Stolen from Facebook
"
Even I don't.
Even I don't.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Alan Watts - Awareness of the Self
An excerpt from an Alan Watts lecture.
Now, the Hindus say that the self--the great Self--is consciousness. But, of course, that does not mean consciousness in the sense of our ordinary-everyday consciousness. Ordinary-everyday consciousness is, indeed, a form of this kind of consciousness; shall we say: a manifestation of it.
But then, there's also consciousness which doesn't notice, but nevertheless is highly responsive.
The way your heart beats.
The way you breathe.
The way you grow your hair.
You're doing it, but you don't know how its done.
So, therefore, just in the same way that conscious attention is not aware of all the other operations of the body, we are not aware of our connection (indeed, our identity) with the Fundamental Self.
When the leaves die and fall off the trees, or the fruit drops; next year: more leaves, more fruit.
So, in the same way, when you and I die: more babies later.
If the whole human race dies?
You bet your life there are all kinds of things that feel they're human, scattered throughout the multiplicity of galaxies. Because this universe is a people-ing universe, just as an apple tree apples.
But because we are unconscious of the intervals--we are not aware of the self with our conscious attention when conscious attention isn't operating (just as you don't notice what your pineal gland is doing at the moment)--so in the same way, you don't notice the connections which tie us all together, not only here and now, but forever and ever and ever and ever.
The basic reason why we don't notice the Self, is that the Self can't look at itself.
A knife can't cut itself.
Fire can't burn itself.
Water can't quench itself.
A light can't shine on itself.
So this is the fundamental problem of having some sort of awareness of the Self.
Nevertheless, it is the whole contention of Indian philosophy (especially what we call Vedanta), that it is possible, in a certain way, to become aware of one's self in this deepest sense.
To know that you are the totality.
And this experience is the real substance of Indian philosophy as a whole, both Hindu and Buddhist. It is called Moksha, which roughly means: Liberation.
Liberation from the hallucination that you are just poor little me.
To wake up from that kind of hypnosis and discover that you--your organism, your physical body, your conscious attention (which is your ego)-- are something being done by this vast indescribable Self, which is out of time; which has no beginning, no end; it neither continues nor discontinues; it is beyond all categorization whatsoever. And so the Upanishads say all we can say of it is "neti, neti": not this, not that.
Anything, therefore, you can imagine or picture will not be the Self. So when you are trying to know the Self, you have to get rid of every idea in your head. It doesn't mean, as some people seem to think, that you have to get rid of every sense impression. It isn't as if you had to go into a catatonic state of total absorption (of course that can be done), but, the full Moksha, the full liberation, is when you come back out of absorption and see this everyday world just as it looks now, but see as clear as clear can be that it is all the Self.
You can become aware of this tremendous interconnectedness of everything.
Now, the Hindus say that the self--the great Self--is consciousness. But, of course, that does not mean consciousness in the sense of our ordinary-everyday consciousness. Ordinary-everyday consciousness is, indeed, a form of this kind of consciousness; shall we say: a manifestation of it.
But then, there's also consciousness which doesn't notice, but nevertheless is highly responsive.
The way your heart beats.
The way you breathe.
The way you grow your hair.
You're doing it, but you don't know how its done.
So, therefore, just in the same way that conscious attention is not aware of all the other operations of the body, we are not aware of our connection (indeed, our identity) with the Fundamental Self.
When the leaves die and fall off the trees, or the fruit drops; next year: more leaves, more fruit.
So, in the same way, when you and I die: more babies later.
If the whole human race dies?
You bet your life there are all kinds of things that feel they're human, scattered throughout the multiplicity of galaxies. Because this universe is a people-ing universe, just as an apple tree apples.
But because we are unconscious of the intervals--we are not aware of the self with our conscious attention when conscious attention isn't operating (just as you don't notice what your pineal gland is doing at the moment)--so in the same way, you don't notice the connections which tie us all together, not only here and now, but forever and ever and ever and ever.
