That which falls

Things that flow, persist

That which stands, falls

- Bassavanna

In accordance with energy and matter, it is a constant flow, a constant change, reformation of that which is, that which it will become, and that which changes it all. If energy were to stop flowing, what would become of the world? Things would stand still, stop growing, stop moving, as if the world were plunged into absolute zero.

This can be applied to things about life and well-being. To think in one way, to approach a subject (whether it be a problem or any situation) will more times than not, lead to failure. Instead, to find different solutions to a problem, more than one route to your destination, there is a much higher chance of succeeding in over-coming that situation.

And after that situation has been over-come, what next? Do not dwell on that which is in the past for two long, for then you too will be standing still. Learn the lesson from that which you have over-come and keep moving. Go over to whatever is next, learn something new, and keep moving.

Do not let past prejudices weigh down your future. I am not always right, nor is the person next to me, nor are you. There is an infinite amount of knowledge to learn from other people, even the person next to you in the coffee shop. Don't let his/her blank stare discourage you from meeting a potentially creative, inventive and new mind that might assist you.

My point is this: keep moving. Move onto whatever is next. Do not dwell too long on what you might do in the future, because in a split second it might all change anyways. Do not dwell too long in the past either because whether its achievements or failures you dwell on, the future might be different. Simply exist in the present, and let the energy flow. Let it bring you where you truly want to go, not where someone might be channeling you to go. That which stands, falls.

Reality is infinitely better than nothing.

Reality is infinitely better than nothing.

An infinite amount of nothing is constantly creating reality.

Reality being divided by infinity creates nothing.

Putting nothing above or below reality creates infinity. 

Is there only this reality? Do we know of other realities? Am I me, who is him, who is you, who is I? 

Am I you, yet not you, and in what reality?

To speak about that infinity is to speak of the basis of all substance and change; energy and matter. I will speak now on the level of humans as individuals, and the separate, yet so wholly joined realities that we all experience. As Homo Sapiens, we have no idea what it is to be a rock. Or a dog, or a cat. Through science we can come to conclusions about how different organisms experience the world around them, but to be inside that consciousness, to experience with all the emotion (or lack there of) that that organism is witnessing, we cannot do. 

And even just in the realm of humans. Many people end up growing in the same place for most of their lives, constantly forging new bonds with others, and strengthening existing bonds further. However, for the person that has only moved around one country, they know not what it is like to experience the life of someone on another continent. And this should not be looked at in the sense of one life is ignorant or unaware of the other life. We can read in many different places, or ask many different people, what it is like to live and experience reality there. Bottom line is that I can read as much as I want about the Iraqi people and how they are living right now. Some media says they are in horrible conditions and they hate all Americans. Some say quite the opposite. We will never know which one is true without experiencing it with our own eyes, our own realities. 

Chances are both are probably true, but in the end without seeing it yourself, we will never know. In a world of exaggerated stories, controversial views, a million different opinions and facts (sometimes used synonymously) and many different truths, how can we decipher which is which? How can we wholly decide that we are correct based on our views?

We can't. In the end, to each his own. You should believe what you really want to believe, whatever you believe is true. Many people might put you down, and disagree. But let them be to their own reality. We are all experiencing the same thing; that which is life; but it is our opinions that truly make us human. Our differential views are what fuel the change, what produce the energy of this world. So please, believe in pink dragons, believe in global warming, believe in yourself. Whatever you choose, just make it the best you can for your life and for the life of your offspring. As we grow older and closer to death, we must pass the baton so that our children can run strong.

Let's not tie their shoelaces together before the race.

People

What are people? Humans? Sentient beings? Animals? Traditionally, people has meant exclusively humans, largely because of our ignorance of any other intelligent life. Discovery of such life would require a revision in our definition of people. Which brings me to my main point.

