More Leftovers

In honor of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, I am re-posting some more leftover notes that I had either not published or had posted previously on other blogs.


On the Fear of Death

Most people are afraid of dying. I heard once of a group of people who, through the science of cryogenics, wanted to prolong their lives indefinitely. One of the members remarked that he had a right to stay alive as long as he wanted to.

This type of thinking displays a grave misunderstanding of the process of life and “who” we really are. Imagine never dying. Does anyone really want to live forever? It’s a scary, if not scarier, prospect than death.

If you have a fear of death, remember that you readily lay yourself down to sleep every night; and in that sleep is the most restful state of deep, dreamlessness. There is no “you” in this state. There are no dramas like those associated with your waking or dreaming states.

The unconscious states of death and deep sleep — contrasted by the conscious states of life and being awake— are necessary intervals in the play of the immortal Self.


On Spirituality and Academia

A Wikipedia article about the great philosopher Alan Watts, says in part:

His lectures and books gave Watts far-reaching influence on the American intelligentsia of the 1950s-1970s, but Watts was often seen as an outsider in academia. When questioned sharply by students during his talk at U.C. Santa Cruz in 1970, Watts responded that he was not an academic philosopher, but rather "a philosophical entertainer."

What has academia to do with spirituality? In what manner would any questions (however “sharply” posed) influence the musings of such a mystic as Mr. Watts?

There seems to be an erroneous assumption that through analytical thought, intense study, investigation, scrutiny, and dissection, we can find the Ultimate Reality. But the Truth has never been, and never will be, found through a series of chalkboard equations pored over by the world’s greatest physicists. Nor will prodigious volumes of intelligent discourse from the most brilliant minds bring any seeker closer to God.


On the Seeker and the Way 

Here are three wonderful Zen stories:

Joshu asked the teacher Nansen, "What is the True Way?"
Nansen answered, "Every way is the true Way."
Joshu asked, "Can I study it?"
Nansen answered, "The more you study, the further from the Way."
Joshu asked, "If I don't study it, how can I know it?"
Nansen answered, "The Way does not belong to things seen: nor to things unseen. It does not belong to things known: nor to things unknown. Do not seek it, study it, or name it. To find yourself on it, open yourself as wide as the sky."

                                                                         ---

BODHIDHARMA sat facing a wall for nine years of meditation. At one time a Confucian monk came to him for teaching. But Bodhidharma sat unmoving and unspeaking for seven days and nights, while the monk pleaded for his attention. Finally the monk could stand no more, and to show his sincerity, he took a great sword, cut off his arm, and carried it to Bodhidharma.

He said: "Here is a token of my sincerity. I have been seeking
peace for my soul for many years, and I know that you can show me
how to find it."
Bodhidharma said, "Do not bring me your arm. Bring me your soul,
so I can give it peace as you request.”
"But that is the very trouble," said the monk, "I cannot grasp my soul or find it, much less bring it to you.”
"You see," said Bodhidharma, "I have given you peace of soul."

                                                                          ---  

A master was asked the question, "What is the Way?" by a curious monk.

"It is right before your eyes," said the master.
"Why do I not see it for myself?"
"Because you are thinking of yourself."
"What about you: do you see it?"
"So long as you see double, saying 'I don't,' and 'you do,' and so on, your eyes are clouded," said the master.
"When there is neither 'I' nor 'you,' can one see it?"
"When there is neither 'I' nor 'you,' who is the one that wants to see it?"

Lest We War

The World Wars and their aftermath are long gone. Or are they?

The annual “red poppy” campaign is on. You’ll find red poppies adorning lapels everywhere. The campaign raises money for needy and/or disabled war veterans in Canada. I have no problem with that.

However I must take issue with the ceremonies of Remembrance Day where we pay tribute to those who lost their lives supposedly fighting for my freedom. The Royal Canadian Legion describes the red poppy as a “visual pledge to never forget all those Canadians who have fallen in war and military operations”.

If I am to mourn those who died due to the madness of war, then I mourn every soldier who died; regardless of which “side” they were on. 

World War II was over sixty years ago, and no one remembers the incomprehensible mess known as World War I. Yet we continue with this ceremony — replete with pipe and drum corps, color guards, police, soldiers, medals, flags, and banners — now also honoring the veterans of Korea or Afghanistan or some other dubious or idiotic military endeavor. 

