Rule one, RELAX

RULE ONE, RELAX

I read a short story once, B. Wordsworth by V. S. Naipaul. It is a beautiful tale of an old man and a young boy doing the thing no one has time for anymore, self-examination. Almost twenty-five hundred years ago, Socrates said “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

When was the last time you laid down on the grass to look at the stars and wondered, like Black Wordsworth, “What am I doing here?”

There is no empirical proof of continued existence after physical death. On the other hand, empirical data only exists in the physical world, and the only connection between the physical and the spiritual is "faith." Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen." My physical self DEMANDS a scientific answer, my spiritual self is comfortable with Kierkegaard's “Leap of faith.” When Shakespeare the “inventor of the human being,” said humans are greater than the sum of our parts, he is simply recognizing our mind/soul/spirit as real. Think of the concept “faith” in the same terms as “love,” neither have physical properties, but both have profound effects on the quality of human life. The concept of a soul having an existence as a separate thing from the material world is the hope of all religions… all people. No one WANTS to disappear as though nothing happened. This way we are not plagued by mass suicides every day all the way to extinction. Life is uncomfortable at its very best, full of pain and suffering most of the time, and with just enough joy to keep us going, so why do we put up with it? Why not just jump off a cliff when there’s not enough money for rent this month? Why do the homeless keep going, the victims of war, disease, famine? Maybe it is the cry from our souls to fulfill a purpose, to ease someone else’s burdens, or experience enough of life that we have something to carry over.

The Christian emphasis on reward and punishment is one of the reasons there is so much doubt and atheism these days. It is why Western religion is on the decline… as though the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE sits on a big chair with notepad and pencil saying “Gotcha!” The concept is absurd in the extreme and serves religion, but not our spirits, much less, God’s. Just think, If the church taught what Jesus taught, “I came to give you life, and that more abundantly,” how much more attractive the Bible would be to non-believers” or, just these two things, “Love God, love your neighbor,” the only things required to enter the kingdom of heaven. It is so simple, so easy, but once again, as humans, when we find beauty, our first impulse is to break it.

I’m seventy-five years old, fairly healthy, but at best, I have maybe ten or so years to go. When I die, what if that’s it, THE END, inert darkness forever? Sitting in this chair, typing this, I could not be more irrelevant. But what if I move into a realm of awareness where all things are revealed… truth, beauty, love, the essence of life, the absence of time, the full realization of ME as an entity… or, as Tolkien put it….

“PIPPIN: I didn't think it would end this way.

GANDALF: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.

PIPPIN: What? Gandalf? See what?

GANDALF: White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.

PIPPIN: Well, that isn't so bad.

GANDALF: No. No, it isn't.”

Well, to recant a little… It makes all the difference because hope makes the rest of it worthy of every breath I take.

Vol

P.S. I have largely left the story of my personal guide, Christ, out of this, I figure anyone who takes the time for self examination will figure that part out for themselves.

Reviews

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

what a deep and interesting essay. and while there are intriguing references to various famous thinkers, it also does not shy away from the personal. death here is not treated as an abstract concept but something real and imminent. this is true spiritual seeking. without the recognition of death wisdom nor salvation will appear. it is a stunning work.
but as a friend i want to tell you that i hope you will not go gently into that good night. i hope you keep writing and sharing your poetry and thoughts with us.

[Vol]

Ern,
Thank you, man for your lovely response to this little personal essay. When thoughts and ideas become confusing and swirl around like wasps who've lost their nest, I have learned that the only way to capture them is with words. On paper they become manageable, tameble and useable. And it seems to fill some optherwise dead time.
Vol

[Vol]

Ern,
Thank you, man for your lovely response to this little personal essay. When thoughts and ideas become confusing and swirl around like wasps who've lost their nest, I have learned that the only way to capture them is with words. On paper they become manageable, tameble and useable. And it seems to fill some optherwise dead time.
Vol

[G]

Hi Vol, When my mom was dying from stage 4 breast cancer, she lost her hearing and could only hear The Hallelujah Choir!
Sad, but it prevented her hearing all the "death talk" around her.

