C. JoyBell C.'s Blog, page 47

The word "philosophy" comes from the Greek φιλοσοφία (philosophia) which means "love of wisdom"; and I want to break that down for you even further: philo= love/lover from the nature of love "philia" well named and known by the ancient Greeks (yes, it's easy to imagine that the Greeks would make the best lovers, as their everyday words can come deeply rooted in any of their forms of love) sophia= Greek word for wisdom (yes, if your name is Sophia, it literally translates to "Wisdom" in Greek!) So for one to say that he/she is a "philosopher" one is actually saying that he/she is a "lover of wisdom." Therefore, if you are a lover of wisdom and pursue wisdom actively on a daily basis, making it not just a thought in the random distance but an actual way of life, then you, my friend, are a philosopher (there is no need to go to school for this, and in fact, I think that there may be a conspiracy responsible for changing the way philosophy is taught in school; I have listened to philosophers debate and sat and thought "What utter, useless, nonsensical waste of time!") Your active participation in this way of life is called "philosophizing"and the fruit of that active participation in your lifestyle of wisdom is called philosophizing. I often here people say "This is my philosophy" or "These are my philosophies" just because they like a quote, but it is ignorant to say this, because, had they been more well-informed they would realize that when you say "This is my philosophy" you should be pertaining to a school of thought invoked by many, or by some. Generally when we think of these schools of thought, our imaginations turn to the philosophy of stoicism, the philosophy of hedonism, platonism, and etc. These are great bodies of thought, schools of thought, that the ancients subscribed to on a daily basis. Today, we just have religion, but yesterday (thousands of years ago) they had philosophy. Philosophy was their way of life that they abided by, while the gods and God were always there, up and above and beyond and down here and with us. Religion wasn't the dictating power in the life of the ancient; but it was the philosophy of the ancient that influenced his/her choices on a daily basis.



If you ask me what my philosophy is, I would tell you that "my philosophy" and the philosophies that I subscribe to, are different things. Because when I say "my philosophy" I am in fact referring to the philosophy (the entire school of thought) that I believe in not because I subscribe to it from reading or from research or from going to church; but because this is innate of me. This is what I have produced of myself, this is what I believe in without the influence of outside entities. On the other hand, when I say "the philosophies that I subscribe to/ the philosophies that I invoke) I am talking about the philosophies that already exist, that I agree with and believe in. I do invoke stoicism, with Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius being my adored philosophers. However, there are points in stoicism that I don't agree with (I don't agree that one needs to distance himself from material things and passions because material things can create evil in a man), notwithstanding, I don't feel that Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus were actually ever saying that it's wrong to feel joy and passion. I think that it's just the interpretations of idiots which have made it sound that way in commentaries and on Wikipedia. And now we come to hedonism (which sounds like a very bad thing to the modern ear); I do believe in hedonism, however I don't believe that everything is corporeal (physical), and that there is nothing incorporeal (spiritual) and that the only focus of man should be to delve in corporeal pleasures. I would say that my own spirit resounds the most with just the basics of Plato and Aristotle, nevertheless, unlike Aristotle and Plato, I do believe in hedonism being a part of the human as a whole and that we cannot separate the incorporeal and the corporeal. Furthermore, I would have to say that on a daily basis, I invoke stoicism as my philosophy and equanimity as my chosen disposition.



