Clues

Monumental works left behind by deceased civilizations offer clues indicating that prior inhabitants of Earth understood this world, and the universe in which it exists, better than we do.  And they seem to have accomplished this with just their brains and minds.  We don't know to what extent they used mathematics, if at all,  and the scientific method, beyond trial and error.  It seems they did not have computers or artificial intelligence, but they understood.  And we don't know how they reached that understanding.

For example, the meter was defined by the French Republic in 1793 as 1/10,000,000 the distance from the equator to the pole of the Earth.  Yet it appears in doorways of South American stonework that pre-dates  that definition by 400 years.  Was the unit of measure used long before it was defined by the French?

What we often have done, during our approximately 2500 years of civilization starting with the Greeks, is rediscover and redefine what was already known and understood by others.  We've added some to it, in mathematics, chemistry, medicine, et al, for examples.

There were civilizations in the Middle East that predate ours, some fragments of that knowledge may be extant in the people of that region.  Our religious and cultural differences seem to preclude our ever sharing that heritage and knowledge. 

All to often we lose the realization that we, those alive on Earth here in the 21st century, are not the first, not the smartest, not the best, and have much more to do to reach those same levels of understanding.

 

Into the Wilderness 2026

 For the period from Wednesday 2/18 until noon on Saturday 4/4, I will once again go into the Wilderness. This will be for the 9th time.  

The reasons are to come to grips with distraction, experience silence, constructive idleness, and develop the habit of working on aim as I continue to explore life and living.  I will only do the task at hand, whatever that may be.

The rules for Wilderness 2026:

I am idle unless I am working on Aim. 

I work only on Aim, items listed in Performance Planning or on other aim-related items that may come up as worthy of action.  On 3/1:  Chores are allowed in addition to doing aim related tasks. 

It is intended that I find things that require action and going out to do, as opposed to sedentary activities.

Reading, studying, or research on comedy, acting, and life-philosophy, however, are encouraged, especially at times that would otherwise be spent in distraction.

Continuing physical activity, such as daily exercise, golf, pool, and whatever others, is encouraged.

Social interaction is encouraged, especially where it concerns the acting and apartment communities.

The journal will be continued and used, as now, to record thoughts on life and living, and anything else that comes to mind.

Avoid scrolling on Internet feeds, limit Facebook and Email to acting related posts.  Developing presences on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are allowed.

There is to be no posting of opinions nor commenting on the posts of others.  The exception is for family members or where a response is required.

Viewing TV before 9PM is a no-no, and then only with my wife, or guests, to catch the news.

Puzzles are limited to one Sudoku and the Woodoku enigma du jour.

   Go to bed by 12:30 AM, daily.

Ground Hog Day Updated--Again, and for the fourth time

This update is short, a short sentence.  The situation remains the same except she never goes out.  We move about the building but always inside. 

She's a warrior, going on to her fifth year since the fall.  Cannot say there's been improvement, but on the other hand there has been only a little decline.

As for me, the carers here allow me to go about my outside activities knowing she's in good hands.  This may be the last of the Ground Hog Day updates. If he sees his shadow, or not, let us hope for at least 6 more years of life.

Memento Mori

 Called a friend to talk about a new idea, and he said, for starters out of the blue, "I've got six months to live." A neighbor with liver cancer, has a year. Another friend, same floor down the hall, died today; "Eaten up with cancer." Carola is on borrowed time.   Any number of my friends and neighbors have already died.  I am the last of my generation on the Lina side.  There are several of the same generation on my mother's side because she had siblings who were younger and they had children.

Various...isms say to remember death, so that's what I am doing.  I wrote another blog post with my beliefs about it, On the Subject of Death, in March 2025.

As for me, I am 86 years old, in excellent health and condition. I should live a long time, genetically 100 years or more, barring any sort of accident.  That's less than fourteen more.  That many ago, would be 2012.  Thanks to my logs, history, and planning files, it can be reconstructed. It would be interesting, although it would be of no practical value.  The present is a good place to start.  Even that is an exercise in futility.

There are a few things of this body that could run amok: heart, lungs, bronchia, knees, feet.  The heart is genetic, the breathing apparatus from smoking, knees and feet from age, wear, and tear.  The only thing to do is continue treatments from appropriate doctors and maintain this healthy lifestyle.  There is no cause for alarm.

This one, the persona who is writing this, will cease to exist at death.  Core-being will continue and be a little better than he was when he came into this lifetime.  There will be some memories that we share that will be retained by him.  A lot of the good we did was important at the time but, even now, much of it has faded away.  The only things that haven't are the effects we've had on others, and, if that happened, those things may have passed along to others.  The most noticeable "others" being family.

Core-being is sufficiently apart from the rest of the being (us) that there's little or nothing known about him, his intentions, his aims.  There have been some hints, during this lifetime, of where he has been in the past, the kinds of activities in which he was involved.  I have identified some of them in past writings, but as to his job, his aim, his goals, we (the rest of the being) don't have a clue.

