Spiritual Reorientation 5: The Return of Power

I suggest that anything has real being that is so constituted as to possess any sort of power either to affect anything else or to be affected, in however a small a degree, by the most insignificant agent, though it be only once. I am proposing as a mark to distinguish real things that they are nothing but power.

Plato – The Sophist

1.

An inherent theme of common-place spirituality is the idea of effortless action, letting go, the dao of not trying, and letting faith decide. The end result of this paradox is the effort that effortless action requires, the holding on to letting go, and constantly trying not to try. It becomes their religion. We should also let go of of letting go. We should also not try not trying. We should also have faith in no faith. It’s effortless. But we cannot. Happiness requires that we live in paradox and happiness we desire. Happiness requires that we go to great lengths to numb our cognitive control, numb our very nature, our senses, our entire body, and all capacities that might throw us into self-conflict—our worry, our desire for the past and future, our pessimism, our negativity, our criticism, our seeking, our want and words—for these are the capacities most proven to cause suffering. They are correct in this assertion. These tools aren’t meant for discovering happiness. But they tell us that for happiness, their greatest god, one must be without these human capacities, and to achieve this, they sacrifice themselves.

2.

What is their intellect but another fancy word for themselves? For their power? It is the word for the entire sense of the human body, where the senses, the emotions, and the instincts converge so that the entirety can witness, feel, imagine and ultimately take care in the moment. It is the human itself. It is power. What is impressed in the human is expressed out of it in thought and words and memories in a sort of wave, all of it a continuing flowering process, all of it happening now, intertwined and bundled up with everything else, never stopping even in sleep, beautiful in its intricacies, magnanimity and even its flaws. But happiness requires that we silence it, so that we can numb ourselves to its suffering. How do we do this?

According to age old doctrine, first, as effortlessly as possible, we must deceive ourselves, a sort of mental evisceration. We must reduce ourselves to paradoxes that never actualize. For no other reason than to attempt to escape the suffering and changing world, we must divide ourselves from it into two parts: the body, and whatever is left over, an entity which has taken countless names. We must hold this as a presupposition, as given, as law. For the sake of whatever is left over, and to further create a chasm between oneself, one must see one’s body as an illusion, and what is left over, as reality. This involves a simple switch in terminology, which is the basis of all religion. We honor certain ideas with certain honorific terms, and have done so throughout history. Reality is what we call “reality”. But for a species superstitious of their words, and idolaters of their symbols, this technique works wonders on one’s own self-deception. All one needs to do to convert another (for one likes to share his happiness) like a snake charmer with such empty words as “transcendence”, “bliss” or “divinity”, a lovely tune and smoke and mirrors, to have him willing to try anything to receive these rewards.

Under the spell of this delusion, it becomes easy to imagine that whatever was left over can be convinced in such a way that it is no longer attached to the suffering body, and hence, detached from material necessity—the impending doom of their mortality and the insatiability of their livelihood. They say this not about just themselves, but about everyone, and relinquish everyone’s power. Nonetheless, in order to do away with their own suffering, which is a condition of everyone’s life, they shelter their bodies, silence it, drug it, deprive it, put it to sleep, so that it is protected from the world and entombed—in order to explore with what’s left over, the only thing immune to physical harm.

3.

Monks always sit in the darkest caves, but the darkest cave they could ever find was themselves, which at present, sits motionless, silent, barely breathing, self-hibernation, sleep. Such is all escapism, and everyone tries to escape. People watch television, striving for the same forgetting of oneself and the world, as monks meditate. People worship money, worship ideas, as people worship idols. People focus on their loved ones, on their jobs, on their phones, just as people focus on nothing. Silencing oneself is just that: silencing oneself. It’s satiation. It’s cowering from what’s outside. It’s not thinking about it. It’s sacrificing the intellect, and thus to run from one’s own nature and vitality, for fear of the pain it might cause. All of it a part of the quest for “happiness”.

4.

