Springing traps ...

As Autumn rehearses Winter, arriving next week in calendar time, minds around the world, or most of it anyway, turn to Christmas, ostensibly celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ the Prophet of the Christian folk of many branches and magical beliefs. Language leads us to a trap of inferring the Christ was Christian, but obviously that's nonsense. In that time and place he would have been a Jew, though heretical. Freshening up ancient teachings with new insights. Christ Consciousness has a different sense, beyond the stories of a creator God fit for the Patriarchy of the era, therefore male ... like the Jewish one, only more peaceful ...

If you want a brutal heresy to puncture your illusions, try the one allowed by Zen:
If you see the Buddha on the road, kill him!
This is deep and compassionate though not all Buddhists accept it. Christian clerics, of my acquaintance are quite happy to say the same for Jesus the Christ. It's all metaphor after all ... the word is not the thing described as repeated here many times.

Now, a poem for you dear reader(s), shared yesterday on FB, a platform currently connecting the whole world, very powerful and addictive in its mission to serve its shareholders through data mining, aggregating and selling ... not necessarily evil except in the metaphorical sense of living Life backwards, worshipping money, the root of all evil and so on ...

"I had a dream
I fell asleep a year ago
And only just woke up
Now I am wondering
If someone can explain to me:

What's a tier and what's a cluster?
What's a bubble and a Law of 6?
Someone said it was illegal
To see my children at Christmas!
Imagine that!
I saw them often enough in the dream

Never mind, back to sleep
Create another dream perhaps
Where authorities serve the people
And Love prevails again"

It doesn't do to undo what comes in whole, but please allow a little interpretation, given the recent topics exercising this blog ...

Many ancient and modern teachings suggest illusions, dreams within dreams within dreams.
Any search for reality may only be creating another dream to serve the dreamer's latest hopes and fears, ambitions, psychology, karma and all of that and more. And not just one dreamer, which would be solipcism, but every dreamer, somehow operating at the centre, with many other dreamers playing their roles to support your stories ...

At this stage of madness we have some serious choices to make ... take the Dao as an escape from the trap, relax, have fun, whatever you do don't take your small self as fundamentally real, but do play the game as if it was ... to be human, after all, is defined by being in relationship with at least one other human ... in Silence we get to rest ... maybe ...

That's enough philosophy for now ... Life is getting weirder  every day, in a good way, support arrives from unexpected people turning up serendipitously, suggesting the current role in the current times of crisis is serving some purpose ... hopefully not Common Purpose this time!

The moon is interesting at present. Reality suggests it's getting full, moving the waters of the Earth, including humans, mostly made of water ... in a deeper reality of course the moon of Earth in this small solar system is like the rest of the cosmos, spherical ...

Other humans more into this stuff, suggest this particular phase of this illusory moon has a big part to play in bringing the crisis to a head, ready for lancing like a boil ... a metaphor quite apt for the soon departing dark players of DUK and many other nations ...

Dawn is coming. Time to post this blog. Please join in, the forces of Light are gathering ...

World of illusion projecting back ...

Following yesterday's post, further investigation suggests the void, the universe full of energy and potential, plus illusory projections from the edge, infers each human soul is playing its own reality games ... i.e. we can't be wrong since we are all right from our own perspective.

This is tricky.

Liberating though.

It means we need not judge our friends, family or anybody ever again. In fact to judge is an error, bringing consequences in its trail.
Discernment is different. Failing to discern is an error, leading to the repetition of lessons we never seem to learn.
To clarify: Judgement is of the person by a person, all illusory anyway; discernment on the other hand is about the behaviour.
So, observation without judgement helps us grow in a deeper reality.
You may wish to check your favourite mystics for references to this ancient teaching.

Next question: Is every thought ever thunk out there in a field? This may help explain those strange cases of child genius, Mozart for example.

And if that's true, are we, as humans thinking in languages, really creating our own realities, as proposed in some traditions? All the world's a stage ... story telling being what we do ... and does that challenge Descartes' proposal: "I think, therefore I am?" Which is obvious on one level, but its opposite is true on another: "I am, therefore I think"!

Moving on to NLP, a modern framework for ancient ways to Power. Listen to the three words, as words have power: Neuro, Linguistic, Programming. Brainwashing basically!
But the tool is neutral. Brainwashing has sinister connotations, but a clean brain is not such a bad thing, is it? As long as "brain, infers "mind". Tesla suggested the brain might be considered a radio transmitter and receiver, rather than just a storage place.