We can only hope that Core-being will share some knowledge of himself with us before the end of this lifetime.  We can only wonder if, and how, this will occur.  Will it be subtle familiarity as we have experienced in different locations? Will it be Voila! moments when we realize a heretofore unknown fact? Will it be memories, like watching a movie of this being doing what Core-being was doing, but on a more meaningful level of understanding?

We don't know any of this and we may not even trust it if we were to be given such information.  Core-being may pragmatically know all of this and say, "Why bother? when the body dies, it's over, for that one anyway."

Still, we would like to know, but somehow, I don't think we will.  That would imply an emotional level, which Core-being may not have.  The death of this body will be like the death of any other animal that has been a part of our living arrangement.  After a period of grieving, however long or short it may be, Core-being will move on.

If he is, as we suspect, a member of a spiritual hierarchy, he may be assigned to a new host.  There is so much we don't understand, and I'm OK with that.  It is like being outside a large office building and seeing an employee of that company.  There is no clue of the intricacies of that company by seeing one employee out of context.

I think I understand death, and I am emotionally prepared for it.  I'll defer it a long as I can, but when the time comes, I'll go, more or less, willingly.

Apprehending

 

The Genesis account of the creation of Adam and Eve may contain a hint of where it all started.  Earth, before we got to where we are today, is Eden.  It is/was a balanced eco-system with different species providing whatever to keep it that way.

Then something sparked one species, us, to move apart from the rest and do what we are doing.  Perhaps it was a visitor, maybe the influence of the spiritual world.  We continue to evolve, to where?  We don't know, but what we do is not necessarily natural.  Oh, we don't violate natural law, but we bend and twist those laws in ways that they may not have been meant to be.

Something tweaked our genome, and voila! we have become unnatural.  One cannot say supernatural, yet.  That may be coming with the development of Artificial Intelligence and whatever is next.

It is, however, a house of cards.  We are putting all of our eggs in a binary basket, which would disappear without electricity.  We have chosen this path, and one has to wonder if it is a dead-end road.  It all goes away without electricity.  All the knowledge we have accumulated and stored becomes inaccessible.  All the tools that support our lifestyle become useless.  The hand tools of yesteryear are gone.   The night is once again, dark.  The population would shrink drastically, and after disposing of billions of bodies, it would have to be restarted.

(I don't feel I'm doing justice to this idea but I'm mushing on.)

The amount of electricity it takes to accommodate the computer processors that produce comprehensible results is staggering.  And it is causing concern as this is being written.   Bottom line, it may all be unnecessary unless there is some extra-terrestrial goal to be achieved.

Earth doesn't need us to function effectively.  Much of what humans do is detrimental to Earth and all the other living organisms that cohabitate with humans.  So, all of this, that has been done until now and after, could be one big exercise in futility.  It's possible that we could do the same thing with the mental powers that we already have but have not developed.  Are we involved in the ultimate distraction?  Like the guy looking for his lost keys in the area lit by a streetlight.  He lost them elsewhere, in the dark, but was looking for them here because it was lighted.  He may find keys but they won't be his.

The human population continues to increase.  Diseases appear and we develop cures, vaccines, and treatments.  The population continues to increase and much of what we have developed, technically, is to support our artificial lifestyle.  We are all superfluous.  

Are we, have we all been, the cast of a scenario whose plot is unknown to us, and kept secret from us?  And what we think of as unscripted, is actually not?  The lines and blocking are made known to us as the present unfolds.  Setbacks and off script moments are resolved, and the play proceeds to an unknown conclusion.

The Way It Is

It cannot be said that I would be better off concentrating on one thing instead of juggling all of the activities in which I am involved (I refer to them as endeavors).  When I step back and evaluate, I am happy to keep on doing what I have been.  I am at an age when a variety of activities is enjoyable.

And I truly believe that what will be, will be.  So, I've chosen endeavors to keep busy and interested while it all plays out.  I may have said this in previous posts; it is what I believe.  It is what my life experiences have taught me, i.e., have the dream and then let it come true.  In a world of possibilities, we are guided by our dreams to make the choices to realize them, even when we aren't aware of it.

The realization of dreams is not a scientific pursuit, but rather allowing it to happen, recognizing opportunities as they arise, positioning, preparing, asking, negotiating, and making the effort.  It often seems like serendipity, as with acting contacts, but it could be more than that.  

Sometimes it seems like spiritual intervention.

Pithy Comments

 

During the year, from time to time, little sayings popped into my ken.  They may be of some value to others as well.

If it is meant to be, it is.

Thy will be done.

A motto: No more I was, only I am.

Don't let your last shot influence your next.

All of life is trial and error.

Who are you? Who am I? I am he who takes care of you and me.

Confidence is the levee that protects us from the flood of discouragement.

In what I believe is not important to you, but important to me.  So, don't ask.

In what I believe is altered with experience, improving with time.

I truly accept all of myself, right now.

If it can happen, it will.

Core-spirit, third person in this being, make your presence felt. Instill in us joie de vivre for all that we do.

Replace the questions that have a 'W' with a 'T': what-that. When-then. Where-there.

We do what we can to get along in life.

"Don't push me around," she to me.  "I never would," I told her.

