(Medium) A Virtual School for the Nascent Imagination: 'By Means of a Higher Art'

[Lou Gold]

As a confession and not as a criticism, it's starting to feel intellectual and analytical to me. Rather than escape from my senses because they can be and are often limited I would rather hone in and expand my sensibility and sensitivity knowing that peace and harmony and wholeness and truth have a feel to them, which I can grok in my relational moments and use such sensibilities as my guide. I know that it sounds trite, but I believe I'm not a human becoming spiritual as much as a spirit becoming human within a co-arising manifestation. I don't know if this is analytically or intellectually satisfying. Indeed, I doubt that it will be for many. Nevertheless, it may make sense to some for whom I am incredibly grateful for feeling as I do and helping me avoid the craziness of thinking I'm the only one.

Thanks, Lou, and I think your comment really cuts to the heart of the matter. What you write above is natural for you, someone who has lived a long, full life and has employed his intellect and imagination in what I am sure is many productive ways for yourself and your communities over the years. I probably made my post a little too personalized, but I was trying to highlight what it a very common attitude among my generation and younger ones. It is precisely what you say. Thinking is too intellectual, too analytical, too much dry verbal chatter, too abstract, too divorced from our sense-experience, too divided from our feelings. And it most definitely is for most people, most of the time. Perhaps all of the time. The tragedy is that it's assumed this must be the case, that there is no other option for thinking. How many potential worlds are being lost because the seeds of living ideas will never be planted and allowed to grow, as they naturally do? For what reason? Only because it is assumed, not even consciously assumed, but unconsciously assumed, that ideas can no longer have life. That they cannot be the germs of creative evolution. Ideas are only placeholders, time-wasters, empty husks of meaning. This - "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." - sounds practically meaningless to my generation and younger. That is the issue which must be confronted by each individual who is still blessed with an intellect to develop and an imagination to realize, sooner rather than later.

Ashvin,

I've read your statement several times because I confess that I often am not sure if we are agreeing or disagreeing? I like the phrase "blessed with an intellect to develop and an imagination to realize." I see intellect and imagination as instruments, extremely important ones. I see awareness as the blessing that informs how the tools of intellect and imagination will be used. I wonder if we agree?

[Lou Gold]

As a confession and not as a criticism, it's starting to feel intellectual and analytical to me. Rather than escape from my senses because they can be and are often limited I would rather hone in and expand my sensibility and sensitivity knowing that peace and harmony and wholeness and truth have a feel to them, which I can grok in my relational moments and use such sensibilities as my guide. I know that it sounds trite, but I believe I'm not a human becoming spiritual as much as a spirit becoming human within a co-arising manifestation. I don't know if this is analytically or intellectually satisfying. Indeed, I doubt that it will be for many. Nevertheless, it may make sense to some for whom I am incredibly grateful for feeling as I do and helping me avoid the craziness of thinking I'm the only one.

Thanks, Lou, and I think your comment really cuts to the heart of the matter. What you write above is natural for you, someone who has lived a long, full life and has employed his intellect and imagination in what I am sure is many productive ways for yourself and your communities over the years. I probably made my post a little too personalized, but I was trying to highlight what it a very common attitude among my generation and younger ones. It is precisely what you say. Thinking is too intellectual, too analytical, too much dry verbal chatter, too abstract, too divorced from our sense-experience, too divided from our feelings. And it most definitely is for most people, most of the time. Perhaps all of the time. The tragedy is that it's assumed this must be the case, that there is no other option for thinking. How many potential worlds are being lost because the seeds of living ideas will never be planted and allowed to grow, as they naturally do? For what reason? Only because it is assumed, not even consciously assumed, but unconsciously assumed, that ideas can no longer have life. That they cannot be the germs of creative evolution. Ideas are only placeholders, time-wasters, empty husks of meaning. This - "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." - sounds practically meaningless to my generation and younger. That is the issue which must be confronted by each individual who is still blessed with an intellect to develop and an imagination to realize, sooner rather than later.

Ashvin,

I've read your statement several times because I confess that I often am not sure if we are agreeing or disagreeing? I like the phrase "blessed with an intellect to develop and an imagination to realize." I see intellect and imagination as instruments, extremely important ones. I see awareness as the blessing that informs how the tools of intellect and imagination will be used. I wonder if we agree?

I do want to add that I understand what you say about the younger generation and mostly agree. There are some youthful exceptions. I'm blessed by having some wondrous youngins in my life as I explore my "end zone", which has turned out to be, without hyperbole, the best school I've ever attended. I now grok much that was simply impossible for me in my more youthful days. One surprising thing to me, is that I can now grok the great teachings of the different traditions (dualist, non-dualist, shamanic, etc) as often saying the same thing through diverse seemingly separate (but not separate) elaborations.

Two inspiring voices in my personal life -- Thich Nhat Hanh in Vietnam and Frei Heitor Turrini in Amazonia -- made their passage this month, both at age 95. Both devoted their active monkish life to their spiritual practice and their mission, peace for Thay and the forest for Frei Heitor. Seemingly different ways and words and, yet, I can somehow watch these two videos and hear pretty much the same lessons. For me, this is lovely indeed and the praise and glory belong to what can't be reduced without the dangers of idolatry.

