Shabbos Chazon: Why John Lennon’s “Imagine” Is Messianic
Who was famous for imagining a perfected world – a world of peace and universal brotherhood? Why none other than John Lennon of the Beatles – a famous atheist! “Imagine” is considered the anthem for atheists, yet once you get past the parts about “no religion,” look at what this “atheist” wants to us imagine:
I’ve spent most of the last decade examining reality to better understand the problems we face. I couldn’t handle the pain of this world. I couldn’t believe the atrocities. And I wanted to do something about it all, but it was overwhelming. The current remedies didn’t feel good enough. So I searched for the deepest causes and most holistic solutions I could find.
Whether for my own personal problems, or those of the collective, I could only find one single recurring cause.
Here’s one way to explain it…
To be in your positive natural state (flow, alignment, unconditional love, inner peace, awakened, etc) is to be in tune with your inner being, satisfied from within, and radiating your inner beingness outward like a light. You are creative, powerful, inspired, confident, authentic, highly intuitive, and free from external influence.
To be in a negative state (fear, disconnection, lack, etc) is to be identified with the external, seeking to draw fulfillment from the physical world inward, like a vacuum. You are dissatisfied, reactive, uncertain, disempowered, easy to influence or exploit, and maybe even parasitic or controlling at times. This state is harmful to yourself and others.
All of the problems our world faces are due to the normalization of this negative polarity state and the resulting behaviour.
We are born positive, but are usually then taught to suppress it—to calm down, watch TV, ignore our inspiration, conform, seek material gain/worldly success, and submit to authority. We are traumatized by this and other life events, which creates further disconnection, and we don’t understand the consequence of the inner shift that’s taking place.
I used to live in a very dark and disconnected place. After I found a way out, I made it my life to help others do the same.
If we can collectively shift into a positive default polarity, everything will change. To overflow with inspiration and love becomes the norm. Loneliness and greed disappears. Toxic systems and structures will no longer function. We’ll no longer feel compelled to take from others or the earth to feed our lack. We’ll have no reason to compromise our values to get ahead. We’ll be content and free.
I realize it’s a big dream, but after coming to this conclusion I can’t choose another path. I hope you’ll give it some thought.
I’ve spent most of the last decade examining reality to better understand the problems we face. I couldn’t handle the pain of this world. I couldn’t believe the atrocities. And I wanted to do something about it all, but it was overwhelming. The current remedies didn’t feel good enough. So I searched for the deepest causes and most holistic solutions I could find.
Whether for my own personal problems, or those of the collective, I could only find one single recurring cause.
Here’s one way to explain it…
To be in your positive natural state (flow, alignment, unconditional love, inner peace, awakened, etc) is to be in tune with your inner being, satisfied from within, and radiating your inner beingness outward like a light. You are creative, powerful, inspired, confident, authentic, highly intuitive, and free from external influence.
To be in a negative state (fear, disconnection, lack, etc) is to be identified with the external, seeking to draw fulfillment from the physical world inward, like a vacuum. You are dissatisfied, reactive, uncertain, disempowered, easy to influence or exploit, and maybe even parasitic or controlling at times. This state is harmful to yourself and others.
All of the problems our world faces are due to the normalization of this negative polarity state and the resulting behaviour.
We are born positive, but are usually then taught to suppress it—to calm down, watch TV, ignore our inspiration, conform, seek material gain/worldly success, and submit to authority. We are traumatized by this and other life events, which creates further disconnection, and we don’t understand the consequence of the inner shift that’s taking place.
I used to live in a very dark and disconnected place. After I found a way out, I made it my life to help others do the same.
If we can collectively shift into a positive default polarity, everything will change. To overflow with inspiration and love becomes the norm. Loneliness and greed disappears. Toxic systems and structures will no longer function. We’ll no longer feel compelled to take from others or the earth to feed our lack. We’ll have no reason to compromise our values to get ahead. We’ll be content and free.
I realize it’s a big dream, but after coming to this conclusion I can’t choose another path. I hope you’ll give it some thought.
This is a representation of a healthy relationship; equally nourishing one another and allowing each lovers mind to blossom freely all the while being supportive and naturally developing similar flowering thoughts and beliefs along the way.
My thoughts are with those this Easter who were caught in the crisis.
Those who couldn’t manage to get any chocolate eggs this year for their families, but more than ever the families who have family members ill or deceased from the virus.
I am not religious but I want to cast a light on those less fortunate amisdt this crisis around the world ❤️
Joseph Rael, whose Tiwa name, Tsluu teh koy ay, given to him as a child at Picuris Pueblo, means “Beautiful Painted Arrow,” is widely regarded as one of the great Native American holy men of our time. He was born in 1935 on the Southern Ute reservation to a chief’s granddaughter and a Tiwa-speaking Picuris native. At about age 7, shortly before his mother’s death, he went to live in Picuris near Taos, NM, where his visionary powers were developed until, at about age 12, he began to assist the village holy man in curing practices.
He was educated both at Santa Fe Indian school and public high school before getting a BA in political science from the University of New Mexico and an MA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For a number of years he worked in various capacities in Indian health and social services in both New Mexico and Colorado.
At age 45 he quit his social services job to devote full time to teaching and following his visions wherever they might lead. In 1983 Joseph had the vision to build a Sound Peace chamber, a kiva-like structure where people of all races might gather to chant and sing for world peace and to purify the earth and oceans. He built the first such chamber at his then-home, a trailer park in Bernalillo, NM, and shortly like-minded people began to build Sound Peace chambers in other locations.
At present, Sound Peace chambers have been built around the globe. Writes Joseph, “My vision is that through sound we will bring about peace and other important vibrations. Sound can teach us a way to create without destruction.” Meanwhile, Joseph began leading ceremonial dances, based on his visions, with participants from all races and nationalities. “When you dance you are expanding the vibrations of insight and manifestation,” he writes. “I created three dances – the long dance, the sun-moon dances and the drum dance – for these spiritual gifts.”
Joseph teaches that “Every dance, every ceremony, is both for you and for the cosmos.” In 1999, Joseph retired from active leadership of the dances he had begun, turning them over to a new generation of his students. Joseph Rael is the author of a number of books, including Being and Vibration,Sound: Native Teachings and Visionary Art and his autobiography, House of Shattering Light. He is also an artist. His paintings, like his ceremonies and teachings, are based on his visions. They have been called “portal” art, because they open a doorway into alternate dimensions of reality. As a Native American elder, Joseph Rael has spoken before the United Nations and addressed a conference of military officers at the Pentagon on the role of the warrior in the modern world.
In Fear of Punishment Due brings together two of modern hardcore’s most brutalist makers in World Peace from Oakland and Blame God from New York – a true west coast to east coast scene split collaboration. World Peace released the excellent full-length COME AND SEE last year, and it was an onslaught of 20 tracks clocking in at an average of a half-minute’s length each with the fast after-effect hanging around thereafter. They’ll also be playing this year’s stacked Sound and Fury fest in Los Angeles later this summer. Blame God compliment World Peace’s energy with further gravel being piled into their heavy grinding destruction, and in just about a minute and 23 seconds, each band maxes out in intensity on the split’s respective first previews “First Conditional” and “Home Invasion”. They’re both perfect warm-ups heading into another season of hardcore weather. Check them both out below…
World Peace / Blame God’s In Fear of Punishment Due will be released June 24th on Twelve Gauge Records.