Which brings us now to my own philosophy. What is the philosophy of C. JoyBell C.? I want you to be able to answer that question if you are asked by anyone what the philosophy of your admired philosopher is (given that you do admire me and subscribe to my philosophy and encounter someone who questions you on this.) First of all, I want to say that the "quotes" you read from me; the things that I say and write that people all over the world are beginning to devour– this is my "philosophizing." When it comes to the school of thought that I produce form within me, I will tell you, that it cannot be entirely likened to stoicism (thought you will see the principle of stoicism in my philosophy, as well); it cannot be completely likened to hedonism (though you will notice that I appreciate hedonism as an essential part of being human), and it cannot be entirely likened to platonism or Aristotelianism (because I don't put emphasis on the separation of physical and spiritual in order to attain enlightenment). But you will come to see and understand that my philosophy is a balance of all philosophies. I believe that it is not needful to go straight in any one direction, given entirely to it; it is not needful to throw oneself off of any one cliff! There is a perfect balance. At this point in my writing, I do want to point out, that I believe the great philosophers Plato, Marcus Aurelius, and etc., did have a greater balance in their beliefs than interpreted and depicted by modern-day commentaries. I think that the people writing the commentaries lack insight, and therefor interpret the beliefs of the greats as far less balanced that what they in fact were. Now, with that been said, let's move on...



You may have already read my Theory of "All Apples" wherein I described my philosophy that we are not beings born into a world filled with many powerful things; but we are powerful beings born into a world filled with many things. This is my philosophy. I believe that all things are neutral, all things are neither evil nor good; but that it is the human soul by which either evil or good is borne of! It is YOU who possesses the virtue of either evil or good! It is YOU who has the power to corrupt a thing, it is not the thing which has the power to corrupt you! I simplify this down for the image in the mind that All things are just apples. An apple is neither good nor bad! An apple possesses neither the virtue of good nor of evil, but the apple in your hand will either be put to good use or it will rot and go to waste and even become corrupted! If you have the virtue of goodness, you will put that apple to good use by cutting it up while it is fresh and ripe and juicy and eat it, thus allowing it to make you happy and give you nutrition and feed you; but if you have the virtue of evil, in your hands that apple will rot because you will not be able to see what good things to do with it! And that apple will not only rot, but it will probably become corrupted with worms and flies! And so this is the heart, the core, of my philosophy. And all other of my branches from this thought that I speak of, do in fact stem from this core!  And you will see the connection to stoicism here: in that I will not allow a thing to turn and move my soul, but I have the power to turn and move the thing!





I also speak of not separating the corporeal (the physical body) from the incorporeal (the spiritual body). Because, I argue, that our spirits came to earth on this journey for a purpose; we each had and have a purpose why we're here, why we CHOSE to be here, now, how can we fulfill these destinies on earth, without a physical body? A soul without a body is a soul without an earthly destiny and if you are going to attempt to glorify only the spirit/only the soul, then in this act you are utterly forsaking the destiny that you descended here to fulfill! You are in denial, you are ascribing to a beautiful spiritual life which you once new, while denying your physical life and purpose here; hence you are living with your hands and fingers closely covering your eyes! Moreover, a physical body without a soul is just plain dead. When a person dies, the soul leaves! It is my firm belief, that our bodies are needful of our spirits and our spirits are equally needful of our bodies, here, as humans on earth. Now, the modern-day man and woman has come to know the nature of "Eros" as simply a lust, a shallow, disgusting form that attacks our existence during our lives on earth, and if we're lucky we will be able to find "Agape" and rid ourselves of Eros. I think this is entirely erroneous and that err is what causes countless individuals to fall from their elated ideals, because it is simply unnatural. When we look at the understanding the ancient Greeks had for the natures of love, we will see, that all natures of love were seen as honorable and beneficial to both the corporeal and the incorporeal! None of the loves were shunned! Which makes me think that perhaps, the shunned Eros has, in this modern day and age, taken revenge out on mankind for the treatment of him! See all the broken relationships!



Yes, I do believe I am an ancient thing. Against all odds, I have become me and I believe and see the things that I believe and see. Nobody encourages me to do so, nobody is praising me and cheering me on (aside from my readers), and I did not go to school or university for any of the things I believe and write and see. Marcus Aurelius said this: “Blame and praise have no true effects. Is an emerald less lovely, if it is not praised? Or is gold less lovely, or ivory, or the color purple?... "I am committed to be an emerald, and keep the color that is mine.”




Copyright © C. JoyBell C. All rights reserved worldwide.