"I accept, I trust, I let go, I thank you, good night." Karl Jung

When alone, focus inward (on me); when not, focus outward (on others).

Learning Explained

 I said I wouldn’t do this.  I wrote and published that I wouldn't, but the urge to share these thoughts with you is too great.  As I look back on my life, I see that there were certain times and places that were pivotal.  When certain people, places, and things resonated and could not be denied.  This happened recently when the book, Ultralearning by Scott Young, crossed my path.

As in most of the other instances of this sort, the magnitude of the crossing didn’t register at the time.  I began reading the book, and it is quite good.  It sparked in me some introspection on my learning experiences, which I am going to share.  These are personal and not from the book.  Important to me as I read and study the book, but not related to it, other than it is about learning, my pattern of learning.

Primary question: What is learning? Answer: The journey from ignorance to assimilation, and beyond.  It is a continuum that hardly has a defined beginning, because we are born with intelligence and imagination and begin learning immediately.  Once knowledge, the result of leaning, is assimilated, it has utility that requires only incrementally more learning, unless a conscious decision is made to become a savant in a particular subject or pursuit.

Answering the question, how do I learn, results in identification of 9 patterns:1) Memorization (rote) as in scripts, music, and movements.  2) Practice to hone skills.  3)Methods of finding answers already known by others, such as puzzles and math problems. 4) Reasoning for that for which there are no answers. This learning is in the extended use of reason. 5) Using essays to expound a line of reasoning. 6) Solving, as in resolving issues, problems, and situations that are undone.  7) Studying subject matter unknown to me but readily known and understood by others, such as language, mathematics, history, philosophical works.  8) Training on how to do something using methods, tools, and processes already established.  And 9) Trial and Error, by which a multitude of things are learned.

Thinking is an interesting item, and part of all in this group of 9.  Others involve work with subjects, areas, and endeavors that have not been previously encountered or attempted.  Thinking requires that work previously done be applied in ways that go beyond, extend, what was previously accomplished.

There may be more than 9, but as I look at these, they cover quite a few of the avenues of learning that I have followed.  I don’t intend to explore these in detail, other than to think about them.  It will be interesting to see if the book, Utlralearning, adds to, agrees with, or detracts from them.

Learning can be defined as adding to the store of knowledge one has, and uses, to pursue aim. Ultralearning, autodidactism, is one of several ways to do this, in addition to formal education, training, and thinking.

The bases, from which all learning proceeds in our collective culture are the alphabet, the digits, musical tones, and binary code. Learning, until and beyond now, extends them and allows answers to the basic questions: who, what, where, when, how, and how much.

Problem solving is the application of learning to an unresolved issue.  So, it isn’t learning per se.  I think this to be important. We use what we have already learned, what we already know, to solve problems and, in so doing, we may learn something new along the way.

Furthermore, preceding the basics above, are intelligence and imagination.  These are genetic and have been incrementally developing since their beginning, when the spark of awareness started enlightenment, to get to where we are now.  This development process will allow us to go on, to “infinity and beyond.” (Buzz Lightyear)

It may have all started with a similar eternal process in the timeless, spiritual world, which led to the question: what if a physical manifestation of this spiritual realm happened? Voila!  Here we are.

 

Core-spirit

 Now it is about a month later (8-28-2025).  Shortly after writing the Core-spirit piece, my understanding  of (me) seemed to resolve itself into a simpler one that is more easily understood.  There is a living body, a mind capable of abstract thinking, and reasoning,  a core-being who co-inhabits the body, and core-spirit that instills emotional energy; and all of these are symbiotically connected. 

Each of is a collective noun which, having been given a name, requires much inspirational thought to understand.  We are said to be made in the image and likeness of the spiritual world.  This being, me, has a name just as other hierarchal organizations have a name, Army, Navy, Exxon, NASA, Congress, FBI, ad infinitum.  We use these names to designate them but they are not a homogenous entity, they are comprised of many subordinate parts.  This same thing is true for this being and, furthermore, each of the four parts of this being, me, or you.  Understanding ourselves is as difficult as it is for any other collective noun.

There is still much more to be understood about this being.  The work of other philosophers, religions, and thinkers gives us some food for thought.  Even Gurdjieff said to use such sources as a basis for developing your own understanding of Life and Living.  My understanding is in a constant state of flux.  Some ideas are accepted, become part of my credo. A credo that is important to me, not necessarily to anyone else. C'est tout en ce moment. 

(7-24-2025) First a disclaimer, it is important to note that all of what is expressed is mine.  I have been influenced by two major more recent sources of philosophy, the Roman Catholic Church and The Fourth Way.  Then there is the influence of the myths and fables of the pre-christian religion and philosophy of the Romans and Greeks. And at the same time all of what is considered dogma by these is rejected, yet some of it is used as a reference point for what has become known to me as Life and Living.

In all of my mentation, I have intended to describe what makes the most sense to me.  As stated in one of my By John Lina blog posts, what I believe is not important to you. It is, however, important to me.  Whether or not anyone agrees with me is of no concern, yet I feel it important to express my thoughts in writing, sort of for the record.  