I refuse to support “our” troops or to take place in a military ceremony commemorating “our” fallen comrades, lest “we” forget. I refuse to oppose those dirty rotten “others”. This “us” vs. “them” mentality is what brings about war in the first place. 

“Take up our quarrel with the foe...”  

Why quarrel? What foe?

All persons on this planet are my brothers and sisters. We are undeniably tied to everyone and everything. When we fight someone else, we fight ourselves. We create enemies that don’t really exist. 

To put an end to war forever, we need a new direction. But where do we go? Who do we turn to? The UN? NATO? Our elected “leaders”? Organized religion? (God help us). No. None of these have ever demonstrated the ability to bring about lasting peace, and they never will.

We need to realize our connection to each other; and not just realize it intellectually, but actually feel it and live it. This is the only thing that will prevent large scale conflicts altogether. Only you, the individual — who is not an individual, but a part of the Whole — can create peace. It must come from within. 

Only peaceful souls can effect a peaceful world.

True Gifts

I was once asked, “What are your true gifts?” I responded by saying that we are all gifted beyond measure. 

Here are excerpts from some fine essays that express it so well:

“…the body, the physical body we all have, is the material, corresponding to the painter’s canvas, the sculptor’s wood or stone or clay, the musician’s violin or flute, the singer’s vocal cords. And everything that is attached to the body, such as the hands, the feet, the trunk of the body, the head, the viscera, the nerves, the cells, thoughts, feelings, senses—everything, indeed, that goes to make up the whole personality—is both the material on which and the instruments with which the person molds his creative genius into conduct, into behavior, into all forms of action, indeed to life itself.”
- D.T. Suzuki

“To be creative does not mean that we must paint pictures or write poems and become famous. That is not creativeness - it is merely the capacity to express an idea, which the public applauds or disregards. Capacity and creativeness should not be confused. Capacity is not creativeness. Creativeness is quite a different state of being, is it not? It is a state in which the self is absent, in which the mind is no longer a focus of our experiences, our ambitions, our pursuits and our desires. Creativeness is not a continuous state, it is new from moment to moment, it is a movement in which there is not the `me', the `mine', in which the thought is not focused on any particular experience, ambition, achievement, purpose and motive. It is only when the self is not that there is creativeness - that state of being in which alone there can be reality, the creator of all things. But that state cannot be conceived or imagined, it cannot be formulated or copied, it cannot be attained through any system, through any philosophy, through any discipline; on the contrary, it comes into being only through understanding the total process of oneself.”
-J Krishnamurti

“How is it possible that a being with such sensitive jewels as the eyes, such enchanted musical instruments as the ears, and such fabulous arabesque of nerves as the brain can experience itself anything less than a god?”
- Alan Watts

Gifted

I cannot grow an ambrosial garden,
But I take time to smell the fragrant flower.

I could not master a musical instrument,
But divine sounds I hear each day, every hour.

I tried and failed at becoming a healer,
But I so fully feel all that I touch.

I never learned to be a gourmet chef,
But I savor food and fine wine oh, so much.

And I could never paint or draw worth a damn.
See the art God has sculpted!

How gifted I am.

Purpose, Mission, Crusade, Acceptance

We are life aware of itself. Humans have the ability to think and to reason. We think in terms of concepts and abstractions. This sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom.

However, our big brains can bring us much grief. This awareness of ourselves leads us to question our “purpose” here on this planet, which creates anxiety and uncertainty. We feel “out of place” in the Universe. Consequently, we don’t feel a connection to the rest of the world, which can lead to destructive behaviour. We often have no respect or compassion for other beings or for our environment. 

Who are we? Why are we here? There must be a reason for all this.  

A blogger once asked Can anyone tell me the meaning of life? My response was as follows:

There’s no need to look for any “purpose” beyond being. The “meaning of life” is contained in the here and now. No questions are needed.

We think about the past and future. But what are the past and future beyond mental concepts? The past and the future are not the manifest here and now. We act to situations as they arise. But we should be aware that “imagining an outcome” and “looking back on a choice” are present moment activities.