It's so unfortunate how religion can claim so much energy, time, and focus from one's life. How many fights has one had because of the differences of religion? How many times have you destroyed a relationship or lost the opportunity to have a relationship with someone, over religion? How many deaths, wars, heartache, sorrow, has been caused because of religious zeal? So what I'm saying, is that religion removes from mankind the innate ability to be free, to make choices not based upon religious laws, to spend time thinking about worthy things and discovering oneself instead of thinking about "separating" oneself from everything, and to live a life that's right here, right now, not "later on"! And it's such a shame that we are born into this world, as close to God as we will ever be, and yet that liberty is removed from us by people who tell us that we have to do this and go here and go there and say this and not say that and believe this but never believe that; in order to draw nigh to God! Religion has removed man's liberty to be close to his God, in order to say "Come this way and we will show you God." Something that is free, is being held for ransom and is not given freely. I think that we are at a point in time, wherein mankind should be able to rise above religion, and simply allow God in. Imagine if you had a child right in front of you, and however you touched your child, called out her name, tried to embrace her, she still would not believe that you are already there because she's convinced that she still has to strive and search to find you! Imagine how painful that would be for you! This is what religion does between us and God. We are that child, and He is that Father.







Copyright © 2012 C. JoyBell C. All rights reserved.










Note: With that been said, I would like to point out that I would never want to hurt someone or to disappoint someone, by pointing out faults in their religion! I believe it is far more valuable not to hurt the innocent soul, than it is to go ahead and point out all the faults in that person's beliefs! There are innocent souls in the world, who attend mass, attend church, attend synagogue, temple, and etc., with a pureness of heart and simple faith; and I think that purity of heart and that simple faith is precious, and is far more weighty than all the dark secrets and the faults in what they put their faith in. God doesn't look at faults, God looks at the state of a man's heart! I myself would take no offense in attending a church, because I don't feel as though church has a bondage over me! That which I do not fear, cannot offend me! In fact, there are many churches I like to be in, because they are just breathtakingly beautiful structures! 

Feathers



It will be okay

When you return to you

To the you who

Was there

Before the floods came

Before the castle toppled down

Before the earth shook, quaked



It will be okay

It will be silent

Serene

When you find yourself

Standing there

In the same place

Where you left

You



When you wonder if it’s okay

To go and take your hand

To touch your face

And look into your eyes again

And embrace you,



You will see



That you have found

The place where feathers rain

And the Qilin tramples not

Even a single

Blade of grass





And your heart

Breaks not





Go back. It will be okay.





Copyright © 2012 C. JoyBell C. All rights reserved.

With The Equines



Even the wind that gushed against my skin

Echoed the freedom of their souls

As we ran together

Wild and unstoppable



Even faster than they

I ran on the wind

Laughing in the spirit of pure wildness

Laughter that shook my soul



And vibrated just beneath my skin:



Eating me

Devouring me

Dissolving me

Creating me



The wind itself was composed of

This equine spirit

Unbridled, unbound

I flew through it



Free



Soaring above the horses just below me

I mingled with them

I ran

And I flew





My spirit leaped in the air

And reached for the sun





We flew together, we ran together





Copyright © 2012 C. JoyBell C. All rights reserved.

This is not my photo, this is a photo belonging to the public domain.





The Theory of "All Apples"




