i loved reading this & my soul needed it. as someone who has felt stuck by “figuring things out” (& following others’ methods), your essay has opened up new perspectives - thank you
It would perhaps be useful to read this description of what constitutes the self.
It should be understood that the karmas or habit patterns of every individual are effective at every level: physical, emotional, mental, unconscious, subconscious, conscious, waking, dreaming, and sleeping. And those karmas extend beyond the individual body-mind to include otheres, objects, and environments on every level, visible (or gross) and invisible (or subtle), known and unknown - past, present, and future.
Therefore the beginning of Wisdom requires, as a matter of preparation, the purification or release of attention from this karmic self-bond, the stable development of true psycho-physical equanimity , and the magnification of free energy and attention.
Without such stable psycho-physical equanimity it is impossible to even clearly see what is before ones eyes.
I like the concept, only I am a little confused as to why open-endedness is not just curiosity… perhaps with a little critical thinking to keep it interesting.
To not collapse into a solution or a judgement, to keep floating between pulling and tugging mental forces/concepts. The capacity to stay there, in that initially uncomfortable space.
I wonder if that is also what a wise man does, when he speaks, to only describe what is, to surface cause and effect, what can be seen, but to never label something into judgement or solution.
i loved reading this & my soul needed it. as someone who has felt stuck by “figuring things out” (& following others’ methods), your essay has opened up new perspectives - thank you
Thank you Chlo, that means a lot. It's also something I myself need :)
It would perhaps be useful to read this description of what constitutes the self.
It should be understood that the karmas or habit patterns of every individual are effective at every level: physical, emotional, mental, unconscious, subconscious, conscious, waking, dreaming, and sleeping. And those karmas extend beyond the individual body-mind to include otheres, objects, and environments on every level, visible (or gross) and invisible (or subtle), known and unknown - past, present, and future.
Therefore the beginning of Wisdom requires, as a matter of preparation, the purification or release of attention from this karmic self-bond, the stable development of true psycho-physical equanimity , and the magnification of free energy and attention.
Without such stable psycho-physical equanimity it is impossible to even clearly see what is before ones eyes.
I like the concept, only I am a little confused as to why open-endedness is not just curiosity… perhaps with a little critical thinking to keep it interesting.
Good question. I'll sit with this :)
Open-endedness is a condition (especially of evolution), and curiosity is a state of being.. does this allow something to flow now?
To not collapse into a solution or a judgement, to keep floating between pulling and tugging mental forces/concepts. The capacity to stay there, in that initially uncomfortable space.
I wonder if that is also what a wise man does, when he speaks, to only describe what is, to surface cause and effect, what can be seen, but to never label something into judgement or solution.
I like that thought…
Yes, yes, 100% yes to all of this! I feel like someone went into my mind and heart and then put it on paper. Thank you!
I riff on this article on my other Substack. https://johnstokdijkgmailcom.substack.com/p/unknowings