On 'Up' from downtown,
The Conversation Continues...
BN.: So, let's talk about Up from downtown. A. H.: Yes, let's! BN.: A friend of mine who is reading it, commented to me, and I agree, that it is layered. A.H.: I did try to go a bit past 'knee deep'. BN.: Is that a qualification of extraordinary storytelling? A.H.: Depends upon the mood of the Muse. BN.: Well, can I take it that in any given passage of your tales in Up from downtown, you may be saying more than one thing? A.H.: Perhaps, or, saying one thing and meaning another, or relating an idea or concept that of its nature is rather, 'weighty', the understanding of which is variable; that is, can be taken in different ways, according to the fluctuating 'state' and semi permanent 'station' inhabited by any given readers nature or natures; meaning, the quality and content of the readers consciousness and/or conscience and/or intellect and/or heart at the time of reading and/or re-reading.
As I duly ought, let me go right ahead and 'fess up here and now, for the record, that although It was my definite intent to introduce the reader to at least one or two rather 'weighty' ideas and concepts here and there in Up from downtown, my qualifications for doing so might be questioned, as I'm rather new at this 'Profession', and can genuinely be considered only a rookie professional liar, storyteller extraordinaire; and, if one or two of the 'weighty' ideas or concepts introduced by me in the relating of the adventures of Jr. Brown causes a reader, because of their 'state' and/or 'station', which is pretty much entirely their own fault, having nothing whatsoever to do with me, personally, even still, if some reader of my tales of One Indelible Jr. Brown finds themselves experiencing minor or major consternation, well, then, regardless of said readers 'state' and/or 'station', I here and now duly and truly: Apologize; for, it may very well be that any consternation experienced by a reader of my tales is entirely my fault for not having a full and thorough enough understanding myself of the 'weighty' idea and/or concept that I attempted to relate; an attempt to relate not in order to give the impression that I have something I don't have, by 'showing off' as many a so called 'literary artist' can earnestly be called out for, but rather because such 'weighty' ideas and/or concepts, really, really intrigue me; and, it is a hope of mine that perhaps some reader of my tales will be intrigued by the 'weighty' idea and/or concept also, and contact me and we can dialogue a bit about said 'weighty' idea and/or concept, and who knows, maybe in the process a clue will arise that leads to a deeper understanding of same 'weighty' idea and/or concept.
BN.: Well, there's a lot to dialogue about in Up from downtown, and I want to start from the very beginning. A.H.: As in from the very first page? BN.: The very first page of the very first tale, I mean, speaking of 'weighty' you introduce some real 'heavyweights' spiritually speaking right away, A.H.: Talkin' 'bout The Buddha and Muhammad and Moses and Christ aaand the One Who is beyond all weights and measure, Our Lord Grandmother God! BN.: What are you saying, I mean why... A.H.: Why did I put Jesus and Moses and Muhammad and Buddha together, in an 'argument' with Grandmother God? BN.: Yea, that's one question, A.H.: Let's start with Grandmother God. No, first, let me say that the inspiration for writing these tales was birthed in me from the influences of a number of sources, one of which is a monumental, and for more than a few considered to be a Sacred Work, which I myself am not sure, but do agree that it is monumental, and truly a work of Art, by the enigmatic G. I. Gurdjieff, titled Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson. And somewhere in the thick and definitely weighty introduction of that literally and literary astounding testament, Mr. Gurdjieff tells of a piece of advice he received when he was but a 'chubby mite' from his Grandmother, upon her deathbed, who sternly advices him, as concerns the living of his life, in so many words, if I remember correctly: 'not to do as others do.' Mr. Gurdjieff goes on to explain that this advice of his Grandmother infused itself, so to speak, into his 'person-hood' shall we say, and was a definite contributing factor to his becoming who he came to be; and from all accounts, who he came to be was really something else! I believe Mr. Gurdjieff relates for us his grandmother's advice to him for the benefit, if we are able to make proper use of it, of our own spiritual development. So, anyway, it was in remembering this certain piece of advice from Mr. Gurdjieff that I found myself inspired to insert 'Grandmother' into the title 'Our Lord God', and which gave for me, and I hope for the reader, an endearing and familial 'flavor' if you will, to Up from downtown, the writing of which is an attempt by me to emphasize and reinvigorate that what has been passed down to us from remote generations concerning the possibility of our experiencing, here on earth, and even forever: a Loving Relationship with the Divine.
BN.: Is a loving relationship with the divine your spiritual way, personally? A.H.: Not personally. 'Personally', i.e. the identification with a certain something called a 'personality', I'm stuck with the rest of us in this relationship? -with the worldly entities, energies and forces. The Relationship with the Divine I speak of is between the Divine and the jiwa, as we say in Subud. This Divine Relationship may be expressed in the world via the personality provided the personality comes under the direction of the Divinely awakened jiwa. But before that comes the jiwa's struggle to wrest free from what constitutes a personality. BN.: What constitutes a personality? A.H.: Well, for me, a personality is constituted of what I call a nexus of worldly desires and aversions; and for the jiwa to become free from such nexus of worldly desires and aversions is... well quite the Herculean task, hint hint. BN.: Hint, hint? A.H.: I'll clue you in later, let's stay with the first page of Up from downtown, BN.: But please explain what a 'jiwa' is. A.H.: Jiwa is a Javanese word that is translated as soul most often. It came from the sanskrit 'jiva' I believe. In words that came to me while writing 'Up' from downtown: jiwa is our essential 'inner-content'; That what we truly are; an 'Individuality' as opposed to a 'personality', and which, according to legend, and my firm belief, amongst other attributes, does not die with the body. BN.: What's the difference between Individuality and personality? A.H.: Because they both 'reside' in one and the same body, one may be easily mistaken for the other, but That what I call Individuality comes from God, and personality comes from the world; is but a side-effect of worldly forces and influences.
So, anyway: in Up from downtown, on the very first page, a dynamic is set up. First is introduced the protagonist, our hero, one indelible Jr. Brown. 'Indelible' meaning 'that what cannot be erased, removed, eliminated, forgotten, or changed', and refers to our essential 'inner-content', our 'Sacred Seed of Individuality' as Willed by the One True God. Indelible is also intended by me to remind of the aspect, if you will, of the Holy Spirit of God, that always has, is, and always will be providing a guiding influence to humanity, from both the life and Life within any given individual and from without via the multitudinous forms of life and Life that include everything from our brother and sister rocks right on up and into the most subtle and spiritual realms beyond our imagination. BN.: I do not find argument with what you just said, but there are many who would and do. You know the ones who'd argue: 'if the the Spirit of God always has, is, and will be providing guiding influence to humanity, why is humanity so f***'ed up? A.H.: True, and I'm sure in our dialogues we'll come to explore various sides of that argument in detail, but let's keep to the beginning of Up from downtown for now.
Following the introduction of the protagonist, or hero, who represents an affirming, or better: aspiring force, comes the antagonist or denying force: that what always arises in opposition to an affirming/aspiring force, and is characterized by 'that ol' Devil'. Then we have introduced the reconciling force, which in this particular dynamic comes from Heaven, sourced, of course, from Our Lord Grandmother God, but enacted at certain times in the first book through Moses, Muhammad and Buddha, and Jesus Christ.
In this 'three way dynamic', I am relating that what was taught by G.I. Gurdjieff as the Law of Three. The Law of Three, many operations of which can be observed in life, states that every manifestation, and in this case a manifestation of what I'll here call a 'Dharmic Individual', is a resultant of the interplay of three forces, each of which have one of the characteristics mentioned above, namely: Affirming, or Positive, force; Negative, or Denying, force; Reconciling, or Neutral, force. There is much that can and perhaps ought (or not,) be said concerning this Law as taught by Gurdieff, and as there are readily available many books by many people who studied under him, as well as his own writings on the subject, I'll not go into further detail from what I myself understand from my own investigations and verifications of the Reality of this Fundamental Cosmic Law. At least not now. Any who find themselves interested and/or intrigued only need, providing they have internet access, and if they are reading this, then of course they do, only need 'google' Gurdjieff and/or Fourth Way, and they are bound sooner or later to come across someone spewing something or other more or less accurate about said Fundamental Cosmic Law: The Law of Three.
BN.: What about Jr. Brown having some "Sun inside"? What's that about? A.H.: Yes, Jr. Brown got himself some Sun inside... Well, the Sun is the 'Life Giver' of our Solar System so to speak, and Jr. Brown having some 'Sun inside' refers to a Life Affirming quality in him. This Life Affirming quality in him is the possibility of growth. Inner growth. The growth of his jiwa. And it is this, as stated in the first page of the first book, that attracts 'that ol' Devil's' attention.
You know, for me, it is interesting when the 'devil' becomes interested in one or another hero of some scriptural parable or mythos. For example, the Devil, in one particular rendering, appears to tempt Christ only after his fasting in the desert, just before he is to begin his ministry, as some call it. Christ's completing of the 40 day fast perhaps symbolizing, at least in my mind, His acceptance, preparation, and initiation into what was to be His Divine Mission. Having been purified, He Receives said Mission from God. And then, the Devil appears. Why not before? And in a legend of the Buddha, Mara, the Great Tempter only becomes interested in Siddhartha after his resolute determination not to move from the root of the Bodhi tree till realizing enlightenment or death take him. Again, why not before? Siddhartha had been seeking enlightenment, and studying with ascetics some time before sitting under the Bodhi tree, why does Mara only appear at the brink of his enlightenment and what was to become his 'mission'? Personally, I don't think the 'devil' or 'tempter' gives a whit about us unless/until we resolutely determine ourselves to know realize Truth/God, and our Purpose as Received by us from Truth/God, which implies we have something 'birthed' or 'awakened' in us that can know realize Truth/God, and that and we are actually on or approaching the threshold of such knowing and realization. I guess what I'm saying is, what is truly valuable in us is our jiwa, our essential 'inner-content', that what can really 'know' God/Truth, and until it is awakened and grows to a certain 'maturity' there is nothing in us worthy of the Devil's time and/or attention; The 'Devil' as regards the 'Tempter'. Of course there is always a resisting and/or antagonistic force which we may feel is quite 'devilish' at work in us and/or upon us, but the idea of the 'Tempter' in relation to a real spiritual calling/awakening/manifesting comes, according to many a legend, at a certain time in our journey or growth. So, the first book, 'Dealings With 'that ol' Devil', concerns a certain stage of spiritual growth. And I guess I should say here that there is an 'otherwise' continuity in the relating of the sequence of events in Up from downtown. That is: the first book in the four book series, is the last book according to Jr. Brown's maturating spiritually. Then, in the books to follow, two, three, and four, we learn of what 'adventures' lead up to the events relating his reaching of spiritual maturity in book one.
BN.: So back to the 'heavyweights, why Moses and Muhammad and Buddha and Christ? A.H.: Ha! I asked that same question when I first received the Contact, that is, when I was made aware of the Reality of God, I asked: 'So if this if the Reality, why the different religions?' or something like that. It was intimated to me that any, every and all differences I concern myself about, are a result of me having a distinguishing and discriminating mind; but with a bit of conscious effort, I could instead of 'taking things apart' which is what a discriminating mind does, I could now use my distinguishing/ discriminating mind to 'put things together'; I could with my conscious mind aided by the Contact I was blessed to Receive, which indeed intimated me to the Reality of the Unity of All in God, find the thread that binds all differences into one; provided I'm not too overwhelmed with any particular desire or aversion of my person-hood and thereby am able to remember in a meaningful way, and/or Receive again, presently, the Contact.
