CHAPTER SEVEN

October 1st, 2024     Life pulsations are random, constantly seeking order.

CONNECTION

We live connected on two axes, one within existence; between each other and the rest of the biosphere, the other transcending existence; between existence and Life - the symbiotic relationship.

 

It is through existence connection to those around us that our intention radiates out into society. So far, our cultures have exploited the existence connection to enhance Existence, in conscious and unconscious ignorance of Life. But the action, arrogant that it is, proves the principle of intention.

We can learn and take heart from this; it means if we establish a strong intention toward Life and bring it fearlessly into our relationships with those we meet, change is inevitable.

In establishing intention toward Life, we must have no expectations. Expectations are of the ego. If our intention is firm, Life will find us.

Though intention eschews expectation, it should generate certain actions - simplification, stillness, silence. Such behaviors should see us seeking solitude, nature, and an increased response to natural light: sunlight and moonlight.

It is through Light, the third constituent of Life, that we are touched by Life.

Whilst enjoying observable Light, if we maintain an intention to accept the unseen Life in Light, then the way we perceive its touch upon leaves, grass, petals, trees, earth, rocks, pebbles, water, skin, fur, etc. will change.

That initial change is a heightening of Joy as we enter into the cyclical symbiotic exchange.

If you read ‘Joy’ in chapter five, you will see how important this first awareness of Life is to our relationship (connection) with one and other.

LIGHT

‘From the beginning he was clear, that when these healings occurred it was not due to his own powers but due to Amaterasu manifested within the person who was ill… Munetada had come to understand Amaterasu as a living-presence within himself… He wished to be empty of his own self, of his own will and thought. He became transparent to her presence within himself’.

‘It was a person’s turning toward receptivity to that inner presence, a change in attitude that made their return to health possible; It was the divided presence of Amaterasu within everyone that was each person’s basis of health and wellbeing’.  

These lines are from a book dealing with the life of Kurozumi Munetada (1780-1850)*

Reading the 127 stories of his life one could be reading the life of Jesus, or it would seem, many others who healed the sick and raised the dead.

What is of interest to us is that Amaterasu is of the sun.

His existence demonstrates the possibility of fully living The Near Life Experience.

It gives us a good starting point where we can connect directly with Life – through greater awareness of sunlight and moonlight. 

Munetada literally took in to his being the light of the sun.

 

He used the element of Light; the visible constituent of Life, to let go of his own ego control of existence.

*The Living Way by Tadaaki Kurozumi & Isshi Kohmoto

SOLITUDE

It may seem odd that seeking solitude is the most genuine path to connection with our fellow beings, human, animal and plants: That all manner of sentient life must accept their singularity in existence form to enhance the connection wrought by Life.

This comes about because Life is the thread upon which each individual’s being hangs, therefore turning inward we can perceive that connecting pulse.

As the Green Jade Book puts it: Hidden, unperceived, running through the noise of Existence, is the silk-thin thread that is Life. It births being. It sustains being. It gives meaning to being. It is why you are here.

 

We are told that western society is suffering an epidemic of loneliness. It’s not surprising. Existence, almost cut-off from Life, severs the thread between us.

And if we cannot find that other axis; the symbiotic Life pulse, we are like the prisoner condemned to solitary confinement.

Because Life keeps us alive despite our behavior, we take it for granted.

In order to find solitude, one must determine upon Life. By taking that step, Existence compaction loosens and we re-discover the second axis of connection, to others. It begins the process of lessening Existence (socially defined) contact and more real awareness of others. (f)

It is through adopting an existence of simplification, stillness, silence, and being alone with strongest intention toward Life that in our solitude we become Life knowing.

The Green Jade Book again:                                        The knowing that is already known lies within.   

KINDNESS

Many years ago I embraced kindness. It wasn’t that I had become an unkind person, but intellectualism had developed into criticality that bred rationalism as a way of living in the world.

Here’s the backstory to that decision.

 

 

Kindness is the positive Capture* I was born with. In an Existence system it made me vulnerable as a child. (f) For most of my growing years I protected myself by developing humor which covered over both good and negative elements of Capture.

[This ‘falsification’ of character is widespread within existence - I will devote a future paragraph to it] 

But no cover-up is surefire, because Capture is deeper rooted than our ego. So, positive or negative, it will sometimes surface, as it did when I was fourteen.

My friend David had broken his arm, which for teens was an event to be played with. So, David got bumped, kidded on, and generally became good for light entertainment on the way home from school. No less so for me applying my humor.

But going home one day, the Capture-kindness saw a flicker of suffering in David’s eyes, and before my ego could exert its control, Bang! I’d offered to carry his school bag - I was wide open, vulnerable.

David’s ego in protection of his vulnerable condition fought for him. He came back at me with the kind of vitriol that only a teenager caught being weak could summon. It penetrated deep into my open heart, which immediately closed tight like a clam. It stayed that way for many years.

That did not mean I never did a kind thing from there on, but they were calculated, totally conscious        decisions of my ego. I helped people out, gave to charities, said a lot of the right things – from my head.      

It was all very rational and safe.

It was only with the realization of Life as permanent reality, and the consequent release of ego control, that I once again exposed that kindness element of Capture I had suppressed. I decided to let it be vulnerable. 

We can of course decide to act kindly, and that’s mostly a good thing. But we must be aware that we are not using kindness to suppress negative Capture, because that suppressed negativity will show itself just as my suppressed positive kindness did.

Life is naturally kind as it pulses through us, but only acts when fully embraced, such that it eliminates all hesitations and fear. That’s not easy to do because the ego exerts control on our behavior precisely out of fear for our existence safety.

It seems we cannot be absolutely safe in existence, nor can we be totally Life, free of existence. We are a living paradox. Consequently, all our behaviors may be generated by existence or Life.

 

It can be helpful to understand our internal existence-Life equation. Then by placing our intention on Life we have the awareness with which to begin the transition towards greater Life.    

*See Capture CH 3 

MOMENTS

We don’t live by clocks and calendars; we live moment by moment. We are of Life they are of Existence. Consider how you use moments.

 

 

If we are aware of them at all, they are like pennies, we’re only interested in groups of them, the smallest usually being an hour. Yet if you had one more hour to live each moment would become your whole existence…. In fact, the moment would be your existence.

According to Eihei Dogen, the founder of Soto Zen Buddhism, a day consists of 6,400,099,180 moments. And the Abhidharma attributes sixty-five instants to each moment.

 

Even this huge sum of instants is a fraction of the pulsations Life makes in manifesting everything that is existence – all of us, and all that surrounds us.

We are only just here: a super rapid arising and ceasing illusion.

Yet we feel so solid.

In our corporality a moment is about as small a portion of illusion as imagination can bare. We can imagine not being present for moments – like   when we lose a sense of time. What we lose is ourselves, our being. We are on                 the other side of the super rapidity of the symbiotic process.                 (Although of course, we haven’t gone anywhere!)

We can use this facility of Life taking over, it’s a dropping of existence. It’s what happens when we have a complete moment of still, silent, intention on Life.

    It is said, and I can verify it, that even an instant of losing oneself reveals the                           boundless permanence of Life. It is The Near Life Experience.                    If one gathers such instants into a moment, all fear disappears.

If we are able to remain in the moment, as the sun measures off an hour, then we are forever thereafter certain of Life.

 

May you be well, may your days and nights be filled with Life.

 

Comments and questions - sucinno@hotmail.com   Subject: Nearlife.