Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on flow | Video on TED.com

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on flow | Video on TED.com

22. Wilderness. Sandburg, Carl. 1918. Cornhuskers

22. Wilderness. Sandburg, Carl. 1918. Cornhuskers: "Carl Sandburg (1878–1967). Cornhuskers. 1918.

22. Wilderness"

Wes Nisker


Dharma Teacher and stand up comic (biology flavour)

Audio talks at http://dharmaseed.org/teacher/191/

Rational unpicked

George G Clark, 20 November 2009

I get the jitters at the idea of not being ‘rational’. This needs unpicking.

I am assuming that:

conscious = rational and
unconscious = irrational.

But we have the option of thinking of ‘causes and conditions’. These undercut ‘rationality’.

We need not assume ‘magic’ in terms of brain functioning: there are causes for all mental processes - and they are usually more multi-faced than conscious rationality supposes.

There is thus the possibility of unpicking as follows:

conscious = linear processing (bracketed reductionist) (the single bottom line) and
unconscious = parallel processing (integrated holistic) (the multiple lines of interaction)

But I still get the jitters!

long-lie

In part praise of the long lie -

The invisible labour of mystical eschatologists

George G Clark, 16 November 2009

‘Flatbacking’ involves meditation in the horizontal position before getting out of bed. Whilst so engaged this morning there was a passing feeling to write a one-pager in praise of the long lie.

The long lie gets a bad press from most workaholic sources - “the devil finds work for idle hands to do”. But there are few absolutes in this life. In trying to muster arguments for and against the long lie it becomes clear that context is everything.

I Googled “in praise of the long lie” and came quickly to the blog^[1] of a high-ranking Anglican priest - James Woodward. He confesses that, “I like lots of pillows and, surrounded by books, there is nothing better than a large jug of coffee tucked in under the sheets and ignoring the world outside. Retreat and escape from the noise and demands of the world.” He concludes by saying, “A long lie in – we all need and deserve one!!”

Elsewhere on his blog Father Woodward mentions modernity’s eschatological crisis. So I looked up “eschatology”. It is the branch of theology that is concerned with the four last things: death, judgment, heaven, hell. Theologians reckon that all people need an eschatology so as to feel as if they exist in a ‘sensible’ space and time.

Most of the ancient eschatologies deal with the end of the world and of time itself. They are often taken literally as physical and material catastrophes and thus as a source of much fear and trembling. It is thus heartening to note that, in mysticism, the phrase refers metaphorically to (a) the end of ordinary reality and (b) reunion with the Divine.

In light of the above it is perhaps useful to view flatbacking meditation as a particular variety of long lie. Variations can be arranged on a continuum ranging between the sensuous and self indulgent at the secular end (sybaritic) and the psychological and ‘self’ observant at the spiritual end (mystical).

In both cases attention is grabbed by thoughts, feelings and emotions that emerge mostly from the unconscious and under their own steam. In the sybaritic case most of the mental stuff is related to the past and future and the task is to embrace the pleasant daydreams and to reject the unpleasant nightmares.

In the mystical case the task, at least initially, is to focus attention on the present moment (eg by being aware of the body and the breathing) such that the peace that underlies the mental chatter might be apprehended. This is the legendary ‘peace that passes all understanding’. By taking thought we can end ordinary reality and be reunited with the divine. Still the chatter, know the peace.

I am attracted to an insight from Victor Hugo, “A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labour and there is an invisible labour.”  The sybaritic long lie involves a holiday from labour and a wallowing in illusory dreams of the past and future - it involves invisible escapism. On the other hand mystical flatbacking involves the toughest work there is - to turn your mind around and know the illusory nature of the ego - it involves invisible labour.

So let us raise our glasses

In praise of flatbacking and

the invisible labour of mystical eschatologists

 

---

^[1] http://jameswoodward.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/in-praise-of-the-long-lie-in/

 

eschatology:

from Gk. eskhatos "last, furthest, remote" (from ex "out of") + -logia "a speaking" (in a certain manner). In theology, the study of the four last things: death, judgment, heaven, hell.

http://tinyurl.com/2cwhy6

"Approximately 4,126,000,000 people have died during this century from all causes. If man-made megadeaths account for 185 million of them, then one out of every 22 (or 4.5%) human deaths during the 20th Century have been caused by fellow humans." http://tiny.cc/deaths

Enculturation and the colonised mind.

The essence of elegant power and hegemony is to channel the mind set of the masses (and their sub groups) along ‘acceptable’ lines. (eg the brutal rules that governed the lives of officers, midshipmen and seamen in Nelson’s navy - complete with press gangs and flogging).

Change is inevitable

George G Clark, 09 November 2009

Change is inevitable. The issue is the extent to which human agency can ensure change for the better at local through to global level.

Change for the better. Better in what way, for whom, and who decides?

Change can be in terms of many factors eg social, technological, environmental, economic, political, legal and spiritual.

Change can be best directed when the leadership, management and administration (bureaucracy) is informed by strategy, tactics and operations (policies, programmes, plans and processes) that ensure the efficient and effective use of resources and of science and technology in economic ways that are both socially just and environmentally friendly.

Change inevitably involves differences of opinion and thus schisms. Agents of change (shakers and movers at all levels) need conflict resolution skills and the ability and willingness to see a bigger picture and to talk to each other as part of a multi-stakeholder process!