Dialog between Buddha and Jesus in Heaven

The girl state prostrate on the ground, crying. She felt helpless and started to cry out in prayer.

"Whoever up there who can hear me, I cannot live anymore. This world is cruel and unjust and people are the same. What can I do?"

In Heaven two were listening to her, Jesus and Buddha. Both were ready to speak and started at the same time. They turned to each other in annoyance.

Buddha started.

"She is in pain, because of her Karma. She has built up fruition and will be reborn as a hell being, animal or ghost if she does not counteract it. Her thoughts are about endlessly bad things."

Jesus retorted.

"She is in pain, because she sees and feels the evil in this world created by Satan. She must learn about God's love and his plan of salvation for this world and herself. How many times do I have to tell you there is no such thing as rebirths. You are born to serve God and then you die and come to my father's kingdom."

Buddha didn't lose a beat.

"What you call Heaven, is what I call Nirvana. I have ceased being reborn and now have peace and enlightenment. You were good in your life, sinless, that is why there was no need for your rebirth. You could not understand the workings of Karma."

Jesus shook his head.

"You are in Heaven, the kingdom my father created. God, the father of all, created the Heavens and the earth. You were born because he created you. You died and came to Heaven because of your good life and your self-sacrifice for others. You mistake this idea of enlightenment, this reward Nirvana, for Heaven. God is the Alpha and Omega and I am the Son of God."

The Buddha looked thoughtfully and spoke.

"If you believe in the Brahman, the force of all creation, we are all equally apart of creation. We are made to live a life of love and compassion and to live virtuously. With a wish for the cessation of suffering and its origins, one must train in the path of morality, concentrated meditation, and wisdom, and with a highly directed mind focused on selflessness.

Jesus shook his head again.

"What you call Brahman, is a mistaken term for God. God created the world, which became corrupt as Satan tempted the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. Through their sin the world degraded into greater and greater sinfulness and self. People became more comptemptible to the creator and therefore he sent me. I was a pure sacrifice to the world. It is my bloodsheed that made it possible for humanity to come back and be forgiven. It is only through me that one can approach God."

The Buddha shook his head.

"You are telling me that one man is responsible for everyone having a relationship with this God. That all else is wrong and that everyone else is damned to oblivion?"

Jesus looked thoughtfully and spoke.

"Yes, there is no other way to the Father except through me"

The Buddha started getting red in the face.

"Then if this is heaven and I must accept this, why am I here?

Jesus paused then and spoke.

"God wanted the amusement.

Spiritual Counseling: w/ Hudson

I made my appointment about a week ago and had no idea what to expect. I waited patiently for the phone call with a mix of fear and exhiliration. How else would you feel waiting for the call from someone who you had seen on TV and read about? I kept checking my cellphone panicking as the time ticked closer. Wouldn't you know it as soon as I put it down...my ringtone went off of LadyHawke, My Delirum. I picked up my phone and saw it said unknown number. I knew it was time and I answered.

She answered, "Hi, its Hudson". For the next fifty minutes of that time I ended up pouring out my soul and crying twice. Her words were probing, she asked about my family, upbringing. She asked me why I had made the appointment. I had to think for a moment but the truth was it went beyond the superficial of her being an actress. She offered another viewpoint. She quickly confessed no bias of any religion. She practiced Hinduism and openly listened to my engrained Christian viewpoint. We talked about the nature of God, that God is a loving God, not one of harsh judgement. In any religion it seems you always have people who take whats good and slant it to fit their own prejudices. I have seen much of that in my life, people that have been lost and hurting shunned because of preconceived prejudices based on someones understanding of scriptures. She spoke to me of Jesus and of his love, offering me words that would reach me knowing my background.

I cried my hurts and she listened patiently. She knew that the real problem lied within me, my own learned preceptions and that no matter how hard I tried to love others that until I worked on myself, my efforts would come to nothing. The truth is when you live in your mind, you become disconnected from your body. You were born to live in this world, not in your head. When you come out into the world, mind, body and soul, the world opens up to you and you find meaning and purpose. (Her wisdom, not mine) She gave me two homework assignments, to write a letter to myself about all the bad things I had done through my false perspective and to look into the mirror and say, "I love you Kim". It is going to be difficult since neither am I accustomed to. Amusingly we finished about four minutes early and she asked me if there was anything else I wanted to talk about. I babbled literally for four minutes, totally at a loss for words. It is always a good policy to shut your mouth if you don't have anything meaningful to say, babbled like a giddy fan (so embarassed)

In conclusion, by the end I felt drained and exhausted. I felt like my facade had been annihilated. I had no idea what I had signed up for and now experiencing it, I don't regret it. We will have to see what session two has in store...to be continued.