So, for your information and edification, this Contact I speak of, that as I said I am most blessed to Receive, along with- oh I don't know, a whole bunch of folks in just about every country on the globe, really is a Grace from Almighty God, and by which I have no problem at all and even enjoy genuflecting with the Catholics, sitting with the Buddhists, kneeling with the Muslims, arguing with the Jews, -just kidding-, worshiping with my Jewish brothers and sisters, dancing with the devotees of Krishna, etc etc..
Yea so I knew, even when the ideas for the first book of Up from downtown were still turning about in my head, and not yet committed to a final form, that it would include my experience of having got a bit something or other of what proved to be valuable to me in my wish to approach Truth/God, a wish that arose because of said Contact, and that allowed me to begin to understand little by little what is most essential in the teachings attributed to Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam; just to name a few.
BN.: You followed or practiced those religions? A.H.: Well, I was born into a 'christian', that is, a church going family, at least on my mother's side. On my father's side, there were a few bibles in grandparents house, but church was a rarity. And our household too had a bible or two. Church attendance, perhaps to my later advantage, was rare. Only much much later, well into 'responsible adulthood', after I Received That what Opened my jiwa, did I begin to search and to study about 'spiritual stuff', and as a result of what was Intimated to me when my jiwa was awakened, I did not limit my search and study to one religion but became intrigued by any and everything that could make a claim to being 'spiritual'. BN.: But if you had or have this Contact, why did you need to study? A.H.: Good question! Well in the beginning, no pun intended, my Receiving of the Contact was spread out. I would Receive greater or lesser experiences of the Contact with the Reality sporadically, and indeed so much time would flow by between Contacts that I'd often forget I'd had them... well not quite forget, but you know the impressions of the Contact would become drowned out by demands of ordinary life upon my personality; which because of these 'demands' is always hankering after something or other; or trying to get me the hell away from something other; and/or sometimes even hankering after the very something or other it was just trying to get me the hell away from!
Anyway, at the time my jiwa was awakened, I knew without doubt that: "Oh my God, there really is a God!!" And I know as a result that That what I experienced is everyone's God, that is: God is God of all and every religion. Names and Rites and Rituals, are just that, names and rites and rituals. But my 'knowing' did not constitute full understanding, for my head anyway, hence my at times fervent, and admittedly at times lackadaisical search and study through many religions and spiritual practices to help me understand what it was that had happened to me; and find out how to 'get It to happen again'!
You know, being awakened to the Presence of the Greatness and Wonder of God, which absolves all fears, desires and confused anxieties, and infuses one with worship and praise of the Divine, contentment, peace and bliss, love and kindness and compassion and the like, was really nice; to put it mildly! Ah- to be so wonderfully un-self-concerned, except to Receive that what God has for me, and what of itself harmonizes me with the whole eternal and temporal entirety. No such thing as an enemy, and even the mosquitoes and rocks become my brothers and friends!
How fortunate I am to have found Subud! I now understand what the Contact I Received is, and can get a bit of that bliss twice at least week! BN.: Subud? A.H.: Subud is a brother/sister-hood, of brothers and sisters who Worship the One True God Almighty, initiated, so to speak, by God Almighty through a Contact we call Latihan Kedjiwaan, brought into the world via Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo, an Indonesian man of exceptional quality and purity of being, and who has since 'moved on' and now resides I speculate in the True Human World, or maybe a World even Higher. It's the Spiritual Association I and the folks all around the world I mentioned before belong to. We support and facilitate one another in Receiving what I called Contact, and is called in Subud: Latihan Kedjiwaan, and also facilitating and supporting in varied ways charitable assistance to our fellow earthlings in need, be they mineral or vegetable or animal or of the at times quite daunting and challenging to assist two-legged variety.
And, you definitely ought know, for it relates, in its way, to the companionship expressed in 'Up' from downtown between The Buddha, and Moses, and Muhammad, and Jesus Christ, that these Subud brothers and sisters of mine, who reside in various countries around the world, are Buddhists and Jewish, and Muslim and Christian and other religions and non-religions as well.
Subud is not itself a religion, or method or teaching, and anyone who has a sincere wish to Worship Our One True God Almighty, or wish sincerely to Receive the Contact that will give them proof of the reality of God, may become and indeed will be welcomed into our brother/sister-hood, without need to change their religious customs, nor is it advised they do so. On the contrary it is recommended they retain and remain active members of their various ways of Faith. I'll be glad to tell you more, but for now let's get back to Up from downtown.
(If, dear readers, you can't wait to learn more about Subud, click Here.)
BN.: Well, what about the otherwise continuity of the books in 'Up' from downtown? Why is it otherwise? A.H.: I could say I was just following 'orders', or perhaps 'suggested direction' is a fitting way to put it, from what some call 'The Muse'. Anyhow, I did not know as I was writing exactly why, except that I was following the advice of Mr. Gurdjieff's Grandma. But once I finished the series many things about the process showed themselves to me as 'Of course! It's like this because it is just so!' The series of tales follows Jr. Brown's Spiritual Progression, which is based for the most part on my own experience and studies. BN.: How so? A.H.: After the Opening I spoke about, I did lot's of reading and studying, which resulted in me trying to wrestle with the Devil, so to speak, right away; without going through the preparatory therefore most necessary Initiations. BN.: Initiations? A.H.: As in the series of tales titled Initiations in Up from downtown, that relate Jr. Brown coming to understand the folly of himself in relation to his life. An understanding that allows or enables him to accept the surrender that results in his Receiving That what is necessary to realize success in his Spiritual Adventure. Such an understanding that can come as a result, at least in my own personal experience, from the consumption of more than a few slices of humble pie, yumm!
So, the otherwise continuity mirrors, in one way, how an aspirant readily receives news of the rewards of Spiritual Attainment, yet is not only ignorant of what has to be gone through to realize said rewards, but also and more important to know, ignorant of the reluctance and even resistance, in themselves, to go through what must be gone through to truly have something of Significance happen from what can be Received Spiritually.
In another way, the otherwise continuity is likened, in a simple way, to a labyrinth. I don't wish and am not going to say anything more about how so, except that if you want to know more about what I might mean, you'll have to find yourself a labyrinth and negotiate/experience its turns to see/know for yourself what I might mean.
BN.: What about the three special favors? Why has Jr. Brown more than Moses, Christ, Muhammad and the Buddha? You're not saying he is greater than they are you? A.H.: No, not at all. I just needed to set up some provocative drama to hook ya! But really, truly, the important things to know is how he received the special favors; a result of him opening his heart to Receive Grandmother God. And to know of the 'Certain Loyal Something' that makes Jr. Brown aware of the opportunity to open his heart to Grandmother God. And also, most importantly to know that in these extraordinary difficult and challenging times, when humanity has strayed so far from God's Truth, that God has made available for us extra assistance via the aforementioned Latihan Kedjiwaan. In other words, Jr. Brown, (us) gets three special favors because he (us) in this day and age needs at least three times more assistance than the contemporaries of Moses or Buddha or Jesus or Muhammad needed in their day and age to Receive/Realize the Truth conveyed by those ‘heavyweights’.
BN.: Tell me more about the 'Certain Loyal Something'; -what is it? A.H.: The phrase 'Certain Loyal Something' I use as a clue, and refers to that Real Something in us that is usually called by another name; but to avoid whatever automatic mental associations sure to arise in a reader if I used the known and familiar name for the Real Something that 'Certain Loyal Something' refers to, I wished to use a new and unfamiliar phrase, so that perhaps a more important what I'll call 'feeling-sense' might spontaneously arise in the reader in response to their wondering: 'What the heck is a Certain Loyal Something?' -from their very own 'Certain Loyal Something'! BN.: Why avoid automatic mental associations? A.H.: Because knowing, in a mental association is not really knowing, and can and does distract distort and/or even prevent 'real-time' experience which is the way anything is truly known; and it is the 'real-time' experience of the 'Certain Loyal Something' in us that we need. BN.: Need? A.H.: Most definitely; at least those of us who wish to become truly human. Stretching upon tip-toe to reach a bit of knowledge beyond my present 'station' I'll venture to say that the 'Certain Loyal Something' is a medium, if you will, via which our jiwa, or even something higher, can get a bit of our attention. BN.: Truly human... are you implying we aren't truly human without 'A Certain Loyal Something'? A.H.: To cop an attitude of Jr. Brown: I'm not implying nuthin'; I'm sayin' straight up: no 'Certain Loyal Something', no chance of a truly human being coming to be. I'm sayin': If we want to be a true human being, as all scripture, in every religion exhorts us to be, we gotta know that first it's God that makes a true human being, and second, if there is no 'Certain Loyal Something' in us, God is going to have to put one in us, and we willy-nilly have to accept it! BN.: How do we accept it? A.H.: The only way I know is by some more than minor measure of surrender; which is and isn't as simple as it sounds!
BN.: I want now to hear what you have to say about Jr. Brown's Receiving of the three Special Favors. First, why three Special Favors? A.H.: Because three is a magic number. BN.: No reference to the Law of Three you mentioned? A.H.: Well, yea, kinda sorta. The Reality behind, so to speak, the Law of Three is what makes it a 'magic number'. BN.: Yea, I suppose it must be. Now that I think about it, the three wish motif is well known and used in many tale telling circles. A.H.: Yep. What do you think about how Jr. Brown Receives the Favors? BN.: Well first there's Grandmother God squeezing Her eternal entirety into Jr. Brown's heart, A.H.: Yea, that can raise an interesting, for me at least, question, BN.: Which is? A.H.: Which is what is it to Receive the Power of God or Spirit of God, and to what degree? I remember reading some dudes writings, I think it may have been J. G Bennett, who speculated that if God is indivisible, and cannot be added to or taken from, that a 'piece' or 'portion' of God would have some how be the whole of God, though of course the Whole of God is utterly unknowable and non-conceivable therefore impossible for us or for any created entity, having the wondrous blessing of Receiving a 'piece' or 'portion' of God's Power or Spirit, to at the same time by that Receiving know the whole of God. Well, anyway, such was Mr. Bennetts thoughts at the time he thought them and my speculation on his thoughts, but it would be most appropriate if I quote here what Pak Subuh's words are on the subject:
...Brothers and sisters, as you yourselves are already able to realize, the latihan that you have received and are practicing is a vibration of the life feeling which enables you to move and which eventually becomes known as the latihan kedjiwaan. In reality, the opening means that the door of your inner self has been opened.
We have been told by the men who have received revelation from God - both by what is written in books and by word of mouth - that God, or the Power of God, accompanies, or is caused to accompany, everything he has created.
God's power in your self:
Clearly then, this has been embodied (or in Javanese didjumenengi - enthroned ) in yourselves by the Power of the One God. Of course the Power of God embodied in your selves is not the whole Power of God, no. It is specifically what is appropriate to you, which means adjusted to the weight, the breadth, of your inner self. It is not that if the Power of God is enthroned within you, if the Power of God is embodied in you, you are then like the Lord Allah, like God; no.
The Power of God encompasses the whole universe and all that it contains. We express it thus: that clearly the Power of God is All-Embracing. So it plainly does not mean that when you have the Power of God embodied in you, you are then like Almighty God. No; you are like yourselves. Only, because you have been able to receive what the Power of God embodied in your inner selves is like, you can feel that by that path alone will you be able eventually to return to Almighty God.
