The TLC  Philosophy 

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#21      (See file # 805)

Our  religious  and  philosophic  freedom 

requires  that  we allow  the  same  for  others.

Religious and philosophic beliefs and practices vary widely and are often conflicting and confusing.   It is, therefore, essential for those of us who function professionally in these areas to understand that our responsibility is (A) to act with integrity, and (B) to confine our interests and our activities to willing participants and believers.   We need to understand that, although sorely neglected, freedom-of-thought and freedom-from-indiscriminate-interference-by-others are two of the basic, fundamental, spiritual principles of religion and philosophy. 

We, at The Life Center, subscribe to that sacred philosophy of life which acknowledges that the source of our creation, no matter what we believe that source to be, has made each human being a sacred personality endowed with a specific temperament and with needs, hungers and dreams that are his/her destiny to pursue.   We, therefore, acknowledge, honor and respect the essence and the uniqueness of every living being, including ourselves. 

To force others to practice our religious philosophy goes counter to the very essence of our principles.   Therefore, those of us at T.L.C. who are active at teaching and promoting the spirit and the practice of our religious philosophy intentionally remain inactive with regard to promoting or practicing the letter of the law. 

If history teaches us anything, it teaches that there is often a significant difference between what we believe to be true and what is actually true.   Universal truths are true in all places and at all times.   However, in religion and philosophy, just like in science, we simply don't yet know all the rules.   As a result most of us are basing our beliefs and our actions on partial and incomplete information. (Expand prior sentence)  People are making decisions based upon what they believe to be true, even when their beliefs are based upon nothing more than childhood conditioning.  

In the interest of personal freedom, religious and philosophic beliefs should be considered and debated in religious circles rather than in that portion of secular society which is active in promoting or practicing the letter of the law.

The question then becomes: "What is a religious/philosophic issue?" That question cannot be answered with absolute certainty. There are, however, several indicators. The attributes which would tend to indicate an issue to be a religious issue include the following:  See file # 805)

(A)       Issues wherein a consensus of opinion is clearly absent. 

(B)       Issues wherein government intervention to support one point of view would clearly violate, cause harm to, or create hardship for those people who held opposing views. 

(C)       Issues wherein both sides are at least partially right. 

(D)       Issues wherein different societies follow significantly different customs regarding the subject issue. 

(E)       Issues wherein at different times in the same society, significantly different customs and rules have been followed regarding the subject issue. 

(F)       Issues wherein the society's practices and customs vary depending upon one's physical location and/or social status within that society. 

(G)       Issues wherein the practices and customs vary depending upon a time factor.  (i.e. time of day, day of the week, etc.)

(H)       Issues wherein the practices of at least one side are the result of learning and conditioning and are not natural, instinctive, human behavior.  (This is usually indicated by certain social groups practicing and supporting one side and opposing the other.) 

(I)        Issues wherein direct, third-party effects cannot be clearly demonstrated.  (i.e. The resultant effect upon the social structure of following one practice as opposed to another cannot be clearly measured.)

(J)        Issues wherein the side requesting government intervention on its behalf cannot clearly demonstrate that its beliefs and practices deserve the support of governmental law --- Advocating the use of government law is to advocate the use violence or threat of violence against persons or property in order to force people to do (or not do) things contrary to their own free will choices. 

(K)       Issues wherein the effects upon the social structure of using government violence or threat of violence against one side by the other can be clearly demonstrated as socially detrimental. 

(L)       Issues wherein people often tend to shift their loyalties to a different opinion on the same issue over time.

(M)      Issues wherein limiting practice to one point of view causes those with a different point of view to simply continue their practices clandestinely.

(N)       Issues wherein limiting practice to one point of view creates a black market and tends to promote the wealth and power of those without scruples.

(O)       Issues wherein there are two or more conflicting interpretations as to what is the right way to practice and conduct oneself. 

(P)       Issues wherein the side advocating government violence or threat of violence cannot clearly demonstrate that its practices are superior to the side proposing that government mind its own business. 

(Q)       Issues wherein no justifiable reason can be argued as to why one side should be allowed to use government violence or threat of violence to prohibit the other side from privately practicing its beliefs. 

(R)       Issues within which the various aspects and values are not clearly definable and are open to widely divergent views and interpretations. 

(S)       Issues which are highly subjective and emotional. 

(T)       Issues wherein the side advocating government intervention will be made up primarily of religious "true-believers" who are active members of one or more of the area's common religious organizations. 

(U)       Issues wherein the side promoting that government mind its own business are primarily supporters of  individual thinking,  personal liberty,  and freedom of choice with their spiritual practices very likely to involve the concept of a personal connection to " The Source of All That Is". 

(V)       Issues wherein the side advocating government intervention is made up primarily of non-thinking, mini-minded, micro politicians who refuse to consider the overall result of using government to force their ways onto others. 