Whatever people are, all humans are certainly people. But they are not all always treated like people. The poor, the homeless, the minority, the refugee, the immigrant, the diseased, etc. are all classes of people that have been historically treated as somehow below people, as though they belonged to a sub-class species that are somehow distinct from humanity. But black/white, Chinese/Canadian, poor/rich, native/immigrant, we are all humans, and we are all people. Its time we were all treated as such.

You can bet that if and when we ever do discover another sentient race, the tables will turn. Instead of petty human squabbles over very arbitrary distinctions we make between each other, we would band together as a species and have petty squabbles with the new race we encountered. This is not in any sense admirable, but is at least progress. What I propose is that we recognize, without the crutch of a new species, that we are all people, all humans, and that the distinctions between us are really quite slight. We have different jobs, different histories, and different lifestyles, but at the end of the day, we all just want to live a good life for ourselves and the people we love. What causes conflict is hubris, hatred, fear, and so-called "realist" judgments made based on the existence of these evils. If we all realize that we all just want to be allowed to live and pursue our happiness, we could stop racism, intolerance, war and violence by just allowing each other to live.

Remember that the purpose of our life is to create more, better life. Violence does not help us accomplish this, but rather hinders it. There are times when violence may be necessary to defend against aggression, but it is a temporary solution. The cause of the aggression remains, even if the particular act has been halted. Rather than seeking violent means to our ends, which separate us from each other, creating an "us vs. them" mentality, we should realize that we all are included in "us;" "them" is an arbitrary distinction, and an unnecessary one at that. If we stripped it from our world, and united as one "us," with one common goal of "live and let live," we could all pursue our own happiness, and we could advance our species into something truly great.

Love thy enemy, and he shall no longer be an enemy, but a misguided friend.

Life

What is life? More specifically, what is the meaning of life? What is its purpose? Life is merely a particular form that consciousness takes, a particular interaction of matter and energy. Life ranges from the simple one-celled organisms to humanity, thus far the most complex form of life we are aware of. The complexity comes from evolution, which is the incremental refinement and advancement of something over time. Life has evolved from the simple to the complex, the nature of all things is to progress from the simple to the complex, and life is just one of many systems of energy-matter interactions. Given this understanding of life, what is its meaning, what is its purpose?

Consider that energy and matter interactions underlie all that is, and that everything, all consciousness, is a result of these interactions. These consciousnesses evolve over time from the simple to the complex. Evolution, then, is not merely a description of what takes place, but also the purpose of it. From the beginning, when all interactions of matter and energy resulted in one consciousness, to this point in time, that which happens, the evolution of reality has spawned more and more consciousnesses, at an exponential rate. After a period of roughly 10 billion years, life on Earth originated, in its simplest form. Over the next 3.7 billion years, it has evolved into humanity. Whether or not we are alone in our sentient, living consciousness in the universe, we are the most complex interaction of energy and matter we have yet observed. When you consider the preconditions necessary for the development of any life on Earth, and the evolution that has occurred from the one-celled organisms to humanity, we are very complex creatures. We have the ability to manipulate energy and matter interactions to our benefit, as seen through our technology. But what is our purpose?

Our purpose, the purpose of life, is life. The purpose of all things is to contribute to the cosmic interaction of energy and matter to create more and better consciousness. As humans, our purpose is to create more and better humans, which means our purpose is to evolve the species. Evolution does not occur through artificial selection, that is, arbitrary selection, but through natural selection. Those organisms which are most adaptable survive and proliferate. Those which are not, die. It is not a calculated effort on the part of the self-proclaimed superior to eradicate the inferior, but to evolve them. Life does not win by competition, it ultimately loses. This is true of humanity. Competition among people only hinders our advancement. We should seek not to force the world to conform to our image, but allow the world to evolve our image.

