~ ∞ ~ The Essence of Zen - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~
Myth of Myself is a lecture from the Tao of Philosophy series. It delves deep into the mystery of self and the sensations of ego; comparing Western and Eastern mythologies of how "I" came to be. Did God create us with intention? Did blind forces of the universe collide together and in the process churn out people as a byproduct? The Tao of Philosophy album is part of the Essential Lectures Collection and began its life as the first essential lecture series in 1972 after Alan Watts asked his son Mark to compile a collection of core talks. The series looks at issues of identity, our place in nature, and the limits of symbolic thinking.
I believe that if we are honest with ourselves, that the most fascinating problem in the world is “Who am I?” What do you mean, what do you feel when you say the word “I”, “I, Myself”? I do not think there can be any more fascinating preoccupation than that because it is so mysterious, it’s so elusive. Because what you are in your inmost being escapes your examination in rather the same way that you can not look directly into your own eyes without using a mirror, you can’t bite your own teeth, you can’t taste your own tongue and you can’t touch the tip of this finger with the tip of this finger. And that is why there is always an element of profound mystery in the problem of who we are. This problem has fascinated me for many years and I have made many enquiries “What do you mean by the word I?” And there is a certain consensus about this, a certain agreement, especially among people who live in Western civilization.
Most of us feel “I” – ego, myself, my source of consciousness – to be a center of awareness and of a source of action that resides in the middle of a bag of skin and so we have what I have called the conception of ourselves as a skin-encapsulated ego. It is very funny how we use the word “I”, if we just refer to common speech, we are not accustomed to say, “I am a body.” We rather say, “I have a body.” We do not say, “I beat my heart” in the same way as we say, “I walk, I think, I talk.” We feel that our heart beats itself, and that has nothing very much to do with “I.” In other words, we do not regard “I, myself” as identical with our whole physical organism. We regard it as something inside it, and most Western people locate their ego inside their heads. You are somewhere between your eyes and between your ears, and the rest of you dangles from that point of reference. It is not so in other cultures. When a Chinese or Japanese person wants to locate the center of himself, he points (here, not here, here) to what Japanese call the kokoro or the Chinese call shin, the heart-mind. Some people also locate themselves in the solar plexus, but by and large we locate ourselves behind the eyes and somewhere between the ears.
Western man has, for many centuries, been under the influence of two great myths. When I use the word “myth” I don’t necessarily mean falsehood. To me the word myth signifies a great idea in terms of which man tries to make sense with the world; it may be an idea, it may be an image. Now the two images which have most profoundly influenced Western man are: number one – the image of the world as an artifact, like a carpenter’s table or a jar made by a potter. Indeed, in the Book of Genesis there comes the idea that man was originally a clay figurine made out of the Earth by the Lord God who then breathed into this clay figurine and gave it life. The whole of Western thought is profoundly influenced through and through by the idea that all things – all events, all people, all mountains, all stars, all flowers, all grasshoppers, all worms, everything – are artifacts; they have been made. And it is therefore natural for a Western child to say to its mother, “How was I made?” That would be quite an unnatural question for a Chinese child, because the Chinese do not think of nature as something made. They look upon it as something that grows, and the two processes are quite different. When you make something you put it together: you assemble parts, or you carve an image out of wood or stone, working from the outside to the inside. But when you watch something grow, it works in an entirely different way. It doesn’t assemble parts. It expands from within and gradually complicates itself, expanding outwards, like a bud blossoming, like a seed turning into a plant...
~ ∞ ~ On Interconnectedness 2/2 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~
As everything is interconnected, interdependent, and interrelated, as everything seems to be arising in relation to everything else – it would mean that cause and effect “inter-are,” that all things – both seen and unseen, are bound together by cause and effect. As everything arises in relation to everything else, it would also mean that nothing can exist in absolute independence of other things or arise of its own accord. Everything in the world, therefore, comes into existence in response to causes and conditions, which means that all beings and phenomena exist or occur only because of their relationship with other things. And so you see, with regard to humans, the whole of humanity is a single being – having a collective consciousness, the sum total of all human life, having a collective direction and destiny; each life is a link in a chain of lives, bound together by cause and effect, different, yet the same – see?
This chain of lives or “samsara” as it is called in Sanskrit, refers to the idea that human life is a repeated story; the one we all have been caught up – a dream from which we are unable or unwilling to wake up. This perpetual cycle of interconnected and interrelated chain of lives is caused by a lack of knowledge, lack of awareness, and most of all, ignorance that is caused by our desire for fulfillment outside of ourselves, grasping at passing experiences. And so you see, when people are looking outside, they never have to look inside, and so it goes that yearning for fulfillment outside of ourselves only generates more desire, making the cycle of desire a continuous, perpetual self-sustaining loop. This brings us face to face with another aspect, far too rarely or infrequently discussed or written about. You see, nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to learn, which goes on to say that everything seems to be cyclical.