Cult of Personality: Celebrity

You know the irritation of having a song playing over and over in your head. Yesterday for me it was Living Color's, Cult of Personality. It bothered me so much that I got out of bed and went to the computer to look up the lyrics. I was startled.

The words were poetry, vital today as the day they were written. It is really the theme song for being a celebrity.

.....I know your anger, I know your dreams

I've been everything you want to be ....

We make a celebrity by seeing in them something we admire or desire. We put those things as well as that person on a pedestal. Smart celebrities know they are on that pedestal and display that "public image" that will keep them in the public's good graces.

.....Neon Lights, A Nobel Prize

Than the mirror speaks, the reflection lies

You won't have to follow me

Only you can set me free

We have seen countless celebrities rise and fall. (EX Lindsay Lohan, Mel Gibson) When celebrities "public image" cracks we are faced with reality, their humanity, which is that they are fallible, deeply flawed people. After we see them for who they are we then have a choice to follow or not. It is like a shooting star as it goes across the sky, it captivates us, but who pays attention to where it falls?

.....I see the things you need to be

I'm the smiling face on your TV

In reality the only power a celebrity has is the power we give them. If we did not follow them would we know or care about their products? Would celebrities get those million dollar endorsement deals? The worst thing for a celebrity to do is to tarnish their image and take their public for granted.

We are followers in the "cult of personality". We worship a graven image of celebrity, not the reality. It seems caution is in order....

Living Color, you were prophets!

Spiritiual Awaking...Sleeping in Reality

There is nothing more upsetting when you have that "Ah, Ha" moment, figuring out some great mystery only to have someone say something that leaves you stunned, feeling like you know nothing.
At 4am this morning, reading the Dalai Lama's, "How to See Yourself", I thought I came to a brilliant realization. I facebooked my favorite spiritual healer the revelation "you have to become selfless, eliminating the inherit value given to things and yourself. Only through selflessness you can become free and become apart of the cosmic energy." (Pretty coherent for someone who doen't get up usually until ten)
Later I checked my facebook and she replied "...there are so many ways and thoughts to be more connected...stay with whatever thought feels really good in your being...that's the "right one". I read and re-read that at least twenty times, "a thought that feels really good?" I was stupified. The truth is my mind has more thoughts going through it than trains in Grand Central Station. But then I started to think when was the last time I had a thought that felt really good?
Life is so fast paced, we go to our own uneven beated drummer, walking and thinking usually negativity. We want to achieve, succeed and conquer the world. We are never happy, prone to negative thoughts because they propel us forward to seemingly striving more and greater achievements. Our inner drill instructor seems to get us farther than our inner cheerleader. Why do we follow that uneven beat, because like dancing to music, your dance or life journey is going to lead you to stumble and fall. (not a dancer, here.)
When is the last time you stopped and reflected on a thought that made you feel real good and clung to it for even five minutes? The Dalai Lama says "Love and compassion open our inner life, reducing stress, distrust and lonileness" (8) Love and compassion sounds like a better cure than any anti-depressant, but why is it so hard to find one "feel-good" thought to cling to? Why do we focus on the negative rather than the positive? It is because of attachments but how do we detach?
We are deaf to the universal music of life. We are all trying to move to our own rhythm, in self interest, instead of the universal flow. We can only hear the universal rhythm when we become selfless and therefore find happiness. As to one thought that feels "really good" I will have to get back to you on that. To be continued....

"I am an infant on a spiritual journey...
By old age, maybe I'll have a sliver of insight"

Weekly Recap on Twitter and Life...

Well tommorow I have my family reunion out in what I lovingly call "the sticks". I will see people I haven't seen in ages and the wonderfully repetitive question will be asked, "What have you been doing?" "When are you getting married?" People have a knack for asking questions that are uncomfortable and obtrusive at family gatherings.