~
For me, I guess I can say that what is being conveyed by Grandmother God squeezing Her eternal entirety into Jr. Brown's heart, is the completeness of Jr. Brown's Faith and Trust and Surrender and Submission to his Maker. BN.: Which, as you said, is not so easy, but it seems easy for Jr. Brown, A.H.: True, at that point of the Space-Time Continuum to which the scene refers. But remember the 'other-wise' continuity; we learn later in the 'books' that follow that there was more than a bit of minor and major personal 'dis-comforts' resulting in some pertinent personal 'discoveries' about himself, and his relation with life and Life that Jr. Brown had duly to experience before making his Surrender seem so easy as to simply say, 'Here, Lord Grandmother, hide in my heart!'
You know, now I feel maybe we ought follow the 'other-wise' continuity of 'Up' from downtown, and thereby follow Jr. Brown's growth in that 'Up' direction. BN.: Mmm, okay, but first, one more question about Jr. Brown's Receiving of the Favors, A.H.: Yes, come with it then. BN.: There's those friends of Grandmother God, I mean, Grandmother God hides in Jr. Brown's heart so she won't be found... A.H.: Why is She 'hiding'? BN.: Yea, for one. And for another the fact that Her friends, who are seeking Her, can't see that She's in Jr. Brown's heart... A.H.: Well the history of the lives of the Messengers and Prophets and Saints/Lovers of God and therefore humanity, those who Receive the Contact, if you will, with the Power or Spirit of God, and how more than a few self-professed, and communally backed, 'important' members of 'society' reacted to the various Acts of said Messengers, Prophets and Saints/Lovers of God and Humanity, has shown that to pretty much always be the case, yea? –that the reality of the Spirit of God in someone is not necessarily perceived by someone else. I'm giving a warning, you know, BN.: A warning? A.H.: Yes. That same history I just mentioned, shows that very often the persecutors of folk chosen by God to aid us, are 'bona-fide' representatives of one or another religious establishment! So the waring is: being a 'bona-fide' 'representative' of any particular religious establishment does not, at all, mean that one has any sort of 'clue'. Now, having said that, let me also say: such a 'clue' is, I duly believe, readily available, and is not necessarily tied to one's being a 'representative', 'bona-fide' or not, of any particular religious establishment; It is, in my experience, due entirely to the Will of the Divine, or what some term Dharma, and one's sincere receptivity and subsequent Surrender to Dharma, or Divine Will. BN.: And you aren't, in their inability to see Grandmother God, saying anything about any particular religion? A.H.: No! I present Grandmother God's seeking friends as minor caricatures, but nonetheless: very representative, of a few folks I actually met and who assumed for some reason, perhaps because I was 'different' than their expected/accepted stereotypes, that I had no spirituality at all, and was in dire need of 'saving'; of course only by becoming a 'bona-fide' 'representative' of their particular religious establishment; which was, according to their belief and supposedly to my 'luck', if I only had sense enough to heed them, the only religious establishment through which I could be 'saved'.
As for why Our Lord Grandmother God is hiding from her 'friends' who are seeking but haven't yet a 'clue', She Herself explains in that very scene doesn't She? Patience, is a most necessary virtue for all so called seekers of God; as all who have found/received a bit of something of the truth of the Power or Spirit of God tell us, and my own experience bears witness to. BN.: You have found/received something of God? Through the Contact you mentioned? A.H.: Yes, and 'Up' from downtown is in part 'biographical'; that is coming from personal experience. BN.: Only part? A.H.: Only part, about a third. One third personal experience, one third from the teachings/recommendations of some of the spiritual paths I've explored a bit, and a third 'channeled' we can say, maybe, or as we in Subud say, 'Received'. And as for which part is which, I'm not going to say. BN.: Why not? A.H.: Ha! I'm not sure I myself understand! Besides: it's not so important; the readers own experience of their search and growth is what is, or should be, to them, important; and too much of too specific mentionings about me and my experience may likely distract, and even be deceptive. BN.: How so? A.H.: Well perhaps my experience has in a general sense some similarities to what others have/will experience, but at the same time, each persons seeking and spiritual growth will be utterly unique; not only to what they learn/receive, but also when and how they learn/receive it. But we can speak of certain 'sign posts' that appear more or less for everyone along the general Way towards Truth, and 'Up' from downtown attempts to do that, at least for certain 'types', but mostly I feel it's for reminding/inspiration to those same 'types'; and other 'types' too, if their 'type' allows them to take in the reminding/inspiration.
Ready to shift to the 'other-wise' direction? BN.: Yes. Meaning we go to the third book? A.H.: Yes, Foundations.
So, let me say that one of the purposes of 'Up' from downtown is to introduce/expose a certain reader to certain ideas I've come to see as important to understand in the process of spiritual growth, and the third book, Foundations, introduces those ideas that are just that, foundational; beginning with the important idea of what I termed dis-comforting 'un-preditabilities', and by which I am referring in part to the Buddha's Teaching of the First Noble Truth of the Existence of Suffering. The inevitability of suffering must be contemplated, and, any serious spiritual aspirant has to come to grips with and ultimately find their peace with this truth. The fact that we will suffer is Lawful and thereby 'predictable', though how and when suffering will be delivered to us and in what form is for the most part 'un-predictable'.
Dis-comforting events, as I said are Lawful, and the suffering I experience from the occurrence of the many and varied causes, major and minor, are also Lawful. I have to accept this. It would be shameful of me to blame/complain to God because something or other happened to me that I would have happen otherwise.
On the Lawfulness of suffering, it has been my observation that I've a tendency to 'add salt' to my wounds when something untoward happens to me by 'parking' myself in the 'neighborhood of self-pity'; confused by the belief that insists: 'bad things aren't supposed to happen. Not to me anyway!' -that in turn is cultivated by unrealistic expectations, that in turn arise from ignorance of what Life and life on this planet are really about. BN.: What are Life and life really about? A.H.: That is for each and everyone of us who are spiritually seeking/aspiring to ponder and contemplate. I don't want to give answers, I don't have them anyway, I mean I have opinions theories and beliefs like everyone else, but theories opinions and beliefs aren't answers and shouldn't be taken as such; even when 'corroborated' by some piece of religious scripture out there somewhere. There is Reason and Meaning given throughout 'Up' from downtown, and hopefully 'Up' from downtown inspires/supports a God-self-verifying- search for such Reason and Meaning. It is my wish to get intimate with the question of it all. I hope the ideas introduced in 'Up' from downtown inspires a spiritually aspiring reader to get intimate with the question of it all. By which I mean come to a certain state of experience. I'm referring to a state when I say: 'intimate with the question of it all'; a state of Receptivity. A state of being open to God or Heaven if you will; for any answer to the 'question of it all' is beyond our mortal ways of understanding, meaning our thinking and feeling, which are utterly world oriented; and as the 'question of it all' goes way beyond our world, so to speak, the 'answers' have got to come to us from beyond us, from God or Heaven. When the folks of the world, enough of them anyway, turn to Heaven for the 'answer' or 'answers', there may well be more than one, to the 'question of it all', if and as we are able to Receive the Reality of such ‘answer’ or ‘answers’, we're going to find ourselves in wordless understanding and agreement, and overflowing with Acts of peace and love and harmony with one another, despite our outwardly perceived and expressed individual, personal, cultural, political, religious differences. -Because Truth/God is God/Truth of all, and Heaven is Heaven for us all. From such Receiving, a real and sustainable 'Pursuit of Happiness', for lack of a better term will be possible. Something that turning to and relying on our own human 'ingenuity', no matter how 'altruistic' and 'heartfelt' it may be, to accomplish has always and will always utterly fail to realize; for our human 'ingenuity', coming from our 'thinking' and 'feeling', as I said, is totally under the sway of the worldly, or lower forces. BN.: Lower forces? A.H.: You know, those lawful and natural forces that if not harmonized and kept 'in check' in us, mutate into the negative traits of greed anger and lust to name a few, preventing even unconsciously any real ‘pursuit of happiness’ that doesn’t include our: ‘being first’ and ‘on top’ and ‘degrade and destroy any and all who might be perceived as a threat to our being first and on top’.
Yes, individual and communal harmony has got to come to us by way of what can be Received by us, individually and communally from Heaven. Oops that sounds like an answer, doesn't it? BN.: Yea, it does, A.H.: Well, I couldn't help it, it is a very strong opinion/belief of mine, backed up by personal experience. But as it has been recommended by 'those in the Know', I hereby remind our readers, that one must always verify answers for one's self, via Direct Experience and never take 'answers' on ‘blind faith’; unless of course such ‘blind faith’ is bestowed by Our All-Seeing Creator the One True God Almighty.
So, the first foundational idea related in the third book of 'Up' from downtown, is the Acceptance of the Truth of the Existence of Suffering. And there is hinted to the reader to be realistic with one's expectations; offered as a buffer of sorts to mitigate the 'dis-comfort' of those damn dis-comforting major and minor 'un-predictabilities'.
BN.: What about what you say concerning us 'trouble-making' souls? You refer to our planet as a 'prison'. What's that about? A.H.: For one, I am reminding the reader that why we are here is not really known. I'm challenging, in my playful yet dramatic fashion, the beliefs and concepts any given reader may have concerning 'the question of it all' by posing a possible and plausible unflattering reason for us 'trouble-making' souls to be here on earth. Possible and plausible for there does happen to be a whole lotta trouble-making going on on this planet, hmmm?. Secondly, the idea is not farfetched according to some religions. In Hindu and Buddhist thought, the world most of us are so enamored of is a place of incessant suffering through the round of birth and death, separated by ignorant pleasure seeking, followed all too soon by eventual and inevitable sickness an old age not to mention death. This idea took quite a while to 'sink in' to me, for as a 'connoisseur' of pleasure, I myself was quite smitten with this planet i.e. the world i.e. bodily existence. I suppose experiencing my due share of sicknesses and having just surpassed the mid-point of average 'life-expectancy', that is, I can now actually see my eventual and inevitable old age waving hello at me, I can truthfully say I'm no longer quite so 'smitten'. Anyway, these Buddhists and Hindus have a belief in what is called 're-incarnation', where if one insists on 'trouble-making' one finds oneself being born, and getting sick, and growing feeble and old, over and over and over ad infinitum; that sounds kinda sorta hellish, ya think? -and these same Hindus and Buddhist hint of the 'trans-migration' of a 'no-longer-trouble-making-something-or-other, like a 'parolee' perhaps, to someplace or other where this no-longer-trouble-making-something-or-other needn't be subjected to birth, sickness, old age, and death. Therefore say these beloved Hindus and Buddhists: BE GOOD TO YOUR NEIGHBOR! -ENEMIES TO BE DULY INCLUDED!
Anyway, the next foundational idea is presented with the introduction of Gran'ma Brown. BN.: Who don't take no shit. A.H.: Not from herself or any one else! The foundational idea being related is sincerity. Not lying to oneself. Very very important to accept the truth of ones manifestations, even and especially one's 'unsightly', 'unpleasant', 'uncool', 'unflattering', 'un-kosher', etc. etc. manifestations. Every person who took their spiritual growth seriously, that I have ever met, that is: every serious 'Sufi', 'Buddhist', 'Christian', 'Muslim', 'Jew', 'Hindu', 'Shaman', I've had the pleasure of conversing on serious spiritual matters with have stressed the importance of having a valid and working self-knowledge and understanding, and without self-sincerity any self-knowledge and understanding one thinks and/or feels one has is invalid. Duh.
