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#Post#: 8390--------------------------------------------------
The Great Work and Other Puzzle Pieces
DIR By: rafe
Date: January 18, 2015, 8:02 am
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Jed,
I know I'm not writing to you, but myself and using your forum
as a way to induce another aspect of discipline. I keep trying
to get a comprehensive view on the situation. I've read your
books many times (especially the Theory of Everything). They,
or myself, are working in slow burn fashion. My burn is not the
blood-churned seas, nor walking endlessly around the lake, or
falling from the building (though I am similarly drawn to
contemplating pictures of people a moment away from forced
realization at the hands of a concrete guru). And yet, I'm
drawn to your particular kind of expression. I don't know why;
it resonates with me in a strong vibratory fashion, I guess you
might say. I hesitate to sync with it too long for fear of
avoiding the beheading of the buddha ahead - the you-me it
generates. Have you read a book called The Great Work: The
Philosophy of Individual Life. You would almost seem a
representative from it, if some of the assumptions expressed
early in the work were not false (e.g. "Of that which we can
know directly, we know other people exist"). But it doesn't
really matter if the assumption is false. It seems that all of
This Isness is expressed for some potential utilization, toward
some end, and whatever one's assumptions are, they are
productive to the extent that they are employed productively -
false or not. Like the rules of Tag or Avoid the Lava are false
(being artificially imposed) but they allow a certain
development of skills. Sorry if this is non linear or unclear,
it all makes a kind of ineffable sense in my head, but loses
something in translation. A few things: I can't help but feel
that I know you some how, but I don't know the significance of
that, if any. My sword is actually a pry bar. The bar is the
questions I use to pry up the toads of assumption - always
turning back on the assumption. Done? Yeah I can intuit that
it is there, somewhere in the direction of my general
inclination. But strangely, I don't care about done in the
immediate sense, I care about prying up assumptions - like the
rides are cool, but I've somehow gotten on a ride that lets me
peak behind the scenes - still the park I know, but it feels fun
in the illicit sense to see what is making Mickey wave his arm.
And yet, like a moth, I'm drawn continuously towards something,
beyond the distraction of knowing the mechanics of Mickey. Is
it done? I guess I don't care, I just love the prying. And
yet, there is some itch associated with the phenomenon of Jed
and done that keeps me on course. It can't be the forum, most
of the stuff on the forum feels kind of hollow (I don't mean
that in a bad or judgmental way, but in an, I don't know, off
topic kind of way - sort of like it is distracting to read what
other people are saying because they are distracting themselves,
or I'm distracting myself by being distracted by their
distraction, ad infinitum......as soon as I put it into words I
slip into some kind of bizzaro world). So, in the above
mentioned book, he talks about a spiritual body and the ability
to perceive spiritual things. I can't find any evidence that it
is not all made up anyway - a total dream fabrication. Still, I
have started to see the strangest things (glimmering swirls of
spectacular pin points of light that show up in the strangest
places at totally unexpected times). I am interested in them
though I don't give them a lot of significance, but I'm not
really trying to cultivate them either. I do wonder however,
why do they show up at all. Does the amusement park give you a
back stage pass if you accidentally show up one day in an
employee uniform? It's all just very interesting stuff I
observe as I find myself inexorably drawn towards something
which feels somewhat pleasant and irresistible. I guess I'll
get there at the right time.
Thanks providing a substrate.
Best,
Rafe
#Post#: 8391--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Great Work and Other Puzzle Pieces
DIR By: Jed McKenna
Date: January 18, 2015, 8:11 am
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Dear Rafe:
Welcome to the forum. You probably missed the rules as I have
intentionally buried them. 250 word limit starters, less is
preferred. So, condense what you said and come up with a clear
question. This is not for my benefit, I need no benefit, it's
for you. If I can assist I will.
Love ya, Jed.
#Post#: 8403--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Great Work and Other Puzzle Pieces
DIR By: rafe
Date: January 18, 2015, 8:51 am
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Sure, here is one of my signaling flares, It would be great if
you could help me triangulate. At the end of of TOE you said I
hadn't finished reading that book, but that I'd finished writing
it. I can sense the Truth in that simple statement. The me
that read it, however, could use help from the me that wrote it
in. I'm standing at a divergence of paths. What is the most
productive information the me that wrote it would give to the me
that read it at this point. In other words, what would you say
to you?
#Post#: 8404--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Great Work and Other Puzzle Pieces
DIR By: Jed McKenna
Date: January 18, 2015, 9:35 am
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Dear Rafe:
I can't tell you what Truth is. It doesn't have a codex to
compress it into anything other than our feeble attempts through
stories, metaphors and the like. Much get's lost in translation.
Truth is, and it's all that is... in my experience. You, the
real You, not the one that thinks it's you, has continually been
beckoning, but in the softest of tones. If I could tell you it's
this or that (which I can't) you would loose all the fun. We are
here for entertainment and surprise.