(W)      Issues wherein the side promoting the concept of  Personal-Freedom-of-Choice  are primarily promoters of open, rational debate of the fundamental principles of the issue in question and are also willing to look at all of the ramifications of the various possible solutions. 

(X)       Issues wherein the side advocating government intervention will be made up primarily of people with the dominator-manipulator mentality that promotes totalitarian style governments. 

(Y)       Issues wherein the side promoting the concept of  Personal-Freedom-of-Choice  will be made up primarily of people with the cooperative-partnership mentality that promotes economic freedom, political liberty and personal sovereignty. 

(Z)       Issues that are rampant with hypocrisy.    i.e. --- Where many of those in positions of authority preach against,  or prohibit others, by law, from doing what they themselves do openly with impunity or clandestinely in self-centered secrecy.  )

The above characteristics are but indicators. Issues that have several of the above characteristics are often subject to multiple interpretations and need to be given open minded analysis.   We at T.L.C. acknowledge that as new information becomes available to us, we may need to re-evaluate our position. 

In a truly free society (i.e.  a cooperation / partnership social structure),  the principle of religious freedom is as follows:    The religious and philosophic freedom of every person (or group of people) requires that the same religious and philosophic freedom be allowed for all others.    

In such a society, do I have the right to use government laws to force you to practice my religion?   If not, then what gives others that right?   Is it OK for one person to force his personal religious ways upon another?   If not, then at what point does it become right for a group of people to do what is wrong for an individual to do?    (Ad last 2 paragraphs to File #805)

Unfortunately, there are some who cannot see the forest through the trees. they are about as flexible as a rock.   Through childhood conditioning, ignorance, fear or greed, they would force the rest of us to practice their religion.   To the one-way people who scoff,  close their minds  and say       "I know the truth,"  we can but quote the words of Galileo's inquisitors,  "The earth is flat as any fool can plainly see." 

#22

WE:   "DO  ONTO  OTHERS  AS  THEY  WOULD  BE  DONE  ONTO." 

Note the difference between the above statement and, "Do onto others as you would have them do onto you."   Before doing something to or for someone else and before intentionally doing something in order to affect someone else, it is most fitting to ask:  "Is this a mutually voluntary interaction welcomed by the other party, or merely an act of interference?"

At T.L.C., our assistance is constantly available, but only when requested.  

#23

Violating  another,  or  being 

a  party  to  the  violating  of  another  is  a 

gross  offense  against  the  dignity  of  all  of  humanity.

Each person's spirit, mind, body and physical possessions are their sacred property.   Their rights therein are to be acknowledged, honored and respected.   No honorable and noble person would violate himself or anyone else with either words or deeds, nor would he be a party to such a violation.  

Those of us who are unable or unwilling to undertake the task of analyzing the three root assumptions of life[1]** in regard to treating others, might look at what the great men and women of history have said on the subject.   (Rewrite prior sentence)    Paraphrased and condensed into one sentence, their statement would read something like this:   "Sorrow, grief and misery will surely fall onto he/she who knowingly and willingly attempts to gain at the expense of another!"  

When others violate our value systems, we tend to throw judgments and condemnations at them.   Before condemning another, we would be well advised to hear again these words:  "Let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone."[2]**   And, then remember that revenge is best left to the natural workings of the universe.  

How then do we act in response to those who would and do violate us?   One response that does not make us violators of the violators is to prohibit the offenders from participating in our personal lives and/or our social structure.  [3]**

#24

Freedom  to  pursue  ones  own 

values  through  voluntary,  cooperative, 

PERSONAL  interactions  IS  a  "God"  given  right

(That is, providing one avoids gaining at the expense of another.)

A very eminent philosopher expressed this simple, but profound, fundamental truth:   "Voluntary human interactions take place only when all parties to the transaction believe they will benefit thereby."   In the absence of deception, when such a transaction is entered into by two knowledgeable and capable people, both parties gain. both parties are winners.   Force, manipulation and coercion are absent and obsolete.   The long term result of multitudes of such transactions is a higher standard of living for everyone.  

The basic, historically-precedented, underlying premise relating to social interaction and property use is as follows:   In the absence of deception and manipulation;  when knowledgeable, capable people interact by mutual consent;  utilizing their own spirit, mind, body or physical possessions;  in a manner that is positive or neutral in its affect upon others, upon our environment and upon future generations;  then:    The person or group thereof whose property is being used determines the manner of its use.  

The spiritual philosophy of The Life Center illustrates that "the-God-intended-way" to maximize love, understanding, freedom and abundance (the four basic premises of religion) is through free and voluntary human cooperation.  

#25

Coordination  and  cooperation

produce  results  far  in  excess  of  individual  efforts.

The following quotation is as true when doing physically creative work as it is when praying  ---  "When two or more are gathered in my name, I am there also."  