Such an orientation to the world is a testament to humanity’s insatiability—always striving for happiness but never quite happy, willing to go so far as to sacrifice the flesh for it. But there is a reason we are never satisfied with happiness. Happiness comes after satisfaction; and there is work still to be done. More important things require our undivided attention, our focus, our sacrifice and our worship. Come out of the cave. Leave your idols for now. We need your help. How can we unite if you divide even yourselves? You give up your power? Great and powerful full-bodied individuals, vulnerable yet unlike anything the universe has ever seen. And they sit, doing nothing, talking to themselves, bowing before symbols, humming strange tunes. There is a world of chance and riddle outside, and we can influence it. The spiritless have made power into position, wealth, and fame, as for too long we have employed them to feed us happiness. Their power is an illusion. But we can change. We are real things, and nothing but power.

a reply to: Aphorism

there isn't rly anything left to say is there.. its amazing after all the spiritual work people put into this they end up coming to the conclusion that nothing matters and material possessions mean nothing and end it by just sitting there.

originally posted by: Aphorism

I suggest that anything has real being that is so constituted as to possess any sort of power either to affect anything else or to be affected, in however a small a degree, by the most insignificant agent, though it be only once. I am proposing as a mark to distinguish real things that they are nothing but power.

Plato – The Sophist

1.

An inherent theme of common-place spirituality is the idea of effortless action, letting go, the dao of not trying, and letting faith decide. The end result of this paradox is the effort that effortless action requires, the holding on to letting go, and constantly trying not to try. It becomes their religion. We should also let go of of letting go. We should also not try not trying. We should also have faith in no faith. It’s effortless. But we cannot. Happiness requires that we live in paradox and happiness we desire. Happiness requires that we go to great lengths to numb our cognitive control, numb our very nature, our senses, our entire body, and all capacities that might throw us into self-conflict—our worry, our desire for the past and future, our pessimism, our negativity, our criticism, our seeking, our want and words—for these are the capacities most proven to cause suffering. They are correct in this assertion. These tools aren’t meant for discovering happiness. But they tell us that for happiness, their greatest god, one must be without these human capacities, and to achieve this, they sacrifice themselves.

2.

What is their intellect but another fancy word for themselves? For their power? It is the word for the entire sense of the human body, where the senses, the emotions, and the instincts converge so that the entirety can witness, feel, imagine and ultimately take care in the moment. It is the human itself. It is power. What is impressed in the human is expressed out of it in thought and words and memories in a sort of wave, all of it a continuing flowering process, all of it happening now, intertwined and bundled up with everything else, never stopping even in sleep, beautiful in its intricacies, magnanimity and even its flaws. But happiness requires that we silence it, so that we can numb ourselves to its suffering. How do we do this?

According to age old doctrine, first, as effortlessly as possible, we must deceive ourselves, a sort of mental evisceration. We must reduce ourselves to paradoxes that never actualize. For no other reason than to attempt to escape the suffering and changing world, we must divide ourselves from it into two parts: the body, and whatever is left over, an entity which has taken countless names. We must hold this as a presupposition, as given, as law. For the sake of whatever is left over, and to further create a chasm between oneself, one must see one’s body as an illusion, and what is left over, as reality. This involves a simple switch in terminology, which is the basis of all religion. We honor certain ideas with certain honorific terms, and have done so throughout history. Reality is what we call “reality”. But for a species superstitious of their words, and idolaters of their symbols, this technique works wonders on one’s own self-deception. All one needs to do to convert another (for one likes to share his happiness) like a snake charmer with such empty words as “transcendence”, “bliss” or “divinity”, a lovely tune and smoke and mirrors, to have him willing to try anything to receive these rewards.

Under the spell of this delusion, it becomes easy to imagine that whatever was left over can be convinced in such a way that it is no longer attached to the suffering body, and hence, detached from material necessity—the impending doom of their mortality and the insatiability of their livelihood. They say this not about just themselves, but about everyone, and relinquish everyone’s power. Nonetheless, in order to do away with their own suffering, which is a condition of everyone’s life, they shelter their bodies, silence it, drug it, deprive it, put it to sleep, so that it is protected from the world and entombed—in order to explore with what’s left over, the only thing immune to physical harm.

3.