In previous posts, I have argued that there is more to this entity than the body that one can see.  There are links to a spiritual world that exist, recognized or not, links that allow the work of the spiritual world to be realized as it continues to pursue its aim(s).  There is the physical body, to which I refer as the brain-body because the brain is such a major part of it.  It is the only thing that can be seen, touched, felt.  The others are manifested by actions taken by the physical body. The second major component is Core-being, of  the spiritual world.  Both of these are collective nouns, because there is much more to each of them. As they are collective nouns, reference can be made to them, in all of their complexity, in the singular form, e.g., the body, the brain, the mind, Core-being, the soul.

There is now a third component that has only recently come into focus.  It is Core-spirit.  This entity provides the being with an active appreciation of life, the French call it, joie de vivre.  There are approximately 80 English synonyms for joie de vivre, not to be listed here.  

An animate physical body can go through any part of its lifetime without joie de vivre.  It isn't necessary for life.  It is, however, necessary for the enjoyment of it, and the inspiration of others.  The effect we have on other beings is important for mutual success.  Understanding that we can consciously invoke it brings us to a whole other level of expression and influence. 

Becoming aware of this third entity brings with it the possibility of invoking Core-spirit and developing the ability to strongly and constructively influence others.  The Apostles did it at Pentecost and some performers have done this effectively. How to invoke it is still not fully understood.  The first step seems to be to recognize it when it appears, then attempting to recreate the process.  Another is to ask that it manifest itself.

"In the beginning was the word..." This opens the Gospel of John, the Evangelist, and has some interpretations, one of which is literal.  We have The Lord's Prayer, in which we invite the Core-being to do for us. We could also have a prayer that invites Core-spirit to come into our lives.  Saying it aloud, a good idea for all of our prayers because in doing so they become physical expressions, causes us to focus physically on the expression of the invocation.

Such a prayer could be: 

Core-spirit, third person of this entity,  we are grateful to have you make your presence felt.  Instill in us the joie de vivre that will enable emotional and intellectual connection with whom, and to what, we are engaged, for the mutual benefit of all.  Amen. 

Imagination

(This is a corrected version of a 2009 Post.)

Yes, I opened a blog for these notes, but it is such a beautiful day that I am out here in back, enjoying the mild temperature and soft breeze. We have some beautiful cardinal birds in our yard/neighborhood, and they are always a joy to see. The grass is dark green.

I’ve been reporting about mom in the blog and will expand on her condition some here. She is hanging on by a thread. I thought surely, when I spontaneously awoke at 3:19 am, that’ she’d gone. I went back to see her just a few minutes before and when I went back to bed I thought; was she breathing? Then I was convinced that she wasn’t. All sorts of fantasies ran through my mind but then at 4 am she called out; she needed the potty. My imagination had been running amok.

This is not a new thing; I have often been involved in situations where it ran wild; and for many years. It happened/s so often that I discount it most of the time. These flights of fancy are often books by s.o. else. Most stories are single source and follow a thread, even if hidden, all the way through. Anyway, I no longer get stampeded.

Just now I had to stop writing and tend to mom, who is constipated from not enough fluid, not enough food, and then the vicodin. She said, “Can’t you just shoot me?” Well, no. For whatever reason she isn’t finished with this lifetime yet; there must be s.t. left for her to do, some influence on s.o. One has to believe that we are all here for a purpose.

In a blog I said I was looking for the labyrinth into which I would go. Wending through one is what we do and more than one at a time. I may have found it with mom. She is my purpose a la moment. I have to keep my schedule free for her, to answer her calls, get her up and down, feed her, and encourage her. As long as she’s alive, she gets my time.

I am not going to project anything about Carola; she is a saint the way she is pitching in. Yet her memory is slipping, and it is more and more noticed. I can’t allow my imagination to get carried away on her. I’ll deal with whatever when the time comes. Just like a horse on a x-country trial; he has to decide each obstacle as he comes to it.

The blogs are fun. I do them in word then add the paragraph html controls and copy them to the editor. I have found that 1000 words minimum and 1050 max is a good length. It is 33 of these lines at 8 per x 4. It amounts to 1 ½ pages of mss so a 250-page book would be about 160 or so blogs. That’s about 6 months at one per day. That same book would be 10 notebooks, more or less.

I read what I write and often don’t like it very much. It can sound stilted, out of date, cold, and impersonal. My writing moods change often. My short stories sound more like newspaper reports. I recall a version of The Elephant Man that was written in this clinical style. I liked it, although I doubt if anyone else did. It was written to convey the story and nil else; no color. It appealed to me because I am a knowledge seeker and care less about the style side of things. This is why texts, lectures, and analyses are more interesting than novels and such. Yet poetry is another thing entirely. I like to write it and read it.

In the case of poetry it is because it is puzzling. IOW it can be interpreted on different levels, at different times, by different readers and even the same reader. No one, not even the writer has all the answers.