Common Purpose, of course, chose the Dark cards of NLP.
Higher Purpose chose the Light.

The synthesis now plays out. Light always wins, since Dark has no inherent reality, Dark Energy notwithstanding. Fundamentally, dark is only light's absence.

Mass hallucination dances across the stages of the world. ..fear is the key to controlling the masses ... courage breaks the spell, and on we go ...

Love wins every round. There is nothing to fear, but fear itself ...

Projecting into the void ...

Getting a handle on this multi-dimensional jigsaw is a fascinating game, not least because words fail to cover the complexities, let alone words from only one language, albeit a rich one, composed of many other languages and already splitting off into variants from other nations ...

Having other languages at hand offers a helpful, broader perspective ... languages with words and sentences, different scripts ... languages made from numbers, mathematics, algebra and so on ... music offering higher level insights, though remembering that words like higher, lower, broader, better, worse, come pre-loaded with meaning ... helpful to tell stories, but not when we fall into the trap of mistaking the word for the thing described ...

Once upon a time, a common device used to alert the reader that a story is to be told, itself frames the story in Time ... a concept with relative reality according to some mystics and scientists ... and hedging bets further, the choice of the word some infers not all, or not all the Time ... which as already suggested, may not be real.

So, it's tricky.

Occam's Razor requires parsimony. .. avoiding flim-flam. .. sufficient information but not too much. E = MC squared for example, perhaps the best known equation in history, was offered by Einstein decades after he intuited the concept, therefore Whole, then broke it up in pieces, filled pages with equations, stripped them to the bone and won the Nobel Prize ... now the C, previously held as constant, let alone squared, turns out to be questioned by discoveries at quantum scale, which obviously left Einstein in a quandary ... denying the new hypotheses of telepathy, suggested by communication faster than the speed of light.

Science moves on. Scientism meanwhile continues to stick with certainties. .. certainly an error if Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle applies. Bohr was honest enough to give up the need to understand the how of the quantum world, leading the Copenhagen School to "shut up and calculate", since probabilities produced sufficient information to change the world ... whilst Bohm soldiered on with others to discover How and Why ... it's said that Science advances death by death, as bright younger minds pick up the baton and carry on ... perhaps to temporary new realities and so ad infinitum.

Silence is also a language. Not of nothing, but everything. Just don't expect to prove it.

Which brings us to the point, finally, of the current theory espoused by Jude Currivan and others, which goes like this, in summary:

This Universe is expanding.
Information is held in two dimensions at the edge, projected into three D reality in the void.
The void is not empty, but full of energy (plus all the projections of the illusory fragments).
Information thus goes two ways. New information returns to the edge and is encoded in 2D.
Times 7 billion souls and growing.
And so on.

The obvious question, what lies beyond the Universe, is skipped as the Cosmic Plenum on the basis that comprehending one is enough for now.

N.B. Please check my scant knowledge of Science for accuracy and let the reader(s) know. Especially if you happen to be Jude Currivan. If only I knew someone who knows her ...

Three score years, plus ten ...

Now here's a question for you, dear reader(s) ... if the allotted life span of human beings is 70, according to the holy book of Christian folk, which includes the much older testament of Judaism, where a wrathful God presided ... indeed it's Psalm 90 in that book, going back to before humans arrived here, which says 70, and even 80 if you're strong:

How is it that in recent recorded history, maybe a millennium or more, humans were lucky to reach half that number? Or unlucky, since history tells is that most lives were nasty, brutish and short?

Answers on a comment, please ... if you can work out how!

Now here's a subsequent question:

Why does the holy book of Christian folk, based on the loving life of Jesus Christ (the clue is in the surname) contain the one about God being angry most of the time, making lots of readers feel guilty (especially Catholics)?

I know it's unfashionable to study theology these days, but these questions exercised the mind during many miles of pilgrimming and still intrigue me ...being rather old these days and living on borrowed time, as pessimists proclaim ... optimists say: Every day's a bonus! and Make hay while the Sun shines!

Anyway, the Bible, old or new, never spoke to me ... due partly to rejecting the culture of my childhood being Christian and its followers so often hypocritical, including priests, vicars, ministers, bishops, archbishops, cardinals and popes ( Mum was Methodist, Dad Congregational, nominally, neither having time for churchgoing except the usual wedding, christening, funeral trio ... come to think of it, they spent more time practising than preaching the universal values of JC than many telling others about it!) ... where were we? Oh yes, the other part was resistance to the one creator God of the Abrahamic crew; including Jews, Christians and Muslims in date order. When the time came to hedge the bets, it was Buddhism that drew me, mainly because it was perfectly acceptable to call it philosophy without the religious form. The other interest since youth was psychology, the workings of the mind and all the madness seen in the world as was ... that world, quite frankly, never made sense and makes even less in this time of fascism  throughout the world ... hopefully burning off the millennia or two of hatred, violence and war ... condoned in practice by the authorities of the creator God of the Abrahamic religions.

