A CLINCH IS A FLINCH

                                       A CLINCH IS A FLINCH

     Some boxing matches are just plain tedious to watch, even for, or might I say especially for, a boxing fanatic.  Now granted, not everybody understands the artistry of the sport of boxing.  Nor does everybody appreciate the rich history that emblazons the “sweet science”, or gives a damn about the enigmatic personalities of the athletes.  And for those poor deprived souls (I hope you know who you are), all boxing is tedious to watch.  If you are one of these poor deprived souls, you might as well spare yourself further angst here and click on “next blog”.  For you true boxing aficionados, however, I am rallying you forth to share in my outrage!  The Clincher must GO!  Get thee behind me Clincher, and take your beating like a MAN!
     In the boxing arena there are several reasons why a fighter might resort to clinching, and all of them boil down to a fundamental lack of skill and/or proper conditioning.  Now let us make no mistake about it.  The fact is that some boxers view clinching as a strategy and a skill in itself, and they therefore take pains to practice tying up their opponents.  Some argue that clinching is an effective offensive strategy that can be used to wear down an opponent.  More times than not, however, clinching occurs when a fighter is in deep trouble and is looking to survive the round by mitigating the effect of his opponent’s onslaught of blows.  Now, I have already asserted my view that the continuous use of the “technique” makes for a vulgar and monotonous fight not only for onlookers, but also for the boxer who is trying to utilize legitimate boxing skills.  But putting my personal aesthetic preferences aside, the question really comes down to “Does the clinching “technique” work? Does it produce the desired result?”  In response, I say with teeth clenched, “Yes, Barbarian Clinch-Master Ruffians, your savage survivalist tactics can be gainfully employed…in a clinch.”  BUT, that having been said, there are much BETTER ALTERNATIVES to this roughhouse, amateurish (uh, the word is not used here in a ceremonious manner!) ploy, and they all, in essence, require superior conditioning and skill levels (which go hand in hand).  Now, obviously it is well beyond the scope of my current tirade to delve into various conditioning philosophies and regimens (for that, I would advise checking out www.rossboxing.com), but let me say that a good boxer should solder into his mental template that the best defense is a good offense!  That said, one needs to associate good offense with hand and foot speed and high-punch output!  This has absolutely nothing to do with clinching.  In short, a competitive boxer should concentrate his energies and efforts into developing the ability to punch nonstop from various angles.  It is this mindset and the resultant capacity to execute that will ultimately prevent a frustratingly ugly fight.  Briefly, let us consider the case of a shorter, stout boxer who is attempting to bridge the gap between himself and a taller, rangier opponent.  The stout boxer finds that the long-reach boxer is constantly attempting to clinch whenever he (the stout boxer) successfully steps inside or traps him (the rangy boxer) against the ropes.  What should the stout boxer do?  Take heart and seize the momentum!  Rest assured that if the tall boxer is constantly trying to clinch, then he is not using his height to his optimal advantage.  The tall boxer, if he is well-schooled and properly conditioned, should never want to be on the inside; rather, he should be looking to maximize his leverage and punching power from a distance.  If he is not accomplishing this, then it can be asserted that the stout boxer is successfully closing the gap and minimizing the would-be reach advantage.  The best way to avoid the clinch on the inside is to throw a barrage of relentless punches.  The stout boxer must throw fast, powerful combinations to the ribs, heart, liver, head, shoulders, and arms—wherever he can legally land them—and punish the rangy opponent.  If the opponent still manages to warily hug and dance, the aggressor needs to resolve to “punch out of the clinch” and remain pit bullish in his purpose.  He should not allow the Clincher any time to recover whatsoever.  All of this requires that the boxer be in peak condition, and of course, many will argue that this is all easier said than done.  Well, that rebuttal is true enough, but it does not negate the truth of what I have just said one iota.  A boxer’s craft is to throw punches.  The good boxer will be able to throw an abundance of punches each and every round and will thereby put himself in the position to dictate the pace of the fight and maintain ring generalship.
     Now, what should the taller, rangier opponent do to prevent a clinch-happy stout boxer (which, form my experience, tends to be a more common scenario) from rousing my ire and making for a boring pugilistic experience?  Well, he should maintain his reach advantage with the jab, jab, jab!  Good fundamentals will go a long way if a boxer has height and reach on his side (hell, it’s not called a reach advantage for nothing!).  Left-right combinations are great (the good old “one-two”), and so is the left jab-right uppercut combination (assuming orthodox position--if the fighter is a southpaw, then I am referring of course to the right jab-left uppercut combo.) for those times when the opponent comes rushing forth under the jab.  The uppercut is particularly effective because the opponent often lunges, coming right into the full force of the punch as he strives to diminish the distance.  It goes without saying that timing is everything here, and once again, that returns us to the recurring theme of practice, practice, practice.  As Bruce Lee may have said “To fight clinch-free, one must THINK clinch-free”.
     In closing, the advice I have rendered is necessarily general in nature, but come on—this is a rant session after all!  All venting aside, however, I can virtually guarantee that if a boxer trains with an overarching mantra of “I will not clinch.  I will not allow a clinch.”, that boxer will be a much more formidable force in the ring than if he had spent hours of his training time practicing the “art of clinching” (HO-FREAKIN-HUM).  So Clinchers, move on to grappling!  Boxers, let your hands FLY!

WHEN HISTORIES COLLIDE

WHEN HISTORIES COLLIDE WITH MY RACING MIND:
         Fluid Thoughts on the Relationships among Parallel Lives, Expression, and REALIZATION.

