According to legend, Aesop was a slave in Greece during the 6th century B.C. Here is a bit from Wikipedia:

During the reign of Peisistratus he was said to have visited Athens, where he told the fable of The Frogs Who Desired a King to dissuade the citizens from attempting to depose Peisistratus for another ruler. A contrary story, however, said that Aesop spoke up for the common people against tyranny through his fables, which incensed Peisistratus, who was against free speech.

I am inclined to find truth in the contrary story. I guess I am a romantic at heart.

The following story struck me in such a way, I thought it might be interesting for all of you. It brilliantly describes how thought builds the image, then…well, I don’t want to give it up for you. Find out for yourself. Haha.

The Ass Carrying The Image
Aesop

A certain man put an image on the back of his ass to take it to one of the temples of the town. As they went along the road, all the people they met uncovered and bowed their heads out of reverence for the image; but the ass thought they were doing it out of respect for himself, and he began to give himself airs accordingly.

At last he became so conceited he imagined he could do as he liked, and, by way of protest against the load he was carrying, came to a full stop and flatly declined to proceed any further. His driver, finding him obstinate, hit him long and hard with his stick, saying, “Oh you dunderheaded idiot! Do you suppose it has come to this, that men pay worship to an ass?”

A recent question through e-mail:

Are you a member of any religious, philosophical, or spiritual organisation? You never really talk about that, but it seems to me that you’d be resistent to the idea.

Because one is not a member does not mean that one is resistant. It simply means one is not a member. When the period appears at the end of the sentence, that is it. Nothing carries over, and there is no idea that one should or should not do something, due to a conflicting belief. When it is finished, nothing else begins.

Some would equate every apparent state with an opposite. There is hot because there is cold. There is hate because there is love. There is light because there is dark. This is life as it is lived by so many, but is any of it true? It is an incredible waste of energy.

When it is extremely cold, we talk about how cold it is, and then wish for warmth. Why do we talk about the cold when it is cold? If you and I are together, and it is below freezing temperatures, do either of us need to mention how cold it is? If you say it to me once, I understand and I am right there with you. But why keep saying it?

It is cold, it is cold, it is cold!

Do you really know that?

Think of it for a moment; all the time you spend talking about the cold, you are not there with it. You are only thinking about how cold it is. Stop thinking about it and live it.

If it is cold, and it very well may be, do you really need to tell yourself at all? The body has its own physiological barriers that will take care of the situation. And beyond that, we dress accordingly. If there is snow outside, it is generally understood that it is also cold. Why can’t we leave it at that?

When it is noisy, we resist and resist, complaining of how noisy it all is. But is the problem the noise, or our resistance to it? Again, the body has its own protective mechanisms for excessive noise. Beyond that, we can put our hands to our ears or stuff something in there to help balance it all out.

If you complain and complain about the noise, are you really hearing the noise in the world? Or merely the noise in your head?

Our use of imagination is misguided and destructive. We never sit with the cold, even during the moments when it is cold; we think about it, talk about it, and wish it weren’t so.

We never sit with the apparent noise. We cannot love it and learn how to listen. We resist and complain about how noisy it is compared to what it should be.

But these are the moments to flower into what is. Every moment is the perfect chance to see clearly.

Now, having said all of this, I am not a member of anything. (Apart from humanity, I suppose.) This does not mean that I am against anything, or have an idea that some other philosophy is better. If I reject something because I think something else is better, then I am a member of the something else.

I reject, but not due to an idea; it is a rejection born from intense curiosity. It is a necessary rejection, in order to find out what is really there. But there is no activity here that is pushing against. It is just that things come and go, but nothing sticks here. Not because I push it away, but because there is nothing here that can grab it and cherish it.

A bit long-winded, but I hope it answers your question.

There is a recognition there, but at the same time, I do not know them. It may seem natural to say that you know someone, but in this organism, there is nothing more unnatural.

If I see my brother, there is recognition there. But I can never say, “I know him.” There are memories, obviously. I can remember the things we have done, certain situations and events. But that is all of the past. If I say I know him, it is due to memory. And memory is of the past, and therefore, unchanging and immutable. That would mean that he has no chance of ever being different from what I remember. I effectively kill him with my mind, because I cannot see him at all. I only see my image of him; my memory of him.

