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.
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.
posted by Todd Reinhard at 11:27 AM
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