     Brother, bestill my racing mind!  On a level above logic, I have just experienced a brief moment of insight that was startlingly poignant—totally transcending intellectual understanding.  These are the “glimpses” that occur from “time to time” that are, once again, well beyond verbal description and intellectualism.  The best I can do to express the phenomenon is to say that, as I was reading Richard Bach’s Running from Safety, I saw you as an alternate me, and I “imagined” everything occurring as if in a drama on a screen.  The entire drama is centered on the notion of parallel lives and the ongoing quest for self-knowledge—the transcendence of the barriers of time and space with the power of ideas.  Of course this is inexplicably difficult to convey via words, but my hope is that you will grasp some thread of my basic experience.  Brother, we appear different in marked ways, of which you are well aware.  And yet, as is the case with all of humanity, we share a common aim.  The point here is, if indeed I can express it at all, that the apparent “you” is apparently living a responsible traditional “Westernized” lifestyle (for example, you have a wife who is expecting a child, you have a family-run business, you care for your elderly and disabled father, etc.), and yet you are seeking a path “back to your roots” as an Indian spiritualist.  On the other hand, those around you all appear to be directing you towards material pursuits and egotism.  Here, apparently across the world, in a country that appears to be the all mighty “land of opportunity”,  I am in a similar situation with the exception that I have abandoned my “responsibilities” (as is commonly believed), and I desire to live the “simple” life of an “Indian seeker”.  These two lives do indeed appear to be distinct in important respects—that is, in regards to their defining memories and histories—but they have met and merged via the pipeline of the internet across time and space.  It’s very esoteric VB.  And believe me, I am extremely aware of how many people depict me, but I honestly feel as though I have ancient Indian blood coursing through my veins.  I yearn to live out in the wilderness and “become one with nature”…living off the land and developing the acuity of my senses.  It is like I “have been there before”.  And VB, it is like YOU are a “contemporary model” of that Indian past with which I relate.  YOU are like a representation of what I was, mingled with the modern Westernized version of the person I could have been.  Hence, I feel as though I am corresponding with an aspect of myself, which is being expressed and experienced as YOU.  And so it is with ALL things…all transaction, all communication is the ONE which continually expresses itself as “me”, and as “you”… and each of us possesses the power of the “whole” within, thereby express that ONE by yearning to express it… the expression, creativity, the purpose all ties in the effort!  BUT, when we REALIZE this, the EFFORT CEASES, and ALL IS ONE.  Thus, ULTIMATE expression and creativity is effortless.  
     Brother, I must bring this to a head, for ideas run and change infinitely faster than does the pen or keystroke.  Not to mention, that ideas emerge, expand, and explode much faster than I can attach words to them.  But before signing off, I feel compelled to reiterate that things are not as they seem and that, metaphorically speaking, for every “certain” grain of sand, there lies a desert of uncertainty just waiting to present itself.  Nevertheless, we must continue to seek in earnest, by all means possible, through trial-and-error-- lest we fall into an abyss of boredom and subsequent misery…which may just be the equivalent of the “fiery pits of hell”.  Journey forth my friend.  Every idea paves the way to new and exciting frontiers--to different places, times, acquaintances, and dramas.  Infinite expansion and expression—that is your inevitable essence, power, and responsibility.  Imagine, if you will, each and every cell of your body possessing a brain of its own….for what is the brain but the physical manifestation of the abstract idea of “mind”?  THAT VB is complexity!  The mission:  SIMPLIFY!  We have a long way to go in order to discover that we have never left…Namaste.

I AM I BUT WHO AM I?

                              I AM I:  BUT WHO AM I?

     So you want to know a little something about me do you?  Well, since you’ve courteously granted me the stage, I will do my best not to bore you—although I make no guarantees.  I guess the best way to approach this is in a rather impromptu off-the-cuff manner.  In other words, I’m just going to jazz it up.  No, no—I don’t mean jazz up the “story” in terms of it’s sincerity and “truth”.  I mean jazz it up in the sense that I am simply going to type what comes to my mind without regard to my compulsion to find the “perfect” word or phrase of expression.  So for all you English aficionados and grammar police out there (bless you all), please bear with me and humor me.  I mean no disrespect to the beauty of language and the art of word construction and expression.  Now, that having been rambled, Who am I?  Maybe I should begin with “Who was I?”, or more properly (still can’t quite shed the grammarian in me!), “Who have I been?” (Note the use of the imperfect as opposed to the simple past—alas!  There I go again!)  Well, who I have been is similar in many respects to who I am today—with some experiential threads stitched within my fabric.  I have always been a hobbyist with many interests; I have always been able to find challenges and interests in relatively “simple” things.  The degree of intensity with which I have pursued various hobbies and interests has waxed and waned however.  Now, this is not so much that I ever “lost interest in” a particular hobby or specific discipline, as it is that I have always managed to gain interest in another while exploring the “former”.  In other words, my interests have always bled one into another. (A rather macabre image perhaps?)  It is as if the interest and pursuit of one discipline propels me to another; it is not the specific hobby to which I become addicted.  Rather, it is the discipline itself and the acquisition of knowledge—the expansion of the mind.  All right, so what?  What have been, and what are my current interests?  Well, geez, they are many and variegated, and let me assure you that I am master of none…although, if I do say so myself, I’m not completely illiterate in any either (shameless pat on back).  Here goes, in no particular order (a euphemistic way of saying “haphazardly”):  rock collecting, reading, writing, plants, dogs, sports of all sorts:  waffle ball, basketball, Frisbee golf, air hockey, football, skateboarding, martial arts, boxing, running, Buddhism and other religions, language, Greek, Latin, French, literature, biology, psychology, philosophy, music (jazz, classical, rock, fusion, others), guitar, chess, bodybuilding, footbag….Oh, this is impossible.  As you can tell, I am listing both particulars and the general categories in which they lie, and therein lies much of my problem.  I simply enjoy and appreciate too many different things and do not like to “commit” myself to any single particular focus.  Why?  Because all of these things just seem to relate to one another naturally—in my unnatural mind that is!  Many have labeled me a Rennaisssance Man…which I guess is a polite way of calling me a neanderthal?  Well, if so, at least I am grateful that they have shown the respect to be civil with their labels…or libels as the case may be.  So what to do with this?  Well, if I knew, I probably wouldn’t be here pecking away right now.  I guess my “dream job” would be to exist as a professional—or rather as an amateur (for I am a “lover” of the game!) student, teacher, or Tibetan monk…but funds are scarce! And thus are my possibilities!  Gad!  I can downsize no more!  I love to learn, and I love to teach, and my ambition is to make a significant contribution to society.  In short, I want to self-actualize and to help others do the same during the process (as self-actualization is a journey that entails helping others to reach their potential contentment).  Right now I desire to earn money simply to keep my head above water and to be able to give something in return to a greater good.  I am including some further information about myself in the form of an abridged resume.  I also am working on a book that contains further information about myself.  Various excerpts can be found at http://hometown.aol.com/spikereinhard/myhomepage/writing.html.  I hope that others will follow suit and bask in the spotlight for a while, as I am very interested in seeing what we all have in common.  I am sure that there are many things.  On that, I will exit stage left…and I will not even make an effort to edit this at this time!  (Although I will probably make modifications in the future—for the sake of my personal and fragile (in)sanity!)  Peace to you all gentlemen.

