Thursday 27 January 2011

Philosophy as Inspiration

Philosophy is an activity of human thinking that can be inspired by intuitive realisation - but can also deal in derivative meanings that are not true - but are in some way appealing to the personal sense  - to our sense of self as an independent authoritative presence in its own right.

It is quite possible to deal in 'truths' while not knowing and sharing them truly, and in this sense seek to use truths to 'add to my self' rather than subjugate and align the sense of self with revealed truth.

Philosophers can - and do - argue about 'what is truth?' - but if their appetite for being right or self-validation is released in favour of truly desiring to know - then truth will no longer be obscured to their own awareness by their own self-assertion - and in reading philosophy as much as in taking a walk, they will be able to discern and be receptive to, inspiration.

The notion of engaging in activity of thinking in order to arrive at truth is absurd. Yet in the earnest attempt engaged fully, we can experientially come to the limits of thought - and so also release the limited and open to a perspective that a thought-based identity cannot know.

But such awakened 'perspective' in its experiential and unified sense, can of course be then clothed in thought and presented in a currency that serves the need of the times. Not so much the time in which it appears - as the times that it lays foundation for.

The story of humanity can be seen at the level of idea - in which persons are mere agencies of idea and not as some Promethean hero dealing stolen goods as good stuff. And we can see that our world is experienced and lived out in the terms of the ideas of the times - that are of individual expression finding shared acceptance. But truth itself is not a matter of consensus. Truth is not a grey meaningless existence in which to treasure crumbs of comfort.

I feel that the uncovering of the nature of Mind in which such idea arises is nigh. Not least because there is a great need for fresh inspiration to free us of the traps of our thinking - and of the experience that such thinking gives rise to. There's not much room for manoeuvre amidst the insanely complex world We created - let alone joy in being alive - and sharing it!

"I think, therefore I am" is  considered a foundation. But it is easily misinterpreted as "I, the doer am proven to exist by my power of doing". But is this not simply expressing a wish-idea to interpret the arising of an idea in awareness in terms of a capacity to act independently from the Field of Awareness Itself. In other words is it not of the very same apple from which comes a seeming capacity to judge all things good or ill - according to a personal power of will?

Truth is that we cannot in any True sense be independent from the Field of Awareness in which and of which everything arises. Not even for an instant. But who wants to spoil the game when its in the midst of play? Free will is the capacity to accept willingly but tolerance for pain is limited, and so initiates enquiry from which health and renewal springs.

Yet when a fundamental meaninglessness rises to our awareness, we can NOT engage the game of life on old terms AND find it works or holds currency any more - and needs must regain a direct connectness with a true inspiration and value rather than rebranding or recycling the same old same old in desperate attempt to maintain our presentations of validity and of being respectable and capable in our own right.

So I have blown a trumpet here to offer a framework that says YES! to philosophy as Inspiration and invites disregard to the practice of thinking about thinking in order to think some more.

Thankyou for your attention!

Wednesday 26 January 2011

A Climate of Denial

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      I feel a much more immediate and real danger from the fear driven agenda of that which is using the predictions and theories of man made climate change – than from the changing climate. And of course the same mentality can work in opposition.

      I'm more open to suffering potential climate related conditions than to living now under fear driven human tyranny and I feel the hysterical and coercive nature of the mind has to be recognized for what it is – a means of distraction. A distraction from what is truly present and becoming visible, because it is perceived or believed to be threatening or fearful to private self interest.

      Beneath the 'Foxy Loxy' power and profit and 'identity' validation 'opportunities' that are scarcely concealed behind the mask of alarm and ˜concern,' are deeper issues at work.

      Of the scientific disciplines that could shed light, perhaps psychology may be the most helpful. The mind uses denial routinely as part of its function – and yet there are much more deep seated and pervasive denial mechanisms operating than what come to the surface in such things as our climate change 'conflict'. But that which asserts itself coercively and exclusively should be denied acceptance or validity if it arises from taking thought. For wisdom is not mere reaction or even considered strategy to deal with a presumed problem but is a discernment in the listening of the heart that arrives at a context or perspective from which to live out from.

      Science, as a human expression, evolves, and hopefully, shall be integrated into a more unified approach to, and expression of, life, and to an awakening to some understanding of the true nature of Mind – as pre existing non local or universal Field. Not some external God – but the very nature and condition and source of all that we call the Universe – including the processes we call life. Because in a very real sense we have our map upside down and inside out – as was the presumption of an earth-centric universe.