So our 'shit' has to be 'pointed out' to us, by ourselves, verified by another, and/or by another, verified by ourselves. Somehow we've got to get some sort of clue about what in/about us needs attention and 'work'; for if we obviously are not 'there', we cannot 'get there' by remaining 'as we are', which for some 'strange reason' is not so obvious. BN.: Meaning? A.H.: Meaning what I said: 'as we are', for some 'strange reason', it is not so obvious there is that in us what needs quite a bit of 'building up', as well as that in us what needs to be 'taken down' a notch or two or three or four; or perhaps surrendered all together. The 'books' Initiations are about dealing with that. But let's keep with Foundations.
Another important foundational idea, related in the personages of Jr. Brown's Grandparents, is respect for one's 'elders' i.e. one's 'Teachers', within and without, shown by Jr. Brown loving to hangout with his Grandparents even over hanging out with his friends for 'candy' and 'play', and where he enjoyed listening, though at his young age he rarely understood, to his Grandparents conversations. And that is how it is, yes? -I mean we may listen and hear, but often it's not till after much life-experience that we begin to be able to say to ourselves: 'Oh, now I see what Grandpa, (Mom, Uncle, Guru, Scripture etc.) was trying to tell me!' We ought respect respectable teachings even if at first we don't quite understand. BN.: How does one know a teaching is respectable? A.H.: Ha! You're asking me?! All I can say is hopefully we have operating in us a Certain Loyal Something!
Ray-Ray's 'hard head' is the next very important foundational idea related to the presumably spiritual questing reader. BN.: I want to hear this. I wondered if there was something significant about Ray-Ray using his head, literally, to get apples for his grandmother. A.H.: I am conveying through Ray-Ray careening head first into the trunk of the apple tree to knock down a few more ripe apples, that in this 'business' of spiritual awakening, surrendering, striving, growth, whatever you want to call it, one must commit the whole of oneself. For such a serious endeavor, the success of which makes the difference between Life and life and death all over again, half-steps and half-measures just won't do. We must give/surrender our all.
The foundational idea that follows is in the relating of the origin of those rocking chairs of Gran'ma and Gran'pa Brown, and which is basically saying: we are mirrors of one another, in more ways than one. BN.: What are some of the ways we mirror one another? A.H.: Keeping to the origin of the rocking chairs, one way we mirror one another is in our self-interest. Both partners are looking out for number one. Great and not so great disagreements always arise at some time or other in relationships, and whether or not these disagreements damage the relationship depends on how flexible, or not our self-interest is. When we're not so flexible, and our self-interest is threatened by some sort of misunderstanding resulting in a disagreement, we find ourselves 'taking an entrenched position', represented by the respective crafting of the rocking chairs by Jr. Brown's grandparents. In such a state, one or all participants in the strained relationship are as deaf, dumb and blind to one another. We mirror one another in our inability to hear, to speak, to see the other. Also, self-interest prevents me not only from seeing my partner, 'the other', but also from seeing myself! If I am absolutely and always 'right', I'm definitely not seeing myself! And of course my partner may mirror this also. Such a situation is guaranteed to bring a relationship to an end sooner or later; -unless, as Jr. Brown's grandparents, one recognizes oneself in the 'other' and the other in 'oneself'. And that's the other way we can mirror one another, in that way that dissolves fear and enmity and catalyses reconciliation. BN.: I'm thinking of the Indian saying, and I think its in the Gospels too, 'Thou art That'. A.H.: Yes, exactly. That's what I want to convey/remind the spiritually questing reader.
The next foundational idea has to do partly with loss and gain. Giving up or letting go as a prerequisite for Receiving something from Heaven, if you will. BN.: You mean Jr. Brown losing one button and finding another, A.H.: Yes. How loss becomes a gain. I remembered a tale by Rumi in which there is relating the Prophet Muhammad being called by God to prayer, and he goes to do ablution in a river, and an eagle or some big bird comes and snatches up his boot from the river bank, and Muhammad curses at the bird for taking his boot, but then the bird turns the boot over in its grip and out falls a poisonous viper. Muhammad duly begs forgiveness. What he thought was misfortune turns out to be a very fortunate occurrence. This story of Rumi is made all the more poignant considering the possible symbolism of 'boot' and 'viper' and 'bird'. BN.: Which is? A.H.: Which I'll save for later. -Or sooner. Depends on the flow.
So, also, contained in the relating of the button for a button episode is the foundational idea of preparation; the preparing of something to be able to Receive. I mean, to use the analogy of a vessel, it of course has to be empty in order to Receive, but also there has to be a vessel to be empty! In this same episode we learn of Jr. Brown's special 'shirt' of a certain kind, and which represents an 'education' of sorts; better to say development, I think, outer development, his what can be called 'valid-personality', and the importance of having an outer development that does not impede and is even conducive to a more important inner development. Though the 'shirt' is his favorite, as it should for a time be, it has real importance only so far as something can be taken in by it for the assistance of inner development; the development of a soul, or 'jiwa'; and maybe something dear and deemed reasonably necessary to this most favorite 'shirt', i.e. that button, must be 'let go', so something for the inner growth can be Received. And indeed, as the swooping eagle in Rumi's story graced, we might say, Muhammad by not letting him have a choice in the matter of letting go of his most likely duly deemed necessary boot, so is Jr. Brown graced by not having a choice of losing that button, BN.: Explain, please, what you mean by graced with not having a choice. A.H.: If one is not yet strong enough, so to speak, to override a, let's say personal inclination that isn't conducive to ones Receiving, is it not an act of Grace, if ones personal inclination is made mute, so to speak, because a circumstance makes one helpless, and in that helpless state one has no choice, and can only Receive what Heaven has for one? Muhammad may not at that particular moment of his development, 'let go' of that boot, so an eagle does the 'letting go' for him; And Jr. Brown's 'letting go' is taken care of by that big black raven. BN.: Yea, I get it.
A.H.: So now this 'shirt' of Jr. Brown's is only of relative importance, and the qualities of this 'shirt' are those qualities recommended by many a guide, guru, spiritual teacher, and I quote nearly exactly as put by Gurdjieff from "Meetings with Remarkable Men" his version of those recommendations, and I think that part of the book explains itself. But I want to explain what I mean by relative importance. This 'shirt' as I said, represents Jr. Brown's 'valid-personality', and includes and is limited to all functioning of his heart and mind and body. Now, bodies are temporary, so any and all functionings connected to it, such as hearts and minds, die when the body dies. Or so Bapak says, and I for now believe. So since a 'valid-personality' dies when the body dies, or soon enough thereafter, its importance can only be relative. Though we duly ought cultivate a rich ‘valid-personality’, it must be remembered this is only inasmuch as such cultivation is in support of growth and development of that what does not die with the body, our 'essential-inner-content', or 'soul', or 'jiwa'; the development of which is of its own God given inward capacity and the outward circumstances provided by God's Providence; so, it has been advised that one watch out for, and temper, ones 'righteous ambition' so to speak, that desire in us to go 'faster than God'; which such rich ‘valid-personalities’ are prone to have and try to do, which only can culminate in a ‘fancier’ and ‘fancier’ ‘shirt’, at the expense of the growth of what our ‘shirts’ are meant to contain; our ‘essential-inner-content’.
The development of a rich personality does not equal the development of a 'fruit bearing soul', and may even spoil the development of such 'soul-fruit'. Ours is the cultivation of a personality, God's is the cultivation of a soul. Our personality, that is, our body and heart and mind and the habits thereof, is like unto a field, our soul a seed, and God provides the rain and all important sun. We duly must take care of the field and keep the weeds at bay, but it is by God's Power and Grace alone, that seeds sprout and grow and come to bear fruit. Let us remember, that what can be learned and developed by the heart, mind and body are relative, changing, temporary, just like the things of the world, for the heart mind and body are instruments of and for the world; that what can be Received and developed by the soul is abiding, constant, for such are qualities of Heaven, and the soul is our, or perhaps I ought say God’s instrument of and for Heaven. BN.: There spontaneously arises in me the remembrance of the Lord's Prayer, 'Thy Will Be Done On Earth As In Heaven', A.H.: Interesting. Why do you think God's Will being done on Earth has to be prayed for? BN.: I don't know, A.H.: Yes you do! BN.: Well... 'cause it's like you say, my concerns are based on my heart mind and body, on worldly things, A.H.: As they should be, yea? BN.: Yea, A.H.: Yea, 'cause we got to make a living, feed, clothe and protect ourselves, express ourselves. It is right for us to pursue personal happiness right? BN.: Yes, but, A.H.: But what? BN.: But at what price? Like you said the lower forces tend to greed anger and lust... A.H.: Yes, some mitigation is necessary, I mean, what about other people and their pursuit of happiness, right? The first rule of worldly life seems to be like we said before, 'me first!' –which is translated from an instinct of personal survival. Let's diverge a bit from 'Up from downtown' for a moment and examine the condition of the world and ourselves, from an understanding I have due in part to a perspective of our existence related by Pak Subuh who like I said, I believe to be a genuine messenger of God; but of course what I say ought and must be verified. I do not here claim it to be the Truth, though from my study and observations and experiences thus far, I myself have come to take it to be true.
From The Creator: Life. Life is Existence; Existence is Life. There are seven vibrations of Life. Seven Levels or Worlds or Heavens of Life. Seven Circles of Life; of Existence. The Seven Circles are outside of us and as we are human beings, also within us. There are lesser Circles and greater Circles. The greater Circles contain the lesser. At the level we are, the ordinary human, we are the greatest of the lesser Circles. We are of the fourth Circle. There are Three Circles greater. So there are four circles or vibrations of Life that are lower, and three circles or vibrations of Life that are higher. Of the lower vibrations of Life, the lesser Circles, the lowest is the material; the Circle of the material energies. The Mineral World is the first Circle. The Circle of the material energies blends into the second Circle which is the Plant World. The Circle of the life of plants; the vegetable energies. The Circle of the vegetable energies blends into the third Circle of the Life, which is the life of animals; the Animal World. The animal energies blend into the fourth Circle of Life, the life of human beings; of ordinary human beings, of us.
Of the three greater Circles we can speak only of one, the next higher level, The Circle of the True Human; The True Human World, what I like to call the World of Saints, which for me means the world where the Love of God rules rather than the love of self, and which is not on this planet, the Love of God that is, except through the life of one whose spiritual growth has come to be able to contain such Vibration of Life I am calling the Love of God.
According to Pak Subuh, and various seers of various peoples and spiritual traditions, the True Human World is the next Circle greater than ours to which we ‘go after death’, provided the necessary conditions are met. That is to say: ‘it has successfully been brought about in one the Life of a ‘fruit-bearing-soul'. It can and has happened, rarely, that a person becomes of the Circle of True Human and even of the Greater Circles, before death of the earth-body. Such persons are known as "Messengers", 'Prophets", "Saints", "Sages". And it is from the lives of such persons that we have an outward evidence that there are greater Worlds, Circles to which we can and ought aspire; as it is our destiny, our Dharma, the Reason of our existence, The Will of our Creator, the meaning of our Life within life, having been born a human being, to do so.
