 Intelligence and knowledge are worth nothing, if not less than, to you. Creativity is a distraction. Hard work is useless when it comes without wisdom. I can tell you: forget all of these things and focus solely on that single trait which matters, and which is well within your power to develop -- the ability to listen. I can give you enlightenment. But can you receive it. The burden is on you. If you had ears to hear -- if you could listen -- you would by now be happy as a dog, free as a bird. Here is your situation in this life: vibrational information surrounds you. Energy and data flow about, through, and in you. It is all there for the taking, yet you do not sense most of it. This all because the mind, the great processor, organizes the natural energy into meaningless meaning, substitutes its own thoughts for sensation. And no here’s the rub -- are you absorbing, or are you ignoring? Are you seeing and responding, or are you creating and protecting? The mind layers information on top of information. You receive energy, and energy alone, and yet your experience is made into patterns and theories and predictions and types and kinds and on and on. This is the mind that makes your perceived experience into more than the energy it is. The mind, which builds fortified towers of knowledge and reason, which groups and judges, slicing up the world into chunks of understanding. It is a phenomenal tool if used properly; it is the ultimate destroyer if left to fester. In man, the beauty of angels and horror of demons is to be found. The most meaningful nothings and the most meaningless somethings. For every piece of organizing information -- that is to say for every fiction -- your mind creates, there leaves a structure that exists in your awareness, and diverts your attention from the energy around you. Just as a child, born and locked away in a single room might see that room as all that exists, so you are when you retreat into the structures of your mind. You enclose yourself in a universe of ignorance. Far better to know nothing but see everything, than to know every crack, crumb, and color of a damp basement room. Do not for a second think I can teach you anything new. It is you who interprets my words according to your own structures and impressions, you who judges them, and you who is to make sense of them or throw them away. To listen to me is to hear yourself speak. The better you can listen to yourself, the better you can listen to others. To know the knower and understand the listener is to gain the skill of listening, and of understanding. Work at it, and you will again become open to the pure and true energy around you, and so live with the same natural intelligence, vigor, and wonder as you did when you were a child.
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 You who seek answers, know this: nothing can be said to cause anything. A can never cause B; but rather B and A are manifestations of the same underlying existence. This, I hope to show you, is true. For human beings, in our great ability to think abstractly, have created this conception of “causation.” And human beings, in our great capacity to become confused by our own inventions, have become beguiled by its temptations. First things first: some necessary study. Subjection, subjectivity: this is to combine various senses into a single amalgam. If you do not see why this is so, then I caution you, do not understand words sloppily. Subjectivity is not “art,” it is not “emotion,” nor “whim,” nor any of those things. How could this be so, that one word is another? From where does that connection come? Why should it imply that one means the other? Do not confuse this term, "subjectivity," (nor any term, in the general) with related concepts. What you must do if you wish to understand reality, is to simply look closely at what something is while forgetting all the baggage and assorted, related labels it carries in your mind. For the human mind has endless capacity to mix and match -- to be subjective -- but to learn, we must be objective, which is to say we must define our variables clearly, which is to say we must not be sloppy. Try then: “subjectivity.” Good and bad, we say are subjective. What is good? Happiness, kindness, your memory of helping an old lady across the street? That those things are good is both true and false. Those things are those things. Happiness is happiness. Kindness is doing a kind act. Helping an elder is helping an elder. But then, we fit these concepts together and create something quite secondary: the notion of “good.” Not observable, not sensible, but an abstract combination of components. This is subjectivity -- the single amalgam of many experiences and feelings into one singular concept. Nothing wrong here, but remember the previous warning -- do not become confused by your inventions. Let not subjectivity become objectivity, become objectified, as “good” might be transformed within your mind from its multifaceted and fluid subjective nature into a singular rigid concept. Here is truly where we become lost, because “good” as a singular concept never existed at all. It is multifaceted, and it must stay as such in your mind. See how our variables remain defined clearly? Briefly, there you have it, some background on objectivity and