One doesn’t need to be particularly observant or to have a keen eye for detail to see that not only are the stories we tell cyclical, but also our lives and everything in it, including our thoughts and ideas, desires and attachments. In the end, we all want the same things in life: health, happiness, and love – very much in that order, and most of all, contentment and fulfillment; none of which are dependent upon external factors such as money or belongings – yet, the peculiar thing is that most people seek these things from the world outside themselves. And because of this, we continue repeating the cycle, retelling the same stories over and over; this is why we continue to embody ourselves, or be reborn in this infinite and eternal universe as a result of these unfulfilled desires – the chain of births lets us resume the pursuit, until such time when we can become aware enough to awaken from this never-ending dream, and realize that we ourselves hold the key that can end this perpetual cycle, resulting in the cessation of suffering that arises from our ignorance of the true nature of reality, and which is caused by our desire and attachments – see?
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By virtue of the aforementioned, it should be pointed out that it matters not whether or not one happens to believe in, or subscribe to, the idea of a repeated or continued nature of human life, i.e., rebirth – what matters most is that we ourselves, humanity – as a collective, are enough evidence that there is more to human life than meets the eye. Isn’t it peculiar that besides the cyclical nature of the stories we tell, thoughts we think, ideas we come up with, desires we have, and attachments we cling to – everything in life seems to be rediscovered, reinvented, recycled, reused and repurposed time and time again? Intriguing, isn’t it? And so you see, as it has been before, so it shall be again, and what has been done before, will be done again. Against this backdrop, one should be asking themselves: Is there a deeper meaning behind it all? Could the meaning be as simple as this: Life is a full circle; coming back around, again and again, in hopes of meeting ourselves; in hopes of seeing and really knowing ourselves; around and around and around we go, in this thing we call life. And now the question becomes: Is it really so simple? Hardly. In principle, maybe, but in practice – not so much.
If we could learn to recognize and acknowledge that everything arises in dependence upon multiple causes and conditions, it can lead us one step closer to peace – with ourselves and with others. Pointless conflicts in human relations would diminish greatly, if we as individuals would embrace the view “because of that, this exists,” and, “because of that person, I can develop.” If we manage to do that, then the next step would be realizing that nothing happens by chance – everything happens for a reason, you see? We can use the following analogy to understand this better: this is – because that is; this happens – because that happens. Another way of saying the same is through negation: this is not – because that is not; this ceases to be – because that ceases to be. Whether or not we are aware of the interconnected web of causes and conditions that bring about an effect, one thing is certain: every action has a reaction, or consequence, you see? This goes on to say that eventually we have to face up to the consequences of our actions – both individually and collectively, “we reap what we sow,” as they say.
As our realization deepens, of the interconnected nature of life, we begin to discover that we can’t separate ourselves from the pain and suffering of others, and that the suffering of the world is our own suffering as well – this brings us to the idea of compassion, which is a whole other topic on its own, and is left out of the discussion for the sake of simplicity. For the sake of context, though, it should be noted that the word ‘compassion’ originates from the Latin root meaning “co-suffering.” The essence of compassion is a desire to alleviate the suffering of others and to promote their well-being. Some would say that compassion originates as an empathic response to suffering, while others hold that compassion originates in our own suffering and self-compassion, which is then recognized in the other. Now, let us consider this: If personal suffering stems mainly from craving and ignorance – the same applies to the suffering that afflicts us on a collective scale – ignorance begets ignorance, and suffering begets suffering, doesn’t it?
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We humans are beings who are particularly good at ignoring problems and their causes; we are beings who like to blame others and not take responsibility for our actions – does it not, then, inflict suffering upon others if we behave irresponsibly? To inflict suffering upon others is to become more deeply involved in ignorance, deepening the problems we already have. Indeed, people inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction through external means, but alas, the honest truth is that true happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment. In so doing, in our pursuit of satisfying our craving, we are subject to emotions without properly using our intuition and intelligence, which is why we are in conflict with ourselves and with others. In an interconnected world, this inner conflict manifests in various forms and occurs at different levels. In other words, our inner conditions have a real and tangible impact on the external world – see?