So what's the problem here?

A God who created a world so cruel?
Religions created by humans, mostly male?
Authority itself?

So many questions, so little time! Your blogger passed on to borrowed time yesterday ... not long now. Luckily there seem to be many lives; ongoing consciousness. Not that this humble blogger has fallen into Solipcism by the way, all Souls are playing the infinite game of Life, not separate from each other or any imaginary superhuman separate from us ... pointing to Dao again, not any religious form of that or any other, but unity is unity ... draw your own conclusions.

Attention ...

Having played human games for many years, recently resumed after blessed rest walking countless kilometres in Iberia, on and off in early retirement, it's becoming clear, in a vague kind of way, that being human is contingent on being in relationship, preferably with at least one other human, though a dog or cat may do, temporarily anyway ...

The quote from the Christian bible, attributed to Jesus Christ: When two or more or gathered together in my name, was puzzling me ... why not one? Perhaps JC was superhuman, though appearing in human form?

This reminder of the Christian story came yesterday, on a trip over the fells to Hexham and a chance meeting with the Bethel folks, generating funds and awareness for their worthy work rehabilating humans with addictions, in need of miracles to reveal the demons and dispel them with the Light of Fellowship and Love ... and Cake, an addiction to which is far less dangerous, though too much sugar is the latest demon on the stage, blamed for rotting teeth, obesity, diabetes and all that ... half an hour of theology and philosophy with a positive and curious young man, Will, though wary of demons still lurking in the shadows, led to ... a cakey takeaway for later gorging and more information about the extent of the problem of addiction, rooted in trauma and cause of devasting suffering in the so-called civilised world ... not least the in the devasted post-industrial wastelands of North East England ...

So, what's the answer?

Rationed, measured, clinical interventions, led by Psychiatrists and Psychotherapists with NICE controlled hands tied behind their backs? Talking therapies without wrap around whole systems care badged IAPT but in practice INEPT may be more accurate! If that sounds cruel, it's for effect but has some truth when rationing leads to limited services, mainly CBT and if you're eligible some Mindfulness thrown in. What seems clearer by the day, is sound science, peer support, purpose, fellowship, structure and, most of all, unconditional Love, Frees the Way ... and that happens to be the name of an inspirational project in Seaham, by the way!

Which brings us to Social Media, or anti-social media some may say ... its addictive nature, the corporations,  which is to say entities endowed with human status but no soul, are programmed to keep us dependent for our very existence to stay in touch, virtually, with our attention ... and as is well known, in the human realm at least, attention is energy; where attention goes, energy flows and that's our creativity, our Power to change our reality ...

If all that is true, it seems wise to pay attention to what we want, not what we hate ... not bluntly, since it's a fine art to keep the world as was and appears to be, in awareness, whilst focusing on the future, where we do have choices ... and paradoxically, once all questions are examined deeply there is said to be choiceless awareness ... and no past or future, only Now ... hmmm

As for our friends at Bethel, Free the Way, and all the other peer led projects building back some self-esteem ... it's often helpful to have a healthy ego in order for it to take the risk of its own annihilation. .. where freedom is ...

Rains Retreat

News arrives from Plum Village of the forthcoming three month long Rains Retreat. A reminder of the wonderful week in France, with teachings from the Interbeing School of Zen. .. Thay the inspiration for the group of centres near Bergerac, though Thay's in his old root monastery where he went to die ... what stage he's at is not clear, though he stopped taking food a while ago.
Vietnam's climate gives this Retreat its name and the idea of a winter retreat in Northern England does appeal ... ideal since I live here now!

Other options, never far from mind include winter Camino and winter Sun ... a house share in Lagos offered and Humberto the dental implantologist is not far away in Faro. .. Penang for tropical Sun in a part of the world neglected, a Penang resident of Chinese origin issued an invitation a while ago ... always fun to keep options open ...

Meanwhile, an idea to check the Scottish Border takes form, a brief escape during poppymas and birthdays ... the poppocrisy upsetting, the betrayal of the promises to never forget and never do it again ... still, the killing goes on ... when will we ever learn?

