Interstitial 4

Some bon mots to clear the palate

Neither self (here-and-now phenomenal experience) nor identity (an attractor image of self) intrinsically have self-essence (a posited fixation or self-identity across all possible here-and-nows). The equivocation between two senses of self and identity sows confusion.

"Authentic self" has the untenable foundation of a "true self", ostensibly to be displayed. Contrast Authentic Responsiveness, when responsiveness streams from intimate contact with circumstances into self-displays . Unlike “true self”, there is no fixed form of self-display.

First breakup, first death of loved one…in extreme circumstances you find out if and how your religious/spiritual practices work then. Practices that worked for others may not "come through" for you. What you can do now is release trying to entirely pre-solve the future.

From a foundation of feeling without meaning, meaning is recognized to play across life like sunlight dancing on water. Beliefs are neither essential nor particularly problematic.

Rituals are recreations of outer behavior that naturally flows from an inner state. Rituals may be lived-unto-full-inhabitation to discover the inner state, restoring inner-to-outer flow, or performed as hollow ritual, or just ignored.

Setting aside time for indulging enjoyable whims, with absolutely no greater purpose, can be an essential antidote for those who find themselves slaves to narratives about what they "should" be doing. Use discipline against itself: sit and don't move until a true whim arrives.

The Seven Revivifying Vices: being pleased with oneself, making money, sexual desire, mimetic desire, being a foodie, ranting a good rant, and sleeping in.

Presence without meaning, happiness without reason.

When a question no longer makes sense, freedom from a limiting perspective has been accomplished.

Many great lineages come from a sane person cleaning up the mess given to them by an insane founder. Later, a third generation often spoils things via over-systemization.

Symbol and ritual are portals to the landscapes of spiritual territories: engaging in ritual develops bodily fluency in the communicative discourse of these assemblages. Symbol is a placeholder for and summary of the territory, filled-in with meaning via ritual.

There are many ineffables. Because they are ineffable, ineffables are quite difficult to contrast. The ineffables found in a variety of spiritualities are often mistakenly presumed to be a singular "The Ineffable" because the distinctions between, while present, are ineffable.

(co-written with Anja) Once there was a fool whose father left him a magic sausage. "When you take a bite, two will grow back." The fool sat under a tree to enjoy a meal, but when he bit into the sausage, it screamed, "Ow! Why do you bite me?" The fool was so scared that he threw the sausage into a tree. A flock of birds descended upon the sausage, and with each peck, the sausage screamed louder, and grew larger. Finally, the sausage burst from its skin. The fool regretted his rash action - he was now covered with sausage, but wiser.