Only the Few

Being of the Many is in looking at Life as others do.
Being of the Many is in living your life as though others are not what they say they are.
Being of the Many is in conceiving of Life in divisible pieces and separate occurrences, while
being of the Few is in Seeing Life as it is: an unending, undivided, omni-taneous process.

That which falls, arises;
that which leaves, returns.
Only forms could do otherwise,
and no such form has yet been seen by the Few.

Only the Few know “I” as a verb, not a noun.

To be properly “hit” one must be blind-sided, (and part of the profit of such an unexpected attack is in being made to see that one has a blind side).

One suitable, picture-definition of ordinary man, is in him buying caged birds from a priest so as to release them for assumed spiritual reward.

J.

The Two Ignorances

The maps-of-words are employed to convey certain ideas, but once the ideas are understood, the words may be abandoned.

Ordinary consciousness is no more than the unprofitable, induced attempt to grasp the processes of reality and hold them to be solid, consistent forms.

There are two Ignorances: the Smaller and the Greater.  The Smaller is in believing you know what manner of thing you are, while the Greater is in believing you are a thing.

Each man’s ordinary “I” is but the mechanical termination of the nervous system circuitry...
What a shocking thing to Consider!

Appearances are not deceiving,
Appearances are just appearances.

J.

Over-The-Counter

The anti-bodies for intellectual bugs do not come across-the-counter.

One guy tried to rally up a crowd with the following slogan,

“Come On, Let’s All Smile AT the News.”

Sarcastic remarks are not demanded by most human activities…who would try to fright a firecracker?

Standing in the midst of the City, you can hear the damndest things, and you don’t have to leave home to do it.

“Hey listen upstairs…I think I hear someone calling me…”

J.

Energy is the Provider

That which is foolish in three dimensions may be illustrious in more.

As long as you keep dancing, the band will keep playing…and of course, vice-the-ole-versa.

Energy is the provider, even if batteries are not included.

There’s this one planet where they think the proper study of themselves is in the study of anything BUT themselves.  (What a planet, what a self.)

Are you gonna have to be forced to ignore the obvious?

J.

He Who Goes Alone

All real striving is in secret, and all effort, invisible.

There was this other guy who would sometimes tell his own inner dialogue, “You might as well keep your suggestions to yourself, I ain’t running a fuckin’ democracy here.”

He who goes alone,
doesn’t have to likewise return.

Are the nights getting shorter, or are you hearing quicker?  It has gotta be one or the other, right?  (On this planet, I’m not sure that’s even a question.)

Those who can, do, and those who can’t, think about it, and those who can think about it, do, and those who can’t, still think about it.  (Fair’s fair everywhere…except on this one planet I hear about.)

J.

Business is Business

On one planet I know of, you can operate on “auto pilot,” driven simply by biological necessity– while on this other world you can navigate by your awareness of certain biological possibilities.

Most obvious characteristics can be ignored.

Who’s to wait for the mob to push a hero forward?

All that’s not business
is still business.

(And all that’s not hobby is business also).

J.

Eye on the Ball

There are two possibilities:  You can either be confused or enlightened.  And when you are enlightened, there are two more possibilities.  You can either be enlightened about enlightenment, or else confused as to what it actually is.  (Isn’t that scrumptious?!)

If the goal is to “find yourself,” you will never do so while saying any more than is called for.  If there is anything other than man’s “illusionery self,” it is hidden behind the din of excessive speech.  It is easier to be “plain thinking” when you are not drunk on words.

Verbal descriptions are not without value, for they may faithfully correspond to physical reality– but, they never do so regarding man’s internal reality.

It’s not enough to want to awaken,
It’s not enough to be told how to awaken,
It’s not enough for you to believe that you know how to awaken,

For unless you get to the bottom of what “Awakening” is,
You’ll never really get on top of it.

One mystic told a man that the way to awaken is to “Keep your eye on the ball,” and after years of trying, he returned and told the mystic that he had come to the conclusion that he didn’t have a ball.  And the mystic said:  “Now you’re beginning to see it.”

Only a man fully awake, fully understands what he says.
And only a man totally free is free to say whatever he wants.

J.

That Can't Be True!

Something else, (concerning that certain subject we’ve been noting): saying more about a matter than is necessary is what gives so many of them an undeserved sense of seriousness.

Talk enough about a trifle and it will become formidable.  Look what happens with men continually talking about that illusion that they call themselves.  So thinks a man:  “I must be of special significance, else why would I so stay on my mind?!”

And now to that most popular of our features:  THAT CAN”T BE TRUE!.

The most worthy sounding of aims is to “try to…” 
Yes indeed; that can’t be true.

A TECHNICAL FACT:

When machines attempt to comprehend their own operations, they experience–“Performance Alienation” –self-induced, industrial “Work Stoppage.”  (And with nary a shop steward in sight.)

All men love to discuss theories of “The Truth,” and of lies, but few ever realize that anything said that is more than is called for, is ALL lies.  (Do you believe that this should be in the “THAT CAN’T BE TRUE” file?!)

J.