I was always taught that many things are wrong, many things are bad, many things are evil, and that the only way to stay far away from evil would be to avoid these things/ these people. I teach my son the opposite. I teach my son that things are neutral; things have no essence of good or evil, but the essence of good or evil is produced by the soul! I teach him the theory of "all apples" (my own theory) in which I state that everything is like an apple in your hand. The apple is neither good nor bad, it does not possess the essence of good nor of evil! But it is the hand in which the apple sits, that dictates the outcome of that apple! An apple in your hand can be put to good use; it can be eaten at a right time while fresh and ripe and juicy, or, it can be allowed to spoil and rot in your hand and become infested with mold, mildew, worms! It is what you do with the apple that dictates the outcome of that apple! YOU have given the essence to the apple; the essence of either good or evil doesn't come from the apple itself. It is not the apple that has done good for you but it is you who has done something good with the apple and it is not the apple which has spoiled you, but it is you who has allowed the apple to spoil! And so, all that are things, are simply things. Your Wii games are not evil nor good, it is your discernment for playing that makes your Wii games have either a fulfilling or a detrimental affect on you. That means, if you play your Wii games from day until night when you could be going out and playing sports, being with friends and family, studying, and enjoying life; then you have given the essence of bad to your Wii game. But if you put sports and friends and family and life and laughter first and foremost before your attention to your Wii games, then your Wii games have become a joyful additive to your life! (This also applies to X-Box, of course.) So, it is you who has created something good out of your having Wii games, or an iPad, or an X-Box, or etc! My son understood this as I explained this to him, and from his understanding of this, was able to revolutionize the way he plays games on iPad and Wii. 




I wanted to share my theory with you, because I believe that people are living in fear of the apples themselves, without realizing that they are not born into a world full of powerful things threatening to pollute/ corrupt them; but that they are powerful being born into a world full of things that they may either pollute and corrupt or bless and benefit from. The essence, is that the power of good or evil lies within you, and it is up to you to bestow that upon anything. Your choice will be, according to the condition of your soul. And it's interesting to note that when a person realizes that it is the hand which bears the apple, that makes the difference, and not the apple itself which is changing the person; suddenly the individual is freed from the feeling of being the victim, as is able to change the way the thing works and is able to change the product of that thing.



Why are people so afraid of the corporeal? It is the lesser that is dependent on what is greater! Never can the greater be dependent upon what is lesser! So if you are greater, then why fear and shun what is lesser? The blessing or the curse is in your hands. The blessing or the curse doesn't come from the thing! Likewise, the goodness or the evil is in your soul! It is not the soul which depends on the washing of the hands, but it is the washing of the hands that depends on the soul!



Looking at this theory of mine from a parallel dimension/ a subsequent angle, this idea by Epictetus comes to mind:



"Man is disturbed not by things, but by the views he takes of them." – Epictetus




Copyright © 2012 C. JoyBell C. All rights reserved.







*As an end note, I want to add more detail into my Theory of "All Apples"; let's suppose you have been the victim of an evil thing and why is this? you will ask. Well, I believe that there are things created by people who have injected into it the essence of evil. For example, let's say there is a game on X-Box in which you play a psychotic killer who goes around hacking other people up to bits and pieces, what kind of a mind created such a game? What kind of an existence would inject such an evil into a game? And so the thing has been corrupted, and you, eating the corrupted apple, will catch typhoid fever, or dysentery, or die like Snow White! (smiles)




So, it is possible for an apple to be corrupted by another, and fed to you. Simply refuse to eat the apple! In these cases, fortunately, the corrupted apples are quite literally obviously corrupted, it doesn't take much of a guessing game to see what is the product of an evil soul.

This is not my photo, this is a photo belonging to the public domain.








“If you buy an egg thinking it's a goose's egg, and when it hatches it is actually a bird of paradise; no manner of convincing and reproach will turn the bird of paradise into a goose. Even if you make it go to goose church and goose school and eat goose feeds and only hang out with geese! In the end, it will still belong to paradise.”




The above is something which I wrote and shared some time back. I wanted to discuss this with you, since I am pretty sure people don't really grasp what I'm really talking about here. 