We watched home videos of Sean, Mk, etc last night. I am enthralled by my image and my voice. I started out somewhat critical of it but got over that soon enough. I am big, resonant, and have a presence. I’ve got about 10 to 15 years left in me if I keep myself. Yet as long as Mom’s here, I have to be like one of the wise virgins and keep my lamp trimmed and filled with oil. IOW keep my arms, legs, torso, and heart strong and deepen my reservoirs of psychic and physical energy. Plus take advantage of any opportunity to perform.

One can’t go back. The time vector has no negative aspect. Events are recorded but cannot be altered except by the chicanery of the historians. Certainly, the historian within remembers it just the way it went down.

It is important to be getting s.t. positive accomplished in whatever situation one is in. The choice of actions to take is personal. There are considerations but bottom-line it is up to me. This is where all the influences on behavior come into play. A choice has to be made, it is then made, and with the consequences one must deal. This is why I said previously that approval/ disapproval is a primary consideration for/of me/mine. Often, I think it is the first one. Then other factors are evaluated. It is sort of an emotional response thing. And when I say first, it is even ahead of legal, moral, and ethical, or can be, if I am not aware.

I don’t think I am a special case in this way. Some of us learn from experience and make the better choices. I have, in the past, done for approval, lost for approval, kept quiet for it, etc, etc. It is for me, and I am the center of my universe, one of the most powerful of motivations.

I want to keep the house and yard nice, why? My first blush was for approval and second was to maintain the resale value; this is more rational. But the former is/was my primary motivation. I didn’t want anyone pointing out flaws. S.t. tells me I am like a barking dog that barks but doesn’t know why. I dream, scheme, plot, and plan but get nowhere; I am in nowhere KY.

On the Subject of Death

 Established in my thinking is that this body, with its intelligent brain, beautiful mind, and Core-spirit, alive and well, has a symbiotic relationship with a Core-being.  One is temporal, will last up to 100 years or so.  The other is not of this world and does not "die" when the body dies.  To say that he is eternal is not appropriate. His world is not relative to time.  What he does, where he goes when the body dies, is not known and will not be the subject of speculation.  He does not, however, cease to exist with the demise of the former.

There is no escaping the fact that the two co-exist for a long time, and share experiences.  Some are new and some are places and people revisited from Core-being's past.  Both pursue goals, aims, that, for this one, eventually became compatible, and the relationship is mutually constructive.

The mind uses imagination and reasoning to set goals as needs are perceived and satisfied. When, in the course of events, those goals are antithetical with the objectives of Core-being, he removes himself from the field and the well-being of the body is put in jeopardy until things are again put in order.  This was the case several times during this lifetime. Now, and for the past approximately 40 years, the two have been compatible. This could be the reason for insights that are experienced and recorded. Core-being has opened the kimono from time to time.

During a lifetime, the thinking that takes place, of all kinds, acts as food, nourishment, and the more of it there is, the better.  Like bodily food, the quality, quantity, and content of it is important, and it is entirely possible that Core-being influences the selection of the subject of such thinking. One of these insights may be the following understanding of what happens upon the death of the body.  

At the time of death, all the physical systems of the body stop functioning. This includes the mind as well as all the organs that support life.  The brain dies and that means the memories and impressions, the knowledge, and the skills acquired during the lifetime, and stored therein, are lost.  Core-being, however continues his quest in pursuit of his aim, whatever that may be.

Those activities, of the combined being, that were instigated by Core-being may produce memories that are shared.  It is these, now colored by the lifetime just finished, that are carried on to the next inhabitation of a body.  Thus, the next "host" may experience deja vu, as has this one from time to time.

At death, however, the body ceases to function.  To say it doesn't exist anymore isn't true, the dead body is there and slowly returns to the molecular compounds that, if allowed, go back into "circulation." When it dies, all of the experiences it had are likewise ended.  Only those recorded as images and words that can be recalled by the living, or in museums, libraries, and personal collections, remain.  The playwright of Carousel, the Musical, put it succinctly.  As long as there is one person who remembers, it isn't over, the memory lives on.  Core-being, however, continues his spiritual existence and his quest.

(Later)

As difficult as it is, there is another possibility, that the body, including the brain, of course, is a vehicle for spiritual entities to use in achieving aim.  This would mean that there is no single core being but any number of them that work to achieve physical aim utilizing.  the physical being.  It then follows that when this body dies, that may be it, the end of it.

Then there is the middle-ground where there is a "host" core-being who acquires some attributes of the being due to the long association with him but allows others to come in on occasion to experience or accomplish a specific aim. I like this one because it allows the possibility of continuity. But it is always true that we don't know.

A Later Take on Master

In all of my thinking and writing about Life and Living, prior to 2024, I referred to a part of the being as Master.  He was defined as being in the background, mute, patient, passive, and persistent.

Last year, I found the Five Tibetan Rites and started doing them regularly.  It took a few weeks to work up to the prescribed 21 repetitions of each, but that level was finally reached.  Not long after I began to notice a significant difference in me; I was more attentive, and that turned out to be tip of the iceberg.

As time went on, Master became more active in the daily life of the being.  So much so, that he was no longer referred to as Master, but as Core-being.  He was now taking an active role in the daily functioning of the being.