Monks always sit in the darkest caves, but the darkest cave they could ever find was themselves, which at present, sits motionless, silent, barely breathing, self-hibernation, sleep. Such is all escapism, and everyone tries to escape. People watch television, striving for the same forgetting of oneself and the world, as monks meditate. People worship money, worship ideas, as people worship idols. People focus on their loved ones, on their jobs, on their phones, just as people focus on nothing. Silencing oneself is just that: silencing oneself. It’s satiation. It’s cowering from what’s outside. It’s not thinking about it. It’s sacrificing the intellect, and thus to run from one’s own nature and vitality, for fear of the pain it might cause. All of it a part of the quest for “happiness”.

4.

Such an orientation to the world is a testament to humanity’s insatiability—always striving for happiness but never quite happy, willing to go so far as to sacrifice the flesh for it. But there is a reason we are never satisfied with happiness. Happiness comes after satisfaction; and there is work still to be done. More important things require our undivided attention, our focus, our sacrifice and our worship. Come out of the cave. Leave your idols for now. We need your help. How can we unite if you divide even yourselves? You give up your power? Great and powerful full-bodied individuals, vulnerable yet unlike anything the universe has ever seen. And they sit, doing nothing, talking to themselves, bowing before symbols, humming strange tunes. There is a world of chance and riddle outside, and we can influence it. The spiritless have made power into position, wealth, and fame, as for too long we have employed them to feed us happiness. Their power is an illusion. But we can change. We are real things, and nothing but power.

Perceptive my friend, but why must you end your post with "We can change" when you have just explained to not try to try to be anything. By stating such knowledge then concluding with opposite ideologies any perceptive eye would catch that you are spreading knowledge that you do not understand properly.

The point in spirituality and meditation is to just be, in wisdom and in silence. Under no circumstances does a true spiritual practitioner call people in to action or demand they toss aside their spiritual paths (leave their caves) to unite against oppressors. That is extremely ignorant thinking my friend and I apologize for the blatant honesty, but it is necessary.

Everything is as it should be, there is a grand lesson being learned in these chaotic times and it will be understood in due time.

Peace be with you.

originally posted by: Aphorism

...an entity which has taken countless names.

Yeah because people forgot its prime name... The Dude.

originally posted by: Aphorism

We are real things, and nothing but power.

Good thing to remember, and If I can offer another quote about idea:

Nothing evil, nothing sacred
Just a power that's been created

-Ronnie James Dio

Smarts&potatobags


-Illusion of Bartender

originally posted by: EviLCHiMP


Perceptive my friend, but why must you end your post with "We can change" when you have just explained to not try to try to be anything. By stating such knowledge then concluding with opposite ideologies any perceptive eye would catch that you are spreading knowledge that you do not understand properly.

The point in spirituality and meditation is to just be, in wisdom and in silence. Under no circumstances does a true spiritual practitioner call people in to action or demand they toss aside their spiritual paths (leave their caves) to unite against oppressors. That is extremely ignorant thinking my friend and I apologize for the blatant honesty, but it is necessary.

Everything is as it should be, there is a grand lesson being learned in these chaotic times and it will be understood in due time.

Peace be with you.

Yeap Chimp, that is right what you say. Yet if we look in the aftermath of the OP's post we hopefully will spot that in sublime level it is not "come and fight with us", but more of "you can if you want, and depending on your decision certain things will change". I don't see where is the propaganda feeling you got. Also you missed commented the idea of the Op about letting go in the active way. I would like to see your thought on this.

We work with being,
but non-being is what we use.

-Lau Tzu

It happens to post this quote for a second time in the last few days. Hah!



-More Bartender and pillow cats illusions(call the navy)

Choosing to speak or not depends on the soul and the environment around it able to receive information and make connection between the souls. Some soul are meant to PUSH IT and not just play it safe in their caves. Some of the "cave dwellers"/"hermited ones" are in fact coming out of their caves to help out noticing that the environment have changed while they where doing their work in the caves.

Even in their caves they are changing the whole like a butterfly flapping it's wings.

Garbage - Push It


Time to start shining.

a reply to: EviLCHiMP

Perceptive my friend, but why must you end your post with "We can change" when you have just explained to not try to try to be anything. By stating such knowledge then concluding with opposite ideologies any perceptive eye would catch that you are spreading knowledge that you do not understand properly.