Fun is Fun

From one view, the difference between the ordinary and the Few is that while everyone mentally runs around in circles, the ordinary believe that they’re going in a straight line.

Fun is fun,
and info is info;

(Info’s amusement,
but few ever catch on.)

Dogs enjoy chasing their tail, (but–jeeze), they don’t take it to be a metaphysical activity.

One man mused: “How is it possible that I spent fifty years reading about enlightenment, talking about enlightenment, thinking about enlightenment, and claiming that I sought enlightenment, without ever realizing what it’s all about?”  He answered his own question:  “It was possible because any time that you’re reading, talking or thinking about enlightenment, you can’t comprehend what it’s actually about.”  And right there he has expressed the distinction between those who try to wake up, and those who get beyond the stage of “trying.”

One dog looked at his tail and mused:  “It is entertaining, but it is not very enlightening.”

It’s a shame the canine doesn’t share our aim, or that one observation.  It could have “set him free”! 
(“Arf, arf! Thanks be to Zeus–I see the light!”)

J.

The Daily Salt

In yet another untold version of the creation myth:

Life did not drive Adam from Paradise, but the other way around, when Adam discovered that Life had let the drugs run out.

Or, (as he brushed the dust from his wings) said Wrong Way Corrigan: "Sometimes it doesn't seem to matter which way you turn...."

A Note from the Email Bag:
"Would you please repeat the one about a man who named his thoughts, 'Yeah, yeah'?"

Yeah, yeah.

According to history, there were originally two types of mystics: agitated mystics, and calm mystics.  And one of the two eventually absorbed the other.

"Hey, Hubert, what 'chu reckon they're talkin' about now, actually, two types of mystics? Or are we back to just inside one guy's head again?"

The Rule Of The Sea
for the mystical salt:

Don't let your boat be rocked.

And a certain mystical equestrian pondered: "What is the profit in setting free a wild horse?"

J.

Busy Body New Year Edition

One man has presently come to this point:  "If I am to get anywhere new with my thinking, I must take it outside the confines of my head."

The body is indeed a busy place--
but not the busiest in town.

According to legend, a student (who was allowed one question each new year) once asked a mystic, "If you're awake to the point of realizing that there's no one else more awake than you are, is that as awake as you're gonna get?"  But the mystic said he didn't answer questions like that.

The only worthwhile prophet is one who can prophesy his own demise.
Now, for "prophet" substitute the word "mind."
(Now, that makes the information worthy of 2021.)

And one man's come up with this idea just in time for the new year:

"It doesn't matter so much what you think just as long as you don't.”

(The great thing about being a mystic, once you're ready to leave, is that there's no one there
to see you off.)

J.

What You Think

From one view, (pertinent to the Few), it could be said that the origin of the dissatisfaction that fuels their special interest is their saying-more-than-is-necessary…(both to others and to themselves).

Analyzing what you think can be of passing amusement, but it will not help you get to the bottom of things – other than showing you that “what you think” is of no consequence.

HISTORICAL FOOTNOTE:

The mind attempting to analyze itself was the model for a room constructed entirely of mirrors.

COGNITIVE FOOTNOTE:

Some mental feats are possible, but one is not, and no one studying the matter can distinguish between the two types.

TRAVEL FOOTNOTE:

You can’t get to Istanbul while trying to get there.  Oh, you can reach the outskirts of town, you can even get vague glimpses of its outline through the fog, but you’ll never actually get there while you’re trying to. 

(And by the way, there is a very good reason for this, which is that the mythical city doesn’t actually exist during the times you’re trying to reach it.  Or put another way, when you’re in a room whose walls, floors and ceiling are all mirrors you can’t tell that you’re in such a place while you attention is held by reflections you see in the mirrors. To discover where you are, you must turn your attention inward and focus on what it is in you that is naturally drawn to the reflections.)

WARNING: 

Do not let someone tell you that the mind cannot comprehend itself–no, make the needed effort so that if this IS so, you’ll be able to tell yourself…that is–if in fact it is true.

J.

Anything the Mind Can Say

Can you begin to realize, just a little by now, that anything the mind can say is “somehow true”?

Can you begin to realize, at first, the danger in this, and later, the joyful relief? 

Anything the mind can say is “somehow true.”

There was once a man who thought, “If only I had a million dollars, I just know I'd be a more popular and completed person.”  Well, can you believe it; one day his dream was granted and it turned out that he was partially right.  But some years later, it struck him and he thought, “You know, partially just won't cut it.”

An ordinary man will pursue activities that he believes will make him a “better person,” while the Few undertake a Struggle that may simply make them a person.

The struggle to evolve eventually becomes, “you against the world.”  Not from some imagined anger, but from a positive hunger.

J.

The Name of a Thing

The true power of habit
is just that, the power of habit.

I once heard a squirrel offer this prayer to the tree gods:

“Guard me from intrigue;
save me from suggestion;
deliver me from anger...
the rest I can do for myself.”

After pondering this for several thousand years, I must admit I'm still amazed.

A strolling man can spy an ant and change his direction while thinking, “I will not step on this smaller, helpless creature.”  But no such decision or compassion is forthcoming from our friends Mr. Earthquake and Ms. Tidalwave.

