Does Duality Even Exist?
Can we perceive is such a way that our daily problems of life don’t even arise?
Recently, I have heard the word, ‘duality’ as often as I have heard ‘non-duality’. “We live in a world of duality”. What does this even mean? I don’t personally know anything about Advaita Vedanta, or certain Zen philosophies, books by Alan Watts or Krishnamurti, or even speculative science. Sure, I’ve explored some of these works but I’ve immediately discarded them for the reason that I felt they were all taking me away from something sacred. And also because I found them quite boring! Hope I’m not offending anyone.
Nowhere to be Found.
The night that changed my life - what the “self” did not want me to publish
My “self” has held-back this conversation for 2 years. I’ve told only a few close friends about this, but since questions are starting to arise, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get this out in the open, even just this once.
When people purchase a book, or read something that’s laughably interesting from this writer on platforms such as LinkedIn, their minds begin asking questions. Who is this? What does he know about this! He’s not a philosopher. How did all of this come about? Is it really true. This is not love, blah blah. So in sharing this, I’d like to request the reader to please not paint any images of the writer. And if you already have one, delete it. If it’s difficult, perhaps you can observe your own mind as things arise and delete the images that might be coming up.
Good.
Now please go on to read…
If love really existed in this world, there would be no wars
Will Artificial Intelligence be handed the responsibility of governing electricity, internet, power, energy, military? If you refuse to follow a mandated government order, will AI send drones to police your house - to have you under house arrest? We have created technology that can be the micromanager of all micromanagers. If we allow AI to govern such systems, which is being talked about, then do we program AI to make decisions based on compassion?
The freedom to Choose or Freedom to See?
Choice presents itself when there is a conflict between virtue and confusion. Choice would never present itself in a mind that is virtuous. When there is a need to choose, meaning we need to choose right, or wrong, positive or negative, make a list of pros and cons and choose the one the has more pros, is thought not also present in choice?
Ikigai is wonderful, but is purpose needed at all??
Questioner: I just spent 3 hours in a wonderful workshop on Ikigai, and now you're telling me purpose in life may not be necessary. Who the f#%k are you?
GC: I'm no-one. Done. Next question. [Audience laughs]. No need to laugh everyone, really, I can’t prove I even exist. Who knows - you might have even created me just for the purpose of this discussion!
Questioner: How can one live without purpose in life? There is no meaning to existence. I just go through life and become depressed. Why do you say that life needs no purpose?
Who the hell do you think you are?
I received an interesting email recently from a listener of the podcast I produce. In the email, they stated that they listened to my podcast episode on “Will a spiritual life make me happy” and how they enjoyed the insight. They then went on to listen to the episode on “The end of war” to which the email goes on to say, quite angrily, that I did not know what I was talking about and demanded to ask me who the “hell” I was giving out all this false information and advice.
On freedom, fighting, and love
So, what is freedom? Humans have been fighting for freedom since probably the beginning of time. Freedom can refer to many things, such as freedom to go to watch a football game; freedom to choose what career we would like to have; freedom to choose which restaurant to eat at tonight; freedom to choose where we want to live; freedom to choose a person to befriend. We can define freedom in many ways. We seem so well practiced to express that freedom and choose to do what we like. We also have the option to choose not to do something, and we believe this is also freedom. It seems freedom of choice is rated so highly in our world today.
Time and Fear
Let's face it, most of us are frightened. We have so many forms of fear: we fear darkness, we fear death, we fear losing someone, we fear theft, we fear growing old. We are full of anxiousness which is reflected throughout most of societies around the world. We have anxiety about not following, anxiety of being ourselves, anxiety of what other people think or might say to us, etc. All fear. All are branches of the same tree. So can we ask, is there a relationship between time and fear?
The brain is marvelously dangerous
Unfortunately, what I’d like to talk about is not interesting enough for most people. It’s considered too painful, or too difficult to understand, or to deep. After all, how many people in this entire world, are truly and genuinely from their heart, interested in the genuine love of all humanity?
The Real Pandemic is Failing to Observe the Truth
We have always had a pandemic, but since we are always looking to the external, the outer, we never realize it.