As long as we always acknowledge, honor and respect our fellow humans and our environment, each of us can strive to work for whatever we consider to be in our own self interest.   However, the universe provides much more abundance when we work with instead of against each other.   Coordination, cooperation and mutual support are creators of wealth, abundance and liberty.   When one realizes that being altruistic ( i.e. having selfless concern for the welfare of others ) is in one's own, long-term, best interest, the way becomes much easier.[4]** 

#26

We  practice  responsible  freedom  and  liberty.

With freedom of action comes the responsibility for the effect of one's actions.   One can delegate authority but not responsibility --- i.e. I can give you authority as my agent, but I'm still responsible for what you do.   Many hold beliefs designed to circumvent responsibility.   For example,  (1) Believing that they got away with something if they didn't get caught by someone else,  (2) Justifying an evil act by saying it is for a good cause,  (3) Pushing away responsibility by hiding behind man-made laws,  or  (4) Believing that "The-Source-of-All-That-Is" (i.e. "God")  can be bought off with synthetic, ritualistic activity.  

It seems inconceivable that anybody could possibly believe:  (1) That the laws of the universe can be repealed by man-made laws or  (2) That "God" can be bribed or  (3) That responsibility can be diluted so that what is wrong for one person to do is somehow right for a group of people to do or cause to be done.   Everything has its price!   Nothing is free!   In the long run, one cannot avoid responsibility through self-deception. [5]** 

#27

We  at  "T.L.C" . are 

encouraging  creativity  and individuality 

through  our  management  and  supervision  policy.

Item 1:   A critical key to good management is delegating authority. (Responsibility cannot be delegated.)   Our intent is to have our supervisory personnel see to it that the work gets done and not do all the work themselves.  

Item 2:   A series of policy guidelines is being established based upon The Life Center Philosophy.   Management staff will make their own decisions using these flexible guidelines and recommendations.   When in doubt as to how to handle a situation, one is advised to ask for assistance.   (See The Life Center's participation policy for staff and volunteers.)  [6]**

Item 3:   Dissenting opinions are to be encouraged.   Energy alignment is to be directed into our purposes, rather than on agreement about details.  

Item 4:   Those who feel unenthusiastic about a particular aspect of T.L.C. are to be encouraged to work in a phase of the organization where they do feel comfortable.  

Item 5:   The views expressed by individuals do not necessarily reflect the organization's overall views.   Tolerance for dissenting opinions is to be encouraged. The Life Center is setting the example in its own staff.   We are each looking at different trees but we all know we are in the same forest.  

Item 6:   Where diverse opinions flow, we agree to disagree.  

Item 7:   Use group energy to encourage creativity.   For example, when a novel concept is being considered for conceptual inputs by a group, initially all diverse thoughts are to be encouraged and welcomed without judgment.   From this diversity, patterns will evolve and directions can be formulated.  

#28

Members  of  The  Life  Center  share 

a  sense  of  belonging  while  maintaining 

personal  integrity  and  dignity  as  individuals. 

By emphasizing our similarities, and by being tolerant and understanding of our differences, we at The Life Center have evolved with a sense of belonging while maintaining our individuality.   We accept each other's uniqueness as a universal virtue rather than as a threat.   We are definitely individuals in our own right, but share a sense of comradeship. 

We each live our own lives as individuals.   We have our own responsibilities to families, to friends and to other organizations, but as members of T.L.C., we are colleagues in a very special way, in a movement broader and wider than any of us.   Our working together demonstrates how the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and illustrates the truth in the quotation:  "When two or more are gathered in my name, I am there also."  

#29

To  know  thyself  is  to  know  all  else. [7]**

Self knowledge is the key to physical, mental and emotional health.   Self knowledge is also the key to material wealth and to meaningful-fulfilling relationships. by knowing one's self — one's mechanical nature, one's animal nature — one's human nature, one's needs, one's desires, etc. — we can,  by the law of correspondence[8]**,  know our fellow man, our environment and our Creator.   Self knowledge is the key to all else.  

Knowledge of self, when rightly and properly transposed onto the external world, manifests itself as efficiency — i.e. the proper use of goods and services, caring and sharing with others, etc.   This, in turn, creates a multifold increase in the attributes of abundance available for self and others.  

#30 

Coppied into 1808b Abundance

Abundance  is  a  natural  function  of  the  universe.

Scarcity  is  an  artificial  human  creation.  

One has only to look at nature to see that abundance is a natural function of the universe.   Billions of billions of stars fill the sky.   Your physical body is made up of billions of cells.   Billions of God's living organisms roam this Earth.   Everything in nature is created in vast abundance.   How many flowers are there?   How many Fish?   How many trees?  

