Foreign Locales Are Not Limited to the External World
Summary = TBD
Condensed News Items = See Below (OCR needs edit)
News Item Gallery = jcap 1999-10-27 (99123)-2439
Transcript = None
The News
COPYRIGHT 1999: JAN COX
99123-1
WE TODAY ARE PRESENTED WITH YET MORE EXCERPTS FROM THE PRIVATE DIARY OF SOME UNKNOWN FIGURE. WHOSE INTERESTS COINCIDE REMARKABLY WITH OURS.
OCTOBER 27TH: FIRST ENTRY
I CONTINUE TO PONDER WHAT IT IS THAT CONSTITUTES WHAT I SO EASILY CALL, “CONSCIOUSNESS”, AND FROM MY OWN PROLONGED ATTEMPTS TO STUDY THE MATTER IN MYSELF I AM LEAD TO CONCLUDE THAT MINIMALLY, TO BE “CONSCIOUS”
REQUIRES THERE BE ONE AREA OF MY BRAIN MAKING THE NOISE-OF-THINKING AND A SEPARATE AREA TO HEAR AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE SOUNDS;
I EXPECT THAT IT IS FROM THIS CIRCUMSTANCE THAT MEN REFER .TO THEMSELVES AS BEING,
“SELF CONSCIOUSNESS”, BUT WHICH MORE ACCURATELY PUT WOULD ..BE TO SAY,
“THE BRAIN’S CONSCIOUSNESS, OR AWARENESS OF ITSELF’,
FOR THE TERM, “SELF CONSCIOUSNESS” IMPLIES THAT THERE IS SOME,
PHYSICALLY UNIDENTIFIABLE “SELF”AN US THAT IS CONSCIOUS, OR AWARE,
OF THE BRAIN’S OUTPUT OF THOUGHT/
BUT NO ONE ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN FROM WHENCE COMETH THIS “SELF” THAT
SUDDENLY APPEARS IN CONVERSATIONS REGARDING THE NATURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS.
WHY WILL NOISOME ONE MAKE NOTE OF THE OBVIOUS? —
THAT IT IS ONE AREA OF THE BRAIN BEING AWARE OF ANOTHER AREA’S
PRODUCTION OF WHAT WE CALL, “THINKING” THAT RESULTS IN WHAT WE CALL, “CONSCIOUSNESS”?!
EACH TIME I SO MUSE, I AM DRIVEN ALSO TO PONDER SPECIFIC MATTERS
OF MORE INTEREST TO ME PERSONALLY, (TO WIT):
IS WHAT I’VE BEEN CALLING, “BEING AWAKE” A STATE WHEREIN THE AREA OF MY
BRAIN NORMALLY IN CHARGE OF BEING AWARE OF THE OTHER AREA THAT PRODUCES THINKING,
BECOMES INSTEAD, FOCUSED-ON, AND PRIMARILY AWARE-OF
JUST ITSELF?, AND THAT
WHAT .I REFER TO AS, “BEING ASLEEP” NOTHING AT ALL UNUSUAL, BUT IS IN
FACT A CONDITION MOST SATISFACTORILY COVERED BY THE COMMONLY USED PHRASE,
“TALKING TO YOURSELF”, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS ALWAYS INCLUDES YOU,
“LISTENING TO YOURSELF TALKING”.
THE DEEPER BECOMES MY UNDERSTANDING OF ALL THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN PURSUIT OF MY SINGULAR GOAL, THE MORE AWARE I AM THAT WHAT SEEMS TO BE “ME”
IN MY BRAIN, CAN BE AT DIFFERENT DISTANCES FROM THE SOURCE IN MY BRAIN
OF THE ROUTINE ACTIVITY AND NOISE THAT ORDINARY MEN ACCEPT AS BEING THEIR PROPER STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS.
99123-2
I LONG AGO GOT OVER THE DELUDED BELIEF THAT I NEED PHYSICALLY TRAVEL TO SOME PLACE OTHER THAN WHERE I AM NOW TO ACHIEVE AWAKENING,
BUT WHAT IF VALIDITY REMAINS IN THE IDEA
AS PERTAINS TO MOVEMENT WITHIN YOUR OWN BRAIN?!