The basic reason why we don't notice the Self, is that the Self can't look at itself.
A knife can't cut itself.
Fire can't burn itself.
Water can't quench itself.
A light can't shine on itself.
So this is the fundamental problem of having some sort of awareness of the Self.
Nevertheless, it is the whole contention of Indian philosophy (especially what we call Vedanta), that it is possible, in a certain way, to become aware of one's self in this deepest sense.
To know that you are the totality.
And this experience is the real substance of Indian philosophy as a whole, both Hindu and Buddhist. It is called Moksha, which roughly means: Liberation.
Liberation from the hallucination that you are just poor little me.
To wake up from that kind of hypnosis and discover that you--your organism, your physical body, your conscious attention (which is your ego)-- are something being done by this vast indescribable Self, which is out of time; which has no beginning, no end; it neither continues nor discontinues; it is beyond all categorization whatsoever. And so the Upanishads say all we can say of it is "neti, neti": not this, not that.
Anything, therefore, you can imagine or picture will not be the Self. So when you are trying to know the Self, you have to get rid of every idea in your head. It doesn't mean, as some people seem to think, that you have to get rid of every sense impression. It isn't as if you had to go into a catatonic state of total absorption (of course that can be done), but, the full Moksha, the full liberation, is when you come back out of absorption and see this everyday world just as it looks now, but see as clear as clear can be that it is all the Self.
You can become aware of this tremendous interconnectedness of everything.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Ch-ch-changes
I need to make at least 1 if not several hundred. Starting with leaving my current job. They've been some what good to me over the last several years. I make double my salary when I started there. However, I can't do this the rest of my life. I could give two licks if John Smith in Ohio get's his credit card statement in a timely fashion. I also don't really care that the work we do saves the company nearly 25 million dollars a year while my subordinates walk on a concrete floor all night, lifting, twisting, pulling, and pushing things for a shit wage(it could be worse, I suppose). I know I probably shouldn't bitch about people having jobs during this tough economic time but it really annoys me. I have become extremely efficient at doing my job now to the point where I honestly probably do 1-2 hours of real work in a night. I have made efforts to expand my responsibilities but typically it ends up with them saying no to my idea so that in six months they can implement it and take the credit themselves. ARGHHHHHHH!!!! Hopefully I can channel this frustration into the courage I need to move on with my life and start doing what I really want.
Also I just saw my own name in the credits for Boardwalk Empire, apparently I play Dr. Carl Surran.
Also I just saw my own name in the credits for Boardwalk Empire, apparently I play Dr. Carl Surran.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Disgusting Fatbody
Kevin is being one-upped at the moment.
My new goal is to lose as much weight by Halloween. This is mainly due to the fact that a lot of Fallout 3 cosplayers are of a rather hefty figure. Not all of them, mind you, but a good deal. I guess this is true with a lot of costume wearers, but then again I've been meaning to have an excuse to get back into a workout routine.
I am also doing a comic book endeavor with Meginnis. I am trying to convince him that two robots are too much and that one robot can easily be replaced by a dapper grasshopper-like alien. He has yet to respond to my suggestion.
I started a painting of a robot going up some stairs. I have had this painting started for the last month. SO far, I've painted the stairs, and not the robot. This is the reverse order of how I usually work. It is causing some problems.
So Andy stated he was going to a Hawkeyes game one of these weekends here in Iowa City. Anyone else feeling the "Hawkeye" madness and want to join? I have a sneaky suspicion someone is going to sleep on my floor again. I want to set up a rule for such a scenario: no fast food breakfasts. I have yet to hear this sort of plan ever working out for anyone, self included.
In closing, a wonderful comment was posted on one of my videos on Youtube. It was neither constructive nor critical. I would like to know what your all's take is on it. Here is the comment:
FAGGOT SHIT
What does that meeeeeeaaaannnn?
Monday, September 05, 2011