That which is above, the macrocosm, is that which is below, the microcosm. This means that every level of reality is the same, on a different scale. All reality is the interaction of energy and matter. As a species, the purpose of life is life; humans exist to proliferate and evolve the species. As individuals, the purpose of life is life. Each person must find their own purpose in life, but whatever that purpose is, it will benefit life. Everyone should be content to lead a good life, be kind and generous to others, embrace the world with love and hope, not hatred and fear.

Be the change you seek, and your world will change accordingly.

Their waste, their poison, our life.

Around 2.7 billion years ago, 90% of life on earth died. The cause? Climate change. And to think, if this change didn't happen... well I wouldn't be here writing this, thats for sure. Either way, around 2.5 - 3 billion years ago, that little sucker to the right was introduced to the earth. Oxygen, our very essence, almost destroyed the earth.

I want to just touch on the depth of 90%. Numbers on a page don't say much, nor do they say much for a time period long, long before us. But lets think of life as we know it on earth. 6.6 Billion people, billions upon billions of more species of flora and fauna. That includes vast regions of unchartered forests around the world (both tropical and deciduous), plus everything underneath the oceans which we know nothing about.

So should we have an "oxygen revolution" of our own, what would happen? What would happen if 90% of life actually died? I'm going to be a little conceited in this example and ask, what if 90% of human population died? Well lets just say half of the people in India would survive. The rest of the world? Gone. Kaput. Sayonara.

Before the Great Oxidation, cells and organisms relied on surrounding cells and chemicals for energy. When the food around the world begun to get scarce, cells started using the sun as a source of power. And that change, that adaptation, set the foundations for life as we know it. And what a concept that is. Death, as an act of creation.

When organisms first began with oxygen, for the most part it was a waste product. And it still is. What cells really want is the carbon dioxide, which through sunlight and photosynthesis, produces oxygen. This basically gave the organisms an unlimited amount of energy. Energy was starting to mix and evolve in better ways with substance.

And now, billions of years later, a better interaction occurred. On the time line of the earth, humans are a blip on the radar screen. Yet, we seem to be the most harmonious with the earth. I know it doesn't make sense, especially when we see all the destruction, damage, and problems that we create for ourselves as well as the earth. But thanks to 90% of the earth dying, we are able to live... and in great numbers.

Plants take in Carbon Dioxide, and as a waste product, produce Oxygen. We take in Oxygen and as a waste product, produce Carbon Dioxide. What could be more simplistic yet ingenious? This harmonious mix of energy and matter has been a major role to why we are so successful as a species. We all want humans to prosper, but embrace the changes of the world, whatever they might be. This post isn't so much for the evolution of the earth and oxygen, but on a more basic level. The continuous growing interaction of matter and energy. Constantly changing, constantly moving, it creates, destroys, changes, and all over again. And it has no end in mind for whatever it might create. It has no mind to have an end in mind. It has simply been, and will continue to be, forever. Infinitely changing, for infinity.

Substance and Change

Our lives are a continual process of substance and change; being and becoming. We move constantly from a state of being; that which is, to a state of becoming; that which causes to be.

We are conceived, we are born, we grow up, we get careers, we have a family, we die. Each is a continuous process of substance and change. Our substance is that which we are; our change is that which we will be.

This process can no more be avoided than aging; indeed, aging is but one example of this process at work. What can be avoided is the pain that often accompanies this process. Too often, we grow attached to that which is, and fight the change. Those too attached to their youth and beauty will find them disappearing, until they are old and haggard. Those who grow too attached to their wealth will find everyone is out to get it from them. Those who grow to attached to their life, whatever that life is, will find it slipping away.

Watching Jacob's Ladder, I encountered this quote which is an excellent representation of my meaning:

"If you're frightened of dying, and... and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth."

This applies not only to death, but to all things. When you fear the change, the becoming, that which causes to be, then the change will be painful. If that change is part of your life, and not its death, then you will live Hell on earth.

"The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of life, your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you. They're freeing your soul."

