The one who risks the dive into the unknown abyss has no reason to satisfy the appraisal of the placid onlookers who remain cradled by the worldly merriment of the known realm.
In a practical and tangible world, things are always finite, and the possibilities remain limited by precedence. Imagination is held in check by the tyranny of knowledge. The intellectual authorities who have soaked up the so-called education state the laws to challenge and limit the ingenuity of the intuitive. It’s a tacit conflict that is constant and affects us all; nevertheless, every discussion on the validity of a way of life or an outlook that departs from the norm sides with intellect for fear of banishment from the established social order.
The annals of knowledge are perennially emerging, and its progress is owed to the valorous outcasts who dare to challenge its limits. When you have arrived at the precipice from where going back is no longer an option, as in the case of a dire diagnosis that suggests the life as you knew it once won’t ever return to you, the reasoning mind no longer serves to measure your decisions. The one who risks the dive into the unknown abyss has no reason to satisfy the appraisal of the placid onlookers who remain cradled by the worldly merriment of the known realm.
On the two ends of this spectrum rest science and spirituality opposed as the ends of a twain that refuse to meet and complete the circle of wisdom. Mystical and mysterious are the puzzles of the ethereal and ephemeral essence of the spiritual, forever unfathomable to the one seeking only sensory validation. Astute and resolute are the measures of the dense and relentless presence of the physical, yet this deception remains apparent to the awakened. One is only a reflection of the other. The density of the physical, no matter how finite it is, overpowers the infinite reach of the spirit. In the moment, what is present and can be experienced, measured, and valued as a collective is granted the authority to govern our lives.
We work and toil tirelessly to improve our worth by accumulating material value that extends and surrounds us as our identity in society. Upon close inspection, it is not hard to see that the person is more than the sum of all their physical assets combined. Especially when it concerns matters of the heart, our affections are not offered as commendations for one’s worldly accomplishments. We will still love our children whether or not they are wealthy. When instead, we claim to love someone owing to their position and value in society, our love is aimed at the external factors. Should someone else show greater prospects, the love will transfer undoubtedly. Seeking such affection, admiration, or appreciation is meaningless as it is never meant for us but for the things we have temporary access to. As soon as the material edifice shall vanish so will this pretension.
Deriving a sense of identity or value from one’s appearance and physical stature or abilities will lead to a similar end. Eventually, it is meant to fade away; when it does, what will you identify with? If instead, we focus on developing our nature and define our identity around that central emanation of our essence by training our mind and refining our habits, then regardless of the shifting, external parameters or who or what you may be faced with, your self-image shall remain intact. Your emanation will stay unaffected, and only that which is true shall remain; everything else will dissipate. Once you realize this, you won’t grieve your losses. You won’t chase the unreal either. You will witness only the eternal light and will stop being deceived by the reflections, no matter how dense and real they seem in the immediate. Sometimes you are taken to the edge of life to witness this truth, but don’t wait until then; it might be too late.