Yeah, I know...but still you best be reminded:

The name of a thing
is not its name,
but only what its name is called.

Once, while on a visit to a far side of the universe, I overheard one star tell another,
“You're certainly on the red side of the spectrum, considering your size.”  And the other one replied: “Yes, but who ever expected silver futures to plummet so near the end of the year?”  Don't look at me –I didn't understand it either.

J.

La La La Edition

Try it this way:

What if there is no one mystical way, for the simple reason that there is no mystical way, only people on the mystical way.  Or, as Mr. Science said upon hearing this, "Boy, now I'm really confused!"

One method that can be employed in pursuit of The Secret is a continual "thinking about thinking," but it must be continual; whenever you are thinking you must also, at that very same instant, be "thinking about thinking."

A certain mystic once said, "No man has ever awakened in a crowd.  I leave it to you, whether I mean this literally or not."

So was recently struck one man:   “If my mind had hands and feet, it wouldn't be just a mind."

And his mind piped in, "What d'ya mean 'just'?"

The simple love to sing their own praises;
the sophisticated love to hear theirs sung by others.

Who sings for and about the mystics?
No one, thank god, no one, by god!

J.

A Black-Hole in the Fabric

Those-who-know do not lead groups of mere seekers, for the path and destination is here.
They do not herd bands of religious idiots, for their dreams of salvation are the reality
of their destruction. 
And they do not instruct routine fools in intellectual speculation, for the Secret is known.

There is nothing wrong with ordinary life...assuming, of course, that you are ordinary.

This can be called many fine things, but it can also be seen as an unexpected black-hole in the evolutionary fabric of predictability:  a hole into which only a Few care to fly.

Real maps have always been relatively secret in their time since all things, including maps, have a lifespan, and a wide-spread usage of the maps would only increase the rate of their decay.

Part of what alcohol and drugs do for ordinary man is to open up the possibility of doing the unexpected.  A cheap imitation, I'd say, of certain hobbies of the Few.

J.

The Curtain Rises

Life is alive,
Life is alive.

And the curtain rises on the downfall of the foolish.

And what is This Thing within the music of the spheres? 
Do we not go from the intricate practice of the symphonies
to the continuing improvisation of the improbable?

Can you still remember the childhood dream of becoming intelligent, the naive expectation of becoming real?  If so, you are a special piece of Life's-Unfinished-Business...Welcome home.

The war against conformity continues, but the enemy often times remains unknown.

Man loves to dream of gods, secret societies, and cosmic fates, since only the Few can bear the glare of direct reality.

J.

Disorderly Delights: Holiday Edition

Might you sleep while awake?

Could you bear to do otherwise?

Can you understand the question?

What usually passes for intelligence is simply what the ordinary have so labeled. Within a certain invisible kingdom, however, faulty wiring is not recognized as art.

Ordinary men fear that the future may be cancelled, while the Few expressly attempt to extinguish the past.

Routine life is a prison, and the Few seek escape­–not penal reform.

Once it is properly seen, disorderly delights delight the delightfully disorderly.

J.

That Certain Step

That Certain Step is never taken without a particular taste of madness.

I once heard a story: There was a man who had been discoursing with a group of listeners about a thing he called, “The Mighty Battle,” and one day he called them all together and said, “I need to confess.  All this time, I have lied to you.  I simply read about The Mighty Battle in a book.  I don't have any more idea what it is about than you do.  I've made up everything I've told you.  I'm a liar and a fraud.  Everything I've done has been a waste.”  Well, there was crying and screaming; people looking blank and confused.  It was total shock and dismay as they all stumbled and ran away; all except for one man who just continued to sit there.  The sham-teacher screamed at him, “Didn't you hear me?  Didn't you hear what I said?  Run, get away from here!”  And the fellow said, “Never mind all that shit; it's too late. I almost understand it all.”

A wandering swami once came by and proclaimed that the secret of Enlightenment was to stand on one leg forever and ever, and a group of listeners decided he was crazy, and they were right.

Another swami came by and announced that one could gain Enlightenment by eating only camel burgers.  The same group of listeners said he was deluded, and they were right. 

A third swami came to visit and taught that Enlightenment would result if only men would rhythmically beat on their temples with large pieces of broken pottery.  The group of listeners went off and discussed the matter, and decided that the law of averages was bound to catch up with them, and began breaking up plates and pitchers to get on with the job at hand. 

All hail and greeting great men of earth. Is it not pleasant to learn that all ideas of change are far, far away, while the possibility of nothing is always right at hand.

J.

Names and Places

Remember, there are no isolated events, only names and places on a collection of memories, of movements.

 What men call God would be the Independent.
All else is interdependent.

When you are mentally alive only in attention; you but gaze forever into the past

I once met a man who swore he was “truly religious.” He said he was aware of the many philosophical arguments against such, and that he was familiar with logical dis-proofs. But he said, “No matter; religious I am, and religious I shall always be.” I expressed my interest in such an attitude and belief, and invited him to sit with me and persuasively explain the basis for his deep convictions. He screwed up his face, looked at his watch, and said, “Ah, to hell with it.”

J.