What is death, anyway, but a radical change? Are our lives really mortal? Can we live in this world forever? Why not? Is it possible? I submit that yes, it is possible. Is it something anyone can do? I submit that yes, it is. Is it something everyone should do? Consider this, from The Fountain:

"He said that if they dug his father's body up, it would be gone. They planted a seed over his grave. The seed became a tree. Moses said his father became a part of that tree. He grew into the wood, into the bloom. And when a sparrow ate the tree's fruit, his father flew with the birds. He said... death was his father's road to awe. That's what he called it. The road to awe."

Why do we die? Not because we must, but because we should. Death is the road to awe. To reject death is to reject radical change. Death is nothing more than radical change, departure from the world we know into one we do not. People fear change within our world, they fear change of jobs, change of friends, change of love interests, change of routine. These are all familiar things, even when we make major changes within our life, they are changes from things we know well to things we know less well. Death is a change from what we know something about to that which we know nothing about. Change is the road to awe. And at the end of the road? Well, watch The Fountain and decide for yourself. I submit that it is eternal life.

Balance

I would like to touch on the subject of balance. Throughout our lives, this concept of balance has come up. Balance is always a recurrent issue . How much of each ingredient makes the perfect soup? At what volume should each instrument be to produce a harmonious collection of sounds that is pleasing to the ear? Balance is at the heart of everything we do. Proper balance furthers our goals, while excess and deficiency hinder them.

In our daily lives we strive to find the right balance between opposing forces: work and home, school and play, self control and indulgence, etc. We find, however, that many people don't always balance, and an aspect of the whole is being used in excess.

For anyone that has been to college or read an article about a college, a common topic of issue is binge drinking. Students are a perfect example of people that both do and use many things to excess, but also know more about balance than they are usually given credit for.

Many college students find a pitfall in balancing studying and socializing. Whether that pitfall leads to arrest, failing out of college, or death, the problem is usually a lack of balance. But most college students graduate, get a job, and get on with their life. Even after all the horror stories of deaths from binge drinking, failing out of college, and going to jail, they didn't fail out of their classes, they still have their friends and family, and got what needed to be, done.

College students, 18-24, are fresh out of high school, ready for something new, and the most prone to immaturity and excess. So how can this group of rambunctious, binge drinking, bar hopping young adults balance school, work and play successfully? People in this age group are in their prime physically. Their bodies can take the biggest beatings, can take the most mistakes, and recover to lead healthy, productive lives. Their substance is at its most durable and resilient, and they are full of energy; ready to take life by the reins and conquer all obstacles.

Here is the important part that we often forget about: it is that when college students aren't out at the frat parties at night, they aren't drinking more at their dorms. They are taking care of work. Doing their papers, making power-points, writing speeches. Many are involved with activities on campus, sports teams, or bands. Many also have part-time jobs or internships. That's a lot of work. And with all that energy spent on laying the groundwork (substance) for the future, they must balance it with energy spent on groundwork for the present; fun and play.

I agree, binge drinking is not healthy at all. But lets not bog them down with restrictions and judgments that will frustrate them more, and foster more rebellion. Instead, we should be encouraging them to pursue what they love; major in things that they truly love, not where the money is. They have the energy and thus the power to help everyone. They are the change. We should embrace the change they can bring to us and encourage them to change the world for the better, rather than allowing our fear of change to cause it to be worse.

This is my ode to you, college students. I read a quote today in a Hindu Myths book.

"Visvakarman said, ' Your form is hard to bear,

for it has excessive energy.'"

We cannot understand how or why college students act the way they do today (even for those of us that went to college). And adopting that lifestyle of balance later in life is hard, if not impossible. But they are here to try and help us, not bring the rest of us down. They want to be the change in the world as much as we want to change the world.

Fearing change causes the change to be painful. By embracing change, we will make that change better. The world is constantly changing, and we have to live for it. When we go on, do we really want to leave it in bad shape for our children? I love my children. The next generation, the college students, are here to help. They are the change. Embrace them.