Back in the late nineties, everything began to jell for me. Everything began to make sense. All the formal schooling I had done in developmental genetics and evolution, and in the then new field of ethology had prepared me. All the different branches of anthropology and psychology I had studied fit, expanded and elucidated my understanding. Philosophy, physics and mathematics had enriched the bare bones patterns I was seeing. 12-step programs and other types of participatory learning such as Buddhist and Hindu meditation mixed with readings in all the religious traditions of the world. I voraciously read every "mystic" I could get my hands on, even the secular ones. As a result of all of this, the fog of confusion began to lift while changing nothing at all. I felt I could see the fog, be blinded by it, and see through it, all at the same time. The deep abiding question(s) I had been asking up to this point, i.e. - "Why do organisms (and non-sentient entities) behave the way they do?" "How do we/they behave at all?" "What is free will?" "What is nature - nurture?" "Is behavior different from the organism itself?" "Can either the organism or their behavior change?" - all these questions began to resolve themselves effortlessly. I was afire with insight and would tell the world!
Then - I read this book.
I have never forgiven Ken Wilber for writing this book :) The man had written about everything I had awakened to. The synthesis I saw (and thought so unique to me), was laid out in these pages far more coherently and concisely than I could ever have done. In short, THE MAN STOLE MY THUNDER!!!! Oh my - how far the mighty do fall!...... lol
I am telling you this historical story, because today I am having a similar experience with the Richard Rohr book below.
In the past decade I have come to the inner certainty that all the angst we go through as humans, the psychologically labeled "neurosis" we are prone to, the "normal" tragedy we experience in ordinary everyday life - loss, illness, death, - all of this and more, are not only normal, but necessary for full human development.
Another
Aha!!!
The question then began as what do I do with this insight, this "knowing"? How can I best share this with others? While continuing to ponder the question this week, I picked up this book and Voila! - There it all was, broad, clear and cogent. All laid out and available to all. Once again I have been beaten to the punch, both in understanding as well as book writing, *smile* However, I am happy to say I think maybe I have grown up a bit in the last 20 years. With Wilber's book, I can remember being disappointed and feeling like an "also ran", but when I saw that this Rohr book was an exposition of my own understanding, instead of disappointment there was a sense of validation and a "selfish" relief. I don't have to do anything, it has all been done. All I have to do is give people copies of Rohr's book and Wilber's book when they ask the hard questions. I can happily go back to being a sign post, pointing to others who have the gift of explaining well.
I am so happy that the bones can paraphrase:
"Before I had studied Zen for thirty years, I was a signpost in life and saw signposts as "admirable" "also ran" resignation points. When I arrived at a more intimate knowledge, I came to the point where I saw signposts were not signposts at all . But now that I have got its very substance I am at rest. For it's just that I see signposts as the perfect useful things they are"
Its a We thing y'all
:)
Amen :)
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