When I wrote this, I was thinking of how differently I turned out, from the way my parents raised me to be. I was raised by people who believe that the greatest evil that exists is "being worldly." I wasn't even allowed to go to birthday parties, because birthday parties were supposedly a "worldly way" to enjoy life! I was supposed to be in church, that's where I was supposed to be! I was expected to compete with all the other "church girls" to see who was really "more godly" (a recognition that could be gained by 1. Always attending youth meetings, prayer meetings, and Bible studies, 2. Smiling all the time, 3. Participating in church ministries such as the music team, the worship team, the prayer team, and etc., 4. Frequently offering to say grace before meals during congregational gatherings.) Of course, my mother was probably always ashamed of me, because I had no interest in such competition, while her friends' daughters gladly embarked on the challenge of upstaging each other in the hopes of gaining the admiration of all for being"most godly." Meanwhile, they were having affairs with married men and etc. Hahahahahaha. Sorry, I just had to laugh, I know it's rather crude, but I just had to laugh! 




My parents certainly did not foresee me writing about the things that I'm writing, or sharing the things that I know, and they're definitely the first ones to think How does she know this, anyway? I'm sure nobody is very proud of me, since I don't write "Christian" literature! And since I write words like "bitch" and "dammit." Of course, I am on the path to hell, am I not? Let me answer that one moment- NO! I am most certainly not, but, we cannot prevent people from thinking the things that they are thinking. My Father will forgive them, seeing as they know not what they do.




My mother tells people that she is afraid to talk with me, because, in her own words "Everything that she says is right." (!!!)




But like an unstoppable spring of water bursting forth, I have become me, against all odds!




I was always taught that many things are wrong, many things are bad, many things are evil, and that the only way to stay far away from evil would be to avoid these things/ these people. I teach my son the opposite. I teach my son that things are neutral; things have no essence of good or evil, but the essence of good or evil is produced by the soul! I teach him the theory of "all apples" (my own theory) in which I state that everything is like an apple in your hand. The apple is neither good nor bad, it does not possess the essence of good nor of evil! But it is the hand in which the apple sits, that dictates the outcome of that apple! An apple in your hand can be put to good use; it can be eaten at a right time while fresh and ripe and juicy, or, it can be allowed to spoil and rot in your hand and become infested with mold, mildew, worms! It is what you do with the apple that dictates the outcome of that apple! YOU have given the essence to the apple; the essence of either good or evil doesn't come from the apple itself. It is not the apple that has done good for you but it is you who has done something good with the apple and it is not the apple which has spoiled you, but it is you who has allowed the apple to spoil! And so, all that are things, are simply things. Your Wii games are not evil nor good, it is your discernment for playing that makes your Wii games have either a fulfilling or a detrimental affect on you. That means, if you play your Wii games from day until night when you could be going out and playing sports, being with friends and family, studying, and enjoying life; then you have given the essence of bad to your Wii game. But if you put sports and friends and family and life and laughter first and foremost before your attention to your Wii games, then your Wii games have become a joyful additive to your life! (This also applies to X-Box) So, it is you who has created something good out of your having Wii games, or an iPad, or an X-Box, or etc! My son understood this as I explained this to him, and from his understanding of this, was able to revolutionize the way he plays games on iPad and Wii. 




People have not overcome sin, rather, they live in fear of sin! If you live in fear of something, and constantly live in a way as to avoid the thing, let me ask you, does that mean you have overcome the thing, or does it mean that the thing has overcome you? People live in such a fear of homosexuality, that they want to burn all homosexuals to death. People live in such a fear of going to hell, that they shun anybody who doesn't go to church! People live in such a great fear of being "left behind" at the rapture, that they will turn the cold shoulder on their loved ones if their loved ones don't share the same beliefs as they do. And what has become of all of this? A doctrine of fear and hate, that is what has become of all of this "Christianity." Certainly NOT the doctrine of God! If anything, the Son of God was sent to earth to OVERCOME sin, so that man would not need to live in fear of it!




Truth is as vast and as endless as the universe. It goes on and on. If you have a truth that stops at the laws you live by, this is either not the truth at all, or is only a tiny, tiny chip off the very tip of the iceberg! And I do not need to stop believing in God just because the people who say they know Him, represent the very thing that cannot, that must not be Him! No, if I stop believing what people say about Him, that does not mean I have stopped believing in Him! Because I know that I know Him better!