The point in spirituality and meditation is to just be, in wisdom and in silence. Under no circumstances does a true spiritual practitioner call people in to action or demand they toss aside their spiritual paths (leave their caves) to unite against oppressors. That is extremely ignorant thinking my friend and I apologize for the blatant honesty, but it is necessary.

Everything is as it should be, there is a grand lesson being learned in these chaotic times and it will be understood in due time.

Peace be with you.

Don't apologize for your honesty, but be honest with yourself.

To "just be" is to change. I have explained that we are real things, and real things change.

Spirituality is not the old doctrines. The old doctrines have laid claim to spirituality for too long, and what has become of us? People have practiced the old doctrines for thousands of years, and what have we learned? People get better at what they do and practice, and they have gotten better at sitting in caves, praying to gods and doing nothing.

The spiritual practitioner isn't required to silence himself and call it wisdom. The action is everything. The non-action is still an action, but a cowardly one. The "true" spiritual practitioner is a false one. He seeks happiness, not wisdom.

Everything is as it should be because it is in constant flux and change.

Willingness, donation, we all display the brand.

-Bobby Blitz

a reply to: Aphorism

Very interesting. Your essay implies that existence is, at its deepest essence, nothing but the potential to affect/be affected. Aka...power. If you possess neither the power to affect nor the power to be affected, you probably don't exist. A most intriguing perspective, one I will have to toy with at length.

originally posted by: Aphorism
We should also let go of of letting go. We should also not try not trying. We should also have faith in no faith. It’s effortless. But we cannot. Happiness requires that we live in paradox and happiness we desire. Happiness requires that we go to great lengths to numb our cognitive control, numb our very nature, our senses, our entire body, and all capacities that might throw us into self-conflict—our worry, our desire for the past and future, our pessimism, our negativity, our criticism, our seeking, our want and words—for these are the capacities most proven to cause suffering. They are correct in this assertion. These tools aren’t meant for discovering happiness. But they tell us that for happiness, their greatest god, one must be without these human capacities, and to achieve this, they sacrifice themselves.

Their power is an illusion. But we can change. We are real things, and nothing but power.

This is a good description of the ego. This is why all the people are in 'maya' or delusion. This is why it is so easy to slip for the people who know they are blind. The paradox for example that if we know we are blind, it is the only way to start seeing. For me to let go is to try not to let go. Because I can fight with myself over the past for so long, and the whole time I am begging myself to let go, whatever it takes to start getting some positivity flowing.

But I would question why they want to take away positivity from me. I don't understand why they want control over such a subtle unknown reality as the emotional reality and spiritual reality. Right when they know about something that I don't want, it is like an unconscious gift of control, and they use that to try to invoke more responses. Usually we equate that to an emotional response, we may get angry or annoyed that they are deliberately disrespectful. But if you ask them - they will claim to be respectful. They will even go to the length of being a hypocrite and say they are not doing what you asked them not to do. They may not be doing it consciously, that is a thing we must realize, how people say not to take things personal. I have taken them personal - for one reason is that I made it clear 'please do not ask me about that again, I have it under control and this is my decision.' But they will get 'unconsciously' jealous, their ego wants control or power, it looks for any weak spots and tries to exploit them.

We need to realize this as a completely egotistical way of being. Next thing after being forced to be a hypocrite because they are in denial about their state of conscious, they are low enough to become judgmental. You cannot change a person or say anything to them at that point - they are more of a brick wall than a human being.

In no way am I a master of facing the world, facing this reality. I know that I need to hide from it, because it chases me. I know that I need to be humble and keep on smiling, mostly just to not let them know that they are winning in all the work they do to keep others in a negative state of being.

An inherent theme of common-place spirituality is the idea of effortless action, letting go, the dao of not trying, and letting faith decide.
..
The end result of this paradox is the effort that effortless action requires, the holding on to letting go, and constantly trying not to try. It becomes their religion.

The practices were meant to reveal to the devotee or seeker, the paradox and impossibility of effortless efforts. To show the futility and basically stupidity of such an act. It's not a religion but a process or method that should make the practitioner wake up to the illusory and paradoxical pursuits of their own minds and thoughts. I think they're called Koans, introspective vehicles towards clarity. Impossible challenges to genuinely pursue and bring about understanding of the illusory nature of the journey itself through intuitive recognition.