subjectivity. Let us on to causation. If you understand causation to exist; if you believe one things causes another -- sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. From where did this idea come? Can you observe causation? Can you see it? It is not self-evident, not objective. It is a subjective amalgam. You’re leaving me to pick it apart now, see? What do we really mean by "causation," this is the question. Example: the refraction of light causes the sky to be blue. “The” -- one in particular. “Refraction” -- this is the observation that light bends through a medium. “Of” -- concerning. “Light” -- this observation of luminescence. “Causes” -- … -- ... ? Do you see how every word before is connected to the senses, if not simple prepositional guide words? Clear. They are what they are. But we come to “cause.” What are we really meaning by this? Where is the cause? For the refraction is the “blue-ness” itself isn’t it? The moment the light refracted, it also became blue from the our earthly vantage point. The “blue-ness” is thus a sensory perception of the refraction, just the same as is the observation of various angles at which the light is being refracted, which although we more arbitrarily tend to call “refraction,” is but a different measurement of the same occurrence. This same, singular phenomenon that is refraction is occurring, but is observed in different ways. It is these different perceptions of the same event which we divide into cause and effect. A and B are manifestations of the same underlying existence. There is not causation. As the site prefers to a more spiritual bent of its subjects, I think I’d do well to finish with spiritual implications. What is the reason for existence? What is the cause of morality? Why does anything exist? Well... Look inwards. In what ways are you dividing, diffracting, splitting existence into its various forms, and confusing one as cause and other other as effect? If you seek causes, you understand not. Back, back to the source! The light, from which all our colors derive. You will know truth there.  The natural state of being for a human is contentment. The play of emotions, the striving and fear of failure, the dreams and terrors -- all flavors tessellating your experience were it a work of art. But the canvas on which all things are painted is contentment. You are content, in all things, in all efforts, and in all failures. All the world’s a stage, revealed Shakespeare. But that we are merely players has been known long in advance by mystics, gurus, and deep thinkers of philosophy. For what is that very nature of a play? The drama is manufactured, the emotion not "real"; the actors agreed to take on their roles and play them at their to their delight. This is what we do every day, each and all of us humans. We play our roles, because we are content to. Though varied they may be, each is content in them. And sometimes, we may forget it is all a play, but that can never change it from being so. Many of us are unaware even of this choice we make; unaware that we are in fact content no matter that we believe or wish otherwise. But let us first learn about this concept we name as contentment. The dictionary tells us that it is "satisfaction"; however, for satisfaction it gives us "contentment." The words defined in terms of each other, nothing we gain nothing new here. So down into the well now, let’s go beyond this confusion by seeking the etymology. “Satisfaction” is composed of the Latin satis, meaning “enough,” and facere, meaning “to make.” "To make enough." In other words: To be finished. To be completed. To require no further work. Such a state seems the property solely dreams immaterial. And indeed, it may be, but look not in dreams if you wish to understand yourself. The present, as it happens, is the only lens through which we can see what is real, for that is our stage. We cannot perform in the future, nor act in the past. Here and now -- this is where we are, who we are. When we inspect it, we find it to be complete. It is as it is, and in this way it always will be. Nothing can be taken or added. Every decision you make, contents you. This is precisely why you made it. For you are the chooser, and you will alway choose that which contents you. Simply by definition. There are no regrets; nor exist wrong decisions. Just decisions we actors make, because we chose to make them. What more could here be added? Or taken away? No, there is no thing to change what exists because existence is that which simply exists and nothing more. It is that thing outside of which there is nothing. Anything which could be added or taken either already exists or never existed at all. There is no thing to change who you are, but that which you are content to choose. Don’t become confused in the illusions of thought, nor emotion. They are here, but they are hollow in their assertions to us about reality. Reality is reality. You are you. Your decisions are the ones you choose. You are content and, all you have to do is see it and you will then know.  Ah, rats ... I promised you a part two, didn’t I?