We also have to ask ourselves “who” we are outside of God (the Whole, the One). “He” didn’t create “us”. Everything is of the same one Realization.

But people always feel they need to have some purpose. They feel as if life isn’t worth living unless they can express this purpose. 

From purpose, to mission, to crusade, we march along in hopes of making the world a better place; a place more suited to our vision of what it should be. Rather, we should see the world as it is; and silently step away from crusade, from mission, to a purpose of acceptance.

I am not saying that we shouldn’t be active and right what we perceive to be wrong. 

From an old blog entry of mine:

An iron-handed government is toppled. A war ends. Rights are granted to an oppressed minority. These are results that have been gained through social activism. But, a new despot lurks in the shadows, and a new war is brewing over some idiotic cause. Prejudice, fear and hatred toward others continues.

Society is just another name for the ego-driven populace. So-called social change does nothing to drive the ego illusion from our collective minds: no real change takes place at all. Old problems are replaced by new ones.

No demonstration, march, social protest, or fight is going to bring about peace on this planet. Yes, we can defeat a Hitler by standing up and giving him a collective and deserving punch in the nose. But a new bully will inevitably appear somewhere and a new crisis begins. The up and down drama of life goes on.

I’m not advocating passivity nor am I advocating action. How you react to a situation is up to you. My “purpose” here is to address matters of the spirit.

Peace can’t be forced. Peace and happiness are natural states. When the illusion of ego fades, these feelings emerge. The death of the “self” is replaced by the appearance of the True Self. The ego-mind is always searching, always struggling, always fighting, always looking ahead, never content. It’s easy to see that an ego-driven society is doomed to a state of unrest.

Leftovers

While rummaging through my notes, I found these leftover thoughts on a variety of subjects that were either heretofore unpublished or posted on another blog site:


On Asceticism 

It is not necessary to deprive oneself of pleasure in order to achieve one’s spiritual goals.

Spiritual fulfilment can be found by engaging in a sort of active meditation — where we enjoy this moment, this activity, this experience. I’m not suggesting that we be hedonists, seeking constant pleasure; nor am I suggesting that we be ascetics, living an austere life of self-denial. I’m suggesting nothing but an awareness and appreciation of the now.

The point of asceticism, as I see it, is to avoid unnecessary material pleasures. It has nothing to do with depriving oneself of one’s needs. I can stay just as warm — nay warmer — in an inexpensive terrycloth bathrobe as I would in one made of the finest silk. A light simple meal of bread, salad, and some pasta will satisfy me as much (and be more gastro-intestinally agreeable) as a dinner of haute cuisine. And it is not necessary for my wife and I to live in a house with 5 bedrooms and 3 ½ bathrooms when a 2 bedroom bungalow will do just nicely (not to mention the fact that it’s so much easier to maintain). As Thoreau said, Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!

If you want to enjoy all the pleasures life has to offer, then go ahead. Enjoy! But remember that neither a path of self-indulgence nor a path of self-denial will necessarily lead to any spiritual goal. 


On Ambition and Usefulness

I’m basically a lazy person. I’ve never had any great desire to be wealthy, famous, or successful. Yet I live a relatively easy, comfortable life. The following parables nicely illustrate my philosophy regarding ambition and purpose.

Chuang Tzu was fishing in the P‘u when the prince of Ch‘u sent two high officials to ask him to take charge of the administration of the Ch‘u State.

Chuang Tzu went on fishing and, without turning his head, said "I have heard that in Ch‘u there is a sacred tortoise which has been dead now some three thousand years, and that the prince keeps this tortoise carefully enclosed in a chest on the altar of his ancestral temple. Now would this tortoise rather be dead and have its remains venerated, or be alive and wagging its tail in the mud?"

"It would rather be alive," replied the two officials, "and wagging its tail in the mud."

"Begone!" cried Chuang Tzu. "I too will wag my tail in the mud."

                                                                            - - -

Tzu Ch‘i of Nan-po was travelling on the Shang mountain when he saw a large tree which astonished him very much. A thousand chariot teams could have found shelter under its shade.

"What tree is this?" cried Tzu Ch‘i. "Surely it must have unusually fine timber." Then, looking up, he saw that its branches were too crooked for rafters; while, as to the trunk, he saw that its irregular grain made it valueless for coffins. He tasted a leaf, but it took the skin off his lips; and its odour was so strong that it would make a man drunk for three days together.