Sincerely

Todd F. Reinhard

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PRELUDE TO ME

                                       PRELUDE TO ME

     So strange indeed, and irritating, yes, that I feel compelled to put every word I write in quotation marks—as if to indicate that I am AWARE of the various “shades of meaning” that each can take on, as if to indicate that my current perspective is only one of infinite possibilities.  Why do I feel so compelled to do so?  The answer, my friend, lies in my fear of being misunderstood, of being perceived a hypocrite, and of prompting confusion or frustration on the part of my listener.  I vie to stress that I can and do relate to all human emotion—that is I do certainly know pain, pleasure, frustration, animosity, yearning, disdain, power, and weakness.  But I also experience a strong sense of unity with all of humanity, all of the universe.  I see myself as a player on a grand stage, a spiritual entity having a human experience. I am free to consider and to explore the meaning of reality from as many perspectives as I can imagine.  I am free to form my own opinions, and I am free to change them.  I am also free to momentarily disregard the incredibly complex philosophical question “What does it truly mean to be “free”?  How can one be “free” while shackled in responsibility?  And yet how can one be “free” without the responsibility of seeking?  HA!  I’ve got it!  By LAUGHING OUT LOUD!—at the questions we formulate, at the conclusions we draw!  My thoughts are ridiculous—laughable.  My actions are ridiculous—laughable.  My very words are ridiculous—laughable.  But I must check myself, for I digress from my original purpose—and that is to inform you once again that my words are always “tongue and cheek”, and they therefore reflect only those dimensions of consciousness which function at a “human level”.  I urge that at all times, in order to elevate the level of communication, that you carefully consider the changing contexts in which I speak.  If I should say things on occasion that appear to contradict or go against the grain of things I have said in the past, I implore that you immediately seek to reconcile the conflict by carefully assaying the precise circumstances under which I attempt to convey my message.  For this I will be ever grateful.  I believe it was Heraclitus who said that no man stands in the same river twice. (He is also famous for the epigrams “war is peace” and “winter is summer”.)  I now say that no thought issues from the same man twice…for man changes as thought changes…and therein lies the problem with all attempts of using language as a conveyor of ultimate “truth”…we can at best approximate and estimate.  But even our most beautiful and artful approximations are infinitely misguided and woefully inept.  Nonetheless, our efforts must not be deterred.  Continue to flow mon frere…freely and knowingly.  Namaste.