Is there any real shortage of  goods and services to fulfill human needs and desires?   R. Buckminster Fuller, a genius of twentieth century America, has scientifically proven that if we learn and practice  Freedom,  Justice  and  Efficiency ^  on a global scale,  we can generate more than enough abundance to amply fulfill all of the needs of every human being on the entire planet.  [9]**   Unfortunately, most people are unaware of this phenomenon because they live in an artificially created contexts of scarcity.  

Notice the things that are in short supply.   The vast majority of our want, lack and need is the product of human creatiivity directed at creating limitation in the name of greed, control and profit.  

A couple of examples:  Is there any real scarcity of sexual partners?   Of course not.   Then why are the vast majority of us sexually unfulfilled?   Because, in our human social structures,  sex has been make into a tool by the manipulators in order to control others and make a profit.   For those of you who live is a city such as Los Angeles,  notice how often you can't find a place to park your car simply because the parking places are artifically limited so that someone can collect money from you.  

Scarcity is a human creation.   It simply being out of harmony with ourselves, our fellow humans, our environment and our Creator.  

#31

Coppied into 1808b Abundance

Abundance  consists  of 

far  more  than  just  money  and  physical  possessions.  

Webster's dictionary defines abundance as:  Great plenty;  More than a sufficient quantity;  Wealth.    Abundance can also be defined as:   All of the aspects, all of the conditions, all of the situations and all of the things in life that make life worth living.   Thus, abundance has two attributes, the tangibles and the intangibles.  

Tangibles :   Things material and financial that fulfill physical needs and desires.   Tangibles are nouns --- like the things you can cary around in a wheel-barrel  Tangibles include:  money, physical possessions, houses, real estate, cars, etc.   The acquiring of tangibles often requires sacrificing many of the intangible attributes of abundance . 

Intangibles :   The intangible attributes of abundance are the internal, positive, states of being that, by our human nature, we all strive for.   Although they sound like nouns, the intangibles are actually verbs --- technically, called nominalizations.   For example, "freedom" is a nominalization of the verb "to be free". --- States of being cannot be carried around in a wheel-barrel.   Intangibles include such things as love, wisdom and happiness.  

The positive states of being may also be defined as internal satisfactions --- those pleasurable states of  mind where one is contented, satisfied, and gratified --- those pleasant states of mind in which one's needs and desires are adequately fulfilled--- those peaceful states of mind in which one experiences a reduction in the drive to do,  to change,  or  to accomplish.  

The absence of satisfactions creates tensions, imbalances and impress one's internal energy toward the accomplishment of a goal.   Humans frequently mis-direct their energy toward the acumulation of money and material goods from which expect to receive internal satisfactions.   Simply looking at the list below will show you why such projections rarely work.   Of the 28 atributes of abundance listed below, 27 of them are intangible and are not directly attainable through money or material objects.  

Affluence and abundance consists of far more than money or physical possessions.   The Life Center is promoting well-being in our daily lives through studies and presentations dealing with all of the attributes of abundance. these include:  

(1)   Health,  physical,  emotional, mental and spiritual;  

(2)   Freedom of thought, expression ∆ and action;  

(3)   Awareness of self as a human being and awareness of the physical realities in which we live;   (i.e. Freedom from life’s major illusions)  

(4)   Awareness of self as a spiritual being; ∆  

(5   Freedom of religion;  

(6)   Freedom from religious coercion by those on a different spiritual path;  

(7)   Freedom from mental manipulation and subliminal coercion; [10]**  

(8)   Freedom from  (open or subliminal)  governmental coercion;   

(9)   Safety and security in person, and in property;  

(10)   Privacy of personal behavior and sexual preferences;  

(11)   Privacy of possessions, property and finances;  

(12   Material and financial abundance to fulfill physical needs and desires;  

(13)   Control over one's own life;  

(14)   Control over one's right to engage in any ethical ∆ activity and to earn material rewards;  

(15)   To be loved and accepted out of the joy of just being who you are;  

(16)   Relationships which are conscious, meaningful and self-fulfilling;  

(17)   Sexual fulfillment;  

(18)   Personal recognition, acknowledgment and validation; ∆   

(19)         A sense of belonging to a family, to an extended family or to a supportive, social group;  

(20)   Activity which is creative, productive and self-fulfilling; ∆  

(21)   Being of service to self and to others;  

(22)         A sense of self-esteem and self-worth;  

(23)   Self acceptance;   Being at peace with yourself as you are ;  

(24)   The capacity to receive, to accept and to feel worthy of affluence and abundance;  

(25)   The capacity to receive graciusly and with gratitude;

(26)   Happiness;   Joy;   Bliss;   Ecstasy;  

(27)   Being at peace with your circumatances and with life in general;  

(28)   Being at peace with your body's inevitable physical death. ∆   

Worshipers of  "The Great God Money"  focus their lives on the accumulation of money and posessions.   They believes that nothing exists that cannot be experienced physically.   If it cannot be counted, controled, disected or owned, they deny its existance.   This show-me-or-it-doesn't-exist group look at bodies humping in a lab and try to find love.  They look at books on the shelf and try to find wisdom.  They attempt to measure happiness in terms of money. 