"Ah!" said Tzu Ch‘i. "This tree is good for nothing, and that is how it has attained this size. A wise man might well follow its example."


On Earth Day

Our detached, disconnected, and fragmented view of the Universe is the underlying cause of all our ills. It is this ego-sensation, wherein we view ourselves as something separate from everything else, that pits two “opponents” — mankind and nature — in a foolish, futile, and ultimately disastrous confrontation.

It is not enough to just see the Universe as a living thing. We need to feel the connection to each and every aspect of our being. Then we afford the Universe, the Earth, and our environment, the same respect we would for our bodies.

This recognition of an annual Earth Day will do absolutely nothing to change the planet for the better. Feeling our connection to each other and our environment must be a full-time occupation.


On Enlightenment

In response to the question If you were enlightened, how would your life be different? I posted this:

Strong wine, fat meat, peppery things, very sweet things, these have not real taste; real taste is plain and simple. Supernatural, extraordinary feats do not characterize a real man; a real man is quite ordinary in behavior.  
From "The Gospel According to Zen"

Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.
Old Zen Proverb

"They imagine their satori, and themselves after their satori, and that is their personal God, a coercive idol, disquieting, implacable. They must realize themselves, they must liberate themselves, they are terrified at the thought of not being able to get there, and they are elated by any inner phenomenon which gives them hope. There is 'spiritual ambition' in all this which is necessarily accompanied by the absurd idea of the Superman that they should become..."
From: 'Zen and the Psychology of Transformation: The Supreme Doctrine', by Hubert Benoit

What is enlightenment? Who is enlightened? Who is not enlightened?

The distracted, "unenlightened" mind is filled with anxiety and thoughts — wondering "How long will it take to complete these chores?", "How will these actions affect the rest of my day?", and "Oh, I wish I were doing something else". 

The undivided or "enlightened" mind is only concerned with this moment — carrying out tasks as simply as any other present moment activity.

                                                                             ---

The light of the One shines now; and it does so on Its own. There’s nothing “we” need to do but look.

Lost in Words and Definitions

I recently had a dialog with another blogger regarding ego, concepts, and the Higher Self.

He had written a blog entry that made these points:

- We give 'ego' far too much credit.
- Ego is nothing but a psychological construct.
- Ego is a way of not accepting responsibility for our actions.
- The higher-self is also a concept, and like ego, was constructed by humans to avoid taking responsibility for their actions.

He further stated, “…if the Higher-Self is so 'high', why doesn’t it act higher and stop the lowly ego from playing its tricks on us?”

I responded by asking, “What would you call the state of mind that goes beyond conceptual thought? Is this not the Higher (or True) Self?”

My friend said that he acknowledged only one Reality - that of a person, unique, indivisible and absolutely unified. He reiterated that there is no “higher-self”; it being just a concept, and that whatever state of mind we are in is uniquely indivisible and absolutely unified. 

But, I pointed out that the Higher Self corresponds with the indivisible and absolutely unified as he described. It is differentiated from the ego-mind by the very fact that it is not illusionary or conceptual.

It seems to me that this dialog was less of an argument and more of a difference in definitions. My friend seemed to be getting lost in words and definitions. For instance, he stated that he did not acknowledge the existence of ‘ego’, and that “there is no illusion”. 

Well, the way I see it, an illusion — by its very definition — implies that it doesn’t really exist. To say that there is no illusion is a lesson in tautology. It's like saying there are no real Fairy Tales. 

We could say: 
self = ego = illusion = concept = non-existent
Higher Self = nonduality = enlightenment = here and now

If I may, I’d like to reprint part of an old blog entry of mine:

“Look, if you will, and you will find a superabundance of writings about spirituality, enlightenment, God, life, etc.; words uttered for the purpose of bringing about change.

My concern, however, is that we place far too much importance on words. We can sermonize endlessly on how living in the moment can bring about a sense of Oneness; but no words, no matter how eloquent, can deliver you to a state of Realization.

The problem with writing about spiritual matters is that there is no choice but to use words — and words fall woefully short when attempting to describe the True Self and what is here and now. Worse still, they can be an obstacle preventing us from seeing the Truth. 