[AshvinP]

Thanks, Lou, and I think your comment really cuts to the heart of the matter. What you write above is natural for you, someone who has lived a long, full life and has employed his intellect and imagination in what I am sure is many productive ways for yourself and your communities over the years. I probably made my post a little too personalized, but I was trying to highlight what it a very common attitude among my generation and younger ones. It is precisely what you say. Thinking is too intellectual, too analytical, too much dry verbal chatter, too abstract, too divorced from our sense-experience, too divided from our feelings. And it most definitely is for most people, most of the time. Perhaps all of the time. The tragedy is that it's assumed this must be the case, that there is no other option for thinking. How many potential worlds are being lost because the seeds of living ideas will never be planted and allowed to grow, as they naturally do? For what reason? Only because it is assumed, not even consciously assumed, but unconsciously assumed, that ideas can no longer have life. That they cannot be the germs of creative evolution. Ideas are only placeholders, time-wasters, empty husks of meaning. This - "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." - sounds practically meaningless to my generation and younger. That is the issue which must be confronted by each individual who is still blessed with an intellect to develop and an imagination to realize, sooner rather than later.

Ashvin,

I've read your statement several times because I confess that I often am not sure if we are agreeing or disagreeing? I like the phrase "blessed with an intellect to develop and an imagination to realize." I see intellect and imagination as instruments, extremely important ones. I see awareness as the blessing that informs how the tools of intellect and imagination will be used. I wonder if we agree?

I do want to add that I understand what you say about the younger generation and mostly agree. There are some youthful exceptions. I'm blessed by having some wondrous youngins in my life as I explore my "end zone", which has turned out to be, without hyperbole, the best school I've ever attended. I now grok much that was simply impossible for me in my more youthful days. One surprising thing to me, is that I can now grok the great teachings of the different traditions (dualist, non-dualist, shamanic, etc) as often saying the same thing through diverse seemingly separate (but not separate) elaborations.

Two inspiring voices in my personal life -- Thich Nhat Hanh in Vietnam and Frei Heitor Turrini in Amazonia -- made their passage this month, both at age 95. Both devoted their active monkish life to their spiritual practice and their mission, peace for Thay and the forest for Frei Heitor. Seemingly different ways and words and, yet, I can somehow watch these two videos and hear pretty much the same lessons. For me, this is lovely indeed and the praise and glory belong to what can't be reduced without the dangers of idolatry.

Thanks, Lou. I don't think it's a matter of agreeing or disagreeing per se, but simply viewing from different angles. What we generally point to here is that the angles cannot remain forever fragmented, but must be gradually harmonized through the power of Thinking, in its highest possible sense. Some would say we broaden the definition of "Thinking" too much, encompassing faculties which do not belong there, but that misses the point. In a consistent idealism, and certainly in all spiritual tradtions, all is, in fact, One. All is Spirit, or Soul-Spirit, or Body-Soul-Spirit. The labels don't matter too much, only the underlying meaning they are trying to convey. All is That which can't be reduced without idolatry, as you say. Neither the all-encompassing Idea nor our own human ideas can be reduced. That fact has been entirely lost in the modern age, even among idealists.

Anyway, I am glad you are mentoring and/or learning from the 'youngins'!

[Lou Gold]

Ashvin,

I've read your statement several times because I confess that I often am not sure if we are agreeing or disagreeing? I like the phrase "blessed with an intellect to develop and an imagination to realize." I see intellect and imagination as instruments, extremely important ones. I see awareness as the blessing that informs how the tools of intellect and imagination will be used. I wonder if we agree?

I do want to add that I understand what you say about the younger generation and mostly agree. There are some youthful exceptions. I'm blessed by having some wondrous youngins in my life as I explore my "end zone", which has turned out to be, without hyperbole, the best school I've ever attended. I now grok much that was simply impossible for me in my more youthful days. One surprising thing to me, is that I can now grok the great teachings of the different traditions (dualist, non-dualist, shamanic, etc) as often saying the same thing through diverse seemingly separate (but not separate) elaborations.

Two inspiring voices in my personal life -- Thich Nhat Hanh in Vietnam and Frei Heitor Turrini in Amazonia -- made their passage this month, both at age 95. Both devoted their active monkish life to their spiritual practice and their mission, peace for Thay and the forest for Frei Heitor. Seemingly different ways and words and, yet, I can somehow watch these two videos and hear pretty much the same lessons. For me, this is lovely indeed and the praise and glory belong to what can't be reduced without the dangers of idolatry.

Thanks, Lou. I don't think it's a matter of agreeing or disagreeing per se, but simply viewing from different angles. What we generally point to here is that the angles cannot remain forever fragmented, but must be gradually harmonized through the power of Thinking, in its highest possible sense. Some would say we broaden the definition of "Thinking" too much, encompassing faculties which do not belong there, but that misses the point. In a consistent idealism, and certainly in all spiritual tradtions, all is, in fact, One. All is Spirit, or Soul-Spirit, or Body-Soul-Spirit. The labels don't matter too much, only the underlying meaning they are trying to convey. All is That which can't be reduced without idolatry, as you say. Neither the all-encompassing Idea nor our own human ideas can be reduced. That fact has been entirely lost in the modern age, even among idealists.

Anyway, I am glad you are mentoring and/or learning from the 'youngins'!

Thanks Ashvin. Yup, my life, though more limited, seems more alive and the marvelous friendships I'm blessed with are no small part of it. You say, "Neither the all-encompassing Idea nor our own human ideas can be reduced." I guess I would say that it's our listening that can't be reduced but it seems to me as a great and fruitless folly to argue about it.

The idea, of course, is to be intimate with what is truly universal. Listen to these two very different ways to do it.