Notes from the Cusp of Forever

"It is paradoxical, yet true, to say, that the more we know, the more ignorant we become in the absolute sense, for it is only through enlightenment that we become conscious of our limitations."

-- Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), physicist, engineer, inventor

The "Dark Ages" notwithstanding, we've been in a constant series of "ages of enlightenment" since, at least, 1000 BC with the prophet Zoroaster. But, even during the 400 years span of the Dark Ages (500-900 AD) mankind was experiencing, and through experience one cannot help but be enlightened, even in failure.

We're in an age of enlightenment, and we have a choice as a society which path to take.

-- Rhys Ifans, actor, musician

Buddhism and Hinduism define "enlightenment" as "a final blessed state marked by the absence of desire or suffering... the awakening to ultimate truth by which man is freed from the endless cycle of personal reincarnations to which all men are otherwise subject... a state of transcendent divine experience represented by Vishnu: regarded as a goal of all religion."  Actually, because of my views on religion, I would change that last to "a goal of all spirituality."

"It takes a little time to create a gap between the witness and the mind. Once the gap is there, you are in for a great surprise, that you are not the mind, that you are the witness, a watcher. And this process of watching is the very alchemy of real religion. Because as you become more and more deeply rooted in witnessing, thoughts start disappearing. You are, but the mind is utterly empty. That’s the moment of enlightenment."

-- Guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (1931-1990)

Scholars know much, yet they keep trying to define enlightenment as knowledge of the "exterior" world, the world around us.  They refer to it as "Enlightenment thought" and find their answers in rationalism, empiricism, skepticism, subjectivism, and the sciences.  They look to political and ethical theory, to religion and aesthetics.  Their scholarly efforts would seem to center around enlightenment theory.  Yet, with all their knowledge and enlightenment, the "interior" world, the personal spirituality which is the human mind, seems to be the purview of spiritual beings, prophets, monks, and philosophers.

There comes a time in one's research, the "Aha!" moment, when one grasps the threads of truth.  There is a distinct difference between knowledge, wisdom, and enlightenment.  It's like slamming into a glass wall where you can see the other side but just can't touch it, and there is this Thule fog which moves around much of what can be seen, so you might see a tree but you don't know what kind or a pond and not know how deep.  It is like standing at the cusp of forever and not being able to take the next step because the path has ended at the abyss where forever taunts the mind like the last piece of candy in a bottomless jar.

If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.

-- Buddha

The glass is but the manifestation of a cluttered mind.  No matter how enlightened one thinks they are, if they cannot control the mind they cannot move forward, and if they can control the mind... they would find any further movement as unnecessary; they simply become.

Enlightenment is ego's ultimate disappointment.”

-- Chögyam Trungpa (1939-1987), Buddhist master, supreme abbot, teacher

I have peculiar dreams when I sleep.  I have stopped dreaming of past lives in favor of speeding along on skates without the skates, as if levitating, and the mind controls the speed and direction.  I dream of an ability to jump to great heights as if weightless, and so much more.  I dream of a world which exists in my mind, and I awake with the tastes, smells, and adrenalin, still with me as I try to catch my breath or stop laughing, and I want to go back.  As I get older the dreams seem more frequent, or maybe I'm just remembering them.  

I used to dream fuzzy dreams, and then I found monthly contact lenses which allowed me to leave them on while I sleep - and to dream in clarity.  Yeah, sounded like bullshit to me as well.  So did seeing the x-rays when my teeth were being photographed by the dentist.  I asked if the particles excited the optic nerve, and he thought I was pulling his leg.  Silly me, I thought everyone experienced this.

"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before."

-- Edgar Allan Poe

Everyone worries about death.  I think if I were to not wake up one morning, everyone should realize I have not died... as they define it.  I have simply discovered how to take my consciousness and permanently depart my earthly shell, soul to follow.  It will be that moment when I step back from the glass barrier and empty my mind.  I will slip through the glass wall, without knowing, into that other dimension.  I will look back to see a face print on the glass as the barrier begins dissipating along with the Thule fog as everything becomes clear.  I think I'll probably want to laugh and shed a tear, but I probably won't care anymore.  I'd like to think I'd assume the finest Superman poses, sans cape, just prior to launching myself into the universe of total awareness.  

The speed of light doesn't really exist, time is simply a human construct, and gravity can be manipulated.  Everything exists at the same instant, in the same place.  Everything just is, and how simple is that?  

As the Creator intended, there are no barriers in forever.

To know yourself as the Being underneath the thinker, the stillness underneath the mental noise, the love and joy underneath the pain, is freedom, salvation, enlightenment.

-- Eckhart Tolle, spiritual author

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 23 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, to wage his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center.