Language is a useful tool for conveying ideas and for trying to describe life and its components. Words break the world up into a collection of “things”, and even if you were to allow that they are a convenience (at least for the sake of communication) you still have to keep in mind that words are not that which they describe. You can’t get nourishment from the word apple, nor can you get spiritual nourishment from the “word” of God. 

Can you see beyond words and thoughts? Who we really are is available for us to see at anytime but this world of words gets in the way. Words and thoughts cloud our perception of who we are and create an image of ourselves based on, in part; past experiences, what people tell us about ourselves, our jobs, our appearance, or our “station” in life: all definitions and all illusions. The real You is untouchable and cannot be defined. But there’s always that little voice in your head, insisting that the ego is the real deal. Shutting down that voice is easier said than done.”

Another blogger once chided me for using the word satori as a synonym for enlightenment. He also took issue with the fact that I described enlightenment as an experience.

I responded, "With regards to your differentiation of satori vs. enlightenment: I guess that depends on definitions. To me (and to many others) the two are synonymous. The last thing I want is to wrangle over words, but as I before, language seems to be the issue.

I agree with you that “enlightenment” is not an experience in the same fashion that “wisdom” is not an experience. I was merely trying to point out that we all have moments which can be described as “experiences of enlightenment” (or satoris, if you wish)."

This person also tried to correct me about the definition of ego, citing Erich Fromm as some ultimate source. I said that I wasn’t familiar with (nor was I concerned about) Fromm's definition of ego.

The whole point is that we should not be concerned with any words or definitions — regardless how lofty the source — when it comes to the True Self.

What we need to do is go beyond words to avoid any confusion.

Become The Frustration

Here are my favorites among 112 meditations on consciousness as told to Devi by Shiva. Enjoy them but remember: If you try to become enlightened by practicing these meditations, you may experience great frustration — then, become the frustration.

---

Consider your essence as light rays rising from center to center up the vertebrae, and so rises livingness in you.

Eyes closed, see your inner being in detail. Thus see your true nature.

Bathe in the center of sound, as in the continuous sound of a waterfall. Or, by putting fingers in ears, hear the sound of sounds.

Consider any area of your present form as limitlessly spacious.

Focus on fire rising through your form from the toes up until the body burns to ashes but not you.

Abide in some place endlessly spacious, clear of trees, hills, habitations. Thence comes the end of mind pressures.

Sweet-hearted one, meditate on knowing and not knowing, existing and not existing. Then leave both aside that you may be.

Feel cosmos as translucent ever-living presence.

When eating or drinking, become the taste of the food or drink, and be filled.

In summer when you see the entire sky endlessly clear, enter such clarity.

See as if for the first time a beauteous person or an ordinary object.

Simply by looking into the blue sky beyond clouds, the serenity.

Just as you have the impulse to do something, stop.

Feel yourself as pervading all directions, far, near.

Feel: My thought, I-ness, internal organs—me.

When some desire comes, consider it. Then, suddenly, quit it.

O Beloved, put attention neither on pleasure or pain but between these.

Toss attachment for body aside, realizing I am everywhere. One who is everywhere is joyous.

The appreciation of objects and subjects is the same for an enlightened as for an unenlightened person. The former has one greatness: he remains in the subjective mood, not lost in things.

Feel the consciousness of each person as your own consciousness. So, leaving aside concern for self, become each being.

As waves come with water and flames with fire, so the universal waves with us.

Feel an object before you. Feel the absence of all other objects but this one. Then, leaving aside the object-feeling and the absence-feeling, realize.

Wherever your attention alights, at this very point, experience.

Each thing is perceived through knowing. The self shines in space through knowing. Perceive one being as knower and known.

Beloved, at this moment let mind, knowing, breath, form, be included. *

* from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A collection of Zen and Pre-Zen writings. Compiled by Paul Reps. Anchor Books edition.

No Problems

I was once asked What's been your path in life? This was my response:

“Through our thoughts, we create a past (a starting point) and a future (a destination). But in reality, there is just this moment — complete and whole. Are there paths to choose, or is there just the illusion of such choices brought about by conceptualized thinking?