You greatly misunderstand these paths and teachings. There is no such thing as the 'Doism of effortless effort'. If you knew anything about the subject, you would know that Doism (or Taosim) has nothing to do with faith, nothing to do with letting go or decision making, it's not a teaching, it's not a state of being, state of mind, a set of behaviors, a thing, a concept, or idea nor a religion or path to achieving anything whatsoever. The futile and 100% illusory pursuit of permanent happiness, bliss or whatever people are after, has nothing to do with Tao.

a reply to: Visitor2012

You greatly misunderstand these paths and teachings. There is no such thing as the 'Doism of effortless effort'. If you knew anything about the subject, you would know that Doism (or Taosim) has nothing to do with faith, nothing to do with letting go or decision making, it's not a teaching, it's not a state of being, state of mind, a set of behaviors, a thing, a concept, or idea nor a religion or path to achieving anything whatsoever. The futile and 100% illusory pursuit of permanent happiness, bliss or whatever people are after, has nothing to do with Tao. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

I think you are led too easily by these ideologies. You let them speak for you.

What's the point of taoism and wu wei? Why make an effort to be one with the Tao, if we already are one with the Tao by default?

a reply to: Aphorism

What's the point of taoism and wu wei? Why make an effort to be one with the Tao, if we already are one with the Tao by default?

That's exactly the point. Although there's no such thing as being 'one with the Tao'. That's a ludicrous statement. The very first words from the book of Tao is:
"The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name."

To reiterate, those were the FIRST words in the book written by Master Lao Tzu. He made it clear in the absolute beginning. All teachings of Tao are false, especially if it's being labeled a teaching. And every single concept of it, regardless of what you think, are false. And the pursuit of it, as though it was an achievement or goal to be pursued, a practice or a state of being, is operating under a great misunderstanding. No different than trying to pursue yourself.

I'm not trying to argue about anything, just trying to point out the clumsy use of the word Dao, Doaism,Tao or Taoism as though it were some silly religion or result of some faulty intellect or groundless dogma. It's nothing of the sort.

a reply to: Visitor2012

So the only way to know the Tao...is to not know it. Which basically means get on with your life and don't worry about it...? I'm guessing here. I'm not well versed in Orwellian logic, although times like this teach me how it might be used to sidle in some common sense on the coattails of dry humor.

a reply to: Egoismyname
Where did you find this quote?

We work with being, but non-being is what we use. -Lau Tzu

I have never see it before and I cannot find it online.
Ok - I have found it in Stephen Michells translation of the Tao Te Ching chapter 11

We join spokes together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that makes the wagon move.

We shape clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that holds whatever we want.

We hammer wood for a house,
but it is the inner space
that makes it livable.

We work with being,
but non-being is what we use.

Thanks.

originally posted by: Aphorism
What's the point of taoism and wu wei?

What is the point of existence?

Why make an effort to be one with the Tao, if we already are one with the Tao by default?

To be or not to be? Who can not be?
The cosmic joke.

What is the point of existence?

Points and purpose and meaning are generated by human beings. Only human beings can give points and meanings and purposes to existence, just like they give points, purposes and meanings to taoism. Saying there isn't points and purposes and meanings of existence is no different. It is always an evaluation.

a reply to: AfterInfinity

So the only way to know the Tao...is to not know it. Which basically means get on with your life and don't worry about it...? I'm guessing here. I'm not well versed in Orwellian logic, although times like this teach me how it might be used to sidle in some common sense on the coattails of dry humor. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

Yes, only by rendering itself meaningless can Taoism make any sense. It's self defeating.

originally posted by: Aphorism
Points and purpose and meaning are generated by human beings. Only human beings can give points and meanings and purposes to existence, just like they give points, purposes and meanings to taoism. Saying there isn't points and purposes and meanings of existence is no different. It is always an evaluation.

Without words is there any thing at all?

What or which 'human being' (in your opinion) gives points, purposes or meaning to Taoism?

a reply to: Itisnowagain

Without words is there any thing at all?

Yes. Stop speaking and using words. What changes?

What or which 'human being' (in your opinion) gives points, purposes or meaning to Taoism? - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

Anyone who wants to.