…FOREIGN LOCALES ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE EXTERNAL WORLD.
SECOND ENTRY:
INSTRUCTIONS THAT PURPORT TO TELL YOU HOW TO ACHIEVE ENLIGHTENMENT, WHICH DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION OUTWARDLY — AWAY FROM YOU —
ARE NO FORM OF “ADULT EDUCATION”,
BUT RATHER ARE AMUSEMENTS FOR PRESCHOOLERS.
ANY SO-CALLED, “METHOD” THAT INVOLVES YOU LOOKING OUTWARD IS A SAD JOKE OF WHOSOEVER ATTEMPTS TO FOLLOW IT.
(ALTHOUGH NOT THE TYPE THAT IN LATER YEARS WILL CAUSE YOU TO LAUGH.)
ALSO, IT STRIKES ME; NOT ONLY SHOULD YOU BE LOOKING ONLY INSIDE YOURSELF, YOU SHOULD ALSO REFRAIN FROM COMMENTING ON WHAT YOU SEE THERE.
FOR PROTECTION, IN LIEU OF A FLACK JACKET, ONE MAN WORE LAUGHTER INSTEAD.
…WHICH MOVES ME TO ASK THIS QUESTION: “IS LAUGHTER — TALK/1 IS LAUGHING A — COMMENT?!”
THIRD ENTRY:
UNDER EVERYDAY CIRCUMSTANCES: WHAT IS ‘CONSCIOUSNESS” OTHER THAN:
A MOUTH THAT WON’T SHUT UP COMBINED WITH AN EAR THAT WON’T STOP LISTENING?!
99123-3
FOURTH ENTRY:
SOMETHING THAT IS QUITE OBVIOUS TO ME NOW, BUT WHICH, (LOOKING BACK),
TOOK ME AN ASTONISHING LENGTH OF TIME TO REALIZE IS THAT
NO MATTER HOW SINCERE AND WELL INTENDED YOU ARE
THE MORE YOU SAY TO YOURSELF ABOUT BEING AWAKE,
THE FURTHER YOU REMOVE YOURSELF FROM ITS POSSIBILITY.
FOR MANY YEARS I WAS THRILLED AND DELIGHTED EVERY TIME I WOULD OPEN
A NEW .BOOK AND FIND IDEAS AND DESCRIPTIONS REGARDING MAN AND THE AWAKENING
PROCESS PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN TO ME,
AND I WOULD GREEDILY TAKE IN THESE NEW WORDS AND IMAGES,
AND SOLEMNLY FILE THEM AWAY WITH ALL OF THOSE ALREADY IN MY MEMORY;
BUT I SEE NOW THAT ALL SUCH THINGS DID NOT ASSIST ME TOWARD REALIZATION, BUT IN FACT, CARRIED ME FURTHER FROM IT.
THIS DOES NOT EXCLUDE THE IDEAS THAT APPEARED IN MY OWN MIND, BUT THE AFFAIR SEEMS ESPECIALLY VICIOUS WHEN IT IS OUT-SOURCED.
… IT’S UNDERSTANDABLE TO ME NOW WHY ZOROASTER COULDN’T BEAR TO HEAR ABOUT, ZOROASTERISM,
AND WHY THE MAN FOR WHOM ZEN WAS NAMED, CHANGED HIS AND LEFT TOWN WHEN
HE LEARNED HOW HE HAD BEEN SO USED.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF A MAN BECAME SO AWAKE THAT IT CAUSED OTHERS TO WANT TO CONSTRUCT A TEACHING AROUND HIM AND HIS IDEAS.–
AND HE COULDN’T STOP THEM —-
HE’D AT LEAST INSIST THAT IT BE CALLED SOMETHING LIKE,
“LEARN To BE As DENSE AND ASLEEP As ME BY BELIEVING THAT YOU CAN
LEARN ANYTHING FROM ME FOR ANYONE ELSE).”
