This is it, there's nothing else.
This.
Exactly
this.
Exactly the way it is. Nothing else.
That assertion's not an easy get. The machinery which assesses it, has
allocated just about no room at all to take it on like a possibility.
The assertion itself isn't the
trouble.
The
trouble
is the machinery which assesses it. And we don't question the machinery
which assesses it. "This is it, there's nothing else" doesn't (as
Werner
may say)
"fit into our
categories".
So we know (ie we're thrown to know) there's
gotta be something else. It goes without saying. It goes without
question. We know there's gotta be something more. We
know this can't possibly be it. That's too bad. This is
it, there's nothing else. Sit with it in your lap like a hot
brick.
Given the machinery's fervent, undistinguished, thrown resistance to
"This is it, there's nothing else", there's a slim to nothing chance
that we'll ever get it as a powerful, peaceful, profound,
pragmatic
platform
on which to stand and from which to live, arguably the
powerful, peaceful, profound, pragmatic
platform
on which to stand and from which to live. The realization that "This is
it, there's nothing else" as a
platform
on which to stand and from which to live, is life-altering. In a word,
it's transformative. It's powerful enough to actually
recontextualize
(I love that word) everything including the assessing
machinery itself which precludes the possibility.
But ... is it true? Is it true that this is it, that
there's nothing else? Consider Edward de Bono's "Every yes / no
question has three possible answers: yes, no, and
po.". It actually matters very little whether or not it can be
proved that this is it, that there's nothing else. And even if there
were proof for it, it would be manipulated by the preferred vagaries of
the machinery
(understanding is the booby
prize).
Rather, its experiential validity isn't measured by
whether or not it's true or false ... so "Po!" to all that. It's
experiential validity is measured by the power, peace, profundity, and
pragmatism that comes with taking it on like a possibility ie by trying
it on for size as a
platform
on which to stand and from which to live, a
platform
which we overlook and / or deny at our own peril. If there's something
else, it hasn't come calling yet.
That said, try this on for size: are there intelligent
life-forms in the universe other than our own? "Po!". We don't know. We
speculate ... but we don't know. We're driven
not by that there's something else, but by that there's
gotta be, by there can't possibly not be. The
assessing machinery has hijacked the assertion. The inmates are running
the asylum. It's not so much "Is it true that this is it, that there's
nothing else?" as much as it's "Is 'Is it true that this is it, that
there's nothing else?' a powerful question to ask?". It's "Are
we asking the right question(s) about this is it, about there's nothing
else?". We've inscribed into our most cherished belief systems that
this isn't it, that there's something else, and that
Godot is coming soon. Our relationship with Godot today is
given by a future of "Godot isn't here now but is coming
soon" so we're waiting ... and waiting. It's a premise
that remains unchallenged. The machinery upholds it and sees to it that
we wait.
So we're waiting, facile with this premise, and not so facile with the
idea that this is it, that there's nothing else. We're so enamored with
Godot coming soon, that even if she were already here and always was
already here, we wouldn't accept it because
that doesn't fit into our
categories.
We'd tell her to her face "You can't be you because you
haven't come yet!". But our fervent, undistinguished, thrown
insistence that Godot's coming soon, isn't the
trouble.
The machinery which assesses it, is.
"This is it, there's nothing else,
this,
exactly
this,
exactly the way it is" remains an elusive possibility not because it
can't be proved, but because the machinery which assesses it doesn't
get it, so
it doesn't fit into our
categories.
If we could stand outside the machinery which assesses it, we'd get
this is it, we'd get there's nothing else. Standing
out-here,
outside the machinery which assesses it, we'd get the possibility of
its power, peace, profundity, and pragmatism. This is transformation.
It's already here. It's always been already here. If there's something
else, it hasn't come calling yet. So to the machinery that's keeping us
waiting ... and waiting: "Po!".