When we truly embrace the present moment, without any concepts, all “paths” disappear. The only “road” is the present moment, continually arising out of the Great Unknown.

The trick, however, is in trying to “live in the present moment” which, obviously, is the only moment we can live in. But our thoughts always lead us to some imaginary past or future — that is when we lose sight of what is. 

What’s my path in life? This one.”

The following is a paraphrased dialogue I had with some readers who commented on what I had written.

R
Yes, but life is a challenge and my present moments are being stolen away by the mundane chores and problems of everyday life.

Z
Life presents challenges, but the “mundane chores of life” only become mundane and/or chores when we make them so and label them as such.

The present moment can only be “stolen” if we let our thoughts and desires allow it to “slip away”. It is undeniably always here, always now. Dealing with life’s challenges is a part of the here and now.

R
As long we are a biological reality outside the Garden of Eden, we will have problems and the present will be stolen.

Z
It’s your thinking about those problems that steals away your present moments.

No situation nor any person can steal away the present moment. Only you can “do” that by allowing thoughts to pile up and to become overwhelmed by the idea that they have to be dealt with all at the same time; and to worry about the outcome of each situation. It’s the desire to make a situation different than it is that creates anxiety.

The situations are there, no doubt. But if we approach them and deal with them as they are — one at a time — without worrying about an outcome, then they lose their power over us and are no longer seen as “problems”.

R
I hear what you say. But I was never bothered by those mundane chores until after a near death experience. I felt the peace of death and of being Home. But when I came back, my thought was “Now I have to brush my teeth!” I had given that up! Why did the chores of daily life become a burden for the first time? I would have thought, in soul terms, it might be the opposite?

I find it irritating as heck that death would have an effect on me to suddenly make me aware of the dross and drudgery of daily life. Why after awakening from the Light should I suddenly be in the first truly dross and drudgery state of my life? I long for Home and 'this' life suddenly seems so much work. I want to go back Home.

Z
We talk about Heaven, being Home, and the peace associated with "death": all these are expressions of the Selfless State and have alternatively been described as Emptiness or Nothingness. When we are empty (i.e., free from ego-mind and thoughts), the state of Heaven is our natural state.

The ego-mind or “you” obviously do have to die to reach this Selfless State. So, when the ego-mind is concerned with trivial matters (and making them into a great concern) — such as brushing your teeth — then of course you feel burdened by life.

But the burden had nothing to do with “coming back” from the death of the physical body and everything to do with being re-occupied by ego when you awoke (which was really no awakening at all).

When we are truly absorbed in any present moment activity, then it is what it is. Brushing your teeth is just that, plain and simple; no concerns or worries — just an activity in and of itself.

I suppose those who have felt they were Home and are now able to contrast that feeling with “the dross and drudgery of daily life” would have an even greater sense of alienation and frustration.

You say, “I want to go back Home.” That could be the definitive answer to the question Why do we have religion and philosophy? The fact of the matter is you already are Home. There is only the illusion that you are not. What drives that illusion? Want. It’s the desire for something other than what is that turns daily life into “dross and drudgery”.

There is nothing partial and incomplete about this life — quite the opposite. It is complete and whole. Only desire and want make it seem otherwise. As you said, “it just seems like so much work” — seems being the key word.

Do Not Cling

Whenever I flip through the television channels I inevitably come across a religious program which features either a fire-and-brimstone preacher or some hallelujah-shouting, Jesus-healing evangelist. 

And there is never a shortage of people in the congregation; tears streaming from their faces as they are “moved” by the power of Christ.

I, for one, could never understand what all the hubbub was about. To just say that Jesus died on the cross so that you may be saved, does nothing for me. It makes no sense to me at all.