This is why the living in the image, living through thought, is inherently violent. One kills the possibility of reality, of seeing what is. There is no true sight, only the remembered image.

If I meet with you, why should I rely on my memory to tell me anything? You are there, and I have no need to imagine you. After all, If I wanted to think about you or imagine you, I could have just stayed home.

Living life through thought, through the image, is living a life of violence. It is the killing of what is.

How many people have you killed today?

When you see a couple violently arguing, you’ll simply watch.
When the child plays too close to the road, you’ll simply watch.
When the friend gets her hair perilously close to the fire, you’ll simply watch.
But when action is needed, you’ll move with a certainty,
You’ve never before experienced.
The mind is alive, full of energy,
And action takes place when needs arise.

You’ll always feel,
On the verge of exploding.
Sit with it.
Just sit there.

When someone asks how to be liberated,
Be as nice as you can in your reply.
But don’t lie.
They won’t understand the answer, but still…
Don’t lie.

You may never dream again.
At least, not of your own accord.

Significance will be lost.
Mostly.

Put less food on your plate. You won’t need it.

Your own body will become fascinating.
You’ll stare at certain parts for long periods of time.
Do not do this in public.

People will try to tell you how you are functioning.
They won’t get it right.
But accept it graciously.

Questions will come.
Questions will go.
You’ll never again be able to face anything with a conclusion.
Then,
Questions will come,
Questions will go.

Your oldest friends may never understand,
Or accept,
What has happened to you.
If they become angry,
Sad,
Upset with how you have “changed,”
They may want to leave.
Please let them go.
It is for their own good.
Really, it is.

Sheep in wolves’ clothing,
Spring from every crevice.
Wolves in sheep’s clothing,
Are not far behind.

Your art will lose its technique.
But through this loss,
Technique is reborn.

The sign reads,
“No Pets Allowed,”
And not,
“No, Pets Allowed.”

Their experience,
Becomes extremely important.
As you can no longer,
Have experience,
Of your own.

Your body will burn,
With the fire of being.
This heat may make others uncomfortable.
But you can never burn them.
They can only do that to themselves.

War will always be a constant in our lives. Violence and peaces are just smaller peices in the stream of chaos. Chaos rules all of us and everything we percieve as reality.

The war within ourselves, I believe is nothing but the constant struggle one goes through to find who we are as a person. Once you come to terms with who you are, then you can achieve “peace”.

This can never stop war because who we are as individuals is opposite from others, thus creating conflict and adding to the chaos that rules us all.

War may have been constant, and may indeed currently be underway as it is. It is all plain to see that it is caused by ideas and beliefs saying there are differences and opposites. But are there any differences or even opposites? Or only ideas about differences and opposites?

This is all very important to see for yourself. Just because something appears in one way doesn’t meant that it has to continue. Why do you accept it? Why do you say it is a constant, and therefore, doomed to continue? I don’t care about what has happened before, just look at it now, as it is. Why do you want it to continue?

You might say, “I don’t necessarily want it to continue,” but what do you do to stop it? You clearly see that the belief in the opposite, the belief in the individual, is the root cause of conflict, but why do you accept that it has to be that way? Why do you see it, and at the same time, cling to it?

Why do you assume there is a “who” at all? If you have never gone into it, it may seem confusing, but what if there is no who? What would happen? Is it even possible for the “who” come to terms with itself? These are important questions to meditate on.

I am not saying any of this is right or wrong, and please keep in mind, I am not necessarily talking about “YOU.” This isn’t a “you are wrong” kind of thing. Not at all. But you see the movement there. It is clear that you see it. But do not stop there. Keep going and find what is at the root.

Don’t stop…this is your life, and more importantly, your children’s lives. No one else can give this to you. You have to find out for yourself. Not, “find what is right or wrong based on a conclusion.” Just find out. Be curious.

I say it can come to an end. You might rightfully ask, “How do you know?” I say these things because it doesn’t exist here. And if it is not here, it doesn’t have to be there.

There is absolutely nothing special about this organism (Takuin). And if it lives with no conflict, you don’t have to either.

“Do you think we will have peace in the world?’”

It is difficult for one to project a future in order to see what may happen. One can only sit with what is essentially the blood that pours through the veins.

