Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

I haven't done any streaming for the past two weeks. Interesting for me in as much as I've been self-disciplined enough to do a stream every Sunday, give or take a few over a two year period.

I bring this up because as one that does a column of sorts, one should be consistent in doing their column, even if that includes digging into past streams and posting them. Those relatively few streams that I have done are not technically re-posts on this board but rather posts from another board over two years ago.

One's originality runs dry over time. Those should be ideal times for anyone writing (or any other art) to explore different avenues that haven't been trodden. But it can prove to be rather difficult to cultivate something new when one becomes satisfied with their settled in ways, even if they know they need to do something different in order to remain fresh. Maybe age has something to do with it... something that I am rapidly reaching.

Age is evidence of time passed. Whether we acknowledge such things or not, may or may not complicate our age, but when we remember that in such-and-such a time we were this or that and suddenly (or gradually) notice that what we were is irrelevant to that which we've become. To complicate the simplicity of age, that which we've become is not necessarily what we will remain - that is always a change regardless of age.

But our personal growth, our aging, relies upon becoming - an active verb. When do we finish becoming? The simple answer is we don't... until we drop this body and spiritually move on (if one believes in that, of course).

But there comes a point in aging where this becoming becomes stale and meaningless. Not meant to sound pessimistic here, but how many times can we change before it becomes a process that becomes redundant?

Redundancy may be the conclusion of change - when our lives don't seem to require anymore changes in order to better that life. If our changes don't bring self-satisfaction and (even more pitifully), if we don't want to change, our lives can either became fairly predictable or so damn boring that nobody would care to communicate with us... something that nobody would care to partake of if they knew the consequences), which does nothing for our health, mental or physical.

Although I personally have not reached either of those stages, I do feel them approaching. True I still enjoy a variety of subjects, but those differences lessen with the desire to know as much as I did back when. Back when they were new to me. Nowadays they seem to be rather the same - same ideas, same thoughts, same desires, just dressed in different words. Take off the words and there's little substance to anything.

Therein lies some thing... a thing (for lack of a better word) that still has a wonder about it. What is this unchangeable 'thing' that never really changes, that never really improves over time? For me it is the spiritual... that matter-less 'thing' that is always there, always here. Like an eternal home of sorts, the spiritual is at once a material conception when it is spoken about, but much, much more powerful when this spirit lights up within.

It's a comfort that always is here, within. It's not boring, it doesn't become redundant, it doesn't grow old without meaning - it's a 'thing' that is eternal and infinite. The only 'thing' about this is running into the (here we go again), redundancy of the words that speak of this eternal spirituality within us all... there are many choices throughout the world that write/speak of the spirituality, all of which have different words to describe it.

Could it be that entering this spiritual state, by whatever means works for the individual, is not a boring exercise, but an exciting 'practice,' because the majority of us have not given that aspect of ourselves any serious consideration? Given the largely material world we surround ourselves with this certainly could be true. However, anyone that has entered their spiritual state, I would think, know that there is something so secure and 'knowing' about it that the word 'boring' or any of its other definitions, is not acceptable. It is a grand journey that, if nothing else, reawakens anyone that has experienced it. The word 'fulfillment' come to mind.

The knowing of this Absolute alleviates any idea of death as simply the end of what we think we are. How different we become simply by acknowledging the 'me' we call ourselves, is but a temporary condition that is superseded by this infinite spiritualness that is within every living thing. At times just reviewing this in contemplation brings on such a sense of wonder and excitement, that to do anything but surrender to its existence is foolishness.

Cecil
10 Deciembre 2006

Strange reader within
cushioned in darkness


yeah me, I roomed with some Buddhists at Hopkins about thirty years ago. I could not get my head around it at the time. I did not like that end of "me" bit. I wanted to keep my same social security number.

you hit my nail on my head with this one compadre
Dawning on me how many of my posts start with "about thirty years ago..."

I aprreciate the stream.

i don't find redundancy in my outlook. my view seems to be de-layering all the time. this is not to say that a process is visible - it's so amorphic to be barely visible until at a rare opportunity i notice that i'm no longer tired at the end of a grueling interaction with a student, or that i'm no longer trapped by my inattention, but rather enhanced by it.

in short - things are always changing, but the ability to express what i see becomes more remote. My lexicon falters. words and letters hardly suffice to describe what i see.

so, my words are fewer (except in such a case as this when i'm merely describing their inadequacy).

streaming is streaming and it's always a pleasure to travel down your flow, cecil.

Yikes Cecil...pull this thorn from my foot...built in human redundancy reached through perpetual change...in making images I strive for constant change, (much to the consternation of many), and I agree the gaps in who I am and what I do is shrinking, damn I may develope a style in spite of myself....

We are the perfect Buddha......

truck: "you hit my nail on my head with this one compadre.
I appreciate the stream."

C: Thx, truck, for getting thru this one.

J: "streaming is streaming and it's always a pleasure to travel down your flow, cecil."

C: ...and thx to you, too, Judih, for your reply. But let me ask about "so, my words are fewer..." Does that have anything to do with the redundancy of the words once used over the selection available for you now to express the same..?

K: "... I agree the gaps in who I am and what I do is shrinking, damn I may develop a style in spite of myself...."

C: When I first read that letter you posted regarding this, I agreed with all other comments. But there was a voice in my head that offered a different comment. I didn't respond with it (as you know), but... you may develop a style in spite of yourself.

