On the Subject of Death

 Established in my thinking is that this Brain-body, alive and well, has a symbiotic relationship with a Core-being.  One is temporal, will last up to 100 years or so, to say that he is eternal is not appropriate. The other is not of this world. He  does not "die" when Brain-body dies.  What he does, where he goes, 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-existed for a long time, and shared experiences.  Some are new and some are places and people revisited from Core-being's past.  Both pursue goals, aims, that eventually became compatible, and the relationship is mutually constructive.

Brain-body's goals come from his imagination and reasoning, as he attempts to satisfy perceived needs. 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 Brain-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 for both, 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 Brain-body.  

At the time of death, all the physical systems of the body stop functioning.  This includes the brain 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 are lost.  The 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 Brain-body.  Thus, the next "host" may experience deja vu, as has this one from time to time.

At death, however, the Brain-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 "circualation." 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, remain in museums, libraries, and personal collections.  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.

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.