Spiritual Reorientation 9: The Fabricated Necessities

The Fabricated Necessities

1.

We owe it to those not yet living to change the world for the better. We owe it to ourselves. Not to do so would be the greatest error. Yet, we pretend it is out of our hands, and some natural equilibrium, or some hand of god is going to come and set it all straight. If the amount of extinction events that has occurred is any indication, such thoughts are merely an excuse to continue on in the same direction.

Almost all ideas that holds intellectual sway over the masses of humanity possesses one common component: A fabricated sense of necessity. What I mean by this is that our society, the structure under which we govern our own lives, and the idolatry of various structures, paradigms, and ideological nomenclatures, in tandem with the continuous disparaging of our minds, our bodies and the sensual world, forces us to forgo our abilities as context-revising agents in order to achieve the selfishness of the base happiness that each ideology promises; and, as we commit a negation of ourselves during this process, in so doing we forget our powers of radical institutional and imaginative artistry, leaving us to believe that the transcendence of our context and our will is impossible. Instead, we are usually prone to wait in apathy until it is too late, and we remain in a state of collective sleep-walking, all the while hoping that something of a violent revolution, a collective spiritual ascension, or a magical redeemer from the sky, will change everything for us.

It is no wonder we still wait…

2.

Spirituality in its modern form is a mental escapism, a way in which to continue the apathetic state of non-action and non-doing, as is apparent with the growing rise of eastern principles in the west, and the growing rise of western principles in the east. The modus operandi of the common spirituality and culture is to wall oneself in a structure of ritualistic rule and routine, as outlined by tradition. The false necessity that one is required to retreat into himself, and to extirpate as much of his desires, his passions, his pride, his ego, his vanity, his lust, his anger, in order to call oneself spiritual, is instead a sort of spiritual castration and self-imposed limitation. In this sense, a spirit never governs but follows a false necessity, and what is proclaimed to be a matter of spiritual expansion or progress in the eyes of the preachers, is instead a brick wall.

Is lusting after one’s love a sin? Can not anger convince one to make a positive change? Can not pride make one take care in his works and deeds? Can not vanity at least make one smell good enough to sit next to? The idea that these so called sins are vices is unfounded, for none of these causes one to commit an evil deed. They are but feelings. Every perpetrator of an evil deed is the one who makes the final choice, who is both cause and effect.

Every spirituality recognizes and acknowledges the necessity of change, impermanence, destructibility and chaos in the world, as is told by the ancients such as Solomon, Buddha, and other philosophers, except their followers contradict their masters teachings by designating their dogmas and themselves as changeless, permanent, indestructible and un-chaotic. With this contradiction embedded deep in their spiritual narcolepsy, they deny their own ineradicable flaws – their inherent change, impermanence, destructibility and chaos – for the sake of more false necessities, turning their virtues into vices, fracturing themselves into mind and body, good and evil, spirit and flesh, free and unfree, in a strange cycle of trying to deny themselves right outside of their undeniable context, to remain as dying paradoxes. This is not transcending context, for nothing of the context has changed save for a thought.

3.

A silent mind, wu wei, nirvana, divinity, penance, faith, oneness, mysticism, zen, enlightenment – not one has solved a thing outside of ego. Every common spirituality is a mental turtle’s shell of ideas in which one can cower when need be. It is a recipe for a meal we’ve been eating for too long, and the state of the world is its indigestion. It is only a lullaby for the weary, listened to at great cost. Thus, despite the constant attempt to release themselves of desires and necessity, they only submit to them. The more they try to escape falling away, the more they fall away.

4.

It is true, there are no atheists in foxholes, but nor are there Christians. Everyone in a foxhole is a human being under difficult circumstances, and if they put faith in an idea before themselves and their comrades, we can place a bet on which faith will save them first. The true spiritual armour is faith in oneself. A prayer goes nowhere else; and no matter what creed or doctrine or philosophy one says to oneself in trying moments, it is always oneself that gets through it and overcomes the suffering, change and chaos. Only through oneself can one transcend the context.

5.

There is no free or unfree will. There is only the capacity for power. No amount of sophistry can limit or unburden this capacity. We can change the impermanent, for the impermanent itself is impermanent. We can alter the world around us. We can influence. We can direct our emotion, our inclinations, our desires, our instincts, our senses, and our drives into a context-altering and fully spiritual agent, with every flaw, weakness, and sin fully accounted for and standing guard with us. No amount of inaction and non-doing and self-negation will allow one to achieve her full capabilities. And nothing will ever change while we cling to our false necessities.

commenting for later read .

Then what should we be focusing on in absence of these "fabricated necessities"?

a reply to: AfterInfinity

Then what should we be focusing on in absence of these "fabricated necessities"?

The real necessities.

originally posted by: Aphorism
a reply to: AfterInfinity

Then what should we be focusing on in absence of these "fabricated necessities"?

The real necessities.

Meaning our existence should revolve around survivalism.

a reply to: AfterInfinity

Meaning our existence should revolve around survivalism.

Not that it should, but that it already does.

originally posted by: Aphorism
a reply to: AfterInfinity

Meaning our existence should revolve around survivalism.

Not that it should, but that it already does.

Which is what I meant. Our existence is heavily reliant on our survival, and any reasonable philosophy ought to reflect that aspect of our being. Is that what you're saying?

a reply to: AfterInfinity

Which is what I meant. Our existence is heavily reliant on our survival, and any reasonable philosophy ought to reflect that aspect of our being. Is that what you're saying?