By virtue of the aforementioned, considering the interconnected nature of life, isn’t it intriguing that of all things, it is suffering that unites humanity? Isn’t it intriguing that instead of happiness, contentment and fulfillment, it is the void we feel inside, and our attempt to fill the void what unites us all? Isn’t it intriguing that we all look for peace and happiness, contentment and fulfillment in the things of the world, and we try to fill the void with anything – be it people, money, education, sex, drugs, travel, entertainment, cars, houses, or other material possessions – however big or small? But alas, the honest truth is that satisfaction in life is not a function of what you can buy in a store; happiness in life has little to do with what you wear, drive, eat or drink – see?
Here we should ask ourselves: Why are so many of us driven by the cravings of various sorts? Why is it that everyone seems to want the same things that others do? Why are so many of us driven to accumulate more of everything, without any evidence that they provide us with contentment and fulfillment? We can only arrive at one conclusion: this endless craving of material possessions is our desperate way of trying to alleviate our spiritual thirst for deeper fulfillment. And so you see, all along, these things we seek – happiness, contentment, and fulfillment, are our very nature – our very own center of being.
Wouldn’t all this then suggest that as we live in an interconnected world, taking care of ourselves is intimately linked to, connected with, and dependent upon taking care of each other and the Earth? Wouldn’t this also suggest that the overall health of the individual and society is dependent upon inner well-being more than anything else? This, in turn, can be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion, and elimination of ignorance, selfishness and greed, can it not? How else would an intelligent, sentient species like us humans survive, grow, progress, and eventually prosper – if not through these means? All things living in harmony, live long, and they prosper, do they not? Are humans any different in this respect?
Extra Material:Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"
~ ∞ ~ On Interconnectedness 1/2 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~
Besides all the aforementioned themes, another equally important aspect of this work is interconnectedness, and because it is an overarching theme throughout this book, a few words are in order in that regard – there are two facets to look at here: first, the interconnectedness on a larger scale; second, the interconnectedness as it pertains to us human beings. It is worth mentioning that although there is no one particular chapter dedicated in the exploration of this theme besides this one, there are plenty of discussion throughout each section covering all the needed aspects of it.
A good way to start would be to say that this book stems from the deep realization that most of what we encounter in our environment is alive, filled with interconnected intelligence, which goes on to say that Living Intelligence is present in all that we call life. Interconnectedness and symbiotic relationships are present everywhere, occurring all around us all the time – between the Earth and humans, between people themselves, people and animals, plants and animals, and all the connections in between – see? In the pages of this book, we will come to learn that Life on Earth is an autopoietic system – self-producing, self-perpetuating, self-organizing, self-maintaining and self-regulating Intelligent System, and that human beings are an intrinsic part of this Interconnected Web of Life – together they form a symbiotic relationship, you see? Therefore, it is essential to be aware of, and to appreciate the Interconnected Web of All Life.
Throughout the living world, we find living systems nesting within other living systems (Interconnected Symbiosis), which means that nature has learned how to create organisms that grow and self-organize without planning – still working in unison. What a magnificent feat, isn’t it? To give an example: cells combine to form tissues, tissues to form organs, and organs to form organisms. Material world, therefore – ultimately, is a network of inseparable patterns of relationships – interconnections, you see? This means that also the Earth as a whole is an Intelligent Living System.
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By virtue of the aforementioned, it is clear that we as human beings are an intrinsic part of nature, and of the larger whole – Sentient Intelligence, individuated, yet interconnected and interdependent on other parts. Indeed, we are connected with everything – the earth, oceans, forests and mountains, all species, and most of all – with all people. We are one drop in the entire ocean while simultaneously being the entire ocean in one drop – see? When we look around us, we can see that nothing exists in isolation, which is another way of saying that everything is inherently interconnected, intimately interdependent, and hence inextricably interrelated. Upon deeper examination, one finds that ultimately, the whole of humanity is a single being – having a collective consciousness; each life is a link in a chain of lives that extends far into the past and projects far into the future. We are part of, and intimately connected to, absolutely everything in the universe – the deeper we go, the more we see how truly connected we are.
We live in an Interconnected World, in which biological, psychological, social, and environmental phenomena are all interdependent. Therefore, it is essential to explore these interconnections if we are to better understand ourselves and our place in the greater scheme of things, our role in bringing about balance in the environment and in our lives, or upsetting the balance even further – instigating disharmony, deepening the problems we already have, you see? The larger lesson is to make a conscious effort in our daily lives to understand these interconnections – if we can discover and implement ways of honoring these connections in our daily lives, we would be well on our way toward a more sustainable world, with a healthier and more balanced way of life, wouldn’t we?