The future, if seen as a projection of the past, as seeds of what has come before, holds little hope for peace. There may indeed be rest between various wars, but that is in no way peace, nor is it a reason to be hopeful.

Peace is not a rest between wars, but a stillness within the organism. All war begins and ends with you; with each of us. There can be no hope for peace as long as you continue to project war from within.

So forget the question about peace in the world, and ask about the peace within.

“I would never kill anyone, so how can I project war?“

And what about the person that cut you off on the freeway? The person that spilled coffee on your shirt? The person that is now dating your ex-wife? The drunks in the alley, the obese people, gay people, black/brown or otherwise “differently” shaded people? Have you ever had the thought that they should be different from what they are, or should do different things from what they have done? THAT is war, not just the blood spilled for stupid nationalistic reasons.

You want to end the war outwardly, but have not the courage to see the killing you do within your own mind. Can you see the violence that lives within you? Don’t say, “I am not violent,” or “I follow non-violence,” or some other nonsense. The self in operation is violence in operation. It separates, justifies, and defends its own limited position.

None of this is good or bad, just see it as it is. See the violence that lives in you already. Start with that. Forget the nicely painted “No Blood for Oil” signs and get to work on the only war that matters; the only war there truly is. It is the war of your own creation.

It all begins and ends with you, in every moment.

“How do I go about doing it?” (being peaceful)

Are you peaceful? Probably not. Otherwise, why ask the question? If you are not peaceful and are trying to suppress that in order to be peaceful, THAT IS WAR.

Peace is not about changing what you are. Can you see what you are without the desire to change it? Can you see that you are violent, sexist, greedy, racist, or whatever it may be? If that is what is there, that is what is. You stay with that movement, seeing it as it goes from place to place, as it arises in certain situations. Be there, in each moment. This observation of the movement, devoid of self-centered observation, brings it to an end.

I use the term observation, although it might not be quite accurate. It is not a seeing that is based on memory, justification, prejudice, or preference. In other words, it is not based on the self or the identity, as that is a part of the very same movement. The activity of the self is plain to see. It poses no great difficulty in finding it. But here is a question you may wish to meditate on: Is there activity beyond the self?

Usually, an event occurs, and one thinks, “This is happening to me.” But in the observation discussed above, an event occurs, and one realizes, “This is happening.” (Or you might even say, “This is happening to the self,” but be careful with it.) Eventually, “This is happening,” becomes less and less apparent, as you will discover there is no way to really identify with it anyway. I dissolves into, “Happening,” but in the end, even that is unnecessary.

Finally, it is simply…

“What about Byron Katie’s The Work, or the Sedona Method? Do these help?” (in bringing peace)

They have helped countless millions of people, I am sure. To find out more, visit Byron Katie’s blog, and Tom Stine’s write up on the Sedona Method.

The Work and the Sedona Method are both forms of inquiry, and seem to work well for many people.

Takuin’s present situation would seem to have been induced by inquiry, although as the body sits here, it is impossible to say with certainty. In the end, one can’t really say it is attributed to anything. Having said that, inquiry can have a tremendously calming effect on the organism. Although I am not at all sure that one’s personal form of inquiry can bring another to a final realization.

I have said before, the world does not need Christians and Buddhists, it needs Christs and Buddhas. The same would seem to go for these forms of inquiry. I have heard of people coming to the end through inquiry, but I have never heard of someone coming to the end through another person’s form of inquiry. Do you know what I mean? But they are both tools that will certainly make you feel a hell of a lot better.

I am not at all saying there is anything wrong with either of them. They seem to bring clarity to millions of people. And I am not even sure that what I do within is really any different from what they teach. But eventually, you’ll have to face the predicament of Who is asking these questions? And that is something you will have to do on your own.

I love Byron Katie…she is so funny and loving. This is one of my favorite videos of her work.

Thanks for all the emails while I was away. I am slowly getting through them all. And thanks for all of the birthday wishes. I think I have finally digested all of that cake.

I have far more to say about war and peace, along with other writings on stillness that I penned in Toyama. They’ll all be posted here in due time.

