Month: January 2016

The self is a mask without a face,
a beguiling movie set built in the middle of nowhere.

We spend every waking minute and many of the sleeping ones
repairing the cracks and shoring up the supports in the façade.
The self is that fragile. It requires constant maintenance.

When the self loses its power to enchant, the whole of reality reveals its power.
Touched by infinity, nothing is ever the same.
The mask is seen as a mask.
The empty lot behind the false front is revealed.

Only reality is real. The mind game of self-existence is a fake.

No longer living in devotion to the Magic Kingdom of the mind,
now what?

Suddenly a raven announces its presence, calling its way across the sky.

Solitude has a critical role to play in societal transformation.

Our sense of self and our sense of the world are profoundly influenced by the social norms that surround us. We tend to believe what our peers believe and see the world the way our peers see the world. Our worldview is heavily influenced by the messages we absorb every day from our friends, from our co-workers, from cable and internet news, Facebook and Twitter. The devilish part is that we do not even realize how much our sense of self is created by those around us. We merge with the group, while claiming that we are autonomous selves and independent thinkers.

Continue reading “The Hermit”