In the modern era of laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other gadgets of various kinds, the interconnected nature of life has become ever more apparent. Digitally interconnected networks have offered us amazing new ways to understand in practical terms, not only how connected everything is, but also how dependent we have become of these digital networks. This, in turn, goes a long way to demonstrating how vulnerable everything is – all major systems underlying our society are dependent upon these networks and technological machinery and equipment that keeps it working.
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The Digital Revolution has played a huge part in helping us forming new connections all around the world; interconnected digital networks and the Internet has virtually removed all the barriers between the countries, making it possible for us to communicate with other people easily and effortlessly. What we may have missed in the midst of this technological frenzy is that our lives are intimately bound up with the fragile organism of life on Earth and the interdependence of all species. We should take heed of this and reflect on it, shouldn’t we? It goes without saying that we would do well as a species to heed the lessons we can learn from the digitally interconnected world. When one has the understanding that we are part of the whole and the whole is part of us, then we start living in a new way – see?
Because all life on Earth exists in an Interconnected Web, it means that what happens to the Earth affects everyone, and everyone’s behavior affects the Earth, and since humans are not isolated beings, their interpersonal actions have much greater consequences and impact than most realize. But alas, all too often we lose sight of how our actions affect others, and others’ actions affect us. Indeed, everything we do has a ripple effect on everything else – you see, every action activates a cause, which in turn triggers an effect. This is why becoming conscious and aware of our thoughts, words, and actions is of paramount importance – especially in these turbulent times where interconnectedness is becoming more and more pronounced by the day. The practice of mindfulness is therefore more important than ever before – it is the aliveness we bring to our everyday lives that makes all the difference.
Extra Material:Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"
~ ∞ ~ On Change and Transformation 3/3 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~
By virtue of the aforementioned with regard to the challenges humanity is facing, we should address one important aspect: despite tremendous advances in so many fields, we still have great suffering in the world, and thus humanity continues to face enormous difficulties and problems. What makes this interesting is that many of these problems are of our own making. Likewise, the suffering we have in the world and experience both individually and collectively, is, if not solely, at least largely, self-inflicted. You see, if personal suffering stems mainly from craving and ignorance – the same applies to the suffering that afflicts us on a collective scale – craving begets craving, ignorance begets ignorance, and suffering begets suffering, doesn’t it? These together compound to become problems of behavior, which in turn keeps the vicious cycle alive, thereby strengthening and deepening both the problems and the suffering they cause.
So, taking all that into account, one should consider the following: If we are the source of our problems and suffering, we can also be the solution, can’t we? In spite of this obvious remedy, we choose not to see it. In so doing, we fail to recognize not only the source of our problems, but also the root of our suffering. Why is this? Well, we humans are particularly good at ignoring problems and their causes; we are beings who like to blame others and not take responsibility for our actions; we are subject to emotions without properly using our intuition and intelligence, which is why we are in conflict with ourselves and with others. As a result, this inner conflict manifests in various forms and occurs at different levels. In other words, our inner conditions have a real and tangible impact on the external world – see?
If we look at this from a wider perspective, it becomes evident that all the challenges we face are there for a reason, which goes on to say that whether we like it or not, the honest and somewhat harsh truth – depending on how one chooses to see it, is that the challenges that are put in our path help us grow. Against this backdrop, we can make the following conclusion: all the challenges we face today are pointing directly to this nexus point of choice – and frankly, there are only two options from which to choose: 1.) involution, 2.) devolution, of which the former means transformation, i.e., a process that follows the completion of evolution in the human form – the process of fulfilling the telos of human existence; and the latter obviously means the descent to a worse state, i.e., evolutionary degeneration – more specifically, spiritual degeneration. It is sad but very true – only at the precipice do we evolve, and only at the very edge do we transform – and even then, only a few do – see?
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This brings us to an important point: in light of our growing mastery over so many aspects of the physical world, it’s not unsurprising that many have come to place all their hopes in science, and even to believe that happiness can be achieved by means of what material science can deliver, hoping to find solace in scientific explanations, most of which are based on the unfounded assumptions, models and predictions, claims and promises that very rarely, if ever, come to pass. It is unfortunate that so many people are totally oblivious and completely unaware of the fact that real freedom and happiness can never come to them from outside of themselves. You see, like a seed – everything we need to live a fulfilled, happy and healthy life of wholeness is already within us.
Blinded by scientism and materialism, some people would like to dismiss the undeniable truth that science alone cannot solve the ultimate mystery of life. This is simply because we ourselves are an intrinsic part of the mystery we are trying to solve. Unless we add ourselves to the equation, we will never solve any of the major problems we are facing, nor will we solve the mysteries of life, either. It doesn’t take a genius to understand that something is seriously lacking in the way we humans are going about things. What are we lacking then? Plain and simple, in one word – compassion. The essence of compassion is a desire to alleviate the suffering of others and to promote their well-being. This raises the question of what causes the lack of compassion. It should not come as a surprise to anyone – we are giving too much attention to the external material aspects of life while neglecting moral ethics and inner values.