Almost everything worthwhile is be found outside of the quantifiable, tangible, touchable world of form.  In addition to love, wisdom and happiness, where can one find freedom, intimacy, beauty, inspiration, joy, experience, success, spontaneity, balance, commitment, agreement, sharing, caring, relationships, truth, living, surrender and allowing ? 

Where does the current go when the river dries up?  Where does the hole go when you eat the doughnut?  The show-me-or-it-doesn't-exist group have lost sight of the fact that the physical form is only the structure through which our inner being experiences "satisfactions"   (such as love, wisdom, and hapiness) 

#32

The self-created, grand illusion:

"These  are  the  assumptions

upon  which  we  base  our  facts."

See: Money as a religion, Ch 28 .   In Chains or Choices  (File #801).   Rewrite this section.  

Unless the reason for our life on this earth is totally unknown and unknowable, there are only three possible answers to the "Why-life-on-earth?" question.   They are mutually exclusive and only one of them can be earth-plane reality.   The other two are fantasy creations of our own imaginations.   Each of the three assumptions dictates its own response to the question:  "How do I relate to my fellow humans?"   We all base our actions on one or another of these root assumptions.   Many of us simply do so unconsciously.  

First:   If our souls were magicly and instenteneously created by God at the time of our births.    We live only once on the earth, and then after death, reside for eternity, in a heaven or a hell based upon what we did on this earth.   If this assumption is the true assumption, then we had better be careful how we treat our fellow humans.   In this assumption, we correct our errors by asking forgiveness of God and being forgiven.   The result of dying while in error is to be condemned forever to an incredibly bad place.   One must also be on the-believer's-band-wagon when he/she dies, for he/she who dies while out of grace never gets another chance.  

Second:  If we live in the cycle of rebirth, have total responsibility for our actions, and attract back to us all of our actions multifold, then wisdom would dictate that we take care in our dealings with others. In this assumption, we correct our errors by experiencing the result of our errors, and by doing life over and over until we get it right, thus we learn what to do and what not to do. The result of dying while in error is to be born again back here on earth.

Third:  If this one life, here and now, is all there is, we could, if we so chose, gain at the expense of another. But this implies that we don't get caught by our victims, by a third party, or by our own conscience. In this world where like attracts like, what we think is what we get. Thus the mental concept of attempting to gain at the expense of another, leaves the holder there of suspicious that someone else will do to him what he would do to them if only he could do it and not get caught. In this assumption, the only error correction is what the current physical circumstances warrant. Unless external coercion is present, error correction is totally at the discretion of the one in error. There are no consequences as a result of dying while in error.

Unfortunately, most of us never seriously look at ourselves in terms of which of these root assumptions we base our lives upon. With our limited modes of understanding, we tend to ignore or ridicule evidence that points to things that we are not willing to accept. As a result, there are millions of us here on earth today living in our own self-created, grand illusion.

To one degree or another, we are all living in a fantasy illusion. Rather than being dictated to, victimized by and/or manipulated into following someone else's illusion, we at T.L.C. have freely and consciously chosen our own. We know that reality is whatever reality is regardless of our belief system.

Why is it important to understand that we are each living in our own self-created world? After we get over the shock and the disbelief of such a revelation and after we get over the denial of such overwhelming self-responsibility, we then have the option  to-learn-how-to  and  to-move-into that central position of power in our own lives. We also have the option to let go of our attachments to our illusions and our positions and consciously create new and more enlightened contexts out of which to live the remainder of our lives.

I am not suggesting that you believe or disbelieve any one of the three assumptions. But almost inevitably, one of them is true and two of them are false. Unfortunately, the proofs or dis-proofs of these hypotheses are not here in the form world. One can only look at circumstantial evidence and make inferences. I am suggesting, however, that you hold all three assumptions as untested hypotheses. As things occur in your life or as you hear about the experiences of others, ask: "Does this experience make most sense within the context of (a) one life on earth and then a heaven forever , (b) the cycle of rebirth here on earth, (c) one life on earth and then nothing, or (d) none of the above?"

As members of The Life Center, we have each consciously chosen to follow our own particular religious philosophy — a philosophy which will serve us until a still greater truth broadens our perspective or until we return to the source from which we came. We invite you to examine your own lives and make your own conscious choices as to what religious philosophy seems to you to be the closest to that unknown reality you think of as the primary cause of all that is.

#33

A  Short  Prayer :

"May  our  social  structure 

catch  up  with  our  technology."

Wisdom's way indicates that a social structure be organized to conform to human physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs.   One would not build a chair without considering the nature of "the ass."  Yet humanity has allowed its rules for social interacting to be concretized without considering  "the ass within."  