… What was I on about? Let me go back and read… I suppose I mentioned I’d give you a sword of truth or something? Man… I have got to stop making such lofty promises. Imagine trying to deliver on that at ten o’clock at night after a hard day’s work. But I’m a trooper, and a man of my word for the moment. So here you are, perk up, listening cap on let’s begin. Big sword reveal coming up. Huge. ... It starts with you being lost. Is this so? If you feel found, perhaps this is not necessary for you. But if you feel any unhappiness, any tension, any pain or suffering at all in your life, you are indeed far gone. The thicket of confusion is not a fun place to be. I’ve been there, and I’ve hacked my way out one swing after the other. Using what, using what? That’s the question, isn’t it? What is the “sword,” the tool with which you can end the cycle of pain and misery? Recall that you battle. You are in a battle. Now, look how clear I gave things to you last time: “if you are in a battle, you have quite literally two positive options -- win the battle, or call a truce.” But then what did I tell you next: I said, you are the one who chooses to battle. You battle because you want to. I said nobody is making you fight. Nobody is really there threatening you. It is not even a true battle. You have picked up the arms and, going against a sea of troubles, now you fatigue wish to stop. But my, you’ve forgotten how! I slipped you a little something, there, didn’t I -- there is no enemy outside of your creation. You’re on both sides. You’re the protagonist and the antagonist. The negative feelings are as “you” as the positive ones. That there is for you a coin of wisdom, and, as coins do, it does bear its two sides. Let me expound upon them. Side one: (ready to be shocked?) ... ...you cannot actually rid yourself of your pain. You cannot fight it. You cannot eliminate your drama, your suffering, your depression, or your sadness any more than a rock could fall on itself and split itself in twain. Time to buck up, sack up, and grit your teeth because you aren’t getting rid of your problems. They’re there forever. They’re you. Get rid of them -- and give yourself a lobotomy, destroy your essence, kill yourself. To be fair I told you this in part one already, weren’t you listening? Your fight is with ideas, heady fictions, distractions, confusions. You hope for better change to avoid doing any of the dirty work of change, which cannot come through fighting. You wish yourself “better” without understanding that there is no relation in your wishing to your actual state of improvement. The battle you fight is at best a distraction to give you something to do with your time, and at worst a miserable, energy-intensive, life and death struggle over peanuts. You’re wasting your time, because you can’t change you by fighting. You’ve made no progress in becoming happier or more fulfilled or anything you are searching for and you’re doomed to continue on this way forever. Some sword I’m giving, huh? But the coin, flip it. Let’s hear some of that good ol’ news! And lord have mercy here it does come! You cannot hurt yourself! You cannot lose the battle! This battle is an illusion of the highest order; it is not a battle with any stakes whatsoever. You cannot be killed, you cannot be hurt, you cannot be touched. You can only feel this way or that. But this is not you. You are both the positive and the negative, and so neither is truly you. You are the totality of the two sides and you are above and beyond, transcendent above your feelings and free to watch them come and go as they do please. The sword? Well, here it is. You have nothing to do. You have nobody to fight. You do not fight at all. You simply experience yourself. This is true. This is reality. Absolutely and unambiguously -- I dare you to try and disprove it. Stop believing you are fighting anybody or anything and you will see the tools of war drop from your hands. You aren’t fighting. You’re just being. Those parts of you that make you unhappy will remain as they are you, but here’s the trick: as you begin to let go of the battle, it will cease to bother you. Your pain, will quite literally stop causing you pain, even if it is still there. Hard to wrap your head around huh? But worry not about understanding now; you must see it for yourself. And your future will be bright. For as you withdraw from the battlefield and opt to watch it go on from high above, you will find contentment. You will find that a while a battle rages on below, you are no longer involved, nor interested in the outcome of it. Indeed you will see there can be no outcome, since both sides create the other. Now you are free to stop pretending and to start living. There are two favorable outcomes of a battle. I’ve told you, you cannot win. What I am instead telling you to do is make a truce. With yourself, with your battles, with your feelings and your fears. Stop trying to control what you cannot control. Leave them be, let them act out as they will. This is the truce to end the war. Peace and joy will come to you. Enjoy.  