Taking Liberties

Image courtesy bbc.

Is not a window
But a see-through wall?
There's more we shall know
By not looking at all.

It's just occurred to me that the unknown is identical to the known.

Let me try and explain.

I would equate "knowing" with understanding - the bedrock of our being.

We may not know the entirety of our being, subjectively, but it is there - and we are still "being" it nevertheless.

A different kind of "knowledge" is the term we use for collecting empirical "facts" or "theories" - which by definition - require us to adopt a certain perspective with which to contain their reference - because a "fact" or "theory" without a frame of reference cannot exist.
This is the term we use for objective knowledge - looking through a narrowly defined window of perspective - of which there are an infinite potential variety - this kind of knowledge exists only in our conceptual mind.

Our conceptual mind overlays reality with a veil - usurping the being of that reality with the conceit of pretended knowledge - it is deceitful - stealthily substituting the truth of that being with a token (not a fair exchange) - a word, a label or a theory - based on only its selective, relative and dualistic perspective - dividing and defining an unknown whole - and replacing it with a sum of parts derived from its own imagination.

That is why I say that the unknown is identical to the known.

It is identical if we refer subjectively - and also if we refer objectively.
Subjectively we can be no more or no less than 100% of our being - so whether known or unknown - it changes nothing.
Objectively - we are merely dealing with tokens - the known or the unknown are simply more tokens - more deceit.

OK - let's ease up a while - objectiveness, our relative perspective is not the villain I make it out to be - or is it?
It is our innate perspective - the one we are educated to see by our senses - by our individualised nature.
Like the crest of a rolling wave - formed and yet formless - at the threshold between subject and object.
A moving point of awareness - but it is not concrete - it is as free and undefined as we care to allow it to be.


In some ways - it is the classroom.
Where and how we learn - in our relationship to our environment and fellow beings.
Where we associate with pain of differing types - emotional and physical.
Where that pain becomes the biggest educator of them all.
Where we start to question.
Where we start to explore.

We start to search.

Secretly - I believe that all of us, deep down, are aware that our sense of "I" ness is mysterious, is magical, is miraculous.
Our being is a most precious gift.
Either from gratitude - or in supplication through suffering - or just from an awesome sense of wonder at it all - we turn our minds to questions of origin.

Now we're in trouble - especially if we are determined for an answer.

You see - our conceptual minds work entirely with a dualistic perspective - a perspective that operates almost identically to our rules of language.
Subject, adjective, noun, verb, object, cause and effect etc.
We are already dealing only with the tokens issued by that mind to substitute reality.
They are not connected to that reality in any relevant way - other than for defining and labelling it within the constricts of a relative state.
With the limited perspective available to it - the conceptual mind (aware that it did not create itself) is at the mercy of the following restricted supposition.

I (subject) exist (verb) and I (subject) did not create (verb) myself (effect/object) - therefore I must have a creator (cause/object.)

Of course this dialectic is supported, at least superficially, by most major religions - and with their added authority - do we really need to look any further?

How much further dare we look?

Let's be extremely courageous - and dedicate our purpose to sincerely discovering the truth - then we can expect to be welcomed back to our creator and to be forgiven if that's where we are led.

A quick recapitulation at this point - we have already discussed that we cannot be more or less than 100% of our true being - whether known or unknown - we are that very being right now.

Our understanding of the conceptual mind has lead us to see that we might have invented the concept of a creator as being separate from the creation.

Yet we still have the sense of mystery, of awe, of the miraculous.
Why?
Because inescapably, existence, our being feels like that - at times.

Our being.

If we could accept our being, totally - right now - stop asking questions - stop cheating ourselves with deceitful answers - allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by that mystery, that awe - the miracle - could that make a difference?

Would it matter then - if we could find that unconditional acceptance - which if we are honest - we spend every waking moment chasing for.

Do you disagree?

Why do we turn to alchohol, or drugs, or relationships, or seeking more?
Or seek oblivion by obsession?
Do we accept ourselves - or are we trying to prove something to win approval to our own set of conditions - inherited or invented?
Why do we invent tomorrow, if not from fear or desire?
Tomorrow we will approve ourselves - but not today - tomorrow - over the fence, where the grass is emerald green - and actually belongs to our neighbour - which is why it matters not that we throw all our rubbish there - from today.

The ability to accept - now - this miracle.
If we do all those things in the cause of finding happiness - we are really denying that it exists.
If we search for it - we are denying that it exists - here.
Denying that happiness and ourselves can co-exist - now.

Accepting our own being unconditionally, automatically takes us beyond conceptual thought, to a state where we accept the whole - beyond division, beyond separation.
That includes everything within our awareness - and beyond.

If we were to find that ability - would it make any difference?
Would it make a difference to what we called - being?
Would it matter what origins that being had?
Scientific - natural - spiritual - only labels.

Being - contentment - acceptance - of ourselves - unconditionally - can lead to joy.
Honest, unattached joy can lead to gratitude.
Gratitude can lead to action.

Anything else is a condition that is being met - and not liberty.

Thanks for sharing this journey with me.

Another extraordinarily delightful website on this topic - Yoism