Purpose of religion and gove and their relationship ---see intro to Chains or Choices

If humanity is to survive, many here-to-fore ignored issues need to be given full consideration by a significant number of us.   A few examples:  (1) Ideally, how would one build a social structure?  (2) What are the needs in social interaction in terms of the human psyche?  (3) How do we deal with the current economic realities of the earth plane without worshipping The Great God Money?  (4) What is the fundamental, underlying truth needed in order to find the best resolutions to the conflicts between individual rights and the common good of all?  (5) To what degree is society responsible for the individual?  (6) How do we as individuals and as a society consistently function on a win-win basis? Etc.  

As part of number two above, consider for example:  Rare is the human being who can consistently and rightly use his/her power for the good of all concerned.   Human nature says, "Me first!"  Self interest is our human nature.  That's neither good nor bad.   It just is!   Has humanity taken this into account in social interactions?   Has humanity restricted or encouraged concentrations of power?   What have been the results?  

One might misconstrue from the above that The Life Center advocates going out there and doing something.   Absolutely not!   Nothing changes "out there".   Those of us consciously involved in creative changing know the rule:   "To fight it is to feed it !"   Look within.   Become self-aware and the mirror of out there  (i.e. our environment and our social structure)  will of its own evolution change and grow.   As we give our energies to the new and better ways the old withers and dies for lack of attention, just like a plant that we stop watering.  

*** See "Three Steps to Freedom"

#34

Simplicity  and  efficiency  may  be  the 

lost  and  forgotten  keys  to  the  "Kingdom  of  Heaven."

The human ego[11]** needs to feel important and in control.   We therefore compound and make complexities out of almost everything that we do.   The pay-off is a (false) sense of power and self-worth:   "I am smarter than and more important than..."   That's not to point any fingers.   Our role models and teachers were also victims of their parents ignorance and their society's ignorance.   In their own childhood learning states, they too were programed into their own disfuctionality which they, in turn, passed on to us.    Below are just a few examples of our lack of understanding and our inefficiencies.  

Goods  and  Services  versus  "I need a job."

You say,  "I need a job."   In response we ask,   "Do you really need to work?"   If someone gave you $10,000.00 per month in cash, would you still say,  "I need a job"?    Creativity and productivity aside, you would probably say,  "I just need the money."   If you had free access to and use of any and all grocery stores, clothing stores, means of travel, places of entertainment, etc. would you still need the money?   Goods and services, yes, but money, no.[12]**   Confusing a job with the goods and services that can be acquired thereby is only one example of how we often confuse the means of accomplishment with the desired result.   There are countless other areas of life wherein we do the same.  

If  Creativity  Were  Given  Free  Reign.:..

As another example,  suppose humanity lived in societies wherein the one and only source of social-group-revenue was through a percentage of tax upon the retail sales of tangible goods to the ultimate consumer.   Suppose there were no income taxes,  no property taxes,  no parking meters,  no other taxes or fees of any kind whatsoever.   Consumption would then be penalized and creativity would be given free reign.   Millions of accountants, attorneys, bookkeepers, paper pushers, meter maids, and the like would be screaming and saying,  "I need a job!"   If that much man power were redirected at creating something useful, productive and necessary, just imagine the heaven that could be created.  

The  Vicious  "Wish - Us"  Circle 

of,  "I'll  Make  More  Money  If..."[13]**

The shoe manufacturer who makes his shoes with the soles a little thinner and thinks he'll make more money because he'll sell more shoes...   The auto tire maker who makes the tread a little thinner and thinks he'll make more money because he'll sell more tires...   The toothpaste maker who in his advertising demonstrates using an excess of the product beyond what is really needed and thinks he'll make more money because he'll sell more toothpaste...   Etc...   Ad nauseam.[14]**   The net result is  (1) A vast portion of each shoe, tire, toothpaste, etc. is wasted,  (2) Nobody makes more money,  (3) The planetary resources are depleted excessively, and  (4) A vast amount of trash is created, about which we ask,   "Where shall we put it?" rather than asking,   "What shall we do with it and how can we use it?"  

Cooperation  Versus  Violent  Competition :

Approximately fifty percent of all the goods and services produced on the entire planet is currently being consumed in the pursuit of intentional destructive capacity (i.e. wars and the like).   Need any more be said?  

The list of current, intentional complexities and inefficiencies is almost endless.   There is, however, another way!   The kingdom of heaven is right here, right now!    All you and I have to do is build it.  

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Happiness  is  found  in  using, 

sharing  and  enjoying  all  the  wonderful 

things  that  "the  Universe"  has  provided  for  us. 

May we all have all the attributes of abundance and share them lovingly.  

I am a channel for "the Universe."

Freely I receive and freely I give.

"The Universe" is my source.