Yes, we (all) are the perfect Buddha. But how many of us don't want the responsibility (yet) and choose to ignore that?

Thx, artguy, for your comments. Hope the thorn is out...

I can't discriminate (distinguish) certain things or states at all (at least now!).
Thanks for the stream, Cecil!!
saludos,

Arcadia

my words are fewer, cecil, because when i choose a word, it tends to be a more accurate depiction so i need fewer helpmates.

so to use them now would indeed be redundant. But when i used them 'then' i felt that their varying shades added to the overall description.

My preference now is to choose an all-encompassing word (and since there are few of those, i tend to write very little!)

hmmm

judih

mtmynd wrote:…one should be consistent in doing their column…

Cecil, one good thing about cyberspace is that, most of the time, no one can see the reader. If they could, they’d see how red my face is right now.

When Doreen asked me to do a column here at studio 8, it was my intention to do it consistently.

Those who’ve visited my column can see I’ve been anything but consistent.

Thanks for the unintended pep talk.

I actually happened upon a board where the members were having a discussion about socialism verses capitalism. It was interesting and I wished that I could have joined the discussion, but, of course, I’d have to register and become a member.

I wrote to the web master and told him how civil and insightful the discussion was, but that I was an unreliable message board member (ask people at Arcanum Café).

You’ve not only inspired me to visit my own column more often (does it mean I will? I can’t say right now), but you’ve given me subject matter for the next post.

mtmynd wrote:When do we finish becoming? The simple answer is we don't...

Now there’s some insight for you. We have the responsibility of noticing the “becoming” that we’re doing and “run with it”, so to speak.

As j. says, sometimes, most of the time, our changes seem almost amorphic, but you can bet they’re happening.

As an atheist, I accept your premise as what I’ve heard referred to as “that which notices”. What is “that which notices?” I don’t know, but I believe, given enough time, science will be able to image it.

To friendship,
Michael

Hola, arcadia! Gracias para las palabras, mi amiga. (I must say I would be disappointed if you were not to give me a 'saludos' for each stream I stream... )

Judih, Judih, Judih... "hmmm" indeed!

Hi, Michael. Thx for taking time to chime in.

M: "You’ve not only inspired me to visit my own column more often (does it mean I will? I can’t say right now), but you’ve given me subject matter for the next post."

C: Great! I'll check up on your column to see what I've inspired.

M: "As an atheist, I accept your premise as what I’ve heard referred to as “that which notices”. What is “that which notices?” I don’t know, but I believe, given enough time, science will be able to image it."

C: If what you wrote here was not a typo (image it), I'd have to disagree with you on that... one will never be able to image the Spirit, per se. But I really think you meant 'imagine' it, yes? If so, I will agree, at least in part, that it requires a certain degree of imagination to understand the Absolute and not be completely dependent upon the intellect. IMHO intellect is reliant upon matter (the material) to grasp, which is why I'm using the word 'spirit' in this context... non-material.

I appreciate your reply. Thank you, again!

From the: Department of Redundancy Department (firesign theatre)


You say poe tate toes
I say existential strip tease
You say de-layering

Occam’s razor
The simple simplicity and efficiency of the truth


Merrily merrily life is but a stream

Ahhh, truck - "Merrily merrily life is but a stream"

The simplicity of truth.... all streams eventually end into the sea of consciousness, but to begin again (and again and again).

It's absolutely amazing to me that you write and post these with such dedication and regularity and we are very grateful! It IS very inspiring, though.

I think you should take time off more often from writing them. I don't know how you do it! I'm glad you took some time off.

I am seriously considering creating one of my own forums here so I can force myself to write regularly.

I used to write several poems a day ... from 1998 - 2002. I have scads of poetry from that period. Lots of prose, too. I wrote, dedicated to improving my craft, dedicated to my time allotted for writing. (not that any of it was any good but there was definitely LOTS of it... *smile*)

Since then, my writing output has dwindled considerably. I'm lucky to write one poem a month (not that that one poem is any good either).

I think I'd be more likely to create something worthy of reading if I wrote more. If one out of 20 poems is a good poem, and if I only write 20 a year, then I only have one good poem per year. But if one out of 20 poems is good and I write 20 poems a month, by the end of the year, I'd have 12 good poems. heh... Did I do the math right?

The question is, what is the value of 12 good poems? I donno.

But there is definitely value in your Streams and I am so looking forward to owning a collection in a properly printed and bound book. I hope you are pursuing this. If the book we are currently putting together works out, I'd be happy to help you create one of those using the same source for production if you're interested.

If I could afford to pay you and Michael and Lightning Rod and the other columnists, we would but I can't even afford to pay myself so the best I can do is say THANK YOU sincerely from my heart.

Happy Holidays.

Ah, Dor', it's nuthin'... just a bunch of words dripping outta my fingertips.

Seriously tho, I appreciate the kind words, and yes, I have been thinking quite a bit lately about putting some Streams together for a chapbook or even something perfect bound. Lot's of ideas (and a lot of seekin' and searchin' which to include... yeow! I have more Streams filed away than what I've posted on S8)

Re: you writings - yes, you've been negligent far too long. Get back on the pony and write, woman! I too have many poems, but how does one discern which is worth a damn??? And we all know how popular books of poetry are, eh? but any book doings should really be considered just what it is - an (exercise in) art... the big extension of anyone's written works.

Happy Wholly Daze to you!