It can now be said that this being, me, is comprised of two major parts, Core-being and Brain-body.  Core-being most closely resembles the soul in the Catholic religion, in that he is immaterial (a member of the spiritual world), could be called the mind, and even could be eternal.  Brain-body, so called because the brain is such a major component of it, is the physical being.

Since awakening, Core-being has been participating more actively in the thinking of the being.  He can best be understood with an analogy.  A horse and rider enter the arena, make a round outside the jumps, then start the course.  The rider guides the horse from jump to jump.  The horse adjusts his stride to suit the run-up and height of the jump and together they go clear and head to the next obstacle on the course until it is completed.  The horse is unsaddled and put in the field. In this analogy the horse is the Brain-body, and the rider is Core-being.

Just like the horse is not in the arena doing events all the time, the Brain-body is also left to its own devices most of the time.  Core-being, with the full cooperation of the Brain-body, sets the objectives for the being, puts him through his paces in daily life, keeps him on track for performance, but allows the Brain-body ample time to rest and recuperate, to attend to physical needs for its well-being.

Core-being, like the rider, has his own needs to consider when not "on the horse."  Some of those needs are for the care and maintenance of the horse and some are to enhance the capabilities of the rider.  Core-being is of the spiritual world and has objectives related to that world.

The question of the objectives of Core-being is interesting.  My vague memories, and impressions I've had in various places in the world, my attraction to certain places, activities, and even people, lead me to believe that this Core-being has been here before.  If he has, is he working to move on to a different level of existence?  Are there accomplishments necessary to make that move?  Is he an angel locked in a development cycle?

I suspect that to which we refer as God is a collective noun that names the spiritual world.  As such it has many facets.  The spiritual world may be hierarchical, and this Core-being may be at some level in that world, working to move up.  Admittedly this is all conjecture, but it makes sense to me.

My understanding of Life and Living has an advantage over organized religion in that it changes as I continue to think about it. Organized religion is rigidly defined and rarely changes.  When it is changed, many adherents are traumatized because of it.  This is where I depart from organized religion, be it The Fourth Way, Catholicism, Christianity, Buddhism, or whatever.  I've taken the advice attributed to G. I. Gurdjieff, to use it as a starting point and think about it.  This is where I am now.

Cicero

 Cicero, Marcus Tullius Cicero to be exact, wrote the book How to Grow Old, in Latin of course, in about the year 40 BC.  Through the work of others, it has been preserved and has been available for lo these many years.  It was a favorite of Ben Franklin.  

It is a good example of the difference between other life forms and us.  He wrote his thoughts over 2000 years ago, I read them yesterday.

Many of my contemporaries are involved in the arts.  I write and act.  Some paint; others write poetry.  Some sing, others act or are involved in theater or video.  All of us are busily expressing our particular talent.  As a group we are piling up a vast number of examples of our work.

Then multiply that by the many others in the world today who are doing the same thing.  Then multiply that by years that this has been going on, from cave paintings until now, and you have a landfill volume that rivals discarded trash.

Every one of us, from before Cicero to now, and even beyond today, does this to express ourselves.  I doubt if any one of us cares if another sees and/or appreciates our talent.  It is simply important for us to express it.

This need for expression is not unique to humans.  Birds sing, lions roar, elephants trumpet and shove each other.  Almost all animals perform for one reason or another.  Often it is to demonstrate superiority for the privilege of mating.

The difference is that ours can be preserved.  We may do it because it demonstrates our talent to ourselves and anyone unfortunate enough to listen.  For us it could be a notch in the belt of immortality, just as is Cicero's book.

Food for the Soul

It's obvious to the casual observer that there are interesting differences between humans and the rest of the organisms in the life sphere.  To name just a few: language and historical records using it, clothes that do more than cover and insulate, but provide status and rank, and landfills.  There are many others not listed here.  No other species has these.  There are also many myths surrounding these differences, one of which is that of the Garden of Eden.

The central idea of that is a willingness to become spiritually aware, making a choice to become enlightened.  It is called "Original Sin," but was it a sin?  Sin is defined as "...an offense against religious or moral law." That base is covered by the "Don't eat the fruit..." admonition, how convenient.

The story is a fable that attempts to explain this condition of difference.  The real reason is unknown.  But one cannot escape the fact that we are not the same as the rest.

I have my theory, but it won't be written here.  Perhaps in my journal, but just like all the rest, it is theory and would not survive the scrutiny of scholars.  Yet, I don't care about that.  My theory suits me just fine, and I think it explains why things are the way they are.

I would urge the reader to think about this and not accept the pap of myth, but come to an understanding of his/her own.  Thoughts are the food, the nourishment, of the soul.  And, like food, some is more nutritious than another, but most of it is somewhat nourishing. 

It is better to produce ideas than to accept those of others.  Feed your soul and it will grow and develop in a healthy and vigorous way as a result of the particularly favorable environment of your thinking.

The Essence of Evil

 Seven deadly sins have been identified: Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth.  Knowing them does not prevent committing them.  

The sins have virtuous counterparts.  Virtuous Pride, Industry, Love, Respect, Discipline, Forbearance, and Initiative.  There is a personal satisfaction experienced when the are practiced.  There are also societal benefits attained when individuals collectively, and reasonably, practice them.  