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THE  "T.L.C."  PHILOSOPHY 

IN  SUMMARY

***         Seek the truth at all times above all else.  

***   Honor life by living in harmony with all of its creations.  

***         Study to know and understand yourself.  

***         Be your own being.   Understand the reality and the power of your  beliefs, your thoughts, your words and your emotions.  

***   Accept the responsibility for what you are, for where you are and for your own conditions and experiences.  

***         Keep your able body physically and financially self-supporting.  

***         Be tolerant of yourself and to the ways of others.  

***   Acknowledge, honor and respect the essence and the uniqueness of every living being, including yourself.  

***         Be helpful or neutral to ALL others in thought, word and deed.  

***         Be a student of beauty in all of its forms.  

***   Know love!   Know joy and laughter.  

***         Be a student of freedom,  justice and efficiency.  

***   Always operate within the context of whatever is right, wise and just for all concerned in the long run.  

***         Be generous with the bounty that is bestowed upon you.  

***   Remember, happiness is an inside job.  

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postscript

What we have expressed herein is a starting point — a small stepping stone on the pathway to uniting the billions of beings on this earth into a homogeneous group with one goal:   The perfection of ourselves and our society through mutual love, respect, tolerance and cooperation.  

Please remember that the thirty ?????  statements above are our idealistic guidelines. Nothing expressed herein is Carved in Stone.   The suggestion is given that you neither believe nor disbelieve what you have just read.   If any weight can be given to historical precedence, the statistical probability is that a portion of what you have read herein above is either wrong or is incomplete and will be in need of updating as new information becomes available.   Reality and our beliefs about reality may have little in common.   The Life Center Philosophy is, however, our best hypothesis about reality based upon the currently available information.  

Every law, rule and principle, by its very nature, requires an interpretation.   This is where you come in.   Take these principles: Experiment!   Examine!   Experience!   Give them life!   Add your own spirit of interpretation!   Help these flowers grow and mature into fruits delicious and bountiful beyond our current visions, for the potential to which we are capable of reaching through caring, sharing and working with one another transcends our wildest imaginations.   As has been said before:  "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy." 

FINIS

All rights reserved.   To Quote: The Life Center Philosophy or portions therefrom not exceeding a total of 500 words may be freely quoted or reprinted without permission provided credit is given in the following form:

The Life Center Philosophy

By Robert E. Z. Cote, M.S.

©   Copyright 1987  by Robert E.  Z. Cote

T.L.C.    P. O .Box 1934, Santa Monica, California 90406

adedendum

Table of contents:

Acknowledgments and Bibliography  

Some common Questions  

An Invitation to Play  

Tithing  

Look for samples of the items listed in their respective files.  

acknowledgments  and  bibliography

I acknowledge the numerous fellow seekers, both ancient and modern, who have channeled wisdom to their brethren.   They have laid the groundwork upon which The Life Center now stands.   To them is expressed sincere gratitude and appreciation.  

The multitudes of channels have blended together so that, in many cases, to acknowledge the individual is non longer possible.   I do, however, recognize that nothing is mine except the arrangement.  

A few of the most significant written sources which have been strikingly influential to the success of T.L.C. include:  

Anderson, U. S. The Greatest Power in the Universe. Los Angeles: Atlantis University, 1971.

Bailey, Alice A. From Intellect to Intuition. New York: Lucas Publishing Company, 1960.

Bardon, Franz. Initiation into Hermetics. Kettig Ubber Koblenz, West Germany: Osiris-Verlag, 1962.

Bethards, Betty. Sex and Psychic Energy. Novato, California: Inner Light Foundation, 1977.

Browne, Harry. How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World. New York: Avon Books, 1973.

Campbell, Joseph,   The Power of Myth,   New York, N. Y. ,  Doubleday,  1988.  

Cote, Robert E. Z.,  "Chains or Choices", 

**

Friedman, Milton & Rose. Free to Choose. New York: Avon Books, 1979.

Fuller, R.Buckminster. Critical Path. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1981.

Goodspeed, Bennett W. The Toa Jones Averages — A Guide to Whole-Brained Investing. New York: Penguin Books, 1983.

Garfield, Patricia L. Creative Dreaming. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1974.

Gold, Cybele & E.J. Beyond Sex. I.D.H.H.B. Inc. & Hohm Press, 1978.

Hall, Manly P. Healing: The Divine Art. Los Angeles: Philosophical Research Society, 1944.

Keyes, Ken, Jr. The Hundredth Monkey. St. Mary, KY.: Vision Books, 1982.

Krishna, Gopi. Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man. New York: Julian Press, date unknown.

Leadbeater, C.W. The Inner Life. Wheaton, Illinois: Theosophical Publishing House, 1967.

Monroe, Robert A. Journeys Out of the Body. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Co. Inc., 1971.

Morris, Desmond. The Naked Ape. New York: Dell Publishing Co. Inc., 1967.

Muldoon, Sylvan J. & Hereward Carrington. The Projection of the Astral Body. London: Hutchinson House, 1929.