My answer will be the truth, "I've been on twitter and blogging about it along with my other passions everyday." I can imagine already the expressions of confusion that will garner to the equivelant expression as if I told them I took up stripping. Having my other job as a full-time caregiver for my grandfather would garner sympathetic looks of pity which I do not want. I am going with the first explaination. Usually if someone does not believe in what your doing they won't argue you with, or comment if your passionate enough in your explaination. I am glad I have been reading Plato and brushing up on my rhetoric. (why, can't they serve alcohol at these things. )

A gay relative I just finished talking to on facebook told me that he refused to come to the reunion because last year his uncle put his hands on him for his pro-Obama stance. Needless to say there isn't many democratics running around on that side of the family. I told him that I would happily ask that same uncle this year about his thoughts on gay marriage in New York. I am telling you there is nothing like potato salad and fireworks to make a reunion more exciting.

As far as Twitter, I look forward to the regular return of Jill Zarin. My favorite New York Housewife has been in London understandably enjoying merry old England! (limited Twittering) Hope you had a pint with some handsome English blokes, our beloved red queen! Also check out my review on Erica Negi's, My Life In Loubies, it is the best piece of fiction that I have read in a long time. It will help you get through the long week until the next episode of, The Real Housewives of NYC. And lastly, if your a fan of Hudson Leick and planning on attending the last Xena convention by Creation Entertainment in 2012, make sure you write to them. Hudson has not been confirmed and your tickets are not-refundable. You can go to the Hudson Leick offical facebook fanpage for all the contact e-mails addresses for Creation Entertainment.

I love you all and will let you know about the fireworks in "stick-ville". Remember "Standing up against hatred is the first step to overcoming it", xoxo - Kimberly

Final Xena 2012 Convention: No Hudson Leick?

Creation Entertainment recently announced they will be holding their last Xena convention in 2012. The guest list, while shaping up with many exciting names, has one glaring omission, Hudson Leick. (Callisto)

How can any Xena convention be worth the price of admission without the woman who played Xena's most memorable arch-nemesis? Since blogging about Hudson Leick, my readership has turned international, boasting all the way to India. I would call that bad business not to include an international superstar.

Since this is the last Creation Entertainment sponsored, Xena convention, which will be the biggest, how could you not have Hudson Leick. Her star presence alone on her offical fanpage on facebook has inspired and boasts the most loyal, devoted fans worldwide. It is up to you Creation Entertainment (tick,tock) but I know I will not buy tickets until I have heard an updated guest list including Hudson.

If you wish to contact Creation Entertainment go to the Hudson Leick Offical Fanpage on facebook which has all the email addresses. You can also contact Creation Entertainment on twitter @CreationEnt

*****Update************ She has been confirmed...order your tickets now! She will doing a yoga class as well!

My Life in Loubies by Erica Negi - in review: Part 1

It was by chance I met Erica Negi on Twitter. My first intereaction was when I made a comment on a photo she took of a shoe as she asked her followers if they thought it would go with a certain style dress. She answered quickly like a friend, as I quickly found out she is to everybody who comes in contact with her. As you come to know her, she bleds fashion. After a few weeks of discussions (some in French) I got to see beyond the surface to what a fantastic golden, hearted, first class, human being she is.

Regrettfully it took me a few extra weeks to break down before buying her book, My Life in Loubies, but once I got my hand on that paperback I could not put it down. I read page after page the story of Vanessa, a New Yorker, struggling with life and finding satisfaction in trying to raise a little one, find love, coping with the past, all while trying not to stumble in her Louboutins in the now. It is every woman's journey in trying to find a deeper spiritual meaning to life as it seems sometimes you just give and give, getting very little in return. You have to love Vanessa's realness as she tries to full-fill her passions through shoes, who hasn't done that? Erica's book is a relevant piece of fiction that speaks to every women. (especially anyone who is a fan of the Real Housewives of NYC or Sex and the City) She is my favorite author so this is only part one of my series on her. (stay-tuned)

If you have not picked up this must read you can do it through Amazon.com. It is the best $12 you will spend and if you have a kindle best $7 you will spend. You can always find Erica on twitter @MyLifeinLoubies.