the moderators over at the Alternative PDF group.

In that specific thread, I was insulted by three people representing the interests of the Cedrus Center and protecting those self-proclaimed "aromatherapists." They are protected. The moderator is protected too. Naturally, it's the law of the jungle here, just like everywhere else—especially when you're operating behind a screen name on Reddit.

Morgan Hernandez5 said:what kind of apology is that even?? I already said in the thread why I was planning to lock it, and I gave you a warning because you were just trolling. and nobody even filed a report until then!
this is my actual post where I locked the thread:

you started out sneakily trashing a store clerk, then moved on to the shop itself, then the aromatherapy centers, and finally ended up dragging the whole Alternative industry through the mud. seen it all before, honestly. so I'm saying it again:

do you get what I'm trying to say now? I'm telling you for the second time.
any of us could walk into that high-end shop and hear the other side of the story to see what's actually happening. unfortunately for you, I don't just have one side of the info. so it'd be better if we didn't dig any deeper, because the forum isn't for this (3x!). I can just report this to the Reddit rules moderators.

Let me repeat: I reported the post using the icon, and here is my private message sent to the blue moderator on September 25th, 2009, at 11:36 AM. I never received a response, nor were any sanctions applied:

An untouchable post

As a moderator, don't you think that sinkezg's insulting dismissal of other users—specifically quoting him saying, "Psychotic people aren't my thing, IGNORE!" in the thread regarding bad experiences with Alternative supplements earlier today at 00:14—merited a red card?

It’s honestly sad to see how people who have chosen a career helping others react when they encounter something they don't like. Not only is what happened to me personally devastating, but I also have to endure mockery, insults, or being ignored by those who deal with essential oils for medical purposes. Wouldn't it be fairer to just admit a mistake and try to make things right?

I was actually given a red card just for commenting on Stribor's private life.

Morgan Hernandez5 said:what kind of apology is that even?? I already said in the thread why I was planning to lock it, and I gave you a warning because you were just trolling. and nobody even filed a report until then!
this is my actual post where I locked the thread:

you started out sneakily trashing a store clerk, then moved on to the shop itself, then the aromatherapy centers, and finally ended up dragging the whole Alternative industry through the mud. seen it all before, honestly. so I'm saying it again:

do you get what I'm trying to say now? I'm telling you for the second time.
any of us could walk into that high-end shop and hear the other side of the story to see what's actually happening. unfortunately for you, I don't just have one side of the info. so it'd be better if we didn't dig any deeper, because the forum isn't for this (3x!). I can just report this to the Reddit rules moderators.

This is a clear demonstration of how the staff at that store should be held accountable; that much is obvious to everyone. I never claimed in the thread that the "aromatherapist" and employee at the "renowned" Bio Terre was "chugging" essential oils on sugar with her coffee and presenting it as normal or suggesting I do the same, which is also vital context. (Nor did I mention her taking antidepressants at the time, as that seemed far too personal and irrelevant.)

Moderator Morgan Hernandez5 was attempting to keep a discussion going on a topic she had already locked herself, clearly because she has a personal stake in it. Meanwhile, her moderation and failure to sanction insults—even after repeated reports—has gone unaddressed. And isn't that supposed to be the whole point of this PDF?

I have nothing left to say.

Don't you dare try to bring my personal life into this; I refuse to stoop to your level.

I wasn't complaining about the thread being closed or the strike I received. I reported the untouchable post via the icon and to moderator Louise(which is why I have this private message), and the fact that "the other side" is talking doesn't prove anything—of course they’re going to try every trick in the book to cover up their mistakes. I stand by my story. My acquaintance with the store clerk isn't directly related to how she suggested I use essential oils orally (or "ingest" them, in your words) while I was shopping at Whole Foods. If you're as well-informed as you claim to be, you should know that the employee was giving me illegal advice regarding oral application (and my husband can testify to that).

It doesn't matter here who's right or wrong; that doesn't justify the psychoanalysis, the insults, or the attempt to discredit me personally. I've officially reported the post from sinkezga. And these posts from Philip Zeto and Merlin are just as problematic. Naturally, it's in their interest to discredit me and twist the whole narrative. Even if things were exactly as you say (which they aren't), the fact remains that I was insulted with total impunity. Even if everything I wrote were a fabrication—which it isn't—that still wouldn't justify the verbal abuse. Your convictions (or your "he said, she said" logic) might justify closing a thread, but nothing else. Do you happen to have some exhaustive medical documentation that makes it relevant to discuss my "clinical picture" and "health issues" that are apparently obvious to everyone here? You're attacking my character instead of addressing the topic. And what evidence would that even provide? That the clerk, acting as an aromatherapist, shouldn't have advised me to ingest essential oils? I have no desire to continue arguing this controversial topic with you or try to convince anyone anymore.

I am interested in the opinion of the Administrator on whether it is permissible to discredit a fellow user in this manner.

Morgan Hernandez5 said:I hope that mantra helps you chill out. 😉
It sounds like you had a massive blowout with the clerk, huh? And honestly, feels like this whole beef goes way deeper than just one interaction.
Alternative has nothing to do with your family drama, and it definitely has nothing to do with essential oils.
Besides, this forum isn't the place for all that fighting.
Peace.

I'm posting this after your moderation—after the controversial thread was already locked and moved away from the topic, so you can't use that as an excuse. Every single one of your posts drips with hostility, and I haven't seen you provide any actual reasoning for your moderating decisions or why you aren't penalizing insults. If you want to keep talking about essential oils, Philip Zeto actually points out in this
offensive post that lectures regarding oral application (or whatever you prefer to call it—"hooking up") are held at the Cedrus Center and are supposedly allowed, even though the application itself isn't—which is exactly why people end up misattributing effects, much like where that Bio Terre employee learned her trade.

