If there is an underlying order to all phenomena, it seems that purporting to know it invites wars, discord, and ideal-borne failures.
What seems to work is presuming NOT to know, and giving it sufficient space to reside as Mystery; to refer to it indirectly through poetry, paradox, and to constantly give it fresh life through evidence-based assessment and ethics-bounded results.
I try and assess (adjust if warranted)…and repeat ad nauseam.
Not because it’s noble, or even because it’s pleasant, but simply because it seems to be the best option available.
Like most of you, I’ve got some monsters living in my head. Instead of ignoring them, I acknowledge them, respect them, and put them to work so they can help me out instead of drag me down.
If life is truly the greatest teacher, then one must honor the evidence, even if it’s incredibly unpleasant. Life may call upon someone to renounce their guru, to kill another, to engage in austere disciplines day after day…or it can do the exact opposite.
To me, the definition of fluidity and detachment is if one can walk away from something they’re deeply invested in, or, conversely, dive into an activity 100%.
As long as they honor the clues presented by life.
I often hear people tout “satori” or “flow state” as the foundation from which correct action will inevitably spring. I’ve observed many who chase this state, believing that it will herald them to effortless glory and easy results, but they often seem to fall short of attaining their goals. I have found it is much more effective to work in reverse: when I buttress my actions with sound reasoning, evidence-based assessment, and strategy-oriented aggression, the focus on my self disappears, and I’m overtaken by a transcendent state of mind.
I believe discipline and strategy form the bridge to a greater truth. The feeling of effortless pleasure is simply the icing on the cake.
Unquestioned dogma seems to bring people together into collective failure. It is the fluid individual—(s)he who adjusts their strategy according to the evidence and bounds their actions with a sensible, functional code of ethics—who will resurrect timeless spiritual principles through results and application.
Ironically, it seems that people will tout these individuals as unquestionable, faultless bastions—bastions on which to build new dogma, which those same people will be (of course) loathe to question.
I believe there’s a practical reason why the hero’s journey is reiterated over and over within our scriptures and stories. We are constantly faced with the impending truth that we must venture forth from our comfort-spun caves and confront our problems before they become large enough to bring danger to our doorstep. In my opinion, the qualities employed by the hero to overcome adversity (self-honesty, creativity, discipline, audacity, sound logic, a focus on effectiveness, etc.) aren’t just poetic calls to be a “good person,” they are the truest weapons one could ever wield, for across the span of eons and culture, they seem to work time and again.
Some may champion strategic thinking as “common sense” or “the way of the warrior” or a “life-hack” or some other romantic-sounding label, but I just think of it as a necessary practicality. We only have so much time to live, and that time is continually devoured by our daily needs, along with random twists of fate. So I believe it’s absolutely necessary that I be brutally honest enough with myself to know my intent, form an effective strategy, and produce a result. I’d prefer not to waste my limited time trying to keep my head above water; I’d rather keep my ship tight, and navigate from shore to shore, exploring the breadth of possibility while I exist on this earth.
I only have to look at people who are in desperate straits to realize that writing stories is a straight-up luxury. I try to honor this opportunity by attending to my make-believe with utter seriousness.
When put in perspective, the supposed nobility of “being disciplined” and “working long hours” on my keyboard aren’t that impressive. I’ve been extremely blessed with the time, talent, and opportunity to do what I do, and I’m trying not to waste it.
As far as I can tell, the hero’s journey never gets old. What seems to be always be valuable is the ability to reiterate that journey in the most resonant way possible, in a way that lifts the newest generations’ minds and hearts.
And that’s why a writer needs to employ the sword of brutal honesty—to slice away useless preconceptions and reveal timeless truths for those who live today, and not the dust-clad statues that tradition-bound zealots can’t stop evangelizing.
Dirty Sci-Fi Buddha 