"What If?" is a Beautiful Question

What If ... Dogs Could Learn to Tango?, Lanikai Beach, Lanikai, HI, April 2020, 
Nikon D600 with FX 28-300mm VR lens,160mm, 1/500 sec @ f10, ISO 400, -0.67 EV, no flash © Steven Crisp 

"What If?"  It's a good question, don't you think? 

Or you might call it a way of questioning.  Of contemplating.  Of looking more deeply.

I've been doing that recently, having reinvigorated my spiritual inquiries.  And I must say it's all pretty fascinating.  Those who know me have heard me say "I'm spiritual, but not religious."  Indeed, I have called myself a-religious, and have some issues with a personified God.  I was not entirely sure why that issue was so visceral for me, but I guess that's just my karma (no, that's not irony, just some humor ;-)

During my recent investigations, I came upon a physicist named David Bohm.  I had heard the name before (as a wannabe physicist myself), but really knew nothing about him.  And then I stumbled upon this movie, Infinite Potential.  I think it's well done, and ties together some complex physics topics, with the drama of the A-bomb development, McCarthyism, and a scientist looking deeply for the fundamental underlying mechanisms of the cosmos.  Which ultimately brings him in touch spiritual insights from past millennia that help guide his thinking.  Here's the movie trailer (and by all means, if any of those topics sound interesting to you, you may want to purchase the movie, like I did, even having watched it twice before):

So anyways, "What If?"

What if our scientific world view, with its remarkable progress using experimentation to prove out theories, is still not the whole story?

What if underlying all that we can detect and classify, still lies something that would be able to explain some remaining conundrums, like entanglement (non-local effects), like wave-particle duality, like Schrödinger's cat (paradox), like dark matter/energy that is vastly greater than observable matter/energy throughout the universe?

What if consciousness, which remains poorly understood, has some role in this, and/or applies beyond one's physical body?

What if it's not only possible, but repeatable, and trainable, for individuals to gain control of their own mind-bodies, and realize the truths of impermanence, not-self or egolessness, and equanimity or non-reactivity, and then enter states of non-duality.

I think the biggest take-aways from the movie and from these sample what-if questions are that we really need to keep our minds open, alert, and inquisitive.  While it might temporarily "feel good" to think we have an answer, opinion, belief, or even an orthodox interpretation on these or other important questions, we should never close our minds to the possibility of new information or direct experience that might tell us otherwise.

And in the end, a recurring question we can ask is:  

Will we try to protect ourselves 

from the vicissitudes of life?

or

Will we accept and fully participate 

in Life, with Life, and as Life itself? 

Accept Life as it comes, 

in each moment, 

and remain grateful 

for each breath, 

for each smile, 

for each relationship, 

for each beautiful question,

and for each chance to Tango! 

😉

Walking Along The Way

Walking Along The Way, Pill Box Trail, Kailua-to-Lanikai, HI, April 2020, Nikon D600 with FX 18-300mm VR lens, 
135mm, 1/60 sec @ f10, ISO 200, -0.67 EV, no flash © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Have you been cooped up lately, while "sheltering in place."  Do you feel like getting outside and going for a walk?  Where shall you go?  Will you pick some destination?  I vote no!

After all, it's not about the destination ... it's about the journey ... it's about The Way.

Remember to pay attention each moment along your journey.  For that is your life.  And that is Life itself.  Can you sense it?  Tune into it?  Feel it?   Be it?

Be present.  Savor this moment.  Smell the fragrance of each flower.  Hear the call of each bird. Feel the texture of the tree bark and the unfurling leaves. 

This is holy presence.  Sacred awareness.  Can you feel it in your body?  Each step along the path. Really feel it.  Become one with the rhythm of your steps ... rhythm of your breath ... with the rhythm of Life. 

Then wherever you are is your current destination.  You are always right here, right now.  Never waiting to arrive, nor wanting something different from what is.  Again, that's Life you are witnessing.  But don’t worry, something different will present itself in due course. Then just be present for that.  