Ouspensky, P.D. The Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution. New York: Random House, 1971.

Percival, Harold W. Thinking and Destiny. New York: The World Foundation Inc., 1971.

Putney, Snell & Gail. The Adjusted American: Normal Neuroses in the Individual and Society. New York: Harper & Row, 1972.

Reich, Charles A. The Greening of America. New York: Random House, 1969.

Roberts, Jane. The Nature of Personal Reality: A Seth Book. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1974.

Steinbrecher, Edwin C. The Inner Guide Meditation: A Spiritual Technology for the 21st Century. Sixth edition,       ?     : Samuel Weisol, 1987.

Strauch, Ralph. The Reality Illusion. Wheaton, Illinois: The Theosophical Publishing House, 1983.

Three Initiates. The Kybalion: Hermetic Philosophy. Chicago: The Yogi Publication Society, 1912.

Toffler, Alvin. Future Shock. New York: Random House, 1970.

Zitko, Howard John. New Age Tantric Yoga. Tucson, Arizona: World University Press, 1975.

In addition to the written sources, many lectures, workshops, seminars, private teaching sessions, television programs, radio programs, individual discussions, and countless hours of quiet contemplation and personal experiences have contributed immensely to what is now being put forth in the T.L.C. Philosophy and programs.    The teachings that have been integrated into my own life, and which I have personally experienced, I am now ready, willing and able to share through The Life Center in hopes that others may gain as I have.  

To all who have helped, I express my sincere appreciation.  

____________________________    Executive Director,   May 11, 1987  

                                Robert E. Z. Cote

some common questions — with answers

In discussing T.L.C. Philosophy and programs, the following questions have frequently arisen.   To add clarity, they are repeated and answered below.

1. What Are Your Immediate Objectives, Today?

A.  To make the T.L.C. programs economically profitable to the degree that their scope and capacity can be increased.

B.   To build a network of people ready, willing and able to support T.L.C. and its programs in whatever manner is in their own best capacity and interest.

C.  To generate the publicity required in order to build The Prosperity Transformational Seminar Series into a program that makes a significant impact on the prosperity power of the new-age movement.  

2. Where Do You See Your Function in All This?

A. Until recently, my function has been two fold: first, to hold and clarify the vision, and second, to evolve my capacity to manifest that vision. I now see my capacity shifting more to that of being an active participant in the sharing of the T.L.C. programs and of being the coordinator of the T.L.C. programs with overall responsibility for their proper manifestation.

B.   Obviously, for the new age, a new set of guidelines is needed. I see myself as one of the many who will assist in the work of answering such questions as: (1) How do we deal with the current economic realities of the earth plane without worshipping The-Great-God-Money? (2) What is the underlying fundamental truth needed in order to find the best resolutions to the conflicts between individual rights and the common good of all? (3) How do we as individuals and as a society consistently function on a win-win basis?

3. Why Are You Doing All This? What's in It for You?

It is quite obvious that the human personality always operates in a manner that the individual perceives to be in his/her own best interest.   That is exactly what I am doing.   In exchange for doing what I want to be doing, I am receiving my share of each of the trirty-three attributes of abundance. (See the T.L.C. Philosophy item #??  & #??, Abundance Is a Natural Function of the Universe.)

4. There Are Lots of Other Groups around Doing This So-Called "New Age" Stuff. Who Needs Another One?

If I were living in the illusion of competition and scarcity, I could easily make a problem out of the energy behind the above statement.   However, in the age of abundance and co-operation, I encourage as many other individuals and groups as possible to work in these areas.   The more people working on planetary transformation the sooner we will reach The Hundredth Monkey.

An  Invitation  to  Play:  

You can satisfy your own needs and interests and, at the same time, fulfill your capacity as a human being by supporting The Life Center in any of the following ways?  

1.   By participating with us in our self-awareness training program.  

2.   By financially donating to The Life Center. (See the enclosed booklet entitled: Maintaining the Flow of Prosperity in Your Life. This treatise explains how and why tithing is a gift to yourself.  

3.   By personally writing a letter of endorsement in support of The Life Center, the ----------- Program, or any of the other T.L.C. programs. 

4.   By introducing us to others who have the capacity to enhance our work.  

5.   By providing a meeting place(s) for our seminars and/or our consultations.  

6.   By donating your services in your personal or professional capacity to The Life Center. (Examples of the type of talent needed include: (A) Professional consultations, (B) Program presentations, (C) Theatrical presentations and technical talent, (D) Writing a brief synopsis on a pertinent subject for inclusion in the T.L.C. Encyclopedia of Self Awareness, (E) Graphic artist layouts and typesetting, (F) Office assistance, (G) Any talent that you deem might be useful.)  

7.   By playing and learning with us as a student/participant in our Prosperity 7Transformational Seminar Series or in any of our other programs.  

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