God knows what we need. He "made" us! We only need to believe in Jesus who shed his perfect blood as sacrifice so we can live forever!

[Vol]

GlendaK,
My mom is 96 and in hospice care, she is almost blind, almost deaf, and can barely walk. She is still brilliant, beautiful and prays all the time. I am a blessed man.

[G]

You truly are! And I know she feels blessed to have you! Thanks for that, love.

[Vol]

You've made me smile! Thank you...

[Coyote Poetry]

It is very hard to do self examination my friend. Hard to dig into mind and heart. May find something. You don't want to find. I did enjoy your thoughts and logic. I believe we must do the proper things and hope for a good landing. Powerful and worthwhile words shared my friend.
Coyote

[Vol]

Coyote,
Hmmm, I am never not assessing myself... It must be how i was raised. I look at two things, I have no idea what God's judgement ooks like, He knows me better than I do, so I leave that job to Him. What have I done for my neighbor? Have icaused harm, have i done fnothing, have I encouraged or helped? I'm not hard on myself, but I try to be honest. I was raised in a church thst taught guilt and shame, took me decades to throw off that darkness. God gave me one life, this one, I do my best to make the most of it in my search for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...
Vol

[Vol]

Coyote,
This site drives me nts sometimes... I click on the "read morre," and nothing happens...
Vol

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree. W.C can be odd. Some nights. I can't get into to.

[LisaCarol]

I appreciate your perspective and this article has many good thoughts. What drives every living being in this world to continue on, knowing life if finite? We label it by many words: faith, hope, drive, spirituality, etc. In a world where man has created so many material items, it is interesting that which we cannot see, touch, hear, taste or smell is what is innately driving us to continue on day-after-day.

[Vol]

Lisa,
Absolutely! I am blessed beyond measure if for no other reason that I have no threats hanging over me... well except i have to drive in the most dangerous environment in the world, America's roads. But I look around the world and see people in every corner who could be arrested, jailed, and tortured at random. There is hunger everywhere, natural diisasters, disease... you know the list. Last night i watched a movie on my brother's new 85" tv. There have been few king in all of history who had the advantages of a poor American. I know my comforts and ease color my thinking, make it possible to remain positive in an evil world, but it is the life I have, and so I just live it...
Vol

[Lorry]

But if you're wearing a space suit and you fart, is it there or not and if not, then what is making you're eyes bleed?
I have lived my life putting it into the hands of hoping for the best, aka wishy thinking and I'll be damned if I'm gonna give it up just because I catch a little death!
And asking me questions about the bible when I don't even know if I'm agnostic or just too dumb to see it, but I reckon its a bit too wordy for most... like thar bit about he begat him, who begat that... it goes on for hundreds of chapters just to prove someone is related to someone else.... just tell us they're related and get on with it. And do we really need ten commandments when "if you can't be good, br lucky" would suffice.
And why was God angrier in the old testament and more laid back in the new? That's not how age works, even if you're the messiah!
But saying I don't get it doesn't quite cover it because I'm about to contradict myself by saying the older I get, the more chilled I am about the whole thing. Who knows, maybegod had pmt in the old testament! 🤔
(And don't worry, it's me that's going to the bad fire, you were only reading it!)
😃

[Vol]

Lorry, One thing I've learned, talking to anyone about personal faith in hopes of converting them is a futile exercise. Very much like farting in a space suit.
This is merely a statement of what I believe and think. I am sure there are Buddhists who can say similar things about themselves, Sometimes it pays to take all those thoughts floating around and write the down to see what they are and to make sure care was taken in their formulation. I've never posted any of my journal entries before, and thought I'd just give it a try... It, too is a lot like farting in a space suit...
Vol