Look deeply inside and see what your heart's intention is. Open yourself to the splendor of Life. Be awed by its depth.  Notice the interdependence of all things.  Recognize both the impermanence and the continuity of Life.  See your role in this and Life’s role in you. 

May you dwell in the present moment and find peace and happiness in abundance. 

So depart with no destination.  Set no fixed pace.  Arrive every moment with each step. And be grateful for your blessings.  

And speaking of blessings, consider these words and images from Brother David Steindl-Rast:

No Shoes Please

No Shoes Please, Piccadily St., London, UK, January 2011, Panasonic DMC-ZS7, 
25mm, 1/15 sec @ f3.3, ISO 400, no flash © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

This is a magnificent hand-made rug that was on display in a shop window in London.  I can only imagine the cost!  But it sure was beautiful.

Think of the hours and hours (probably years) of hand-work to make this magnificent piece of art.  Somehow I would have a hard time bringing myself to walk on it.  At least with shoes on.

It reminds me of a Tibetan sand mandala, the whole point of which is to be both beautiful and impermanent.  Interesting how one can get hooked on the idea of permanence.  Let's call it a spectacular lesson.

Day 38: Dealing with change

Impermanence, Los Angeles, CA, April 2008,

Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, focal length 4.6mm, Exposure 1/60 sec @ f2.8, ISO 200, with flash, 

 © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Pretty wild how following the fall of the government of Tunisia, many other Arab governments have similarly come under fire (e.g., Egypt, Jordan, Yemen).  The power of revolution is pretty amazing.

It seems this graffiti artist was making a similar point.  Disenfranchised by the current establishment, he no doubt wants to see radical change.

How does that make you feel?  Does it raise your fear level?  Tug at your intrinsic need for security and stability?  I suspect so -- that is only natural.  Most of us, after all, are "playing the game" of life, and so we want to know the rule book.  But here's the thing ...

He's right -- one day this will all come down.  This is simply the Buddhist notion of impermanence -- nothing is permanent (not to mention physics).  My suggestion is to reflect on the nature of impermanence, and how best to not get caught up in the perception that everything will remain as it is now.  Change is inevitable, and ultimately the essential characteristic of the universe.  It is also inherent and necessary for evolution.

So go ahead.  Build those sandcastles.  But do so with the light heart and non-attachment of a child.  And check out this older post for a little more insight.

• Donation:  Randy Pausch memorial fund at Carnegie Mellon Univeristy
• Exercise:  Ride my bike to work (30 mins); run home (60 mins)

Life in the snow

I was out for a run the other day, and came across this bucolic sight. With the sun dipping over the tree-line, a warm glow was cast upon this snowman. Look at the character in his face. His animation, his decoration, his mannerisms. He looks almost alive. Sure glad he has on those shades to protect his eyes from the setting sun. Such artistic details on a simple snowman. Mmmm, those marshallows look like they are yummy.

But wait there was more -- much more.

An entire snowfamily had been created out of that frozen white stuff. Check out these photos:


This dapper fellow is decked out in the traditional top hat and scarf.


Here's a clever father and son. Their creators are nothing if not imaginative!


Here you can see what they are all up to. They are roasting marshmallows over a snowball fire! Ha!!

I was enthralled by the display. What a gift to offer the many passers-by. And I'm sure for the family that helped bring them to life.

But it brings along another useful lesson, I think, of impermanence. Since taking that run, we've had temps reach into the 50s and received about 2 inches of rain. You can imagine that this snowfamily is no more. And you know their creators realized this inevitability. And yet they created this display anyways. For the sake of creation itself, not for the (perceived) permanence of the creation. Is that not a lesson to us all? The art, the beauty, the joy is in the moment ... in the creative act itself.

And what of this snowfamily? Where did it go once the rains came? It simply went back to its source --turned once again into water, bringing life to others downstream.

And what of their accoutrements? Packed away, I expect, for another cold snowy day. When a new family can be brought to life. And to help add the zest of life to their creators.