It doesn’t make matters any better when we account for the fact that humans are subject to the forces of others to direct their lives. Indeed, from birth we are told who we are by our society and our culture. As a result, most people have never realized the True Self – our innate Spiritual Nature, the Living Essence beyond name and form, words, ideas and thinking. This brings about the question: How can anyone be able to express compassion towards others if they lack self-compassion? And this brings us to an important point: they go hand in hand, which leads us to ask ourselves the following question: If we are incapable of loving ourselves and understanding our own value, is it really possible to see the value and worth of others?
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From this, we can draw the conclusion that all the major challenges we face in the world calls for an approach based on ethical awareness and inner values; the need for inner values is more pressing in this age of science and technology than ever before. Therefore, I would like to invite you to consider that we may need a whole new worldview to navigate this challenging time we face today. At the most fundamental level, we are talking about returning to the ways of our ancestors by living in harmony with nature – gently adjusting our lifestyle to bring us back into balance. If we combine holistic principles with modern technology; if we adjust our lifestyle to reflect higher values, morals, ideals, and principles; if we replace greed, competition, consumption, quantity, and domination with solidarity, cooperation, conservation, quality, and partnership, we would be well on our way toward a more sustainable world, with a healthier and more balanced way of life, wouldn’t we?
Extra Material:Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"
~ ∞ ~ On Change and Transformation 2/3 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~
Through this book, I invite you to consider that we may need a whole new worldview to navigate this challenging time we face today. As such, let this book be a testament of great transformation; a collective message from those who paved the way for the future generations – sending reverberations through time and space to remind ourselves that the Human Spirit is free, and is not limited or defined by physical bonds or traditional thinking. Years from now, when we look back at this time, we will celebrate our efforts in making a lasting impact that still ripples beyond the surface, remembering that it was the turning point for humanity.
When we look around us, we can see that the transformation has already begun to take place, and will continue to do so at an ever increasing pace. Indeed, there is a shift in the perception as to what is important in life – something fundamental is shifting in the way we human beings are; in the way we think and relate to the world and to one another – see? When it comes to ongoing transformation, it should be reminded that we humans are particularly good at putting off the inevitable – it often takes a crisis of monumental proportions to get us to change our ways. If history is any indication, every civilization reaches a crisis point eventually, and most of them don’t make it. It is sad but very true – only at the precipice do we evolve; and even then, only a few do. Now the question becomes: Aren’t we already experiencing such a crisis? Taking that into consideration, one should be inclined to ask the following question: Why is it that we are in the midst of this crisis in almost every area of life? What has caused this to happen? Is it our hubris, our self-delusion of our self-sufficiency, self-importance, and self-righteousness that has driven us to the point of no return?
Furthermore, could it be that everything we see unfolding around us today has its roots in our hubris? Have we become to deteriorate and fragment from within? Now, if that is indeed the case, then it is rather easy to arrive at the conclusion that we are, indeed, suffering from a disease that is eating us from within – a spiritual disease of immorality and inhumanness, inauthenticity and insincerity. Hence, it goes without saying that there is only one of two ways this can go: humans are active participants in this transformation, co-creating the best possible world for themselves, or they can passively watch by as everything old falls apart – leaving nothing but a blank slate; very little, if anything to build upon. Either way, the transformation of humanity is inevitable.
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In other words, there’s no way we can keep using old, outdated and outmoded ways of thinking and being in today’s world; and certainly not in tomorrow’s world. Hence, it goes without saying that it requires not only new ways of living and being, doing and acting, but also new ways of thinking and seeing to move us away from the path of self-destruction to the path of peace, harmony and balance. The sooner we embrace the new emerging worldview, the sooner we leave the current path of destruction we’re on and stride down the path which ensures that not only do we as a species survive, but that we experience and realize transcendental aspects of existence.
Indeed, as mentioned earlier, we live in times of profound transformation where centuries old modern industrial world is coming to an end and a new world is being born; and so it seems that we have been given a chance for choice – our individual choices are combined with the choices of others – which in and of themselves are shaping the world that is being born. It is clear that theology, philosophy, psychology, and science are converging at the point where each is seeking to answer the central questions of our existence. From this, it becomes obvious that the possibility of choice is focused on bringing into being a new kind of understanding of what life is about.