Those persons who are called "saints" or "sages" or "bodhisattvas" by some, are True Human Beings. The rest of us are not yet True Human Beings; just 'ordinary humans'. Although, really, the True Human Beings are ordinary, and the rest of us are below what ought be for a human being, ordinary: -Upon a crowded sidewalk, a boy noticed a person had unawares dropped some money; a bill of a large denomination. The boy picked it up and returned it to the person who had dropped it, and hurried upon his way before the grateful one who had dropped the money could finish his thank you. An ordinary human act by the boy. However the people who crowded this sidewalk and who witnessed what had occurred, thought and felt this act to be very extra-ordinary! Oh how they murmured and commented to one another, looking at the boy as if he were from another planet, while feeling ashamed even while inwardly wishing that if it had been them who picked up a bill of such a large denomination, they'd've stealthily done what any 'ordinary' human being would do, and that is right away stuffed the money in their own purse or pocket!-
So, we are advised to pray for God's Will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. We can take Heaven as being for us 'ordinary', that is ‘earth-bound’ humans, the Circle of True Human Being, the fifth Circle that is the first of the greater Circles. The World of Virtue we may call it, and it is the influence of the True Human energies from this World, this fifth Circle, that generates the ‘extraordinary’ acts such as that of the boy of the story just related is meant to symbolize: The Ability to act from non-self-interest. Now, why would such an ordinary human act be seen as extraordinary? By what influence would a person feel pocketing the found money the 'right thing to do’? Such influences come from the lesser Circles. And naturally so. The influences of the lesser Circles are natural; are lawful. They are the results of the forces that determine the Material World, the Vegetable World, the Animal World, and the World of the 'ordinary' human. These are the Worlds where ‘dying’ happens, and therefore gives rise to the desire of ‘look-out-for-number-one-cause-one’s- number-is-limited!
It is important to know how these lower World forces influence us. These Worlds are within us. We are of the material, plant, animal, energies, and of that what is higher also. A spiritual life includes the awareness and questioning of how is it that in the average case, that in you and me, we would feel a ‘pull’ in both directions? To return the money, or to keep it for ourselves? –are we aware of our inner-content? What does choice really mean, what is the true significance of being able, in a position, to choose? A spiritual life includes the right balancing, harmonization of the forces, the influences, the energies of our inner-content that results in our becoming Truly Human. But are we duly aware of the lower, lawful, forces in us? It can be recognized what Worldly influence is strongest in us at any particular moment, by our valuation of the moment: Why would I pocket the found money? -If I valued material energies over all else, expressed and experienced in the worshipful slavish possession of a material object, I pocket the money as a means of being able to achieve such material possession to worship. I experience self-value from the possession of the material object the money would allow me to buy. -If I value the plant or vegetable energies over all else, I worship life; MY LIFE ONLY, and I pocket the money as a means to enhance my life, through some enjoyment of food or drink or some such thing; think of how a vine or tree must 'grab' as much space and sun and water as it can for itself, for its own survival, choking and overshadowing other plants out of existence, less it be choked or stunted in the shadow of a faster growing vine or tree. In the competition for sun, for water, plants aren't 'against one another', rather plants are simply 'for themselves'. The life in a plant is 'aware of’ ‘sensitive of’ only itself and its needs, and cannot be 'aware' or ‘sensitive’ of the life and needs of life in other plants or life forms. -If I value the animal energies over all else, I’m aware of the other, but due to the material and plant energies in me, the other is to be competed against, to be feared or to take advantage of. There can be and is some non-competitive consideration of an other with what arises from the animal energies, but it is very limited. -If I am of the ‘ordinary’ human energies, I pocket the money perhaps or perhaps I don’t. I will have a struggle over it. A hallmark of being human is an urge to 'do the right thing', but what I do, how I judge what is 'right', depends on what particular content, what influence from what Circle in me is dominant at the moment; and what influence of what Circle in me is dominant, is not at all constant. The forces and energies in me are constantly waxing and waning. A spiritual life includes gaining some stability in one’s inner-content. Now I must duly say: if I return the money, it doesn’t mean I’m under the influence of the True Human world, the Circle of Heaven, for I could return the money to ‘gain points’ couldn’t I? –to be seen by others in a certain ego-pleasing light yes? Perhaps the boy in the story only wanted to be thought well of and to be liked and loved by his peers… such would be a ‘generous’ and ‘considerate’ act for quite selfish reasons, very indicative of ‘ordinary’ human acts and behaviors; but the boy in our story ‘ran away before any thanks could be given’ indicating perhaps he had no selfish motive, and was truly under the influence of, guided by, the higher Circle. Which is a way one can tell if one’s behavior is of the ‘ordinary’ human Circle from which can arise acts that are helpful to others in a way animals and plants and rocks can’t do, but nonetheless have a selfish ‘pay off’ in the end. There are Generous acts, and ‘generous’ acts. Generous acts are empty of ego, so to speak, are done because they are the right thing to do, because they are a ‘sacrifice unto Brahman’ as the poet of the Bhagavad Gita puts it, whereas ‘generous’ acts are done to ‘get a goodie’ for oneself.
Now I know I’ve just said a lot, and what I’ve said only touches upon the Reality, and so must be studied and verified through much study and verification in one’s own experiences; and also I must add before getting back to our dialogue on ‘Up’ from downtown, that the Greater and Lesser Circles, the Heavenly and the Worldly Circles of Life and life are all ‘connected’ if you will. The lowest Circle, the Material World is ‘connected’ to the Highest Circle, which I shan’t name as it is utterly beyond my ability to ‘name’, and all other Circles. That is to say the Influence of the Greatest Circle can enter, and does enter into the forces, energies and entities of all the Circles contained within it. In fact, it can be said that a greater Circle can and ought influence the lesser Circle, or Circles it contains, and by which the lesser Circle or Circles derive meaning and value.
I know it’s a lot to try to grip, but it’s an important and pertinent study, this idea of the Heavenly and Worldly Circles within and without one, and one should consider it and come back to it again and again.
Sooo shall we continue with the book Foundations? BN.: Yes! A.H.: Where did we leave off? BN.: You were explaining about Jr. Brown’s special certain kind of ‘shirt’. A.H.: Yes, so I think I said enough about that. The next foundational idea that is presented is related simply through Gran’ma and Gran’pa Brown not being completely ‘taken away’ by the activity that is the communion of their senses with the world. Our senses, you know, only give us information about a particular; which of course can be very important, but in shall we say cultivating an inner attitude that will allow for us to Receive from Heaven, it is imperative to remember that any and all given particulars have a place in a whole, and the first Heaven for us is the whole that is embracing of all the particulars our senses can commune with. BN.: So we want to avoid tunnel vision, A.H.: Sometimes, most times we can’t, but it can happen that ‘something’ in us will be remembered, and if we value it this ‘something’ can widen our perspective. But tunnel vision can be the result of a very strong passion or desire, and as this ‘something’ in us is subtle, it must be by us really valued so that by it and because of it we are able to get free of a strong desire and receive some perspective. BN.: What makes some desires so strong? I mean a strong desire can make us do things we ourselves consider undesirable in a different state of mind? A.H.: Yes, such is our human condition isn’t it. It’s why we need a system of various ‘punishments’ and ‘preventive measures’ meaning of course police and lawyers and judges and jails and prisons and so on. A desire can be dangerously strong. Simply, a desire’s strength is determined by the quantity and quality of the life force that generates it, and by it having the approval of ‘I’. What I mean by approval of ‘I’, is that we take the desire as who we are rather than what we are experiencing. And, if you haven’t noticed, with the approval of ‘I’, when a desire has the feeling of ‘I’ with it, with that comes a type of self-justification. The repeated indulgence of such desire can and does lead to a terrible state and becomes what is called addiction, and then even when one is aware that one’s desire is not one, has not the approval of ‘I’, it is too late so to speak and one’s will is decimated and has no power over the repeatedly indulged desire that has become addiction. There’s more to say, and it’s touched on later in the fourth book from Up from Downtown, but let’s get back to the book Foundations.
A.H.: So we come to the first tale related to Jr. Brown and Ray-Ray from Gran’pa Brown, which is the tale of an argument on a mountain between different states of ‘the same ol’ water’. The foundational idea behind this tale is, first of all, of the truth of the inner-essence that is the same despite the differences obvious in outer perception. As the essence of water does not change whether we have ice, or liquid or vapor. BN.: I'm thinking back to Gran'ma and Gran'pa Brown and their rocking chars... A.H.: Yes, it's going a bit deeper into the idea of one as other and other as one with the relating of the Truth, as my personal experience has born witness to, that this one and the same inner-essence shared by all existences regardless of outward form or inward development is a direct result of its 'coming from' Our One and Only, Ever Uniquely One And The Same, Sovereign Source of all that exists, past and future existences duly included, represented in the tale by 'Ms. Yemaya' the Ocean, Our Mother of all waters.
It's a warning also, this tale, that there is that in us which in the name of self-interest judges merit, amongst other 'qualities', based on perceived outward differences; i.e.: 'bigger' 'smaller' 'smarter' 'prettier' 'dumber' 'darker' 'lighter' etc. etc. And of course our 'cultural educations' greatly panders to and and enhances this trait. Perhaps in the world of Mammon, this propensity of judging 'greatness' in ourselves, and/or clansmen, and/or sports teams and various celebrated idols/icons, and 'not-so-greatness' in those other than ourselves or 'clansmen', idols and icons etc. makes perfect sense and can be very 'helpful' toward ones selfish aims of getting a promotion, or winning the stupid-I-mean-super-bowl, or for one's plans for eventual world domination or something like that, but for the truly spiritual aspirant, this trait in the the self must be identified and recognized for it's downright silliness, on the one hand, and on the other for its quite devilish insidiousness. Through my ever evolving 'connection' with Conscience I have realized that to disparage another, especially based upon one's own mis-perceived 'greatness' or 'goodness' or 'intelligence' or 'wisdom' or what have you is a very heinous 'sin'. BN.: Sin? A.H.: Yes, mistake. a very heinous mistake that can erase in an instant all spiritual gain one may have painstakingly made over quite some long suffering time.
The next tale related to Jr. Brown and Ray-Ray by Gran'pa Brown is that of the lil' Amazonian Hummingbird. BN.: I like that tale... A.H.: I knew you would! -So, the foundational idea behind this tale is, well there's more than one... First is the un-daunting, and resolute determination to achieve the noble goal. And we've talked already about the play of forces, the affirming/aspiring; the denying/inhibiting; and the harmonizing/reconciling... BN.: Yes, this dynamic plays throughout the whole of 'Up' from downtown... A.H.: ...And throughout every moment of the days of our lives, if such moments are concerned with achieving an aim. Monsieur Gurdjieff claimed that this dynamic, this law, was cosmic, that it takes part in everything. I can't yet make such a claim, but thus far I've witnessed it in all the inner and outer phenomenon I've been able to witness. Anyway, also contained in the relating of this tale is the truth, according to my experience, of the coming to the 'end of effort'. BN.: The end of effort? A.H.: Yes, but only after expending all of one's will for effort. BN.: ...Thinking and thinking and thinking until the lil Amazonian Hummingbird was all thought out... A.H.: Yes. It's then that it is realized the possibility of how to get past the denying/inhibiting force, that ornery ol' Mr. Condor, to realized the aspiration to 'lay eyes on God'. Thinking did not produce the solution, the solution was realized when there was 'no more thinking'.