So I feel compelled to post this excerpt by Alan Watts from his book Beyond Theology :

Christian piety makes a strange image of the object of its devotion, "Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." HIM. The bearded moralist with the stern, kind, and vaguely hurt look in the eyes. The man with the lantern, knocking at the heart's door. "Come along now, boys! Enough of this horsing around! It's time you and I had a very serious talk." Christ Jesus our Lord. Jeez- us. Jeez- you. The Zen Buddhists say, "Wash out your mouth every time you say 'Buddha!'" The new life for Christianity begins just as soon as someone can get up in church and say, "Wash out your mouth every time you say 'Jesus!' "

For we are spiritually paralyzed by the fetish of Jesus. Even to atheists he is the supremely good man, the exemplar and moral authority with whom no one may disagree. Whatever our opinions, we must perforce wangle the words of Jesus to agree with them. Poor Jesus! If he had known how great an authority was to be projected upon him, he would never have said a word. His literary image in the Gospels has, through centuries of homage, become far more of an idol than anything graven in wood or stone, so that today the most genuinely reverent act of worship is to destroy that image. In his own words, "It is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the Paraclete [the Holy Spirit] cannot come unto you." Or, as the angel said to the disciples who came looking for the body of Jesus in the tomb, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen and has gone before you . . . ." But Christian piety does not let him go away, and continues to seek the living Christ in the dead letter of the historical record. As he said to the Jews, "You search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life."

The Crucifixion gives eternal life because it is the giving up of God as an object to be possessed, known, and held to for one's own safety, "for he that would save his soul shall lose it." To cling to Jesus is therefore to worship a Christ uncrucified, an idol instead of the living God. *

Like other great sages, Jesus — as quoted in the Bible and The Gospel of Thomas — said some wise and wonderful things. But as Mr. Watts points out, one should be careful not to cling to the words of one man; and to make this one’s “method” for finding God. 

* Copyright 1964, by Alan Watts 

An Effortless Life

They say that with age comes wisdom. But does it?

What knowledge do I possess now that I did not thirty, forty, or fifty years ago?

Exactly who is it that is now wise, where he was once “unwise”? Was I not already endowed — from birth — with all of the essential qualities needed to experience life? Have I not always been able to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch? Have I not always been a “child of the Universe”?

Real wisdom is inherent in everyone. We know how to live; how to exist; and we do. Moreover, we live without effort; but our conscious minds tell us otherwise.

Does real living require any effort? Think about the five senses. It takes no effort to see, hear, touch, smell or taste. No effort is required for your heart to beat. Thoughts come and go — effortlessly. Your blood circulates, you breathe, you maintain a proper temperature, you digest food and your body rids itself of waste; all with no conscious effort. Hair and nails grow, your mouth stays moist with saliva, cuts and bruises heal on their own.

Everything which is done without conscious attention is done effortlessly. When ego and conscious attention get in the way, a “struggle” ensues and life seems difficult.

When we still our restless thoughts and see beyond concepts, duality, and all the illusions created by the ego-conscious mind, we experience life as it is — an effortless expression of the True Self.
 

Answering My Questions. Questioning My Answers.

I cut my hand the other day. It’s almost healed now. Did I heal it and, if so, how did I do it?

You, as the ego-self, most certainly did not do it. The you that beats the heart, grows hair and nails, and breathes life-giving air into the lungs did it. No one can say how they (as the ego-self) heal a wound. Anyone pressed for an explanation will likely respond “It just healed itself”. This is a clue that “you” are something beyond your self.

Who am I outside of my body?

The body is one part of the Whole that I am, including my brain, my environment, other people — everything.

There are sights and sounds. Are they external to you or are they all in your mind?

Seeing is sight. Hearing is sound. My mind and my experience are one; there is no need to differentiate between them.

When I am walking down the street, am I passing from point A to point B or am I stationary while the world is moving beneath me?

Is there a difference? There is no separate external world; there is no separate internal you. The way you view the movement is based on your perception of the body relative to the environment. However, they define each other.

There is a room in my house. I’ve seen it before and know what’s in it. But I don’t see it now. No one does. Is it there now, or will it become real once I am present to experience it?

What is reality beyond the experience of the here and now? You say the room is there. In this moment it only exists as a memory. Not until you are in the room experiencing it does it become a present moment reality.

Is there an edge to the Universe? If so, what’s beyond it?

Again, do the outer edges of the Universe exist unless we are able to observe them? Once we observe farther into space, more space opens up. Once we inspect the smallest particles beyond the atomic level, we find smaller particles, and so on. Try to imagine nothingness. Neither somethingness nor nothingness can exist on their own.

Is there an experience beyond death?

