[alchemy63]

The Power of Naming

Once upon a time there was a people who lived close to the edge of a very large lake. The people did not know it was a lake, the word 'lake' was not in their vocabulary. Some thought it was a large mirror because of the way it reflected back the colors of the sky. Even though the people did not know what it was called and lacked the technology to discover what it was, they made use of the lake by gathering at its' edges. They would hold hands and sing songs and enjoy the nameless things beauty. These were social gatherings that brought the community together in love and laughter and sharing a closeness unlike any other village on the planet. Together they met at the waters' edge and enjoyed its' pristine and natural beauty. Some even claimed to gather a spiritual energy from it. This went on for many generations and the villagers were a happy people, unaffected by the outside world.

One day, a traveler came into town. He was strange and different and had been many places and seen many things. He knew what the body of water was called and he knew of its many uses.

He spoke to the people of the village about many things, things the villagers had never heard of before. They listened in awe as he told of great cities and buildings. He talked about ways of manufacturing and commerce and books. The people thought he must surely be a magician.

The traveler told the villagers the name of the place where they gathered for their community events. He said it was called a lake and they could receive many benefits from it. He did not understand they were already receiving great spiritual benefits from the lake. He told them they could put their boats on the water, splash in the waves, catch fish from it. The people were excited and rushed to enjoy all the new uses of this beautiful 'new' place they had discovered. Soon they were swimming, boating, skipping stones across its' surface. Forgotten were the spiritual gatherings of before times, when the lake rested placidly and perfectly. Before long, people were leaving garbage about the shores, they had parties where some drank too much wine and some children were drowned. The beauty and peace of the lake had been transformed. It became polluted, the fish died, the fauna around the lake became toxic.

That is the power of naming and that is why, for me, there is no name and can never be a name, for God.

At first, from the moment a thing, idea, belief, or concept is named, around that thing, idea, belief, or concept, is created a kind of shell, or, a box. The thing (etc.) becomes defined by the words that are used to describe it. It is in these words that understanding is achieved. The thing becomes black, or white, or a horse or the sky. The thing is allowed no other definitions and we learn all that we can know about the thing from these limited words, and limited definitions.

"God", as it is commonly referred to, is limitless, without borders. Within "God" we find the possibility of all things, definable and undefinable. To place a label or name upon the being called "God" is to confine and imprison it.

[Webgoji]

I would argue that the thing is already named. Not lake or shore or taco salad, but we name everything we perceive almost instantly. Here is where it received it's name:

Originally Posted by alchemy63

The people did not know it was a lake, the word 'lake' was not in their vocabulary.

And so the thing was named "it".

Originally Posted by alchemy63

At first, from the moment a thing, idea, belief, or concept is named, around that thing, idea, belief, or concept, is created a kind of shell, or, a box. The thing (etc.) becomes defined by the words that are used to describe it. It is in these words that understanding is achieved. The thing becomes black, or white, or a horse or the sky. The thing is allowed no other definitions and we learn all that we can know about the thing from these limited words, and limited definitions.

Our minds grasp at the conceptual. We cannot think without conceptual thought ... (well, we can, but it takes a lifetime of training). In the case of the lake, their definition of "it" changed, but it still had a name, be it "that thing", "it" or whatever, it had already been defined conceptually. The process of attachment defines an object or phenomenon in our mind as good, bad or indifferent (usually indifferent), but it is cemented as existing inherently as we perceive it. To stop grasping, to stop attachment ... well, that isn't so easy.

The rest though I find to be very interesting.

[Thunder Bow]

We use Labels (names) to pigeon hole things, but not to understand them.

[(JD)]

Originally Posted by Thunder Bow

We use Labels (names) to pigeon hole things, but not to understand them.

Curious...how does labelling something keep one from understanding it?

Organization, including thoughts and categories of "things" is the way the mind works... clarifying and identifying what is good and what is not...

[alchemy63]

The story, and the message, is about purity. It is about something that is so perfect and untainted in its' natural form, that even a name de-purifies it.

[Thunder Bow]

Originally Posted by (JD)

Curious...how does labelling something keep one from understanding it?

Organization, including thoughts and categories of "things" is the way the mind works... clarifying and identifying what is good and what is not...

Labeling is short cut thinking. The pigeon holes are pigeon holes imprinted on us by our culture. Thus, it is easy to place a person, thing or idea, into a preconceived pigeon hole, and not have to think about it anymore. Longer thinking leads to understanding. One must go beyond first impressions. Labels package our thinking into nice little boxes. As a result, we learn nothing and understand nothing.

[(JD)]

Ok I see your point, but...

what if I take my time and review things before I decide on categorizing it...so my brain has a better way to store it, for instance? Rather than place things in a random storage as ethereal, it would be more accessible "labelled" with other things.. or at least my brain works that way

[alchemy63]

If "God" is a presence in our beings, naturally, and constantly, and it is, at what point do you believe 'access' or 'connection' was lost, that it is necessary to create a file of names to categorize and locate it with? Who shall decide what name should be given? And, if there is more than one name, whose "God" is the "right" God?

[(JD)]

I will take those as rhetorical questions that one other than myself may need to address personally.

[alchemy63]

Then maybe you can see what I'm saying. All these books, all this naming, all these filings, what does it amount to? Confusion, fighting, and disagreement, that's what. Yes, some people find their way through it all, but, in my opinion, many have lost their lives needlessly. It started with a name. If God had never been named, what point would there be to disagree about? From what I can see, God is love, and only love. What's to fight about? Naming is staking a claim. Then we have your God vs. my God. That's human nature I guess.

[(JD)]

A rose by any other name...

BTW our brains are "wired" to categorize. Without organization of our thoughts based upon our experiences, situational ethics, whatever, we are scatter-brained and all but useless.

What I see is an "argument" (meant in a debate frame of mind) that unless everyone sees this "naming" as a negative like you do, then those who do not are "wrong"--a basis for a "fight" as you call it. One cannot exist as a spirit only, we have physical bodies and interaction with others...unless we are zoned out on meds. (No insults intended.)

So what "naming" amounts to is a progression of knowledge and intellect, and of "knowing" the Source better. Now there's the power! I'm all for that!

[alchemy63]

It is an incorrect assumption to assume that I've insisted anyone see things my way. This is nothing but food for thought. Others are allowed, granted, no I insist, that they see things in their own way, there is no other way.

I am not saying that organization, per se, is an evil thing. That's not what I'm saying at all, and if that's what you're hearing, then you are not hearing me correctly. Organization has its' place and purpose. I'm only saying that for me, God has no name and can never have a name. God is Love and Love is what I feel

[Thunder Bow]

Originally Posted by (JD)

Ok I see your point, but...

what if I take my time and review things before I decide on categorizing it...so my brain has a better way to store it, for instance? Rather than place things in a random storage as ethereal, it would be more accessible "labelled" with other things.. or at least my brain works that way

Best not to "Categorize". That is just another box. I have a good memory, thus I need not a Label. In your case, it sounds like you are grouping thing together, so you can remember them easier.

[alchemy63]