In speaking of the three forces, duly note that the lil' Amazonian Hummingbird does not confront, or try to beat or disable, so to speak Mr. Condor, but begins by 'working with' him. That is, the Hummingbird flies along with the Condor to attain a position where the aim may be realized. We have to remember That what reconciles the opposing forces of affirming/aspiring and denying/inhibiting; if these forces, the affirming and denying, are hellbent on destroying one the other, as what occurs ordinarily among folks who are 'third force blind' as Monsieur Gurdjieff put it, and either or both sides are successful, what will be there to be harmonized/reconciled? Everything, every force and/or entity has its place, its reason for existing. The Wisdom of Heaven is about 'Working with'. Denying has it's place, but is it for us to annihilate that what must be denied? The harmonization/reconciliation of the opposing forces is how new possibilities arise, real solutions to our actual problems of getting on and along with one another and our environment. And this harmonization/reconciliation comes 'from above', from beyond our ordinary capacity, and is, I feel, a true expression of the Reality of Heaven. BN.: So... the problems inherent of duality, of separation, that lead up to and include war, can't be solved by us, by our efforts... A.H.: No. The way comes from beyond us. It comes to and then through us, this is a great 'secret' of all true religions. It is why certain behaviors are extolled and certain one to be shunned. It's an attempt to help us to develop the capacity to Receive That what makes the harmonization/reconciliation of the forces of duality, of separation possible. We try to be 'good', but we can't. Inwardly anyway. We can have some outward pretense of 'good', but where does such 'good' go when someone 'steps on our toe'? Eventually, maybe realizing the futility of our earnest efforts to be 'good', which can only be realized by making lots and lots, that is constant true efforts to be so, brings us to prayer, to ask for help. It's what we pray for in praying for God's Will to be done on earth as in Heaven. We come to see our will is quite inadequate and insufficient. BN.: Again the story of Gran'ma and Gran'pa Brown... the opposites are realized as one... A.H.: Yes, what we Receive from Heaven cleanses us of our faults and gives us to capacity realize... To truly be: 'As One'; which of course can be thought about, and sentimentally arrived at through feeling, and often is, but thinking and feeling are abstract of reality. BN.: What do you mean? A.H.: I mean the true Realization of our Oneness is quite different from our thinking/feeling about it. Like the difference between a chunk of real gold and monopoly money. One is Reality, has real value, the other is pretending. That what is Real, is abiding, not subject to change; the other changes with the proverbial wind, one day we're friends, the next we're sworn enemies. BN.: Yea, Gran'ma and Gran'pa Brown don't annul each other, they come to sit together... A.H.: Having seen their self in the other and and the other in their self, an act that represents the entering of the harmonizing/reconciling force, they come to sit together, each in their own chair, and with appreciation of the chair of the other. Our ordinary propensity is to say, "No! -For me to sit with you, you must have a chair like mine!" -or something like that.
(To Be Continued...)
The Conversation Continues...
BN.: So, let's talk about Up from downtown. A. H.: Yes, let's! BN.: A friend of mine who is reading it, commented to me, and I agree, that it is layered. A.H.: I did try to go a bit past 'knee deep'. BN.: Is that a qualification of extraordinary storytelling? A.H.: Depends upon the mood of the Muse. BN.: Well, can I take it that in any given passage of your tales in Up from downtown, you may be saying more than one thing? A.H.: Perhaps, or, saying one thing and meaning another, or relating an idea or concept that of its nature is rather, 'weighty', the understanding of which is variable; that is, can be taken in different ways, according to the fluctuating 'state' and semi permanent 'station' inhabited by any given readers nature or natures; meaning, the quality and content of the readers consciousness and/or conscience and/or intellect and/or heart at the time of reading and/or re-reading.
As I duly ought, let me go right ahead and 'fess up here and now, for the record, that although It was my definite intent to introduce the reader to at least one or two rather 'weighty' ideas and concepts here and there in Up from downtown, my qualifications for doing so might be questioned, as I'm rather new at this 'Profession', and can genuinely be considered only a rookie professional liar, storyteller extraordinaire; and, if one or two of the 'weighty' ideas or concepts introduced by me in the relating of the adventures of Jr. Brown causes a reader, because of their 'state' and/or 'station', which is pretty much entirely their own fault, having nothing whatsoever to do with me, personally, even still, if some reader of my tales of One Indelible Jr. Brown finds themselves experiencing minor or major consternation, well, then, regardless of said readers 'state' and/or 'station', I here and now duly and truly: Apologize; for, it may very well be that any consternation experienced by a reader of my tales is entirely my fault for not having a full and thorough enough understanding myself of the 'weighty' idea and/or concept that I attempted to relate; an attempt to relate not in order to give the impression that I have something I don't have, by 'showing off' as many a so called 'literary artist' can earnestly be called out for, but rather because such 'weighty' ideas and/or concepts, really, really intrigue me; and, it is a hope of mine that perhaps some reader of my tales will be intrigued by the 'weighty' idea and/or concept also, and contact me and we can dialogue a bit about said 'weighty' idea and/or concept, and who knows, maybe in the process a clue will arise that leads to a deeper understanding of same 'weighty' idea and/or concept.
BN.: Well, there's a lot to dialogue about in Up from downtown, and I want to start from the very beginning. A.H.: As in from the very first page? BN.: The very first page of the very first tale, I mean, speaking of 'weighty' you introduce some real 'heavyweights' spiritually speaking right away, A.H.: Talkin' 'bout The Buddha and Muhammad and Moses and Christ aaand the One Who is beyond all weights and measure, Our Lord Grandmother God! BN.: What are you saying, I mean why... A.H.: Why did I put Jesus and Moses and Muhammad and Buddha together, in an 'argument' with Grandmother God? BN.: Yea, that's one question, A.H.: Let's start with Grandmother God. No, first, let me say that the inspiration for writing these tales was birthed in me from the influences of a number of sources, one of which is a monumental, and for more than a few considered to be a Sacred Work, which I myself am not sure, but do agree that it is monumental, and truly a work of Art, by the enigmatic G. I. Gurdjieff, titled Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson. And somewhere in the thick and definitely weighty introduction of that literally and literary astounding testament, Mr. Gurdjieff tells of a piece of advice he received when he was but a 'chubby mite' from his Grandmother, upon her deathbed, who sternly advices him, as concerns the living of his life, in so many words, if I remember correctly: 'not to do as others do.' Mr. Gurdjieff goes on to explain that this advice of his Grandmother infused itself, so to speak, into his 'person-hood' shall we say, and was a definite contributing factor to his becoming who he came to be; and from all accounts, who he came to be was really something else! I believe Mr. Gurdjieff relates for us his grandmother's advice to him for the benefit, if we are able to make proper use of it, of our own spiritual development. So, anyway, it was in remembering this certain piece of advice from Mr. Gurdjieff that I found myself inspired to insert 'Grandmother' into the title 'Our Lord God', and which gave for me, and I hope for the reader, an endearing and familial 'flavor' if you will, to Up from downtown, the writing of which is an attempt by me to emphasize and reinvigorate that what has been passed down to us from remote generations concerning the possibility of our experiencing, here on earth, and even forever: a Loving Relationship with the Divine.
BN.: Is a loving relationship with the divine your spiritual way, personally? A.H.: Not personally. 'Personally', i.e. the identification with a certain something called a 'personality', I'm stuck with the rest of us in this relationship? -with the worldly entities, energies and forces. The Relationship with the Divine I speak of is between the Divine and the jiwa, as we say in Subud. This Divine Relationship may be expressed in the world via the personality provided the personality comes under the direction of the Divinely awakened jiwa. But before that comes the jiwa's struggle to wrest free from what constitutes a personality. BN.: What constitutes a personality? A.H.: Well, for me, a personality is constituted of what I call a nexus of worldly desires and aversions; and for the jiwa to become free from such nexus of worldly desires and aversions is... well quite the Herculean task, hint hint. BN.: Hint, hint? A.H.: I'll clue you in later, let's stay with the first page of Up from downtown, BN.: But please explain what a 'jiwa' is. A.H.: Jiwa is a Javanese word that is translated as soul most often. It came from the sanskrit 'jiva' I believe. In words that came to me while writing 'Up' from downtown: jiwa is our essential 'inner-content'; That what we truly are; an 'Individuality' as opposed to a 'personality', and which, according to legend, and my firm belief, amongst other attributes, does not die with the body. BN.: What's the difference between Individuality and personality? A.H.: Because they both 'reside' in one and the same body, one may be easily mistaken for the other, but That what I call Individuality comes from God, and personality comes from the world; is but a side-effect of worldly forces and influences.
So, anyway: in Up from downtown, on the very first page, a dynamic is set up. First is introduced the protagonist, our hero, one indelible Jr. Brown. 'Indelible' meaning 'that what cannot be erased, removed, eliminated, forgotten, or changed', and refers to our essential 'inner-content', our 'Sacred Seed of Individuality' as Willed by the One True God. Indelible is also intended by me to remind of the aspect, if you will, of the Holy Spirit of God, that always has, is, and always will be providing a guiding influence to humanity, from both the life and Life within any given individual and from without via the multitudinous forms of life and Life that include everything from our brother and sister rocks right on up and into the most subtle and spiritual realms beyond our imagination. BN.: I do not find argument with what you just said, but there are many who would and do. You know the ones who'd argue: 'if the the Spirit of God always has, is, and will be providing guiding influence to humanity, why is humanity so f***'ed up? A.H.: True, and I'm sure in our dialogues we'll come to explore various sides of that argument in detail, but let's keep to the beginning of Up from downtown for now.
Following the introduction of the protagonist, or hero, who represents an affirming, or better: aspiring force, comes the antagonist or denying force: that what always arises in opposition to an affirming/aspiring force, and is characterized by 'that ol' Devil'. Then we have introduced the reconciling force, which in this particular dynamic comes from Heaven, sourced, of course, from Our Lord Grandmother God, but enacted at certain times in the first book through Moses, Muhammad and Buddha, and Jesus Christ.
In this 'three way dynamic', I am relating that what was taught by G.I. Gurdjieff as the Law of Three. The Law of Three, many operations of which can be observed in life, states that every manifestation, and in this case a manifestation of what I'll here call a 'Dharmic Individual', is a resultant of the interplay of three forces, each of which have one of the characteristics mentioned above, namely: Affirming, or Positive, force; Negative, or Denying, force; Reconciling, or Neutral, force. There is much that can and perhaps ought (or not,) be said concerning this Law as taught by Gurdieff, and as there are readily available many books by many people who studied under him, as well as his own writings on the subject, I'll not go into further detail from what I myself understand from my own investigations and verifications of the Reality of this Fundamental Cosmic Law. At least not now. Any who find themselves interested and/or intrigued only need, providing they have internet access, and if they are reading this, then of course they do, only need 'google' Gurdjieff and/or Fourth Way, and they are bound sooner or later to come across someone spewing something or other more or less accurate about said Fundamental Cosmic Law: The Law of Three.
BN.: What about Jr. Brown having some "Sun inside"? What's that about? A.H.: Yes, Jr. Brown got himself some Sun inside... Well, the Sun is the 'Life Giver' of our Solar System so to speak, and Jr. Brown having some 'Sun inside' refers to a Life Affirming quality in him. This Life Affirming quality in him is the possibility of growth. Inner growth. The growth of his jiwa. And it is this, as stated in the first page of the first book, that attracts 'that ol' Devil's' attention.