Upon deeper examination, it becomes not only clear but self-evident that as we go through this time of profound transformation, it will be a bumpy ride that is ahead of us; with it comes some growing pains, but also great benefits to be gained. Indeed, these are the times of teaching as well as the times of testing, which make us stronger in Spirit – it will be a time to choose, but a time to expand as well; it will be a time to teach the world to cooperate, to come together, to bring us back to a point where there would be compassion, understanding, and care for all. It will be a time to find answers to some very significant questions about life; a time to explore what it means to grow and mature spiritually, what it means to transform and transcend oneself. This testing time will show how wonderful the Soul within the body can be, and people will touch upon the Divine within, you see?
Those who have foreseen this time, have returned here – to this place, to this time; they are here once again, by their own volition. They are here, at the beginning of this great transformation – guiding, directing, assisting and teaching humans, as is the case here, through this book – see? But eventually, it shall come to pass, as it has been written in the Book of Life, that humans will find their way out of the circumstances they now see themselves being plagued with. Those who have foreseen this time, have returned here also for their own development, so that they might enjoy this testing time, to see if they can be tested to overcome their inadequacies, to avoid temptations, to accumulate their basic understanding so that they are, indeed, more aware; to be fully aware, to become Self-Realized, then to be fully Awakened or Realized – see?
Extra Material:Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"
~ ∞ ~ On Change and Transformation 1/3 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~
One of the central themes of this book is transformation – and thus, here, in this chapter, we will have a brief discussion about this underlying key aspect of this work. Before we go any further, it is important to emphasize the fact that both change and transformation can be either beneficial or detrimental, which is another way of saying that we as the collective human species can either evolve or devolve, depending on the choices we make. In this book, when we talk about transformation, we are talking about conscious transformation – self-directed, mindful process of self-exploration that can transform one’s life; and not only that, but also the transformation of society, as well. You may consider this discussion as a starting point for a deeper exploration of the subject.
We begin this chapter by giving some basic definitions, namely change and transformation. These closely related terms are often used interchangeably, but the question is: Are they really the same? Well, the short answer is no, they are not the same. There is indeed a clear distinction between change and transformation. This leads to a follow-up question: What is the difference between the two? Let us explore this further and find out, shall we?
By definition, change is something that uses external influences to modify actions to achieve desired results. In contrast, transformation happens from within – it doesn’t require any external influence to maintain. Change is often temporary and can be reverted. In contrast, transformation is permanent. Change is an incremental alteration to the existing processes, whereas transformation is a completely new process. Change is about improving something to be more, better, efficient. Transformation, on the other hand, invents or redefines a whole field, paradigm*1, process. Transformation is a clear change from one state to another. In other words, transformation is a breakthrough into a whole another level entirely.
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*1 A paradigm is the collection of ideas and assumptions that pass from one generation to the next and which seem to be immutable. The paradigm shift, then, is when the paradigm shifts. In this process, everything that no longer serves its purpose – begins to fade away, to be replaced with something else; and with it goes all the old, outdated and outmoded structures that are limiting us. This in turn gives way to a new understanding, a new way of seeing, a new way of living, being, and doing. Paradigm shifts are necessary for growth and transformation. This area is explored more in detail in the section titled INFINITE, in a chapter Metaphysical Paradigm Shift.
To give an example: as the caterpillar hangs itself up to begin its transformation, its skin hardens into a chrysalis. Inside this chrysalis, deep in the caterpillar’s body, tiny cells called ‘imaginal cells’ begin to form. What happens next is nothing short of a miracle: once in the cocoon, the buds – essentially, stem cells – link up and build a butterfly from the chrysalis fluids. A butterfly is a transformation, not a better caterpillar – see? The miracle of metamorphosis in one species is just one facet of a much bigger story. You see, all Creation is in process of transformation, in process of returning to, and, into the fullness and awareness of its Source. We too are in process of transformation, but unlike the caterpillar, we have the privilege of having choices; through our free will, we can work with the dynamic of transformation, or against it. The way we make our choices will determine the future of human life on Earth, you see?
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That said, we can move the conversation forward by pointing out the obvious: humans generally lack the will to evolve, change, or transform and transcend beyond self-imposed limits. This has a much greater impact than most realize – not only on the individuals themselves, but also on the society and the environment, as well. Indeed, it is the lack of will that impedes from following the way of wisdom, which is another way of saying that the weakness of will, combined with ignorance is causing people to wander in complete oblivion. As such, most people live their lives with little thought of who they are, why they are here, or where they are going. By the same token, we can say that most people are moving through their lives completely unconscious, without present moment awareness.