It's the Sunday before 11.11, so Church services are held today, commemorating the Bishops' blessings bestowed upon young lads marching off to war ... their God was backing both sides of course, as they pontificated and polished up their mitres ... funny kind of God that, not least because Jesus' message was one of Peace as far as I recall, though there was rather a lot of editing and rewriting of the holy words to produce a magical story, a God with a gender, always male, conveniently for the patriarchal psychopaths running the show ... hardly surprising then that so many threw the baby out with the dirty bath water ...
NB: for US friends, whilst 11.11 works on Wednesday, please note today we say 8.11, whilst you say 11.8 ... no idea why, lost in translation I expect ... words are never the thing described anyway, so don't worry too much ...

As for birthday, this one, if I make it, will be the allotted three score years and ten ... not bad going given the risks involved on this planet in these times, though conscription fortunately avoided ... so, to mark the momentous event, usually skipped, why not wander up to another country for a few days of walking, reading, writing ... not forgetting passport, recently renewed, though unused after shocking travel ban at Easter ... and fascist measures anyway in France, Spain, even Portugal ... you may fly there, but boat is better, slower ... of course elder daughter's Scottish now, soon heading across the Lowlands from West to East, where it rains less ... dear friend over there too,  Buddist friend as well ... they know a lot of other worlds, and not just earthly ones!
A change of scene is always refreshing, not least when some say it's against the rules to go ... hey ho, that's what rules are for - breaking ... let's see ...

The deadly serious pretend election in the decaying home of dying empire limps on... two old white blokes contending to preside over the debacle, whilst supporters of the old order in Europe, still including U.K.  (or not, who knows? Brexit in or out another false divisive duality) ... it certainly knocked the new four week lockdown off the front pages, more or less ... not sure, when here in the U.K. we don't even have a vote in the matter!

And as for empires, they come and go whatever politicians do or say ... especially those on the waning side ... some say the rich compost from the remains will provide nourishment for a higher level place, beyond all the greed and violence ...

Selfishly, though no fan of the resurgent Chinese Empire, awash with all the made up money the declining West provided, I am now an owner of a Chinese car to go with a phone, plus Korean Tablet ... wired up, ready to go ... if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, as they say ... though still not sure who "they" are, if not us ...

Rest assured dear loyal reader(s), none of this stuff is really real ... but these great games demand to be played in this round, which some say has lasted two millennia. .. which is a lot (it Time is Real, which, some say, it's not) ...

Mushrooms fresh picked from the fell after misty morning wander provide lunch ... still Autumn here in Northern England golden leaves hanging on, though thinning fast ...
NB for US friends, take care in these perilous times, take heart that all is well in the end, don't worry that there may not be an end or a beginning anyway ... and don't forget, when you see Autumn, that means Fall ...

Remember remember ...

Halloween has passed with demons meeting in Downing Street to plot another Lockdown to commence on November 5th, when Parliament meets to approve the measures ... meanwhile, in the cellars, Guy Fawkes' successors are busy preparing a surprise for the politicians ... hmmm, maybe not literally, and anyway Guido was not exactly a progressive kind of guy ... still, let's see how Parliament performs, perhaps plots are already hatched to take down the unpopular junta and replace it with a softer kind of regime, more socially amenable, maybe a coalition with Sir Keir to bring the cleansed Labour Party in to help, though Blair rather stuck with his label of war criminal ... let's see on Thursday on TV for all to see, if you have a TV that is, or care to find one.

Meanwhile, the bastion of democracy across the pond votes to see which old white man will hold the reins next ... or if the whole facade will crumble and reveal the stench of a decaying empire in its death throes.

For readers concerned Wear&Dao has lost its bearings, fear not; politics is a major part of the human game and since we're here on Earth to play with humans, we'd better play our parts as well as possible, be convincing ... resting in the knowledge that once off the stage we get a break ... continuing the roles offstage a sure sign of madness ...

Facebook, collecting and kindly archiving data issues news that on this day six years ago the walk towards radical freedom began ... possessions stripped down to just what would fit in the rucksack, house, car, books, and all the clutter gone ... mind prepared to wander free with nowhere to go, except generally South since it was Autumn, specifically towards the River Dao in central Portugal, because Portugal called and Dao did too ...

The book of the blog starts to take shape as the new base for A Place to Be emerges on the edge of Stanhope ... library grows, peaceful ambience, warm, dry and simple in a contemporary way, with running water hot and cold, electricity some from solar panels, kind neighbours, food in a small garden and in woods and hedgerows all around ... a winter retreat this year perhaps?