THE GIFT OF A YEAR

     
                             THE GIFT OF A YEAR


     Well a lot has been said about the elasticity of time. That is for sure.  Recently I was forced to bear witness to yet another birthday…my own.  Now, I am not one who harries ceaselessly over age and the limitations that come along with it—for indeed, age is attitude as far as I am concerned--but I’ve always figured that I had fair recollection of the years I’ve tallied on this earthly sally.  Until now.  For ages--please note that I use the term as a convenience only, since I’m not sure just how long this has in fact been going on—I have been telling people, with what I believed to be the most earnest sincerity, that I was going to be turning 38 this year.  On November 22—precisely 4 days ago—I awoke at my usual time, around 5 AM, and began my diurnal affairs:  urinate, brush teeth, rinse out bowl that contains the residue of last night’s bedtime oatmeal, heat water for tea, saddle up with weighted vest, don appropriate garb for taking my dog on his long morning walk. (Virgil would be crushed if I neglected his morning romp.)  There are other mundane details to my morning routine—but I shan’t inundate you with triviality and inept digression.  So anyway, upon returning home—it is now about 6:45 in real time, which means that my microwave clock and wristwatch read 7:45, and my alarm clock (whose alarm only and always sounds at precisely 2:00 PM by its own time) reads 7:05—I awake to the fact that it is my birthday, and that I am now officially 38 years old--or so I was thinking.  I chuckle, entertain some breezy, fleeting thought about the ironies of life and the passage of time, and proceed with my usual post-dog-walk routine:  urinate, wash hands, turn on John Updike’s audiobook Seek My Face, wash bowl of oatmeal residue, prepare breakfast medley of oatmeal, mixed veggies (carrots, green beans, peas, lima beans, corn—But wait a minute.  Is corn a vegetable or a grain?  Oh well, it doesn’t matter…), buckwheat, flaxseed, pumpkin, raisins, cocoa, cinnamon, whey protein, almonds, milk (a breakfast of champions, no?)—but wait, here I go again with my tangents on minutiae.  Now let’s see.  Where was I?  Oh yes—so here I am, a full grown 38-year-old adult, a year wiser, a year poorer (there’s the return of that breezy thought on the ironies of life I was referring to earlier) than I was as a full grown 37-year-old adult--or so I thought.  I dallied for the next couple of hours (note that I am purposely restraining myself from providing the details of what I was doing over those two hours-- not from lapse of memory mind you, but for want of courtesy, efficiency, and pertinence of material) while I waited for my breakfast to cool.  I was sitting at my desk editing a research paper, oatmeal to the left of me, paper and pen to the right, when my Mom called.  (She calls on my birthday, regularly—just like clockwork, one might say.)  It was 10:00 AM (even though my microwave and watch read 11:00, and my alarm clock read 10:20, my computer clock accurately showed it to be 10:00 AM.  I believe it expedient to have one accurate timepiece in every household, and I have faith that my computer will do its job just as the devil will do hers:  I say “hers” to avoid confrontation with devout feminists), and she proceeds to sing to me, in an abrasively nettling voice, “Happy Birthday”.  But for some reason she intoned a truncated version of the timeless classic—a version which did not include the lingering reverberating final phrase “and many MOOOORE….  (“How strange”, I thought.)  So I thank her, and we begin our conversational sparring, both determined to be cordial:  I make every attempt to tolerate what in my opinion is a shallow, materialistic, irresponsible, and generally morose view of the world; she makes every attempt to tolerate what she perceives to be my dream-filled, lofty, self-absorption.  But that’s neither here nor there—we’ve always driven each other crazy.  Further on in the conversation, as I am elaborating on something about my 38 years of life, Mom rudely interjects with a near maniacal “Todd, you’re 37!”  The she asks herself, “How did I lose a whole year?  How could I have lost a whole year…?”  Blah, blah, blah, blah.  Perturbed, I try to get back to the point I was making—which I have since forgotten—but there is no disrupting this onslaught of neuroticism from my Mom.  She insists that I simply must be 37—not 38.  She has done the arithmetic, and her best friend Dona has confirmed it.  Well, off-handedly I’ve often jested that mathematicians know nothing about arithmetic, but the truth is, I’m not too bad with working with figures in my head.  (Maybe that implies I’m not a mathematician?)  Now it dawns on me—suddenly and shockingly—that Mom is correct:  2004-1967 = 37!!  Good God!  In that flash of an instant I gained an entire year!  Or, perhaps more appropriately, I lost an entire year!  What a gift!  I guess…. (Chuckle, brain scratch.)  Is it dementia?  Ha!  Wouldn’t that be a lark?  The dementia-stricken mind perceives age as a backwards progression!  Hell, at this rate, I figure (correctly, I hope) I should be mentally prepped for rebirth in the year 2041!  But maybe this “realization” per se betokens rebirth?  Hmmm. (Chuckle, brain scratch.)  Sure, I’ve always played these little games where I set my clocks forward so that I might have a kind of  psychological “time cushion” as it were—but I’ve never purposely done that with a calendar!  Well anyway, I really wanted to blog this little episode.  (After all, I may need the documentation as proof to myself next year that I’m really 38!)  Maybe one day I’ll manage to fit this into the context of my TRAINING PERSPECTIVE.  Hell, maybe this is precisely the stage at which my TRAINING PERSPECTIVE has evolved.  In the end—a phrase I use loosely here—I guess only time will tell.  That little snitch!      

SPIRIT OF THE FUTURE

                    SPIRIT OF THE FUTURE:  Attitude is Everything

     When I consider the future of spirituality, many ideas and possibilities materialize.  Some of these ideas are surprising to me at first, but as I reflect more deeply, the more faith I have in their validity.  In spite of the fact that many people, including Howard Clinebell, author of Anchoring Your Well Being, believe that our world is in the midst of a spiritual crisis, I am of a somewhat different opinion.  In fact, I really don’t believe that a “true” spiritual crisis can exist. Why? Well, it seems to me that all events can be perceived in a variety of ways, ranging from a very bleak and negative perspective to a very rosy and positive perspective.  That’s right. I am emphasizing the word perspective very intentionally.  To say or to believe that a spiritual crisis exists reflects a very negative point of view.  Now notice that I am not claiming that this is an incorrect point of view.  I am simply observing that it is a negative point of view.  (It is important to respect and incorporate as many viewpoints as possible before drawing a personal conclusion about an issue.)  This point of view may have emerged from considerations of international conflict, poor physical health, social dilemmas, or a variety of sources—but regardless; it emerged from a state of mind.  From my current standpoint, I believe that in some inexplicable way, we not only perceive our environments, but we also create them.  I will have more to say on this, but for now allow me to backtrack briefly and further explain why I have emphasized the word perspective.  Consider if you will an event such as a forest fire.  A forest fire can at first glance yield nothing but negative results—trees, homes, various forms of wildlife are devastated in its wake.  However, that forest fire, despite its power, energy, and influence, has definitely not terminated the universe—where the term “universe” is defined as all matter, time, and energy.  The universe is a continuous state of creation and destruction.  Although energy may be changed in form, it cannot be created or destroyed.  Thus, while the forest might be devoured by the fire’s energy at one level (or dimension)—that is, at one perspective--the process of reconstruction at some other level, or perspective, is underway at all times.  It follows then that any asserted “crisis”, as well as any other event or experience, is a matter of perspective…attitude, if you will.  If this is indeed the case, then it is reasonable to conclude that any assumed “crisis” can also be an assumed challenge, which can also be an assumed blessing.  At the risk of sounding cliché, I boldly quote, “Behind every cloud lies a silver lining”.  I believe this argument encapsulates the essence of spirit and wellness. Furthermore, I believe that as human beings continue their long strides in science and technology, this rendition of spirituality will increasingly burgeon.
     With all that having been said, one might rightfully ask, “Well, so what?  What are the meaningful implications of this rationale as it pertains to ones wellbeing?”  Well, it seems to me that this way of thinking bestows upon each one of us a significant amount of power.  It in effect implies that we each possess the power and energy of the universe within ourselves—within each of our cells, within each of our atoms, within each of our subatomic units.  So, if the universe--if all the power of God is within us as well as outside us—then we are truly one with God (that is, the universe itself—all matter, time, energy)!  In a loose manner of speaking, we are God.  As such, we are creators as well as perceivers!  As prime movers and creators, we have the inherent ability to choose, to control our destinies—our physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing.  We have at our disposal the power to transcend and to see beyond, to envision a larger context, to reconcile apparent contradictions, and to—paradoxically—recognize limitations despite it all!  This concept of “limitation” is just as important as the concept of “no limitation”.  In fact, all opposites—principles of push and pull, attraction and repulsion—are essential to balance and wellness…and to reality itself.  Ideas themselves cannot exist without the acceptance of opposing forces.  Without the forces of gravity, electromagnetism, strong and weak nuclear force, we have no energy…no light, no heat, no language, no meaning, no motion.  Is this possible?  It seems as though my reflection has brought me to a conundrum—a limitation.  It’s all good though, because I am smiling as I see (and create) the light!  Wellness is dependent upon nonwellness!  Grin, chuckle!  Attitude is indeed EVERYTHING!!