I GUESS IT IS “PROGRESS–OF-A-SORT”WHEN
NO LONGER ARE THE WORDS AND IDEAS OF ANY MAN, LIVING OR DEAD, SEDUCTIVE TO YOU,
AND ‘TIS ONLY YOUR OWN YOU MUST CONTEND WITH-IN THAT:REGARD.
To FULLY APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF THINKING,
YOU MUST BE ABLE TO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT IT GENERALLY HAS NO ACTUAL”VALUE”.
99123-4
FIFTH ENTRY:
Now DAYS WHEN I HEAR THE TERM, “ORAL EXAMS” I PICTURE A TEST TAKING PLACE IN MY BRAIN,
WHEREIN THE”THOUGHT-PRODUCING AREA” IS CHECKING TO SEE THAT IT HAS
THE. FULL. ATTENTION OF THE, “AWARENESS OF THOUGHT” AREA
JUST CONSIDER; ONE AREA OF THE BRAIN MAKING SURE THAT ANOTHER AREA HAS AN, “IDEE FIXE”.
…IT’S BAD ENOUGH TO BE HYPNOTIZED AND HAVE YOUR ATTENTION KIDNAPPED
BY OUTSIDERS,
BUT TO HAVE IT HAPPEN AND IT BE CAUSED BY YOU WELL’ WELL….
…WELL, AH, JUST — “WELL”!
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE DISTINCTION AS I SEE IT:
ORDINARY MEN FIND THE THINKING THAT AUTOMATICALLY APPEARS IN THEM
TO BE AN INTEGRAL ASPECT OF WHAT THEY ARE — WHILE I EMPHATICALLY, DO NOT.
I WROTE A NEW STORY: AFTER SPENDING MANY QUIET, SECLUDED YEARS IN A MYSTICAL MONASTERY, ENTANGLED IN THE FRUSTRATING STRUGGLE TO “AWAKEN”, ONE MAN FINALLY LEFT AND TOOK A JOB LAYING ASPHALT, TEN HOURS A DAY, _ SIX DAYS A WEEK, THEN WORKING ALL NIGHT AS A COUNTER COOK AT A BUSY DINER.
HE SAYS IT’S SURPRISING HOW SELDOM HE IS NOW DISTURBED BY HOW LITTLE
AWAKE HE IS,
AND SAYS HE INTENDS TO SOME TIME, SIT DOWN AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THIS MEANS.
…(BUT BY THE WAY HE SMILED AND WINKED AT ME AS HE LEFT,
I THINK HE ALREADY
PRETTY WELL KNOWS.)
MY TALE MOTIVES A NEW QUESTION IN ME: Do MEN WHO BELIEVE THEY SINCERELY, ‘WANT TO AWAKEN’ HISTORICALLY RECLUSE THEMSELF TO LIVE IN QUIET SOLITUDE BECAUSE SUCH CONDITIONS ARE MORE FAVORABLE TO ACHIEVING THE GOAL — OR IS IT THAT SUCH MEN ARE_SIMPLY PREDISPOSED TO BEING LONERS?!
99123-5
SIXTH ENTRY:
WHEN IT WAS LEARNED THAT A CERTAIN MYSTIC RARELY OPENED HIS MAIL/
OR READ REVIEWS OF HIS WRITINGS AND PUBLIC UTTERANCES,
SOMEONE ASKED HIM: “BUT AREN’T YOU INTERESTED IN WHAT OTHER PEOPLE
THINK ABOUT YOU?”,
BUT THE TRUTH WAS THAT HE WASN’T EVEN INTERESTED IN WHAT HE THOUGHT ABOUT HIM.
AND YET ANOTHER VIEW OF THAT PREVIOUSLY NOTED MATTER COMES TO ME:
WHAT IS “CONSCIOUSNESS” BUT A CERTAIN ORGAN WANTING TO — EXPLAIN ITSELF?!
…WHICH FURTHER MOVES ME TO PONDER: HOW DO I EXPECT TO EVER BE, “MORE CONSCIOUS” THAN THE CELLS IN ME THAT PRODUCE CONSCIOUSNESS?!
