meditation’s best – L O R D F L E A

A physicist friend, Day Chahroudi, who practically single-handledly started the solar energy department at M.I.T. back in the seventies, wrote me a pretty heady email yesterday. He sent me a drawing of an airplane he’d designed (I liked it immensely!) and the specifics, i.e., technical info (waaaay over my head) of his new invention, a super-drone aircraft. He’s also a glider pilot, and loves to swim in ideas both solar, earthly, and also watery (he designed a sturdy, refugee-friendly sailboat last time) and now–he was tiptoeing into the ether-y realms. At the end of his e, he mentioned the evil that abounds, in government and politicians in specific, but also within the dark heart of humankind.

When I wrote back that I try to do my bit to help (at least I hope) mankind’s persistent fight against what has been called “Evil” … he wrote back some complicated diatribe about despots, Hitler, wars, sociopaths, and governments being the worst evils of all, etc. etc. You get the picture. So because I love this ol’ pal of mine (we did peyote together in the New Mexico desert, long before anyone knew so many of us seekers would find answers via “Plants of the Gods” (a book yours truly has botanical illustrations of coca erythroxylum in), and long before peyote would become scare for the indigenous to use, who worship it, and protect it for ceremony. So please, don’t go out and dig up peyote!

Coca erythroxylum, the plant reverred by the the ancient InKa, historically, and presently. Drawn by yours truly, Lord Flea: teZa Lord (then named Lynda Bates, what is it about me and names?)

Today, people are using ayahuasca, a tropical vine, in similar fashion as Day as I used peyote (back in the day, ahem) to find some answers for ourselves. Day discovered gems of a physicist’s, and I found direction for my spiritual thirst. Just as we were inspired by our sacred use of peyote, I read an article last week reporting in the New York Times about how popular the use of ayahuasca has become to comtemporary seekers. The report claimed: “Taking an ayahuasca trip results in the same exact brain activity as a person who has meditated for thirty years.” I’ve also read that Brazil is currently using ayahuasca (ceremoniously, of course) to introduce prisoners to a new, more empathizing, compassionate consciousness — with GREAT success.

Today, and for more than three decades, meditation has been the sole inspiration of my connection to Spirit. Today, I use no drugs, no alcohol, nothing but good vibes, good people — good choices. I recommend everyone in the world learns to mediate (see my page here on Lord Flea, giving simple instructions) instead of taking mind-altering drugs. But my advice to those eager to try an outside (something other than their own mind‘s abilities) source as an “artificial” divination stimulant: if you must experiment with mind-changing drugs (such as peyote, ayahuasca, LSD, etc) do it once, and then watch … and wait. Usually once is enough to initiate a major change in your life. I would never condemn anyone for experimenting with a plant-diety — but go slowly. Do it once if you must. Then — wait. Doing it too often has too many dangerous side effects. I’ve seen too many victims of over-use of psychedelics. They end up looney-tunes. Sad. I’ve known people who never come back. I’ve also seen the “miracle” of a plant-deity’s work to release human fears, such as in my case. So go slow if you must venture into using these strong ceremonial plants. And please, don’t do it alone! Research carefully, and … use plant-deities ceremoniously. Never as a “lark” or … casually. Most people fast, do preparation, take themselves to a Safe Environment. Please use a guide, human or otherwise. I used Richard Alpert (now Baba Ram Dass) and Timothy Leary’s manual based on the ego-death documented in Tibetan Book of the Dead.

Back to our discussion of Evil:

When Day (who’s of Persian descent, hence his different sounding name) wrote that evil was such and such (more a scientific, analytical p.o.v) this is what I wrote my dear ol’ pal back:

Dah Day,

pretty heady stuff, you’re a scientist though. I’m not. I’m just an ordinary person. Evil to me, like a rattler or an alligator, is nature’s way of making life interesting. period.

HERE’S a big hug for you! Hope you’re getting lots of them, today, Day.

and … here’s a visual thought for you to chew on:

Until we get knocked off our orbit (man-caused, or ??) the sun rises and sets each day. Goddess Nut (Egyptian) symbolizes this constancy. Yes, assholes are born each day. Yes, war kills people. Yes, nature kills LOTS with tsunamis and earthquakes, too. But … until that “event” happens, the sun will rise and set each new day. That’s what this painting depicts. I focus on the sun. Not the a-holes. If you know Nut she has tits. usually three or more (like Grecian Artemis). Here, the mountains are “her” tits. Trans-people would love this!