               The path of life seems to be mostly difficulties, things
that give trouble. Yet the longer we practice, the more we
begin to understand that those sharp rocks on the road are
in fact like precious jewels; they help us to prepare the
proper condition for our lives. The rocks are different
for each person. One person might desperately need more
time alone; another might desperately need more time with
other people. The sharp rock might be working with a nasty
person or living with somebody who is hard to get along
with. The sharp rocks might be your children, your
parents, anyone. Not feeling well could be your sharp
rock. Losing your job could be it, or getting a new job
and being worried about it. There are sharp rocks
everywhere. What changes from years of practice is coming
to know something you didn't know before: that there are
no sharp rocks--the road is covered with diamonds.
-- Charlotte Joko Beck in "Nothing Special: Living Zen"          

     

SPIRITUAL GRAFITTI

               SPIRITUAL GRAFITTI:  An Interview with MYSELF
PRELUDE:
     What follows is an exercise in self-indulgence.  It is syncopated and abridged.  It is free; it is fun.  It is not intended to obey pragmatic rules (Boo!!  Hiss!!).  It is free; it is SpIRiT.  sPIrIt is adventure, SPirIT is bold, SPIRIT is N….duuuur….ance:  Xpression 2 Bhold.   I hope you understand.  I sense you will.  Wink Wink.  Be real. Be WELL.
S1 & S2 were here.  12/8/04
S1 X S2 FOREVER!
Sincerely
Moi-meme

SOLILOQUY:
I rise early.  I assess my environment—external, internal—what’s the difference?  It is dark.  I am awake…or so I think.  But what does this mean, to be awake?  How do I feel?  Do I feel well?  What does that mean?  And who in God’s name am I anyway?  

All right Self, stop it.  It is time to formalize your streaming thoughts into some semblance of coherency.  After all, just because I can understand you doesn’t mean the “others” can.  Now let us begin with this process of communication and verbal articulation—for the sake of the “others”, mind you.

Well, all right, but I cannot guarantee that I won’t drift and digress from time to time!
Self, you of all entities know that there are few guarantees in this life experience!  Proceed.

BODY AND SOUL:
Self Two (S2):  Self One (S1), to begin this interview, what is your personal interpretation of the word “wellness”?  What exactly does it mean to be “well”?       
Self One (S1):  Well Self Two, in my personal lexicon, “wellness” refers to a sense of balance and harmony, a sense of vitality, a sense of “immortality”.  Now, by “immortality”, I mean a sense of “always having been and always will be”.  It is an understanding and an appreciation of the dualities that exist during our earthly experience.

S2:  S1, can you elaborate more on what you mean by the “dualities” that exist?
S1:  By all means S2.  I would be glad to.  But keep in—dare I say “mind”?—that as in all things of this nature, vocabulary and language are insufficient pipelines of communication.  In order to feel the essence of my meaning, you must be willing to read between the lines—so to speak.  Anyway, let’s see.  Duality.  Yes, let me convey my meaning by providing some classic examples:  yin vs. yang, chaos vs. cosmos, life vs. death, good vs. evil, light vs. dark, free will vs. determinism, nature vs. nurture, cause vs. effect.  There are many others, but I believe they all can be reduced to these.

S2:  So how does one acquire this acceptance and appreciation of these nettling contradictions?  Is there a process by which one can earn or obtain “wellness”?
S1:  Well, I like to say that there is more than one way to skin a cat.  Not that I like skinning cats, mind you.  Actually, that to me seems“unwell”, but I trust you get my meaning.  Personally, I believe wellness begins with humility, a sense of curiosity, and a sense of purpose.  One must first be humble enough to realize that very few certainties exist in life (that statement may in fact be the only certainty there is…well, come to think of it, change is also certain.  But alas, there’s one of those dread digressions to which I referred earlier!).  One must be curious enough to find as much value in the questions as in the uncertain answers.  One must also feel that there is a purpose behind all events and emotions.  The person must feel a oneness—a unity with all time, all space, and all matter.  He or she must feel in touch with all things past, present, and future, all things great and small, near and far.  Above all, one must have faith.

S2:  So you describe wellness in metaphysical and spiritual terms?
S1:  Absolutely S2.  In fact, from my way of thinking, wellness and spirituality are virtually synonymous terms—or at least the existence of one implies the existence of the other.  Likewise, the lack of one implies the lack of, or at least an imbalance of, the other.

S2:  Now, when you talk of “purpose” and “spirituality” and “faith”, do you necessarily imply the existence of Godhead?
S1:  Well, yes and no.  You see, that really depends upon ones interpretation of God.  Personally, I view God not as an entity with certain physical or mental attributes, but as a process.  To me, God is a process of growing, of becoming, of aging, of motion.  God is an abstraction—the process by which the seed becomes a tree, a fetus a child, a child an old man.  In short, God is what scientists will commonly refer to as “nature”.  In this way, I am able to reconcile the opposing forces of “science” and “religion”.  In effect, I guess I am saying that all is God and God is all.  Is that what you call a Theist?  You know, limiting as they are, semantics really do dictate perceptions….