You’ve felt bitterness, and pain, and grief in your life. You’ve experienced rejection and defeat and stress and agony. Oh, horrid sensations! Now ... .... you seek relief. Sound familiar? Ah, I can read you like a book. Isn’t it so simple? Tell ya the truth, it’s an old one, but a classic. Quite literally, it happens, the oldest one in the book. You see, beginning in the book of Genesis, where Adam and Eve learn of good and of evil, and fall from grace, and then engage in the eternal battle of amending for their sins and climbing out of pain, and on and on... What is the Bible but a retelling of their struggle -- our struggle -- as human beings to find relief from the shame and pain of being human? To achieve union with God, to be free of harm, at peace, at nirvana. Oh sure, call it by many names if you wish. I won’t give you that just the Bible tells it so, oh no. Tale as old as time, my friend. We all know it well ... (well...whether we do, or not). But I can tell you there is one truth, and one human struggle. And that struggle is against the self. Try and see how absurdly true it is, for who else could you struggle with? A struggle, by definition, involves you. You say someone else has attacked you, but why not lay down arms and forgive? Why not make peace? Why, when he attacks, must you return the favor? In you is the desire and will to fight. Now sure, in some situations we do things to survive, but I am not speaking of those situations here. For those are not struggles but mandatory actions. Eating, sleeping, working… work yes, but struggles per se, no. I refer to those times you have wrapped yourself up into a struggle without even knowing. Thrown a rope around your own foot and hoodwinked yourself into the fight. For some of this, this kind of situation represents more of our life than for others. Politics, sports, quests to be a scholar, attempt to beautify yourself, fights, name calling… why do you care so much? Throw it all away. Do it, if you can. And you can, because you are the one who has picked it up in the first place. Whether you allow yourself to is quite another matter. But I digress… ...return your attention here: all of this to say the struggle is in you and against you. You are the protagonist; you are the enemy. Let’s back to the start. You will see how simple this here bit of reasoning is: You are in a battle. You want out. Let me tell you -- and feel free to alert me to any other alternatives -- but I am under the impression that to end a battle, either one side is defeated, or a truce is called. This is your situation, and these are your options. Defeat the enemy, or call truce. Now, you’ve been fighting your pain and unrest how long? Ten years? Twenty years? Perhaps you have depression, perhaps intemperance. Do you see an end in sight? People love to fight. It’s what we evolved to do, in many ways. You are no different. And in the absence of external enemies what have you gone and done but began to spar with yourself. And oh, what a battle that is! Because the fight is to change yourself, but the battleground is the mind. And through the mind no change of the body comes. See! You will fight forever, and you’ll love the drama of every last minute! Let’s look more closely at what I mean by this. You wish to be happier, or more confident, or to find fulfillment. But you are unhappy, unconfident, and unfulfilled. This is reality. Can wishing change reality? Can wishing a dog will learn a trick help it? Or hoping? Or thinking? Do not be absurd. You must train the dog; get up, off the couch, grab the treats and the whip, and learn it something. Ok, enough with the poor dog, now you: The mind is where you fight your battle. You desire happiness... "Oh! oh! Look at poor old unhappy me! But I, me, I desire happiness! And still it does not come... how could life be so unfair?" So what. Big whoop. Your desire is wholly unconnected to your reality. Keep desiring, and continue to be unhappy. But then, ah, how clever you become! You see the truth of your situation, and so what do you do but buy books to be happy, or join spiritual groups and try meditating or yoga or holding hands and singing kumbaya. Because you have been told this will make you happy. Ideas, ideas, ideas. The logic is there, the common sense is not. You merely have the idea in your mind that this will make you happy. Then there is your actual state of being. Wholly unrelated. Now, in your later, more erudite years, you form theories and rationalization and complications adding idea on top of idea of how to be happy. Have fun! You’re still at square one... kid. This is your battle; and it’s meaningless. (Unless, of course, you just love to fight -- but in the sense of actually achieving your ends you waste your time in full). And I hope you will begin to see, this battle is an endless one. Because you are not fighting the enemy. Indeed, no enemy even exists. Can “you” truly fight “yourself”? Can a rock land on itself? You fight ideas; you fight fear. These are apart from you as they can be entertained and battled with. And with these you can wrestle forever, endlessly constructing permutations and boogie men. At the beginning, I noted you struggle with yourself, but let's start to be more accurate with our language. You actually do not -- cannot -- fight yourself. You fight your constructions. Unfortunately, it is you who are the problem... not your precious house of cards. I leave you here now, in this imbroglio of utter confusion, ideas, and bungled up theories and spiritualities. Tomorrow: Part Two will come, and I will hand to you the sword of pure truth, reason, and logic that will cut you free from it all. |
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