There are many approaches this and at one time or another I'm
pretty sure that every approach has worked at least once for at
least one person. You want better odds and that's why you're
here.
I would direct you to just gently be with the thought, 'Who or
what is experiencing all this'. However, you can use almost any
thought or any thing as a spiritual cattle prod to get you
moving along. You could sit down to a meal and just inquire,
'Who is doing this sitting?' or 'What eats?'.
If I could give it to you I wouldn't, never in a million years.
If Truth is, then find out what it is. All these questions are
probes to discovering that. The first thought really has to be
that basic one, Truth is, then proceed from there. You might
also say that 'There is Truth and truth only, now where is it?'
There are endless ways of approaching this.
The only caveat I would suggest is that you get doing something
that 'clicks' with you and stick with it. Jumping around is a
Maya/ego avoidance strategy.
And always always always, forgive yourself and take it easy.
Beating yourself up is very counter-productive.
Love ya, Jed.
#Post#: 8405--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Great Work and Other Puzzle Pieces
DIR By: rafe
Date: January 18, 2015, 9:45 am
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Thanks Jed.
I am eternally grateful that you did your math.
Your response reminds that its inward. Always inward, as you
said. My confusion always arises at the slightest degree of
outward.
If you ever need to crash in Colorado, we'd love to see you.
More later.
Rafe
#Post#: 8419--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Great Work and Other Puzzle Pieces
DIR By: Jed McKenna
Date: January 19, 2015, 12:27 am
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Thanks for your kind words Rafe.
Love ya, Jed.
P.S. Another hint, look are your thoughts is looking outside,
not inside.
#Post#: 8429--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Great Work and Other Puzzle Pieces
DIR By: rafe
Date: January 19, 2015, 6:49 am
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Is there a typo in your response: "P.S. Another hint, look are
your thoughts is looking outside, not inside." Do you mean:
"looking at your thoughts is looking outside, not inside"? Even
if that is not what you mean, it does make sense. All thoughts
being beliefs, no beliefs being true, you could spend a life
time fondling the untruths of the thought complex "ME" in,
"small purposeful circles." The question itself, "Who Am I,"
has gotta be held out before you as the sword. It's like you
wouldn't even really have to do much with it. I picture one
holding it steadily before himself as the thoughts break
themselves upon it like waves on the beach. It reminds me of
that Taoist story of the butcher that deftly parts the ox meat
from the bone. The focus must be on the blade, it will do the
parting, until the blade itself disappears. I think....
Thanks again,
Rafe
#Post#: 8441--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Great Work and Other Puzzle Pieces
DIR By: Jed McKenna
Date: January 19, 2015, 10:08 am
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Dear Rafe:
I think you are in error. You quoted exactly what I said, and
then explained it quite well.
Looking at thoughts is looking from inside to outside, until you
get that nothing is looking at anything.
Love ya, Jed.
#Post#: 27871--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Great Work and Other Puzzle Pieces
DIR By: rafe
Date: April 2, 2017, 7:21 am
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The primary obstacle to awakening is the tendency to be drawn
into thought threads and situations.
What is assumed in this statement?
1. There is a doer.
2. That which is aware is what it is aware of.
3. There is and can be such a thing as a problem.
4. Things can and should be different than they are.
5. Awareness can fail to be awake.
6. That which appears to be real is the prime operator.
7. The mind is an agent acted on by thoughts rather than
comprised of and identical to them.
8. "Situations" occur independently of the observer, i.e. They
have their own reality.
9. The apparent actor has free will.
10. The destiny of observer and observed are the same.
11. Time and space exist.
12. What's described above is actually happening.
13. There is such a thing as value in which any occurrence can
have primacy over another.
14. There is a me. I AM is that me. The me is asleep. I AM is
asleep.
15. There can be obstacles.
16. Language is meaningful.
17. There is such a thing as meaning.
18. Duality is real.
1. Is there a doer? Who is it? Is there anything this
supposed doer has ever done which was not a reaction to
"environmental" variables? Is a reactant the same as an agent?
What is a doer, outside of the idea of a doer? Where did the
idea of a doer come from? What does it mean to say that the
doer exists? If we're going to assert that the doer exists,
don't we need to know what it means to exists? What is it to
exist.......? If I am is, I am exists and is directly known to
I am. That doesn't quite make sense to to say I am is known by
I am. Logic can't seem to move off that point. I am is not
known to I am; I am just is. There's no more to be said about
it. Is that what it is to exist. There is one directly
perceivable "thing", which is existence and of which nothing can
be said. If that is the definition of true existence, does the
doer meet that criteria? Can more be said of the doer? By this
logic, the doer can't be said to exist. What of it............?
#Post#: 27873--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Great Work and Other Puzzle Pieces
DIR By: Jed McKenna
Date: April 2, 2017, 7:31 am
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Sheesh... all these complicated questions... do you think I am
God? Think I have all the answers. This is your dream, you made
it all up, now go and make up a bunch of answers to shut up that
mind of yours.
Still love ya, Jed.
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