      Who for a moment believes that a truly universal good will is active in the world at the level of human consciousness in general – including scientists, politicians and businessmen? However such is our potential to be realized as we allow a true honesty to reveal the self delusory and self destructive nature of an exclusive and coercive private self interest, in our own mind – and world.

      Such self concept is firstly at war with – and in denial of – the truth of its own intimate nature – of its interrelated inherence in and as expression of The Universal Mind or be-ing in which it Actually Is, and from which it differentiates itself by taking thought for itself – thus experiencing Reality differently- as unrelated fragmented and dissociated parts – that it defines and seeks to relate so as to validate itself. In effect seeking to define and control reality through division.
      Science at heart is enquiry, in willingness and desire to know or discover truth. But it only allows itself to look 'outside' - and disregards subjectivity excepting it can formulate it as objects of data. Yet the apparent dichotomy of subjective and objective is man made. The experience of a world arising that happens to an observing self is an interpretation occurring within awareness – and the self concept is a suggestion or idea from which we may Ć¢€˜exploreĆ¢€™ a world-experience through a glass darkly. Now Something is Arising to Awareness – but there is no actual way of separating out from this to make a true object of that which is transcendent of the process of thought. In fact the persistent attempt to do so cuts off the heart or unified sense of be-ing – and results in a split mind whose conflict – acted out – perpetuates the denial of the heart.

      When we do not operate from fear a natural generosity seeks expression.
      I see climate change as a time of fundamental change – yet I primarily locate that change in Consciousness. I use a capital C because what we call human consciousness is largely unconscious or programmed. To be conscious is not 'to think'. To be conscious is to behold presently. Simple observation reveals that taking thought for oneself effectively obscures, distorts and filters the tangible presence of life and awareness now.

      The symbol of a hostile world is active at the very root of our psyche and its reenactment as part of our sense of exclusion, disconnection and separateness extends back through our mind before possibility of recall. I am suggesting that we stay in the way of an impending harm – but that the capacity to discern is innate as part of an original awareness of being – and can be uncovered.

      The capacity to discern the pathways amidst apparent danger is of freedom from fearful imagination and a capacity to bring attention totally present. This is not premptive defence – but a capacity to trust and listen wholeheartedly for what is needed – and to live out from each moment in that trust. As humans we like to insulate our mind from reality because it is felt as a Call or need that it cannot tolerate – AND keep the privacy of mind that we treasure as our personal life. The good news is that releasing the intent and attempt to control life does not result in chaos – but in the restored capacity to discern, intuit and feel. To be as it were a direct expression of a living universe whose nature is shared or inclusive rather than witheld and exclusive.

Tuesday 25 January 2011

How words get the message across

The mind that acts out as if it is separate from itself in order to make of its self an object will develop its own languages that assert assumed meanings about itself but from a false pretext. "I think therefore I am". A whole world can be predicated on such an 'I' even though there is absolutely no direct experience of such an entity. Seriously, where is it?

The ‘language’ of true intimacy is life itself; un-interpreted or modified and directly felt and shared. When we are identified with a seeming capacity to be independent powers unto our selves we necessarily shun such Intimacy or at least modify it to such manageable moments as 'normal service' can be quickly resumed from. The mind can be used to limit communication.

To regard information  or data as communication is to forget that data is a carrier of a contextual instance - because it is given and received in mind - and the context of mind is either a willingness for intimacy or truly shared purpose - or the obfuscation of such in order to play out a sense of self exceptionalism.

My own sense of language and meaning has been an experiential education. For when I sought for meaning outside the true context of Intimate Life - I acquired 'concepts, ideas and meanings' and associated and related them together in ways that constituted 'my' current understanding or handle on the world. But when I abandoned such a futility, the meaning of life became less obfuscated to a unified mind - and such currents of insight or intuited knowings found clothes from precisely the structures of ability that I had grown as an ability to articulate. This is much more a listening and trusting relationship than a formulation of ideas - and of course its underlying nature or intent - is to share of the same simple Intimacy of being that is free of the man-made attempt to make or master Reality. Even a 'reality' of our own definitions.
The attempt to reverse engineer the most crude and reducible common elements of our world is like wandering in the mind with the light off, using a pencil torch - and then trying to reconstitute models of 'how it works' or 'what it means'  - from a mechanism of delivery that is itself a communication device and not in itself otherwise meaningful.

Hmmm... quite a few longish words here. Probably no meaning at all to a mind that is still trying to get a handle on life so as to turn it to serve a privately personal sense. But I am communicating as I feel moved to do - from a sense of a communioned life. That I feel addresses the fundamental presumptions from which the human mind tends to operate like a programmed robot rather than an expression of intimacy.

In Peace

Brian