Toyama is one of the best places to go if you want to spread out and breathe a bit. Nature is everywhere, along with interesting animals and insects that one usually never sees in the city. (Some of you might remember that Akiko and I lived there before we moved to Tokyo.)

I’ll try to take great pictures of the mountains while I am there, but that all depends on the weather. I’ll eventually add them to my Flickr account.

While I am there, I will meditate on some new questions or movements. Primarily, Is it possible for one to bring peace in the world of war? I am sure to go into other things as well. When I return, I’ll let you all know what happened.

I probably will not answer any e-mails I receive while I am gone. I might pop in to handle a few comments, but for the most part, I’ll be dead to the world.

Maybe it is a good opportunity for many of you to go into the same question? Is it possible for one to bring peace in the world of war? Go deeply into this if you like, then post your findings below in the comments. I’ll reply to all of them when I return.

See you soon.

Not judging the thoughts and or compulsions that seem to be unsavory and dark is one thing. However, is reducing them and even eliminating them possible?

Who decides that the thoughts are unsavory and dark? There needs to be the judgment of good or bad before any of that can take place. So, even if you consider you are not judging the thought, the idea that the thought is dark or should be eliminated is still a judgment.

When you sit in order to see these things, you must go slowly, in a step-wise fashion. Don’t instantly fall back on what you already know and have memorized. Leave space for the meaning to become apparent without your effort. This may not be easy to see yet, but you do not need to be there controlling what is happening. Just sit with your curiosity, and find out what is happening.

…when I am not in meditation, I am prone to experience thoughts and inclinations that are sometimes mean, unsympathetic, selfish, desirous and forgetful of higher spiritual truths and states-of-being.

That is exactly where you want to be. Forget what happens on the cushion, because that is not your daily life. It is just a short diversion, and when it is over, you will wish for it to continue.

If you have thoughts that are mean, selfish, and so on, those are your greatest teachers. It is the perfect opportunity to see what is happening within, without resorting to theorizing. When there is anger, it is not a theory; it is there. And it is in that moment when you can go deeper and deeper, sinking into the reality of how your mind is functioning. It is extremely beautiful to behold.

All of the thoughts you hate will set you free.

Don’t be so proud that you cannot step away from the anger to see it clearly. Usually, one is angry, and there may be a conscious recognition of that anger. But there is also a vested interest in staying angry. It could be that, if you suddenly stop being angry, people will think you are a fool for not sticking with it. Or it could be any of a thousand different reasons. But these will be clear when you see it for yourself.

There are no thoughts to avoid; only thoughts to observe.

Thru meditation and spiritual discipline, is it possible to be in that higher state-of-being more and more, without even meditating, so that the lower impulses are reduced and or eliminated?

If so called “lower impulses” are there, that is your meditation. It is not something you do for just one hour. It is the flow of awareness as you move about your day. It is everything as it is.

If you want to use it as a tool to eliminate certain types of thoughts, forget it. Awareness is the movement of sitting with what is (even if you are standing). It is something that moves as you move. It has nothing to do with what you believe to be good or bad.

That being said, it couldn’t be more simple. However, you might find it difficult to get into, if you have never considered such a thing. There is something I can recommend to you. If you decide to sit down and try to watch this movement, do it in nature. Go outside; somewhere close to mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, or whatever you happen to have where you live. Sit in that enviroment for some time and see what happens in your mind. Just watch, listen, observe.

The reason I recommend nature as often as I do is because it is something thought cannot touch. Thought can certainly make up stories and create theories about nature, but it cannot touch it. Thought can create a pencil, a chair, guitars, and the most magnificent cathedrals, but it can do absolutely nothing about nature. Only awe in its presence.

Or, are we doomed to exist with a mixture of yin and yang, positive and negative, that acceptance of(thus taking away their power over us)will bring about realizations which lead to enlightenment?

Is there doom in existing in a certain way, or is there only existence? Is thought good or bad, or is it merely your thoughts of thought being good or bad? Go deeply within yourself and look at it.

Do you want to accept + and - only because you crave an end result? If I accept what is, I’ll get the realization or the enlightenment. Is that it? If so, it is still the dualism of the seeker and the thing to be sought. Now, if this is what is there, it is absolutely fine. It simply becomes your meditation. You can only work with where you are and what you have.