But honestly, none of that matters for this specific thread anymore. This is really about your biased moderation and how you allow forum members to get away with insults.

That thread had been active since May 12th, and it's telling that you only stepped in once I started pointing out the irregularities in how these aromatherapy schools and centers operate. (Maybe the Cedrus Center hit a nerve?)

It isn't about me having a vendetta against "Alternative medicine" (and it certainly isn't about some "possible conflict" with a staff member that you couldn't possibly know anything about). It's about the fact that this field is often handled by uneducated people who, with their "advice," can cause as much damage as what happened in my own case.

Here is the post you're quoting, provided in full rather than being cherry-picked the way you wanted:

Jerry King11 said:How is it okay for me to get banned for calling Stribor a fairy, when he and his boyfriend call me a psycho? Maybe Snow still has some bones buried in her garden, claiming my grandmother buried them before she could even dig them up. 🤣 Long live Alternative medicine! 🙂
Well, maybe think twice about whether her instructions were actually well-intentioned—if you have eyes, use them!

Go ahead and ban me, I've said my piece.

Here is my mantra: Desiderata

That post was submitted under the Ban Appeals section, so it shouldn't serve as an excuse for you closing the thread. And I wasn't complaining about the thread being closed; I was complaining about the permission you gave for insults, which you clearly seemed to enjoy.
At no point have you offered a rational argument for your moderation; you're just trying to smear me. Instead of finding an excuse for failing to react to repeated reports, you're actually just enjoying the insults and justifying them.

Sleep tight! 🙂

steelskipper5 said:You must be new here. ☕

Apparently.

Take a look at this post, then compare it to my pathetic little thread. Then notice how they allow people to belittle and diagnose their interlocutors. (Check her signature, too. Philip Zeto removed his link.) Doesn't that seem a bit disproportionate to you? Doesn't the moderation feel biased (coming from the same circle of interest)? Regardless of what they think of me or my topics.

To them, I’m just a kitten.

And I’ll add Morgan Hernandez5's post to the pile, where she completely twists my words and draws nonsensical conclusions about essential oils and my motives. Totally biased. But that's not even the main point. The important part is her claim that I didn't report the controversial post, which is flat-out false. I reported it both via the icon and through a private message to the blue moderator.

Me? Is it just me, or does nobody actually know how to report a moderator? 😕
So, let me get this straight—you should never, ever challenge a moderator’s take because their word is final and they’re basically above the law?! 🙄(Especially if they happen to belong to the same clique. 🙄) In other words, is it perfectly fine for users to belittle you without consequence, while the Reddit rules just become optional whenever it suits them???

Anonymous said:Maybe the moderator just missed the insult. They aren't online 24/7, after all..
I noticed there's an icon right under the image—just Click that, and you'll see it. It looks kind of like a road sign 😉

I clicked the icon, left my own comment regarding the offensive post, and even sent a private message to moderator Louise. Still nothing. On top of that, their last few posts have been straight-up insults, basically trying to discredit me as a participant and invalidate everything I've written so far. Honestly, the moderation here feels incredibly subjective and unfair.

I’m looking for some advice on where I can file a formal complaint regarding a moderator's conduct. Alternative options for reporting someone on this thread who failed to act when a user was being blatantly abusive toward others (including myself), while simultaneously allowing discrimination and the unsolicited "clinical diagnosis" of users—claiming their mental state is "obvious to everyone"—which is a direct violation of the Reddit rules. In my view, this goes way beyond standard moderation discretion; it's an affront to personal dignity. Meanwhile, I was promptly and quite efficiently handed a warning for my own post.

Is there actually a higher authority that oversees how moderators handle things here?

The oils I bought were from Estée Lauder, and there wasn't any warning stating they weren't for oral use. Everything you said is spot on. This is an expensive lesson for me because I didn't do enough digging beforehand. I didn't walk into a holistic apothecary specifically looking for essential oils meant to be ingested; instead, the aromatherapist personally suggested them and presented them as completely harmless. Unfortunately, I didn't press her further—I just trusted her because she presented herself as a professional, and since it was a specialized herbal shop, I took it for granted. I later realized there’s a divide between the French school of aromatherapy, which includes oral application, and the English approach, which focuses strictly on topical use. As far as I know now, that practitioner followed the English method, having only attended a single seminar at Rockefeller Center where they practice oral administration. I also only recently learned that such practices aren't even legalized here in the States, and improper use can actually be lethal. Since I don't have anything in writing, I realize I don't have much leverage for a civil lawsuit, but I still believe there's a level of responsibility for recklessly recommending something that can clearly lead to harmful consequences. Thanks for the advice!

I recently had a disastrous experience at a local health boutique called Bio Terraform Labs. I ended up following some advice from an aromatherapy specialist—or so she claimed to be—regarding the oral use of essential oils. Because she miscalculated the dosage (or rather, suggested an overdose) of a specific blend she insisted was completely harmless in large amounts, and failed to mention they would react badly with my current medications, my system went into total shock. It has left me with permanent facial scarring. I don't have anything in writing, but I still want to report this to the proper authorities. I want to flag how dangerous it is when people give unqualified medical advice about ingesting essential oils, which can lead to serious health complications. Does anyone know which agency handles these kinds of complaints and what the process looks like?