What was your experience before conception? Whose death are we speaking of? Once the experience of the individual ceases, that particular story ends. But the Whole of Existence — that which you really are — continues on. It was there long before the body was born and will be there long after the body has died. When the individual being identifies itself with the One, there is a realization: the death of the limited self gives birth to the immortal Self and there is no need to be concerned with any experience beyond “death”.

What is God?

I cannot say what God is; I can only say what God is not. God isn’t an idol to be worshipped, an anthropomorphic being, a man-made idea, or any thing. God — the Eternal, the One, the True Self — just is.
 

An Introspective Look Outward

Reach out. Look at your hand. Look at the world beyond. Now look down at your body, your legs, your feet. Now, without using a mirror, try to look at your face. Without having it reflected in some way, you cannot see it. Even when you do see it, in a mirror or photograph, it is just a representation. You have never seen your face, and you never will.

Like a sword that cuts, but cannot cut itself;
Like an eye that sees, but cannot see itself. *

Your true “face” is the outward which is reflected back to you in the form of sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. Looking outward, we see the Self. Looking inward — in terms of thoughts, beliefs, tenets, ideas, concepts, etc. — we see the ego-self.

When we are self-conscious (i.e., ego-conscious), we are aware of this identity we have created playing its part in the drama of life. We can actually picture the ego-face as we interact with others and with whatever situation is unfolding. That image disappears however when we are enraptured by a present moment activity that “absorbs” us completely.

But we also have another way of looking inward; of sensing our being: becoming aware of the Source from which our being and the being of all others arises. This introspection is not concerned with the outward problems of the world. This is a search of Self-discovery.

The irony here is that we cannot find the Self by seeking. What we seek is here and now. It is this moment; whole and complete. Once an attempt — via a thought process — is made, the moment is lost. Therefore, that which is sought is best left unsought and allowed to arise on its own.

You cannot get it by taking thought;
You cannot seek it by not taking thought.*

This is not to dismiss activities such as self-enquiry, meditation, and silent introspection. Many would advocate these as ways to dissolve the illusory dualistic line between the inner self and the outer world. Perhaps. But only in the sense that an illusion can be dispelled by knowledge; by a deep understanding that manifests itself. The illusions of ego and a world separate from “you” cannot be tossed aside or made to disappear by some “technique” or action of the ego-self. Any such attempts are sure to lead to frustration and failure.

Whether we are looking “out” or looking “in”, the activity of that moment is contained in one effortless action — being.

To see the True Face, we need only see. To hear the voice of God, we need just listen.



* from the Zenrin Kushu
 

No Need To Question

There is a life form: a complex being — human. It is conscious. It is aware. The being can formulate thoughts. Thoughts come and go. A question arises out of those thoughts: "Why are we here?" or "What does it all mean?" or "Is there a God?" No matter how hard we try, it seems that no satisfactory answer can be found.

Perhaps there is no answer. Perhaps the question is flawed. Perhaps the real answer is this: There are no words which can fully explain and/or express this unfathomable state of being. The seeker ultimately understands that he or she must go beyond words and thoughts in order to know his or her Highest State.

There is a desire to know. Desire is produced by thoughts. The mind is now preoccupied with this desire. We try to understand through intellect. Intellect is a product of the mind; the capacity to think. So again, we have thoughts preoccupying the mind and clouding awareness of the present moment. In these conditions, we feel removed from the present experience, and the present experience is who we are.

The Self is limitless, and thus, unknowable. It is untouchable; unable to be probed and fully understood by intellect. In the same sense that you do not have the ability to see your own eyes or to touch the tip of your finger with that same finger, the Self cannot be known because it is the Source — the Source from which everything, including intellect, originates.

We use words, concepts, and images in an effort to understand it all. However, we inevitably fail to grasp that which cannot be held. But, paradoxically, when the effort to have it all in your grasp ceases, there is a deep sense of understanding. A knowledge beyond intellect arises; on its own.

From the Cheng-tao Ke:

Like the empty sky it has no boundaries,
Yet it is right in this place, ever profound and clear
When you see to know it, you cannot see it
You cannot take hold of it
But you cannot lose it
In not being able to get it, you get it
When you are silent, it speaks;
When you speak, it is silent.
The great gate is wide open to bestow alms,
And no crowd is blocking the way

There is no need to question. The answer is here and now.