You can never have more or less than what you have. That is where you start, and that is where it ends.

I don’t know that I’ve answered your questions, but I hope you can get something out of this. Feel free to leave your comments below, and maybe we can go into it together if you like.

There is also that pain or pressure in the upper right portion of the brain. It pulses and seems to surge forth, but it in no way obstructs the liberation that allows clarity.

As one sits in the chair, this aliveness seems to pulse, like a metronome that counts in waves, not in beats.

This is all so fascinating.

Thoughts come and go, memories come and go, but there is nothing that tries to hold them. Without attachment, the thoughts are seen as a beautiful movement of the brain. The ebb and tide of these thoughts is wonderful to behold.

If one tries to hold thoughts out of fear, the beauty of what is will always slip through the fingers. That natural functioning will be missed, and the beauty of the organism will never be seen.

Slow down and experience the body and all of the wonders within. Let go of the need to know, the need to have, and see what is there.

This energy engulfs all. It is the purest essence of life.

The pain in the head is slipping away. But still, I may not much sleep tonight.

This was written before the realization in December 2006. Perhaps this piece foreshadows events not yet transpired? Anyway, it is interesting, at least to me, to see how words, related to a specific medium, can impact the whole of expression.

Maybe I should write a current piece on artistic expression? Just to see which chair one now sits upon.

Enjoy!

I’ll Climb Down the Rabbit Hole, and You Cut the Rope
by Takuin Minamoto

The first step is always the worst, you know. It never feels quite as solid as the places we usually tread. But where we usually tread is not at all where we wish to be, is it? We secretly long for those worlds that seem meaningful to us in a way that is not easily explained to others. Those locales, while dark or bereft of meaning to others, shine with the luminosity of life to us.

Do we not already have the stuff within us? Are we doomed to fail? Well, I wouldn’t start dusting off that noose just yet. The inner workings of our imaginations, and the content it contains, is THE repertoire, so the answer is in there, hidden amongst the bizarre odds and ends.

How long can we ignore the natural expression that pokes us, prods us, peeling back skin, revealing the beast inside? The signs are all there, but we need to learn to embrace what is not known. And it is not the expression itself that breathes life into that beast, but the lack of attention and fear of what we have never embraced. Don’t be afraid kids. There is nothing to fear, not in any pocket of the mind. Just put out your arms and welcome your expression into the world.

How does it feel to ignore the passions that burn deeply in our brain-cases? Doing what others feel is right for us? Or perhaps, what we believe is right because we don’t want to disappoint someone else? That puts us into conflict with ourselves before we even get one foot out the door. If we cannot resolve this difficulty within us, how can we hope to have real and complete relationships with other human beings? It is not possible. And since the completeness of life is all about relationship, we might be lost, floating in the wastes of our own internal struggles.

So, what does this have to do with making movies? Why should it matter? What’s it all about, Alfie?

More than just making films, it is about the completeness of our artistic expressions. Completeness meaning, everything we have within is used to the best of our ability. Being complete means that only our true selves can flower and grow. There is no room for dishonesty, or some falsehood in our intention. Just infinite space where we work with finite material.

And don’t bother with pretension when thinking of your own filmic expression; wonderful films are made inside and outside of the Hollywood system. There is nothing saying that a film, just because of where it is made, is inherently good or bad. There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages on both sides. But, we shouldn’t bother thinking of those things in the beginning, anyway.

Get started, and don’t look back. If you want to write a movie, get some paper and get to work. Don’t let fear stop you.

Be truthful, even in your lies. Don’t get bogged down with details or try to talk yourself out of it. Just shut up and write. Don’t slow down because you think it is awful. It very well could be awful, but now is not the time to deliberate on that. Rage against the dying of the light, as it were.

Be as clear as you can, even if it seems you have little to work with. Don’t write for the approval of others, or to tell everyone how cool you are. Works of complete selfishness and self-aggrandizement can be popular, but they never last. Not even Disco could last forever, and thank goodness for that; I couldn’t stomach to wear the clothing.

I do my work now in complete comfort since I passed through the Rabbit-Hole. Things are clear, and I am not afraid to move in any direction. It is a new adventure that I embark upon, and there is no going back.

You can join me if you like, just be sure to cut the rope behind you.