You know, for me, it is interesting when the 'devil' becomes interested in one or another hero of some scriptural parable or mythos. For example, the Devil, in one particular rendering, appears to tempt Christ only after his fasting in the desert, just before he is to begin his ministry, as some call it. Christ's completing of the 40 day fast perhaps symbolizing, at least in my mind, His acceptance, preparation, and initiation into what was to be His Divine Mission. Having been purified, He Receives said Mission from God. And then, the Devil appears. Why not before? And in a legend of the Buddha, Mara, the Great Tempter only becomes interested in Siddhartha after his resolute determination not to move from the root of the Bodhi tree till realizing enlightenment or death take him. Again, why not before? Siddhartha had been seeking enlightenment, and studying with ascetics some time before sitting under the Bodhi tree, why does Mara only appear at the brink of his enlightenment and what was to become his 'mission'? Personally, I don't think the 'devil' or 'tempter' gives a whit about us unless/until we resolutely determine ourselves to know realize Truth/God, and our Purpose as Received by us from Truth/God, which implies we have something 'birthed' or 'awakened' in us that can know realize Truth/God, and that and we are actually on or approaching the threshold of such knowing and realization. I guess what I'm saying is, what is truly valuable in us is our jiwa, our essential 'inner-content', that what can really 'know' God/Truth, and until it is awakened and grows to a certain 'maturity' there is nothing in us worthy of the Devil's time and/or attention; The 'Devil' as regards the 'Tempter'. Of course there is always a resisting and/or antagonistic force which we may feel is quite 'devilish' at work in us and/or upon us, but the idea of the 'Tempter' in relation to a real spiritual calling/awakening/manifesting comes, according to many a legend, at a certain time in our journey or growth. So, the first book, 'Dealings With 'that ol' Devil', concerns a certain stage of spiritual growth. And I guess I should say here that there is an 'otherwise' continuity in the relating of the sequence of events in Up from downtown. That is: the first book in the four book series, is the last book according to Jr. Brown's maturating spiritually. Then, in the books to follow, two, three, and four, we learn of what 'adventures' lead up to the events relating his reaching of spiritual maturity in book one.
BN.: So back to the 'heavyweights, why Moses and Muhammad and Buddha and Christ? A.H.: Ha! I asked that same question when I first received the Contact, that is, when I was made aware of the Reality of God, I asked: 'So if this if the Reality, why the different religions?' or something like that. It was intimated to me that any, every and all differences I concern myself about, are a result of me having a distinguishing and discriminating mind; but with a bit of conscious effort, I could instead of 'taking things apart' which is what a discriminating mind does, I could now use my distinguishing/ discriminating mind to 'put things together'; I could with my conscious mind aided by the Contact I was blessed to Receive, which indeed intimated me to the Reality of the Unity of All in God, find the thread that binds all differences into one; provided I'm not too overwhelmed with any particular desire or aversion of my person-hood and thereby am able to remember in a meaningful way, and/or Receive again, presently, the Contact.
So, for your information and edification, this Contact I speak of, that as I said I am most blessed to Receive, along with- oh I don't know, a whole bunch of folks in just about every country on the globe, really is a Grace from Almighty God, and by which I have no problem at all and even enjoy genuflecting with the Catholics, sitting with the Buddhists, kneeling with the Muslims, arguing with the Jews, -just kidding-, worshiping with my Jewish brothers and sisters, dancing with the devotees of Krishna, etc etc..
Yea so I knew, even when the ideas for the first book of Up from downtown were still turning about in my head, and not yet committed to a final form, that it would include my experience of having got a bit something or other of what proved to be valuable to me in my wish to approach Truth/God, a wish that arose because of said Contact, and that allowed me to begin to understand little by little what is most essential in the teachings attributed to Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam; just to name a few.
BN.: You followed or practiced those religions? A.H.: Well, I was born into a 'christian', that is, a church going family, at least on my mother's side. On my father's side, there were a few bibles in grandparents house, but church was a rarity. And our household too had a bible or two. Church attendance, perhaps to my later advantage, was rare. Only much much later, well into 'responsible adulthood', after I Received That what Opened my jiwa, did I begin to search and to study about 'spiritual stuff', and as a result of what was Intimated to me when my jiwa was awakened, I did not limit my search and study to one religion but became intrigued by any and everything that could make a claim to being 'spiritual'. BN.: But if you had or have this Contact, why did you need to study? A.H.: Good question! Well in the beginning, no pun intended, my Receiving of the Contact was spread out. I would Receive greater or lesser experiences of the Contact with the Reality sporadically, and indeed so much time would flow by between Contacts that I'd often forget I'd had them... well not quite forget, but you know the impressions of the Contact would become drowned out by demands of ordinary life upon my personality; which because of these 'demands' is always hankering after something or other; or trying to get me the hell away from something other; and/or sometimes even hankering after the very something or other it was just trying to get me the hell away from!
Anyway, at the time my jiwa was awakened, I knew without doubt that: "Oh my God, there really is a God!!" And I know as a result that That what I experienced is everyone's God, that is: God is God of all and every religion. Names and Rites and Rituals, are just that, names and rites and rituals. But my 'knowing' did not constitute full understanding, for my head anyway, hence my at times fervent, and admittedly at times lackadaisical search and study through many religions and spiritual practices to help me understand what it was that had happened to me; and find out how to 'get It to happen again'!
You know, being awakened to the Presence of the Greatness and Wonder of God, which absolves all fears, desires and confused anxieties, and infuses one with worship and praise of the Divine, contentment, peace and bliss, love and kindness and compassion and the like, was really nice; to put it mildly! Ah- to be so wonderfully un-self-concerned, except to Receive that what God has for me, and what of itself harmonizes me with the whole eternal and temporal entirety. No such thing as an enemy, and even the mosquitoes and rocks become my brothers and friends!
How fortunate I am to have found Subud! I now understand what the Contact I Received is, and can get a bit of that bliss twice at least week! BN.: Subud? A.H.: Subud is a brother/sister-hood, of brothers and sisters who Worship the One True God Almighty, initiated, so to speak, by God Almighty through a Contact we call Latihan Kedjiwaan, brought into the world via Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo, an Indonesian man of exceptional quality and purity of being, and who has since 'moved on' and now resides I speculate in the True Human World, or maybe a World even Higher. It's the Spiritual Association I and the folks all around the world I mentioned before belong to. We support and facilitate one another in Receiving what I called Contact, and is called in Subud: Latihan Kedjiwaan, and also facilitating and supporting in varied ways charitable assistance to our fellow earthlings in need, be they mineral or vegetable or animal or of the at times quite daunting and challenging to assist two-legged variety.
And, you definitely ought know, for it relates, in its way, to the companionship expressed in 'Up' from downtown between The Buddha, and Moses, and Muhammad, and Jesus Christ, that these Subud brothers and sisters of mine, who reside in various countries around the world, are Buddhists and Jewish, and Muslim and Christian and other religions and non-religions as well.
Subud is not itself a religion, or method or teaching, and anyone who has a sincere wish to Worship Our One True God Almighty, or wish sincerely to Receive the Contact that will give them proof of the reality of God, may become and indeed will be welcomed into our brother/sister-hood, without need to change their religious customs, nor is it advised they do so. On the contrary it is recommended they retain and remain active members of their various ways of Faith. I'll be glad to tell you more, but for now let's get back to Up from downtown.
(If, dear readers, you can't wait to learn more about Subud, click Here.)
BN.: Well, what about the otherwise continuity of the books in 'Up' from downtown? Why is it otherwise? A.H.: I could say I was just following 'orders', or perhaps 'suggested direction' is a fitting way to put it, from what some call 'The Muse'. Anyhow, I did not know as I was writing exactly why, except that I was following the advice of Mr. Gurdjieff's Grandma. But once I finished the series many things about the process showed themselves to me as 'Of course! It's like this because it is just so!' The series of tales follows Jr. Brown's Spiritual Progression, which is based for the most part on my own experience and studies. BN.: How so? A.H.: After the Opening I spoke about, I did lot's of reading and studying, which resulted in me trying to wrestle with the Devil, so to speak, right away; without going through the preparatory therefore most necessary Initiations. BN.: Initiations? A.H.: As in the series of tales titled Initiations in Up from downtown, that relate Jr. Brown coming to understand the folly of himself in relation to his life. An understanding that allows or enables him to accept the surrender that results in his Receiving That what is necessary to realize success in his Spiritual Adventure. Such an understanding that can come as a result, at least in my own personal experience, from the consumption of more than a few slices of humble pie, yumm!
So, the otherwise continuity mirrors, in one way, how an aspirant readily receives news of the rewards of Spiritual Attainment, yet is not only ignorant of what has to be gone through to realize said rewards, but also and more important to know, ignorant of the reluctance and even resistance, in themselves, to go through what must be gone through to truly have something of Significance happen from what can be Received Spiritually.
In another way, the otherwise continuity is likened, in a simple way, to a labyrinth. I don't wish and am not going to say anything more about how so, except that if you want to know more about what I might mean, you'll have to find yourself a labyrinth and negotiate/experience its turns to see/know for yourself what I might mean.
BN.: What about the three special favors? Why has Jr. Brown more than Moses, Christ, Muhammad and the Buddha? You're not saying he is greater than they are you? A.H.: No, not at all. I just needed to set up some provocative drama to hook ya! But really, truly, the important things to know is how he received the special favors; a result of him opening his heart to Receive Grandmother God. And to know of the 'Certain Loyal Something' that makes Jr. Brown aware of the opportunity to open his heart to Grandmother God. And also, most importantly to know that in these extraordinary difficult and challenging times, when humanity has strayed so far from God's Truth, that God has made available for us extra assistance via the aforementioned Latihan Kedjiwaan. In other words, Jr. Brown, (us) gets three special favors because he (us) in this day and age needs at least three times more assistance than the contemporaries of Moses or Buddha or Jesus or Muhammad needed in their day and age to Receive/Realize the Truth conveyed by those ‘heavyweights’.
BN.: Tell me more about the 'Certain Loyal Something'; -what is it? A.H.: The phrase 'Certain Loyal Something' I use as a clue, and refers to that Real Something in us that is usually called by another name; but to avoid whatever automatic mental associations sure to arise in a reader if I used the known and familiar name for the Real Something that 'Certain Loyal Something' refers to, I wished to use a new and unfamiliar phrase, so that perhaps a more important what I'll call 'feeling-sense' might spontaneously arise in the reader in response to their wondering: 'What the heck is a Certain Loyal Something?' -from their very own 'Certain Loyal Something'! BN.: Why avoid automatic mental associations? A.H.: Because knowing, in a mental association is not really knowing, and can and does distract distort and/or even prevent 'real-time' experience which is the way anything is truly known; and it is the 'real-time' experience of the 'Certain Loyal Something' in us that we need. BN.: Need? A.H.: Most definitely; at least those of us who wish to become truly human. Stretching upon tip-toe to reach a bit of knowledge beyond my present 'station' I'll venture to say that the 'Certain Loyal Something' is a medium, if you will, via which our jiwa, or even something higher, can get a bit of our attention. BN.: Truly human... are you implying we aren't truly human without 'A Certain Loyal Something'? A.H.: To cop an attitude of Jr. Brown: I'm not implying nuthin'; I'm sayin' straight up: no 'Certain Loyal Something', no chance of a truly human being coming to be. I'm sayin': If we want to be a true human being, as all scripture, in every religion exhorts us to be, we gotta know that first it's God that makes a true human being, and second, if there is no 'Certain Loyal Something' in us, God is going to have to put one in us, and we willy-nilly have to accept it! BN.: How do we accept it? A.H.: The only way I know is by some more than minor measure of surrender; which is and isn't as simple as it sounds!