And so, here I have discussed with you more than one dimension of the origin of my short writing at the very top of this post! There is also one or two other dimensions that fit into this, but this is all I want to discuss with you. Remember my Theory of All Apples!







Copyright © 2012 C. JoyBell C. All rights reserved.







*As an end note, I want to add more detail into my Theory of All Apples; let's suppose you have been the victim of an evil thing and why is this? you will ask. Well, I believe that there are things created by people who have injected into it the essence of evil. For example, let's say there is a game on X-Box in which you play a psychotic killer who goes around hacking other people up to bits and pieces, what kind of a mind created such a game? What kind of an evil would inject such an existence into a game? And so the thing has been corrupted, and you, eating the corrupted apple, will catch typhoid fever, or dysentery, or die like Snow White! 




So, it is possible for an apple to be corrupted by another, and fed to you. Simply refuse to eat the apple!

I think humans might be like butterflies; people die every day without many other people knowing about them, seeing their colors, hearing their stories... and when humans are broken, they're like broken butterfly wings; suddenly there are so many beauties that are seen in different ways, so many thoughts and visions and possibilities that form, which couldn't form when the person wasn't broken! So it is not a very sad thing to be broken, after all! It's during the times of being broken, that you have all the opportunities to become things unforgettable! Just like the broken butterfly wing that I found, which has given me so many thoughts, in so many ways, has shown me so many words, and imaginations! But butterflies need to know, that it doesn't matter at all if the whole world saw their colors or not! But what matters is that they flew, they glided, they hovered, they saw, they felt, and they knew! And they loved the ones whom they flew with! And that is an existence worthwhile!









Copyright © 2012 C. JoyBell C. All rights reserved.

This Wing



Do not mourn

A flight well flown



Do not take sorrow

In many a traversed continent

The view of a thousand castles

Passed beneath this wing!



Weep not

For a glide that

Encompassed nation

Upon nation



That saw many a sunrise

And sunset

Over the turquoise seas

Piercing the transparency

Of this wing!



Don’t be sad



A thousand butterflies die each day

No one sees them

No one hears their stories

No one knows

Of their glides

Of their pilgrimage

They die unknown

With stories untold



But this one



This one is different



The fallen wing tells me

Of many a sea crossed

Many a nation hovered

Many a continent conquered!



I see the rays of sun captured in its veins



And the marks of evaporated raindrops



This is a story that is told

A journey unforgotten

One in a thousand

Butterflies

Will not be forgotten



This wing



Copyright © 2012 C. JoyBell C. All rights reserved.



No other single object has inspired me so much, as this one broken wing! And I think, that even in its death, this butterfly has given beauty! I have created so many works of art, thanks to this one little blue, broken wing! An entire collection! I'm overwhelmed by the inspiration that I have received from this small, inanimate thing! Which goes to show, that a wing is always a wing; no matter if it is broken or fallen or forgotten!

I See A Woman





I see a woman with dreams

Her head is held high,

her gaze straightforward.

She is petite

But

In all of her littleness

She raises herself up towards the sky

And occupies

All of herself that there is to be!

Her gestures are sure

Her stride; nothing special

but it is her own! Her own

walk into the world every day!



That’s how I know she has dreams.



That’s how I know she still dreams.





Copyright © 2012 C. JoyBell C. All rights reserved.

A secret is something that one uncovers little by little, step by step, turn after turn. A secret becomes known through whispers, through a soft but firm nudge, through a grasping of the heart that can never be forgotten. These are secrets. If you sell me a  secret, how am I to believe it is a secret? Would a true secret be placed in the pages of a book or in the mouth of a ceramic angel, and put up for sale? No, but true secrets have to be stumbled upon; buried treasures, disguised notes... these are secrets. And, okay, say a secret is sold in the marketplace; but for it to be a true secret, it must be something not sold by the truckloads! It must be sold from hand to hand, discovered from a friend, uncovered by chance. And that is a secret.



xx