S2:     You have just mentioned science.  Tell me more about that.  What is your overview of this age of science and technology?  How is it associated with your notions of wellness and spirituality?
S1:  S2, again this all comes down to semantic issues.  From my point of view, science is simply (forgive my arrogance—nothing is ever simple!) an extension of art and religion.  In fact, science is a religion, just as any discipline pursued with enough zeal can be.  I will comment briefly on one point I find particularly interesting that seems to wed the concepts.  It seems as though the human race is quickly becoming more and more “God” like by means of the scientific method.  I mean, think about it.  It is not inconceivable that one day human beings will be able to generate life and intelligence (uh, don’t ask me to explain my interpretations of these bedeviling concepts!!) just as easily as we now generate fire from a spark.  Hey, is it proper to say that the fire exists within the spark?  I guess the overarching point I’m trying to hit on is that the common notion of God seems to shrink as technology advances (for lack of a better term).  On the other hand, God ultimately seems to mock us in our efforts at simulation—every “solution” suborns countless “problems”.  Aargh!  The forbidden fruit of knowledge!  But again, that brings us right back to those inklings of curiosity, purpose, and faith.

S2:  You like to dress up your ideas in metaphor.  Any particular reason for that?
S1:  Oh I don’t know.  I guess I just like being creative and artsy, you know?  No, seriously--I believe that new or different-- or strange ideas are conveyed most effectively by connecting them with old or similar or familiar ideas.  People generally connect dots and draw interpretations from analogy quite readily.  It allows them a kind of freedom to create and formulate as they strive to capture the “gist”.  I also like to answer questions with further questions.  People have to actively engage themselves that way.  Do you see what I mean?

S2:   Ah—you’ve touched on the arts.  How do the arts tie in with your renditions of spirituality and wellness?
S1:  Let me summarily say that all of life is art.  Life is an ongoing process of experimentation and expression.  Art is an ongoing process of experimentation and expression.  A piece of life, like a piece of art, is never complete.  It is polished and refined to the extent of the expresser’s purpose and ability, and it is eventually abandoned…or transcended…for loftier enterprises.  A piece of art retains fragments of the creator’s spirit.  Indeed, that piece of art is a concrete manifestation of spirit.  Wellness is the state of knowing this is true:  to be well is to appreciate the intimate relationship between life and art.  

                                        LA FIN

BLOATING AMIDST THE CHANGES

                       BLOATING AMIDST THE CHANGES

     August is winding down and autumnal changes are taking place.  I can sense them in the air, feel them resonate throughout my body, my mind.  I am aware.  The days grow shorter, the population is on the rise as students pour in to prepare for the onset of their college careers.  I have been feeling bloated and thirsty over the course of the last couple of days, and although I am partly inclined to inquire about the cause of the physical ailments, I am more inclined to inquire about what the sensations represent metaphorically.  The bloating seems to represent an overabundance, whereas the thirst seems to symbolize a lack of or yearning for something that I need or desire.  So why not consume more liquids to slake the thirst?  Because liquids only serve to increase the bloating symptoms all the more.  Perhaps too much milk may underlie the distress.  But if so, why do I enjoy the milk?  Indeed, why do people enjoy things that bring about feelings of discomfort?  Consider this if you will.  Many (partying campus-dwellers come to mind here) indulge in binges of alcohol consumption and thereby suffer the same symptoms as I have been experiencing as of late.  Despite the unease that they experience after a binge, the payoff is greater than the sacrifice in their way of thinking.  The camaraderie, the free-flowing conversation, the lack of inhibition, the spontaneous laughter all make the event one of fond memory.  In a paradoxical sense, partying is the ultimate source of well-being, and thereby a “religion” is made of this type of lifestyle—namely “hedonism”:  fueled by the pleasure principle and instant gratification.  But the security of dogma has a cost.  On the other hand, I am a teetotaler, and for the most part, I am withdrawn and introverted.  I prefer milk to beer and running legs to running mouths.  I am a stereotypical “health nut”.  But perhaps I have made a “religion” of the “fitness” lifestyle.  But the security of dogma comes with a cost.  Perhaps I am learning to prepare for classes—to prepare before the commencement of fall and winter to socialize more than usual during this time of year and to allow some otherwise “forbidden” grains (barley and hops, mind you) into my diet.  Perhaps this is obvious to many—a revelation only to myself.  If that is the case, I suppose I am just a visionary idiot.  Again, I can only laugh at myself.  And one final thought…is it possible that the milk is a metaphor for infancy and general nourishment?  Do I crave the security of childhood?  If this is the case, what might the abstinence from alcohol symbolize?  The running?  Fear?  Yes, I suppose all behaviors can be couched in terms of fear.  But is the fear detrimental or advantageous to the evolution of the human being…or should I say the “spiritual being”?  These are questions that can only be answered by the “individual”.

EGOS AND IDEAS

                                               EGOS AND IDEAS

     It is commonplace among spiritual aspirants to believe the total effacement of the “ego” is the key to bliss and knowing the Ultimate Reality.  They assert that the ego is that part of the “mind” that is responsible for a being’s sense of identity and separation from the TRUTH—the Ultimate Reality, or the Ahtman.  Hence, if one destroys the “ego”, you do not exist because “I” do not exist.  But if I do not exist, and all the universe is but illusion, then who is it that entertains these notions, these ideas?  If all is illusion, does that imply that it has no value?  No purpose?  If it has no purpose, no value, then why does the Ahtman express it at all?  If it does have value and purpose, then why do I seek to destroy it and deny it?  Do these questions have a “reality” of their own?  If so, do they have value?  Does real imply value?  Do answers to all questions exist within the infinite pool of ideas, which create the universe at large?  But just what is an idea?  What is the nature of an idea?  Does it have a source?  A shape?  Can one idea be independent of other ideas?  What qualities define an idea?  Is the Ahtman an idea?  Is Reality an idea?  Is Illusion an idea?  Is the ego an idea?  Is destruction of the ego an idea?  Do ideas move?  If so, does not movement necessitate the existence of space and time?  Are not all arguments bound for circularity?  Are not all arguments collections of ideas?  Are some ideas superior to others?  Are these questions nothing but ideas? I conjecture that the Ultimate Reality is an idea, but then who am I to conjecture?  Merely an ego, an indivisible idea.
     What distinguishes a “concrete” idea from an “abstract” idea?  What represents an idea?  Words? Images?  YES!  I have caught a glimmer of light!  I have an IDEA!  LIGHT is the “physical” representation of IDEA.  Am I onto something here?  Have I come into the LIGHT?  Have I been ENLIGHTENED?  Indeed, LIGHT bulbs abound and take shape.  The behavior of light mimics the behavior of ideas.  Light behaves as both a particle and a wave.  This is a fundamental principle of Newtonian physics.  Nothing travels faster than the speed of light…perhaps.  Einstein showed that Newtonian physics break down at such speeds.  Time is no longer a constant.  Can ideas be faster than light?  Certainly others have had such strings of ideas.  But where do they lead?  Can I go outside the circle?  Can time stand still…?