What makes them sinful is going to extremes in the same, or in polar opposite, behaviors.  The virtues morph into the sins.   They can be collectively summarized with a single word, excess.

It can reasonably be said that an excess of anything is evil.  And that can be extrapolated to say, excess is evil and evil is excess.

When evil/excess becomes de rigeuer, society, even on a national basis, takes steps to purge it.  Some extreme examples are the American and French Revolutions, the Civil War, WWII,  and Korea.  The excesses of colonial rule, the aristocracy, slavery, German and Japanese Imperialism, and the attempt by North Korea to take over South Korea, all  had to be confronted and, thankfully, checked.  Even now in the Ukraine, the excess of power being displayed by the Russian dictator is being resisted by an international coalition. Many of our laws, regulations, and ordinances are an attempt to curb excess.

On a personal basis, excess can be avoided by making behavioral changes to avoid it as soon  as the first signs are recognized.  If excess takes hold and becomes the raison d'être, it takes heroic individual effort to get rid of it.  It is an addiction and analogous to war on the international scale.

All of this does not propose prevention on a grand scale, but admonishes us to is be mindful that small excesses on a personal level can lead to perdition if they take hold. Excess is the result of gratifying personae who are primarily of the Emotional source.  We see that this is the battleground of good v. evil, the struggle to keep appetites under control.  

When a being succumbs to excess, it denies Core-being the ability to achieve his aim.  Denied, Core-being patiently waits for moderation to be restored so he can get on with his work.  If he determines that that won't happen, he may exit the being and allow it to be destroyed by those same excesses.

The Four Ingredients of Achievement (In three fourths Haiku)

 

One, information

Two, the imagination

Three, intelligence

Four, will power to stay the course through thick and thin.

Information is ubiquitous with the internet, and our access to it is unlimited.  About anything is accessible.  Once the seed of desire is planted, information is at one's fingertips.

Imagination allows one to envision aim, to project success in the mind before it is achieved.

Intelligence refines information and recognizes imagination to devise the steps necessary for achieving aim, finding the way, solving the issues, working out the details.

Will power to attend to the task.  Neutralizing negativity, recognizing distractions and stopping them.'

There are two more important precursors to achievement: Inspiration, the idea from whatever source, and Initiative, to take the first steps at each juncture.  These could well have been included above but came to light later.

Dementia

It has names, and the one that seems to describe what is going on with us is dementia.  It was discovered to have already started in June 2010.  It is reaching the advanced stages now.

There's an analogy that helps me understand what's going on.  Our mind, i.e. the thinking of our brain, has a capacity for it that is like the water that fills a very large tub. The situation is such that no water can be added to the tub.  

Dementia is like when the plug in the bottom of that tub is removed.  The water flows out at a fairly constant rate but it is hardly noticeable at first because there is so much water in the tub.  

Then as it continues to flow out, it becomes more and more noticeable until, as it nears the bottom of the tub, it seems to run rapidly out.  It drains until all the water is gone.  And when the brain can no longer think, it's over.

Ying and Yang

 

The Hyatt-Regency, downtown, has a public face and a working face.  The public face is well decorated and ornate, comfortable, subdued, peaceful.  The working face is well used, bruised walls, worn flooring, glaring lights, echoing sounds, somewhat disarranged.  One would never mistake one for the other.  The public face is there to please the customers, the working face is there to get the job done. 

Two twenty-something year olds at the pool table, playing in the league week after week.  Two tougher "bitches" you will never meet, their language will blister paint, and they're good at the game of pool.  Same two were encountered where they work, as waitstaff in a restaurant.  One would never encounter sweeter, more pleasant and innocent sounding individuals anywhere; "Yes ma'am."  "No ma'am."  "Was everything OK sir?"  If I couldn't see their faces, I'd never know it was the same two people.

The management level of an apartment complex couldn't be more solicitous of the residents.  Yet they can't keep staff because they are somewhat abusive to those who work for them.  

The drama professor who is a congenial, "hail fellow well met," outside the class or rehearsal, but becomes a bully and tyrant leading a class or directing a rehearsal.

And there are many of these examples.  I'm sure the reader has likewise encountered them.  It behooves us to realize this and do a little introspection.  

The successful one is he/she who homogenizes the two internally.  They may not be all sweetness and light but at the same time they are not all thorns and venom.  An honest embrace of the Human Relation Principles, internalizing them for actions/reactions to all, is the aim to which we aspire.

If we don't see us for what we are/do, we can't change.  This message is for all.  Be good, sincerely, to everyone, always.

Oh, what are the Human Relations Principles?  Find the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, and read the timeless truth.

Ground Hog Day Updated--Again

 It has now been about 10 years since publishing Ground Hog Day the first time.  Since it is Ground Hog Day, I thought it would be appropriate to do it again as I did a few years ago.

The update is short, a short sentence.  The situation remains the same except we rarely go out.  There's been drama in the form of a fall that resulted in major hip surgery, relocation to an apartment that has a care provider on site, deeper descent into dementia, and overcoming a high mortality rate from this sort of event.  So proud of us and especially her.