…WHICH BRINGS FORTH AN EVEN MORE PIERCING MATTER TO PONDER:
WHAT ASSURANCE DO I HAVE THAT THESE PARTICULAR CEREBRAL CELLS WHO ARE THEMSELVES TRYING TO “AWAKEN”, (OR “IMPROVE” THEMSELVES IN SOME FASHION) KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING?!
(AND I IMMEDIATELY HEARD MY RIGHT HAND SAY:
“WHAT CHOICE DO YOU HAVE?!”)
I HAVE A NEW TIP TO OFFER THOSE INTERESTED IN SUCH.THINGS: IF YOU REALLY WANT TO PASS FOR, “BEING AWAKE”
— THE LESS YOU SAY ABOUT THE MATTER, THE BETTER.
…COURSE,
IF YOU’RE NOT REALLY AWAKE AND ARE JUST TRYING TO FAKE IT
YOU’RE NOT ABLE TO NOT TALK ABOUT IT (NOW ARE YOU)?!
USED TO THINK THAT I. “TALKED TOO MUCH” —
BUT THEN REALIZED THAT IT WAS THE CELLS THAT PRODUCE MY ABILITY TO TALK
THAT MAKES ME WANT TO — “TALK TOO MUCH”.
…FUNNY HOW IT ALL EVENTUALLY -7 COMES TOGETHER)
(AND THIS IS THE KIND OF FUNNY THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH.)
BASED ON MY, TODAY’S PICTURE: WHAT IS MY DISLIKE OF “BEING ASLEEP” OTHER THAN THE HEARING AREA OF MY BRAIN’S DISLIKE FOR HAVING TO LISTEN TO THE TALKING AREA?!, AND SO MY DESIRE TO “WAKE UP” IS NOTHING OTHER THAN THE HEARING AREA WANTING THE TALKING ONE TO SHUT UP — OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, THE HEARING AREA DESIRING TO PUT SOME DISTANCE ‘TWEEN IT AND, THE NOISE.
99123-6
SEVENTH ENTRY:
SUFFICIENT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WILL KEEP MOST PEOPLE’S MINDS FROM BEING OVERLY CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR MIND —
WHILE SEDENTARY CONTEMPLATION OF THE MIND CAN GET ONE’S MIND UNPROFITABLY ENTANGLED IN SUCH CONCERN.
I HAVE DISCOVERED HOWEVER, A ‘SOMETHING’,READILY AVAILABLE TO ALL PEOPLE THAT IS PARTICULARLY USEFUL IN EFFORTS TO AWAKEN;
IT IS A “SOMETHING” THAT IS BETWEEN: ACTION & CONTEMPLATION:
NEITHER: DOING NOR THINKING, BUT IN AN UN-UTILIZED GAP BETWEEN THE TWO.
…(I’LL GIVE YOU A HINT: IT STARTS WITH THE LETTER “L” — AND IT’S NOT: LANGUISH, LAMINATE, OR “DO LUNCH”.)
…YOU KNOW; MANY WOULD-BE MYSTICS COULD FALL UNDER THIS DESCRIPTION: SOMEONE, NOT WITH, “TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR HANDS”, BUT RATHER: SOMEONE WITH TOO MUCH MIND ON THEIR MIND.
SOMETHING ELSE THAT HAS COME SLOW TO MY PERSONAL REALIZATION IS THAT:
IF YOU CONTINUALLY ENTERTAIN THE THOUGHT THAT YOU “CANNOT” SUCCEED AT THIS THING, YOU SEAL YOUR OWN FATE,
AND ASSURE YOUR OWN FAILURE.
STILL ANOTHER VIEW OF THAT MODEL I NOW PICTURE REGARDING THAT PARTICULAR MATTER I HAVE BEEN WRITING ABOUT, HAS ARISEN IN ME:
MY DESIRE TO AWAKEN IS EITHER: CERTAIN CELLS AT THE CORTICAL LEVEL WANTING TO UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN ACTIVITY — OR IT IS THEM WANTING TO UNDERSTAND THE
ACTIVITY GOING ON BELOW THEIR LEVEL
….THEIR DESIRE TO COMPREHEND, “THE STRANGER WITH WHOM THEY LIVE”, AND UPON WHOM IN FACT, THEIR EXISTENCE DEPENDS.