WHAT TO DO WHEN THINGS GO STALE

WHAT TO DO WHEN THINGS GO STALE

So just what is “life”? Oh geez, there are so many metaphors—some general, some more specific: life’s a journey, life’s a train ride, life’s a sport, life’s a game, life is art, life is theatre, life’s a marathon, life’s a joke, life’s bitch, life’s a learning experience, life’s a roller coaster, life’s a merry-go-round, life’s a highway, life is cinema—uh, you get the picture (yes, bad pun intended). And you know what? Life is all of these things and then some. Why? Because life is what you make it. Now normally these are inspiring, empowering words…or at least they are usually intended to have that ring to them. But what about those times when everything just seems so flat, stale, and meaningless that you just do not want to be reminded of the fact that you are somehow responsible for this state of affairs in which you find yourself? What to do when power inexplicably transforms itself into responsibility which weighs you down and begins to catapult your thought process into a destructive, accelerating, mass-collecting snowball that threatens to crush your creativity, appreciation of abounding beauty, and desire to take heed of the journey process altogether? AARGH!!! WHAT TO DO! I’ll TELL you what do! You quickly pull out your over-the-limit credit car, order up an extra large, double cheese, meat laden pizza, a bottle of vodka, and a 100 dollar whore with cocaine for two and plenty of post-sex cigarettes to boot! And don’t forget the heavy metal music for the extra adrenaline rush! Hell, that will really jazz things up a little, no? Instant gratification all the way! Hell YES! EROTICA! I mean NO!! That is NOT what you do! There is a much superior way to shock treat your melancholy soul (for lack of a better word) that offers a much better return on investment (and you pay no money down!)! What is my freak method of blues therapy? Make a fist and begin to laugh hysterically at the stubborn illusions of darkness that are currently obscuring your true vision and thereby suppressing your ability to harness the prodigious power that IS YOU! Laugh heartily at the enigma we call life—the riddle, the journey, the game, the train, the adventure, the sport, the marathon, the theatre, the cinema—well, you get the picture! (Just couldn’t resist wrapping things up with that same bad pun. Kind of provides a little “ring structure” to my ramblings, you know! HA! I’m in stitches!) Journey forth Soulmates!

“Life’s a journey” insists the sage
“Cherish the words and turn the page”
“But Master, what to do? How must I think when the bread tastes stale?
And Muse’s breath blows not the sail?”
“My friend” says he, “detach and laugh!
For Boredom is Enthusiasm’s darker half.
Realize this, assume control.
Apply constant, steady pressure--
The rock will roll.”

TRAIN TO FREEDOM

TRAIN TO FREEDOM—INTRODUCTION

For those of you who have recently laid to rest TRAINING PERSPECTIVE, I hereby welcome you aboard the TRAIN TO FREEDOM, a sequel that promises to be just as riveting as its predecessor! But as I left you with a question and a word of warning in my closing words of TRAINING PERSPECTIVE, in like manner I will set the wheels of TRAIN TO FREEDOM in motion. What is the toll one must pay to pursue a course to freedom? What do we mean by “freedom” to begin with? Fasten your seatbelts ladies and gentlemen. We may hit some rather challenging crossroads along the way. For in keeping with the “free” style spirit of TRAINING PERSPECTIVE, I make no promises as to where this train ride is going to wind up, nor can I tell you much about the tracks that we will cover. At certain points I might act upon a whim to speed things up, at others I might wish to coast, stop, or even back track. Never forget that I am a child ad that I like to play and have fun. Moreover, as a child, I can be charming, and I can also be downright bratty and obnoxious. A lot depends upon the amount of carbs I have consumed, the weather, and the quality of my nap. Oh, and of course, being one of those damned Sagittarius/ Scorpio cuspians, I’m just “destined” for quirkiness—it’s all written in the stars! You have been warned! That said, I hope you all feel free to “be yourselves”—and most importantly, to “KNOW yourselves”. When we can all do this en masse…well, I guess then we know we have reached our destination.
Since I have opted to entitle this piece TRAIN TO FREEDOM, I would first like to take some time to discuss some thoughts on how I personally interpret the meaning of the word “freedom”. For it seems that human beings are alike in that in some way, shape, or form, they ultimately desire freedom. Hence, freedom is a coveted commodity by its very “nature”. I believe that for all intents and purposes, freedom can be used interchangeably with other abstract nouns such as “peace”, “contentment”, “happiness”, “bliss”, and the like. But just what is it that we desire to be free from? Well, the obvious answer might be something along the lines of “bondage” or “slavery”. But let us delve deeper here. What exactly is it that “enslaves” us to begin with? Those who are familiar with such introspective inquiries might quickly answer “fate” or “destiny”. And hence we stand at the fore of the great “free will” vs. “determinism” platform…or might I say “wild goose chase” or “merry-go-round”. Now I have been exposed to quite a number of authoritative essays written on this topic. I have read cogent and impressive arguments from both sides of the debate. I must say hats off to the fellows who know the game and play it well. Indeed, I have been so impressed by the advocates of both camps that I cannot declare a definitive winner. Rather, I choose (or am I predestined?) to raise both their hands in victory and argue that truth of the matter is hidden within the dynamic movement of the words themselves. What follows is a synopsis of my case encapsulated in two very free-style journal entries.