Survival is a prerequisite to living. I agree with you when you say it should be embedded in every philosophy as an axiom.

a reply to: Aphorism

Survival is a prerequisite to living. I agree with you when you say it should be embedded in every philosophy as an axiom.

Would this not turn life for every adherent into a giant competition? You would never rest, because every minute you're not moving forward is a minute you are falling behind.

MOD NOTE:

Take the conversation back on topic and off each other.

Do not reply to this post.

a reply to: AfterInfinity

I'm not too sure. But those who have been living suppressed for so long might lash out.

We can see how every spirituality revolves around denying our flaws, ie. our insatiability, our groundlessness, our needs and desires etc. Another obvious one is our susceptibility to belittlement, but this arises from denying ourselves for too long, as we constantly try to be little.

Sorry I cannot give a better follow up, but I'm in transit for a while. Your questions are important.

you write

denying our flaws, ie. our insatiability, our groundlessness, our needs and desires etc

a reply to: Aphorism

and then further on...

they deny their own ineradicable flaws – their inherent change, impermanence, destructibility and chaos – for the sake of more false necessities, turning their virtues into vices, fracturing themselves into mind and body, good and evil, spirit and flesh, free and unfree, in a strange cycle of trying to deny themselves right outside of their undeniable context, to remain as dying paradoxes

Who is to judge what virtue may be changed into a vice and vice versa?

There is no free or unfree will.

Whilst I love your writing in the threads you've authored in the last few months, I really have a problem with this statement.

To me there is such a thing as "will" or a better word may be...intent. I could be wrong but I think you are attacking "free will" as exemplified in the fall of man/garden of eden in the biblical sense?

I analyze I think I act, I will it (whatever) to happen. I am not reliant on an excuse such as " my church leaders states it "
or " the devil made me do it "

Keep up the good writing, you have such deep thinking skills written with eloquence

originally posted by: TheConstruKctionofLight
you write

Who is to judge what virtue may be changed into a vice and vice versa?

I would argue that virtues are always dependent on the context. One might even have to kill in some instances, or be killed. Though each virtue and vice is designated as such by those who write the rules in any particular language community, it is always up to the individual to decide when to break them.

Whilst I love your writing in the threads you've authored in the last few months, I really have a problem with this statement.

To me there is such a thing as "will" or a better word may be...intent. I could be wrong but I think you are attacking "free will" as exemplified in the fall of man/garden of eden in the biblical sense?

I analyze I think I act, I will it (whatever) to happen. I am not reliant on an excuse such as " my church leaders states it "
or " the devil made me do it "

I agree there is a will, but that will is always that agent. In Other words, it is not a matter of free or unfree wills, but strong and weak wills. That is how will has always manifested: as an agent exerting his power within his context. The agent is neither free nor unfree according to our conditions, but always has the capacity to use his powers as much as he wishes in order to transcend his current conditions.

Hey thanks for the kind words.

originally posted by: Aphorism
We owe it to those not yet living to change the world for the better.

The wanting it to be better is the suffering that is the human condition. The idea of time makes one think (mental) that there will be better but what is there really? 'Better' is a word, an idea which makes one look outside what is for something which isn't. The belief, the idea, of more, of better is the illusion. There is only ever what is present - maybe what is present is the thought 'It should be better!!'. If one is believing the thought 'It should be better', then one is certainly suffering.

It is no wonder we still wait…

What are you waiting for? What is it that is sought?

Spirituality in its modern form is a mental escapism, a way in which to continue the apathetic state of non-action and non-doing, as is apparent with the growing rise of eastern principles in the west, and the growing rise of western principles in the east.

The mind is nothing but thoughts appearing and disappearing - realizing spirit does not escape the mind - thoughts are just part of the appearance which always appears presently and disappears presently and cannot be grasped.

Every spirituality recognizes and acknowledges the necessity of change, impermanence, destructibility and chaos in the world, as is told by the ancients such as Solomon, Buddha, and other philosophers, except their followers contradict their masters teachings by designating their dogmas and themselves as changeless, permanent, indestructible and un-chaotic.

Look right now at what is appearing............notice it is always changing - that which appears presently is changing constantly, it is non permanent. Now if you look to see what is seeing the changing you might find that it is always the same and never moves (in direct experience). It is like the tv screen - it never moves or goes anywhere but the pictures are moving on the face of the screen. The stillness of the screen is overlooked because the appearance moving on the face is what is seen.

A silent mind, wu wei, nirvana, divinity, penance, faith, oneness, mysticism, zen, enlightenment – not one has solved a thing outside of ego.

Does anything have to be solved when the ego drops away? The trying to solve the world is what happens when one is divided, separated, one feels one does not fit in so one tries to make 'things' better. When one realizes wholeness then there are no longer any problems - life is seen to be just happening by no one.

a reply to: Itisnowagain

Your tv to me does move and changes. It also ages and dies.

I understand the whole now concept, but one can live for a better future today. One can influence that now, as can be proven by moving anything to a different spot. I am against the false necessity that we must accept and fade away and be pushed around by the now. This sort of negation of will is what the zen Buddhists taught Japanese soldiers so that they may release themselves from the moral obligation to preserve life, so that they may take it with a good conscience.

What I wait for is anything worthwhile to come from common spirituality. I wait for it to prove itself. If it cannot, then what benefit does it have for humanity? We can change these structures by the very virtue that we create them.

a reply to: Aphorism

This sort of negation of will is what the zen Buddhists taught Japanese soldiers so that they may release themselves from the moral obligation to preserve life, so that they may take it with a good conscience.

It also releases them from the instinctual obligation to preserve themselves. Which makes them much more willing to sacrifice their flesh and life for another, much less willing individual.