Now, someone might point out that these people live their lives in this way by their own volition. Well, if that’s the case, then what does that say about us? That we choose ignorance over truth, blindness over sight, and in the end – stagnation over transformation? Clearly, we are well aware that we have a choice – in everything we do, in every moment, in the whole of life, between creation and destruction, yin and yang, as it were. For you see, everything is a choice – even not to choose is still a choice; we can decide to have life “do us,” or we can choose to “do life,” the choice is ours to make – see? And here we enter into the territory of free will, which is another topic of its own, and is therefore covered later in this book.
In the context of transformation, it is necessary to ask the following question: How can anyone change or go through transformation of any kind, if they don’t know where they are falling short? Cultivating the present moment awareness throughout the day is the key in solving this issue. It is through mindfulness that we can become aware of our thoughts, feelings, emotions, physical sensations, and behaviors – the way we think, speak, and act – see? By exploring our direction in life with self-awareness we open to the possibility of following the path of wisdom. With mindfulness, one can become aware of how and why one reacts to events or situations instead of responding impulsively due to past conditioning. With mindfulness, one can transcend this perceptual conditioning that separates us from universal wisdom; one then no longer experiences life through the narrow limits of conditioned perception – see?
This brings us inexorably here – to realize that we have come upon a time of convergence, a turning of the tides. As we head into the third decade of the 21st century and beyond, it is more clear than ever before: we as the collective human species are in dire need of conscious transformation – this will only become more pronounced as years pass. Consequently, we need a catalytic process – a change of perspective, a spiritual awakening. By going through this process, we could reclaim our ancient ways of seeing and awaken ourselves to the world-wide awareness of our inherent Divine nature. In the beginning stages, it all boils down to personal transformation – a change of perspective, transformation of one’s life; leading us to a point where we can experience a transformation of the world itself. This, in turn, can lead to the emergence of a collective awakening, which holds the potential for a balanced world where humans are conscious participants in the evolution of their cultures, and even of the entirety of human society, as well, you see? Should we choose, both as individuals and as a species, to utilize our free will to rewrite our story, and consciously take part in our future growth and expansion, integration and transformation – is entirely up to each and every one of us.
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Here we arrive at an important point: we may have a desire for change, but the honest truth is that it’s not enough – change has to come deep from within; and it to be permanent, what we need is transformation. You see, if we want our outer world to change, we must transform ourselves, and to do that, we need to have the will to change our ways, the will to change our values, the will to change our attitudes – see? Having said that, it is worth pointing out that each generation comes into this world thinking they can make the world a better place – eventually ending up making the same realization: we cannot change the world without changing ourselves. Therefore, it is essential to understand that change always begins with ourselves – we must be willing to change ourselves to change the world; to develop we must grow; to grow we must change, and to change we must transform. The world itself will change as the people on Earth themselves change – see?
And so it goes that at the moment, we find ourselves at a crossroads – a point of no return, where a decision has to be made: Do we continue our old ways, repeating our past mistakes, or do we take the critical first step towards the process of adaptation, change, and transformation? Do we move forward towards a bright future, or do we follow the old worldview and plunge deeper into oblivion? The question facing humanity at this critical juncture in human history – a time of convergence, a turning of the tides, is whether we are willing to take up the responsibility and opportunity to grow, ripe and mature? Will we embrace our inherent unity, interconnectedness, and interdependence as the collective human species and self-consciously adapt to the new conditions of our existence, or do we cling to inherent patterns of belief and behavior that are driven by ignorance and hubris – and learn the lessons of interdependence the hard way, through the deepening social and ecological consequences of a failure to adapt, change and transform?
Furthermore, are we willing to do what needs to be done to make things better, to keep things balanced, to be the best we can be? If we can answer yes to this, then we will find the way; we are the process – the way, you see? This process implies not only the change and transformation of the individuals, but also the structure of society that will reflect the underlying principle, or truth, of the oneness of humanity. This principle entails the emergence of a consciousness that recognizes and acknowledges this oneness, which in turn establishes equality between all people, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, nationality, language, and culture, you see? What will our future hold is but anyone’s guess – what matters most is the truth that our future is ours to envision, discover and co-create together, learning from one another and helping to build a legacy for future generations.
This raises the question: Why do we accept the status-quo? Why should we continue to live like past generations? Why do we continue repeating things that have painful outcomes? Why don’t we initiate something new? What fears are holding us back? Why don’t we do everything within our power to reach our God-given potential? In many ways, it seems as though we are stuck in a loop, and thus in today’s technology-driven world someone clever might just ask: Why don’t we just break the simulation? What would it take for us to see that it was we ourselves who held the key to our own transformation all along? That we are the ones who write our own destiny, with how we choose to live our lives, with what we choose to learn, unlearn, and relearn, with what we choose to let go and leave behind, with what we choose to envision and create, and what we choose to cherish and value. What would it take for us to see that the decision is ours, and ours alone, and has been so from day one? And so yet again, I ask you this: Why do we accept the status-quo and settle for less?