"About two and a half years ago I published a post entitled, Ground Hog Day.  It was actually on September 6, 2014.  This is a sort of update to that post.  Time has passed and the situation hasn't changed all that much.  It is still Ground Hog Day around here but with a new realization and that is living in the present.

"Most people don't give recollection and remembering a second thought; it is natural, expected, and is something upon which to rely.  Our memories of childhood fuel the stories that we tell our grandchildren.  Our recollection of dates and events allow us to go through the present without concern.  Sworn testimony often contains recollection of facts surrounding an act. When we forget a birthday or anniversary, the other is offended because remembering is expected; not only that of others but ourselves as well.

"Take that away and there is a totally different perspective evident.  A trip down a familiar roadway and all the sights are brand new. This road is in terrible condition; can't you write your friend a letter about it?  Where is all this traffic coming from; shouldn't these people all be at work?  Seeing a familiar house, one is heard to ask the same question about those living there,  such as, I wonder why they have so many little cars parked in their driveway?

"When you've been over the same traffic jammed and bumpy roads so many times, they no longer seems worthy of comment but when one doesn't recall the terrible conditions from the last 100 times over it, it is worthy of comment.  What one with normal memory expects is the same lack of comment that anyone would have after so many repetitions; one hears the comment as a complaint when in fact, it is an observation, again

"The person with impaired memory lives totally in the present; enjoys programs while they watch but can't tell you a thing about them later.  Enjoys a conversation but has no recollection of the call.  The most common statement is, 'I can't remember now because I am so tired," and having said that, all of the concern about the situation goes away.

"'This set of keys would be better put over here,' then can't find them when the need arises. Pills are put out to take during the day and they are still there the next day and the next.   Clothes are strewn about to be put away later but then later never happens, it is always now. When the mess is recognized one hears, "I must get to that, tomorrow." This scenario is repeated continuously.

"The idea of living in the present was mentioned in passing by my son in a phone conversation when it became evident that he'd called and had conversation with his mother but she didn't mention it and couldn't recall it when I asked about it.  He simply said, 'She's living in the present.'  I must give him credit for making such an astute observation because after he said it, my understanding of the situation improved.

Thankfully, I'm here to remind her."

The Missing Ingredient

Much effort goes into the development of a being.  First, there is the issue of deciding what the being wants.  Dreams lay the groundwork for making those decisions, but more often than not, the dreams seem to come from out in left field.  It must be understood that what I am writing is autobiographical and it is hoped that it may be of some value to others in reaching some understanding of why and how.

My dreams have come from a variety of places, none seem to have been all that premeditated.  The big ones, sailing, ships, horses, Dale Carnegie instructor, manager in a large company, using digital technology, dancing, traveling the world, especially Europe, a business, a house, and now acting, all came from out of nowhere.  A possibility is that they are leftovers from previous lives.

All of them were sourced internally.  Then developed through reading about similar activities, not of others but fiction and nonfiction sources.  These are what embellish the dream, make it seem like it can be achieved.

And, while all of that is important, now I want to dwell on the realization of the dream and what it takes to do that.  There is a developmental period through which one goes as he sets out to realize a dream.  Often starting from just a dream, a statement parsed as, "I want to..." and then thinking, studying, discussing, seeing and taking the necessary steps, identifying the required skills, practicing them, and patiently doing the work.

Along the way, one reaches a point where he knows that he has the capability but lacks the ability to perform successfully.  This is when he must reach an understanding of the skills required, hone that knowledge into the basic parameters of performing, and practice those skills until they are part of him.

This having been done, he reaches a point where mental discipline is required to reach new, and better, performance levels.  And that starts with the rules.  Every endeavor, be it a career, a sport, or a hobby comes with a set of rules.  Following the rules is a matter of integrity and it takes a certain mental discipline to do so.  And the more skilled one becomes in an endeavor, the more important it is to have the mental discipline to follow the rules.  

Then there are aphorisms that describe the way one lives his daily life.  While these are not rules, they are guidelines upon which one can rely to make decisions on how to react to what is happening around him.  Keeping them in mind, perhaps not in the forefront, but always there as a framework for actions, is a big part of mental discipline.

Distractions are what take us away from disciplined action and there are several that are described in the Fourth Way and once reading the descriptions, they become readily apparent.  Recognizing them and stopping them in their tracks is also an aspect of mental discipline. In the Fourth Way, mental discipline can be seen as being present, being awake, and being aware instead of our normal state of being asleep (distracted).

One can only develop attention in increments.  It can start with a few moments of concentrated effort on a skill and build to a more sustained amount of time.  It seems that a good target for practicing, and otherwise being involved in a skill, is twenty minutes.  And even this may be difficult to achieve at first, but it is a target.  Once achieved, it can be expanded to whatever time is comfortable.

When successfully employing mental discipline, realizing one's dreams becomes a full-time job.  Just like learning a skill, it can only be developed through practice.  It is not quite the same, however, as the skills to which were we referred above, but practice through realizing when one is, and is not, paying attention to the fulfillment of dreams.