FREE THOUGHTS?

Many take solace in their assertions that they are “free”. Indeed, it is a comforting notion to believe that we have power over our destinies by the choices that we make throughout our lives. Of course, implicit within the notion of “power”, derives the notion of responsibility. Is it not true that if I possess the power to choose to behave or think in a certain manner, then I also have the responsibility to do so? But how is it that I can be “free” and yet bear the brunt of “responsibility”? Why are you reading my words at this moment? Are you able to STOP READING NOW? I see that you were not, for you obviously continue to read. Why? Are you driven by curiosity? Of course you are my friend. But if you are driven by curiosity—by desire—how can you be TRULY “free”? Have your very desires therefore been predetermined? By what? Is it not fair to say then that you were destined to read this essay? Is there any means by which you can alter the truth of the fact that you have indeed read this essay up to this point? If not, if you were destined to read this essay, then certainly it can’t be just to hold you responsible for this act, since you were simply going through the motions ordained by “fate”….you were a mere puppet on a string. “Destiny”, or “fate”, is the grand puppet master—the responsible agent. So tell me—how “free” do you feel now? Does it not seem odd…counterintuitive… that we are free of responsibility only if we are free of freedom itself? Namaste.

ONE CAN ONLY IMAGINE

Fellow journeymen, the next topic I wish to explore and discuss is that of creativity and imagination. First off, many assert that that they lack creative abilities. That, my friends, is utter boulderdash! Why? Because the truth is that we are all constantly “imagining” and creating. I believe we have come to agree upon the truth that within the dimensions of reality that rely upon communication, we all exist in a state of flux and constant energy (these are the dimensions that stem from the substratum—the ULTIMATE REALITY, or Ahtman. The Ahtman is inexplicably permanent in nature). But what is the nature of this ceaseless energy? What does it do? The answer is that it expresses and creates. What does it create? It creates YOU and your relationship to the entire UNIVERSE. It creates your sense of identity, your patterns of belief, your personality…whatever YOU wish to call it. Thus, do you know why many feel as though they are not creative? It is precisely because THEY have CREATED this belief itself. Think about the process of reading for a moment. As your eyes scan my words, you are either attentively attaching “meaning” to them (the field of Psycholinguistics is concerned with various ingenuous and abstract theories about how this is achieved), or you are “daydreaming” (shame on you!). Either way, your imagination is at work—whether you REALIZE it or not! So REALIZE it! How, you ask? Simply by stepping outside and thinking about it in a contemplative manner. When we speak of “expanding the mind”, we speak of becoming aware of omnipresent creative and imaginative forces—powerful forces! Once one becomes aware of these forces, he or she automatically becomes aware of the creative nature of the entire universe… the ULTIMATE REALITY itself…YOU, I, ONE, AND ALL. Consider if you will English idioms for our mental activity: one forms opinions, makes decisions, shapes or sharpens the intellect, etc. Comrades, make no mistake—you are a creative entity, and those IDEAS (opinions, decisions, questions, theories, etc.) are the “building blocks” of the “concrete world” with which you are so familiar. When you begin to recognize the truth and sheer power of your thoughts, attitudes, and ideas, you begin to appreciate wholly the value of “higher” education for its own sake…you “become” a scholar of life. But do not become lost in a world of “stagnant” abstraction. Rather, harness the power of the ideas so that they might materialize in and thereby enrich the “physical” world. Write an essay, a song, a poem, a novel. Build and shape your body. Develop a web site. Build an empire, an animal refuge, a relationship, and/or a personal spiritual sanctuary. Whatever you desire can be yours, but only if the idea is established AND executed (note that the execution of an idea will necessarily entail countless other ideas) Creativity is your very nature fellow journeymen. Embrace it and relish it to its optimal potential. Just make sure that you are forever vigilant of your REAL motives (you must be starkly honest with yourselves) and perspectives…always striving to REALIZE ONE.
Finally Brothers, I would like to comment briefly on the relationship between imagination and freedom so that we get a better understanding of how concepts advance, expand, and merge. Now, as you reflect upon my thoughts here, keep in “mind” that this entire communicative process—my expression of ideas and your understanding of those ideas—is in fact a creative enterprise. Let me begin if you will by asserting that freedom is relative to desire and imagination, and it is “determined” by the flexibility and ambiguity of language. For example, I might live in a small shack containing a few books. If I possess no prior knowledge of what those books contain and have only the responsibility of maintaining my small shack, then I am “free” to delve into those few books with all the zest and zeal I can muster. My mind is a blank slate, uncluttered with previous knowledge and preconceived ideas, and I can therefore “freely” absorb this novel material. As time passes, however, I become increasingly familiar with the material contained in these few books—so much so that the material becomes redundant and tiresome. I become restless and bored, desirous of expansion. I begin to imagine possessing more books, more knowledge. Now, the critical issue is how I respond to my imagination and thirst for knowledge. Do I sit and brood over what I do not possess at this time? If so, my desires—those things which I imagine and create within my “mind”—become slave drivers and puppet masters. If, on the other hand, I optimally employ the knowledge I have obtained from my few books to share that knowledge with others and to acquire further knowledge, then my imaginings liberate me from the confines of my isolated shack to bountiful horizons. Often it happens that our reasoning becomes far too restricted and boxed in. We believe that freedom is the opposite of determinism, and that the two concepts thus cannot logically coexist. I argue that we manufacture a false dichotomy when we think in this limited manner. The truth is that “freedom” and “determinism”, like all words, take on various shades of meaning that depend upon the context of the situation. That is to say that words and the context in which they exist are dynamic. “Freedom” is defined by what we imagine it to be at any given “moment”. If we imagine ourselves as free in that “moment”, then we are free—completely unscathed, untouched, unaffected by the concept of “determinism”, which in that “moment” does not exist at all. Now, imagine grasping the multitudinous implications of my words. Namaste.