Extra Material:Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"
~ ∞ ~ On Reality and Actuality 2/2 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~
In the previous chapters, we learned the difference between knowledge and wisdom; consciousness and awareness; soul and spirit; Life and life. These distinctions come in handy when we briefly delve into the topic of reality. In a beautiful and fascinating way, these terms come together in this chapter – you see, previously we learned that our Souls are not contained within the limits of our bodies, but instead our bodies are contained within the limitlessness of our Souls – this is a key insight to keep in mind.
The same applies when we talk about reality – our reality is not contained within the limits of our definitions, but instead our reality is contained within the limitlessness of our Spirit. This brings us to an important point: reality is not just singular but plural, which means that there are multiple realities – each of us inhabit our own reality, and somewhere in-between these realities converge to form a consensus reality – more on this later. In other words, reality is multi-faceted and elusive – there are layers of realities within other realities – see?
Reality itself is not a concept, nor is it some abstract theoretical construct; but of course it can be, if one so insists – but then it would not be real, would it? This brings us to another important point: our sense of reality is very much learned – we learn it from our families, our schools, our cultures; we are steeped in a particular perception of reality from the moment we are born. Indeed, our whole lives we are told who we are by our society and our culture; we are force-fed beliefs about what is real and what is not – like a sponge we absorb everything without ever stopping to think and consider and question. This is how our perception of reality is learned – it is structured by language and by cultural paradigms. Out of all this, we accumulate a fixed perception of reality.
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This is where the term ‘consensus reality’ comes into play. You see, just in the same way as endless interconnected pieces come together to form life – like the colors of the spectrum, so in the same way does consensus reality: it is a spectrum of interconnected experiences. Consensus reality, therefore, refers to an agreed-upon concepts of reality which people in the world, or a culture or group believe are real (or treat as real), usually based upon their common experiences as they believe them to be. These beliefs are so deeply ingrained in us that if someone challenges those beliefs, cognitive dissonance can happen, which results in a defensive outburst. This is where we go off the rails – big time; not only is our individual perception of reality skewed, but also our collective perception, as well – largely guided by those beliefs ingrained in us, you see?
On a deeper level, this means that our collective perception of reality is programmed to validate the beliefs we hold. In other words, consensus reality is a self-fulfilling prophecy, a limitation, a box – it defines our expectations, and because we only perceive what we expect to perceive, it limits us. There is a certain irony in this truth: consensus reality endures because there is an audience for it, and yet, deep down in our core, in our hearts and minds, at the very core of our humanity, we all know that concensus reality is just that – a collection of agreed-upon concepts and beliefs.
This brings us to an important conclusion: ultimately, reality is our immediate experience within the present moment, and yet, paradoxically enough, the reality that is described in spiritual and religious texts all around the world is totally different from what we understand as reality in our day-to-day lives. This would suggest that there is a deeper, underlying Reality inviting us all into a deeper and more profound relationship with “All That Is.” Reality is all around us and within us, but our perception of it is limited, which is another way of saying that Reality is more than what we perceive it to be; more than what we think it is. What we see as nature is not nature itself in its entirety, but a projection of our limited method of perception. This means that we cannot see the actuality of Reality, but we can experience it from within ourselves – see?
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Against this backdrop, we can easily draw the conclusion that Reality is everything and nothing at the same time. Indeed, if we look deeper, we can find that everything is nothing – and nothing is everything, and everything is everything at the same time. You see, Reality is an interconnected whole, which means that the whole of humanity is a microcosm of a larger Cosmic structure, but our individual experiences don’t exactly account for the whole. In other words, reality is a spectrum of interconnected experiences, and our perceptual experiences are filtered through our sensory system and brain to produce a limited perception of Reality.
That said, we can conclude this chapter with the following words: this book delves deeper into this underlying Reality, and you are more than welcome to join this incredible journey with me as your guide. Because language cannot ever describe the true essence of our existence, we are forced to use signs and symbols in an effort to re-connect with the Life-force that runs through everything. As such, there are very few ways to express something that is very much inexpressible, and so we need some tools to help us on our way; the best available tools in our toolbox are ideas, concepts, and analogies – their purpose is to make us see ourselves in a new way, to see beyond the conditioned mind and to realize that what is truly Real is the Spirit that lives within you, as you.
Extra Material:Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"
