A bright Monday finds a bright father saying to a three hundred watt son. “Man’s view of the need he feels and attempts he makes to change himself, (morally, philosophically, politically, religiously, psychologically, mystically and any other ‘ly‘), has classically been from the perspective that this is to be achieved in the correction of an existing characteristic. (I am ignorant and need to be educated; I am a sinner and need to be redeemed; I am neurotic and need to be rational; I am asleep and need to awaken; I am blind and need to be enlightened, etc). But I say to you that this is not the most accurate description of the prevailing situation, and hence hints not at the optimally efficient approach to realizing a change therein.
The marvel of mind is that thought can picture any possibility of which it is capable, and will accept it as feasible no matter how it conflicts with obvious physical reality. From our family’s view, its greatest challenge is in its nature to so easily forget that any such distinction exists. For all this proves materially beneficial, for the few it can be a blind spot that keeps you forever disoriented.
If we employ certain so-called mystical terminology to represent all attempts to address the urge that all men feel to change themselves, (which is symbolically not at all untoward), then I present to you this: trying to wake-up is the attempt to create something stable and substantive out of something ephemeral and ethereal. Create something, not change something. Even though words are but words and descriptions just descriptions, which not only can bite you on your mental ass but themselves as well, this distinction is a difference with a distinction. It is one which can spell the difference between, “Conductor, I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to get off here rather than riding on to the end,” or, laying your head on the window and falling into a deep dream, about the difficulties of trying to see the journey through, and not.
The thoughts ordinarily passing through men’s brains, which they normally feel to be their individual “self,” their personality, object strongly to having their legitimacy questioned. Their existence – forget it! They go into irrational spasms. The voice in a man’s head will freely admit that it could do better or be better. Any suggestion that it does not actually exist is ridiculous, as proven by the mere fact that it is responding to the absurd idea. With routine people, holding standard issue minds, there is nothing more to be said on the matter. The case is closed; the game is over, and collective reality triumphs again – exactly as ‘tis supposed to. But if you are ever going to get out of that binding, civilian uniform, and roam the untamed reaches of your mind and the universe, that response to thoughts’ legitimacy is entirely useless, (not to mention, somewhat inadequate).”
J.