99123-7
EIGHT ENTRY:
As I SAT HERE, LOOKING BACK OVER MY ENTRIES FOR THE DAY, A NEW TALE SUDDENLY CAME TO ME: I CALL IT: “THE STORY OF THE GENIE, THE BOY AND THE LAKE”.
THERE WAS ONCE A BOY WHO WAS NEVER SATISFIED,
AND ONE DAY A GENIE APPEARED AND SAID HE COULD OFFER THE BOY A JOB,
THE PROPER EXECUTION OF WHICH WOULD RESULT IN HIS BEING TOTALLY SATISFIED,
AND WHEN THE LAD AGREED, THE GENIE TOOK HIM TO A LAKE, AND TOLD HIM
THAT HE WAS TO SIT DOWN BESIDE IT, BUT TO NEVER LOOK IN TO IT,
AND WHEN THE BOY SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THE REQUIREMENT, THE GENIE DEPARTED.
IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE THE BOY FELT A COMPULSION TO TURN HIS HEAD, AND LOOK INTO THE LAKE,
AND AS SOON AS HE DID — HE WAS INSTANTLY PULLED INTO THE WATER.
HE MANAGED TO GET HIMSELF OUT, AND SAT BACK DOWN, BUT NOW, DRIPPING WET, AND JUST THEN THE GENIE APPEARED AND SEEING HIS CONDITION, REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND CHASTISED THE BOY, WHO DEFENDED HIMSELF BY SAYING:
“I TRIED NOT TO LOOK — BUT I AM ONLY HUMAN.”,
AND THE GENIE SAID HE COULD HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE, BUT THAT HE MUST NEVER AGAIN LOOK INTO THE LAKE; HE MUST JUST SIT THERE BESIDE IT, TO WHICH THE BOY VIGOROUSLY NODDED HIS UNDERSTANDING.
BUT SHORTLY AFTER THE GENIE HAD GONE, THE COMPULSION CAME BACK OVER THE BOY,
AND AGAIN HE TURNED AND LOOKED INTO THE LAKE, AND AGAIN, HE WAS
IMMEDIATELY PULLED INTO ITS WATERS, AND AGAIN HE GOT HIMSELF OUT AND
BACK ON SHORE, BUT AGAIN, HE WAS SOAKING WET,
AND JUST AS HE SAT BACK DOWN, THE GENIE APPEARED AGAIN, AND AGAIN
REALIZED, FROM THE LAD’S WETNESS, WHAT HAD OCCURRED.
THIS SCENE REPEATED ITSELF SEVEN MORE TIMES: THE BOY WOULD SIT BY THE LAKE,
AS HE WAS SUPPOSED TO….FOR A WHILE…THEN HE’D SUCCUMB TO THE URGE TO
LOOK INTO THE LAKE.THEN HE’D BE PULLED IN, ONLY TO GET BACK OUT, DRIPPING WET,
ONLY TO HAVE THE GENIE SUDDENLY APPEAR AND CONDEMN HIS INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR,
AT WHICH POINT THE BOY WOULD ALWAYS OFFER THE SAME DEFENSE: “I TRIED
NOT TO LOOK — BUT I COULDN’T HELP MYSELF — AFTER ALL: I AM ONLY HUMAN.”,
BUT AFTER THE SEVENTH SUCH EPISODE, THE GENIE BROUGHT THE AFFAIR TO AN END,
AND AS THE BOY STARTED TO WALK AWAY, HE REVEALED TO HIM HOW HE COULD HAVE
ACCOMPLISHED HIS TASK; THAT AS HE SAT BY THE LAKE,
HE COULD HAVE CONTROLLED HIMSELF HAD HE BUT STOOD JUST BEHIND HIMSELF.