BN.: I want now to hear what you have to say about Jr. Brown's Receiving of the three Special Favors. First, why three Special Favors? A.H.: Because three is a magic number. BN.: No reference to the Law of Three you mentioned? A.H.: Well, yea, kinda sorta. The Reality behind, so to speak, the Law of Three is what makes it a 'magic number'. BN.: Yea, I suppose it must be. Now that I think about it, the three wish motif is well known and used in many tale telling circles. A.H.: Yep. What do you think about how Jr. Brown Receives the Favors? BN.: Well first there's Grandmother God squeezing Her eternal entirety into Jr. Brown's heart, A.H.: Yea, that can raise an interesting, for me at least, question, BN.: Which is? A.H.: Which is what is it to Receive the Power of God or Spirit of God, and to what degree? I remember reading some dudes writings, I think it may have been J. G Bennett, who speculated that if God is indivisible, and cannot be added to or taken from, that a 'piece' or 'portion' of God would have some how be the whole of God, though of course the Whole of God is utterly unknowable and non-conceivable therefore impossible for us or for any created entity, having the wondrous blessing of Receiving a 'piece' or 'portion' of God's Power or Spirit, to at the same time by that Receiving know the whole of God. Well, anyway, such was Mr. Bennetts thoughts at the time he thought them and my speculation on his thoughts, but it would be most appropriate if I quote here what Pak Subuh's words are on the subject:
...Brothers and sisters, as you yourselves are already able to realize, the latihan that you have received and are practicing is a vibration of the life feeling which enables you to move and which eventually becomes known as the latihan kedjiwaan. In reality, the opening means that the door of your inner self has been opened.
We have been told by the men who have received revelation from God - both by what is written in books and by word of mouth - that God, or the Power of God, accompanies, or is caused to accompany, everything he has created.
God's power in your self:
Clearly then, this has been embodied (or in Javanese didjumenengi - enthroned ) in yourselves by the Power of the One God. Of course the Power of God embodied in your selves is not the whole Power of God, no. It is specifically what is appropriate to you, which means adjusted to the weight, the breadth, of your inner self. It is not that if the Power of God is enthroned within you, if the Power of God is embodied in you, you are then like the Lord Allah, like God; no.
The Power of God encompasses the whole universe and all that it contains. We express it thus: that clearly the Power of God is All-Embracing. So it plainly does not mean that when you have the Power of God embodied in you, you are then like Almighty God. No; you are like yourselves. Only, because you have been able to receive what the Power of God embodied in your inner selves is like, you can feel that by that path alone will you be able eventually to return to Almighty God.
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For me, I guess I can say that what is being conveyed by Grandmother God squeezing Her eternal entirety into Jr. Brown's heart, is the completeness of Jr. Brown's Faith and Trust and Surrender and Submission to his Maker. BN.: Which, as you said, is not so easy, but it seems easy for Jr. Brown, A.H.: True, at that point of the Space-Time Continuum to which the scene refers. But remember the 'other-wise' continuity; we learn later in the 'books' that follow that there was more than a bit of minor and major personal 'dis-comforts' resulting in some pertinent personal 'discoveries' about himself, and his relation with life and Life that Jr. Brown had duly to experience before making his Surrender seem so easy as to simply say, 'Here, Lord Grandmother, hide in my heart!'
You know, now I feel maybe we ought follow the 'other-wise' continuity of 'Up' from downtown, and thereby follow Jr. Brown's growth in that 'Up' direction. BN.: Mmm, okay, but first, one more question about Jr. Brown's Receiving of the Favors, A.H.: Yes, come with it then. BN.: There's those friends of Grandmother God, I mean, Grandmother God hides in Jr. Brown's heart so she won't be found... A.H.: Why is She 'hiding'? BN.: Yea, for one. And for another the fact that Her friends, who are seeking Her, can't see that She's in Jr. Brown's heart... A.H.: Well the history of the lives of the Messengers and Prophets and Saints/Lovers of God and therefore humanity, those who Receive the Contact, if you will, with the Power or Spirit of God, and how more than a few self-professed, and communally backed, 'important' members of 'society' reacted to the various Acts of said Messengers, Prophets and Saints/Lovers of God and Humanity, has shown that to pretty much always be the case, yea? –that the reality of the Spirit of God in someone is not necessarily perceived by someone else. I'm giving a warning, you know, BN.: A warning? A.H.: Yes. That same history I just mentioned, shows that very often the persecutors of folk chosen by God to aid us, are 'bona-fide' representatives of one or another religious establishment! So the waring is: being a 'bona-fide' 'representative' of any particular religious establishment does not, at all, mean that one has any sort of 'clue'. Now, having said that, let me also say: such a 'clue' is, I duly believe, readily available, and is not necessarily tied to one's being a 'representative', 'bona-fide' or not, of any particular religious establishment; It is, in my experience, due entirely to the Will of the Divine, or what some term Dharma, and one's sincere receptivity and subsequent Surrender to Dharma, or Divine Will. BN.: And you aren't, in their inability to see Grandmother God, saying anything about any particular religion? A.H.: No! I present Grandmother God's seeking friends as minor caricatures, but nonetheless: very representative, of a few folks I actually met and who assumed for some reason, perhaps because I was 'different' than their expected/accepted stereotypes, that I had no spirituality at all, and was in dire need of 'saving'; of course only by becoming a 'bona-fide' 'representative' of their particular religious establishment; which was, according to their belief and supposedly to my 'luck', if I only had sense enough to heed them, the only religious establishment through which I could be 'saved'.
As for why Our Lord Grandmother God is hiding from her 'friends' who are seeking but haven't yet a 'clue', She Herself explains in that very scene doesn't She? Patience, is a most necessary virtue for all so called seekers of God; as all who have found/received a bit of something of the truth of the Power or Spirit of God tell us, and my own experience bears witness to. BN.: You have found/received something of God? Through the Contact you mentioned? A.H.: Yes, and 'Up' from downtown is in part 'biographical'; that is coming from personal experience. BN.: Only part? A.H.: Only part, about a third. One third personal experience, one third from the teachings/recommendations of some of the spiritual paths I've explored a bit, and a third 'channeled' we can say, maybe, or as we in Subud say, 'Received'. And as for which part is which, I'm not going to say. BN.: Why not? A.H.: Ha! I'm not sure I myself understand! Besides: it's not so important; the readers own experience of their search and growth is what is, or should be, to them, important; and too much of too specific mentionings about me and my experience may likely distract, and even be deceptive. BN.: How so? A.H.: Well perhaps my experience has in a general sense some similarities to what others have/will experience, but at the same time, each persons seeking and spiritual growth will be utterly unique; not only to what they learn/receive, but also when and how they learn/receive it. But we can speak of certain 'sign posts' that appear more or less for everyone along the general Way towards Truth, and 'Up' from downtown attempts to do that, at least for certain 'types', but mostly I feel it's for reminding/inspiration to those same 'types'; and other 'types' too, if their 'type' allows them to take in the reminding/inspiration.
Ready to shift to the 'other-wise' direction? BN.: Yes. Meaning we go to the third book? A.H.: Yes, Foundations.
So, let me say that one of the purposes of 'Up' from downtown is to introduce/expose a certain reader to certain ideas I've come to see as important to understand in the process of spiritual growth, and the third book, Foundations, introduces those ideas that are just that, foundational; beginning with the important idea of what I termed dis-comforting 'un-preditabilities', and by which I am referring in part to the Buddha's Teaching of the First Noble Truth of the Existence of Suffering. The inevitability of suffering must be contemplated, and, any serious spiritual aspirant has to come to grips with and ultimately find their peace with this truth. The fact that we will suffer is Lawful and thereby 'predictable', though how and when suffering will be delivered to us and in what form is for the most part 'un-predictable'.
Dis-comforting events, as I said are Lawful, and the suffering I experience from the occurrence of the many and varied causes, major and minor, are also Lawful. I have to accept this. It would be shameful of me to blame/complain to God because something or other happened to me that I would have happen otherwise.
On the Lawfulness of suffering, it has been my observation that I've a tendency to 'add salt' to my wounds when something untoward happens to me by 'parking' myself in the 'neighborhood of self-pity'; confused by the belief that insists: 'bad things aren't supposed to happen. Not to me anyway!' -that in turn is cultivated by unrealistic expectations, that in turn arise from ignorance of what Life and life on this planet are really about. BN.: What are Life and life really about? A.H.: That is for each and everyone of us who are spiritually seeking/aspiring to ponder and contemplate. I don't want to give answers, I don't have them anyway, I mean I have opinions theories and beliefs like everyone else, but theories opinions and beliefs aren't answers and shouldn't be taken as such; even when 'corroborated' by some piece of religious scripture out there somewhere. There is Reason and Meaning given throughout 'Up' from downtown, and hopefully 'Up' from downtown inspires/supports a God-self-verifying- search for such Reason and Meaning. It is my wish to get intimate with the question of it all. I hope the ideas introduced in 'Up' from downtown inspires a spiritually aspiring reader to get intimate with the question of it all. By which I mean come to a certain state of experience. I'm referring to a state when I say: 'intimate with the question of it all'; a state of Receptivity. A state of being open to God or Heaven if you will; for any answer to the 'question of it all' is beyond our mortal ways of understanding, meaning our thinking and feeling, which are utterly world oriented; and as the 'question of it all' goes way beyond our world, so to speak, the 'answers' have got to come to us from beyond us, from God or Heaven. When the folks of the world, enough of them anyway, turn to Heaven for the 'answer' or 'answers', there may well be more than one, to the 'question of it all', if and as we are able to Receive the Reality of such ‘answer’ or ‘answers’, we're going to find ourselves in wordless understanding and agreement, and overflowing with Acts of peace and love and harmony with one another, despite our outwardly perceived and expressed individual, personal, cultural, political, religious differences. -Because Truth/God is God/Truth of all, and Heaven is Heaven for us all. From such Receiving, a real and sustainable 'Pursuit of Happiness', for lack of a better term will be possible. Something that turning to and relying on our own human 'ingenuity', no matter how 'altruistic' and 'heartfelt' it may be, to accomplish has always and will always utterly fail to realize; for our human 'ingenuity', coming from our 'thinking' and 'feeling', as I said, is totally under the sway of the worldly, or lower forces. BN.: Lower forces? A.H.: You know, those lawful and natural forces that if not harmonized and kept 'in check' in us, mutate into the negative traits of greed anger and lust to name a few, preventing even unconsciously any real ‘pursuit of happiness’ that doesn’t include our: ‘being first’ and ‘on top’ and ‘degrade and destroy any and all who might be perceived as a threat to our being first and on top’.
Yes, individual and communal harmony has got to come to us by way of what can be Received by us, individually and communally from Heaven. Oops that sounds like an answer, doesn't it? BN.: Yea, it does, A.H.: Well, I couldn't help it, it is a very strong opinion/belief of mine, backed up by personal experience. But as it has been recommended by 'those in the Know', I hereby remind our readers, that one must always verify answers for one's self, via Direct Experience and never take 'answers' on ‘blind faith’; unless of course such ‘blind faith’ is bestowed by Our All-Seeing Creator the One True God Almighty.
So, the first foundational idea related in the third book of 'Up' from downtown, is the Acceptance of the Truth of the Existence of Suffering. And there is hinted to the reader to be realistic with one's expectations; offered as a buffer of sorts to mitigate the 'dis-comfort' of those damn dis-comforting major and minor 'un-predictabilities'.
BN.: What about what you say concerning us 'trouble-making' souls? You refer to our planet as a 'prison'. What's that about? A.H.: For one, I am reminding the reader that why we are here is not really known. I'm challenging, in my playful yet dramatic fashion, the beliefs and concepts any given reader may have concerning 'the question of it all' by posing a possible and plausible unflattering reason for us 'trouble-making' souls to be here on earth. Possible and plausible for there does happen to be a whole lotta trouble-making going on on this planet, hmmm?. Secondly, the idea is not farfetched according to some religions. In Hindu and Buddhist thought, the world most of us are so enamored of is a place of incessant suffering through the round of birth and death, separated by ignorant pleasure seeking, followed all too soon by eventual and inevitable sickness an old age not to mention death. This idea took quite a while to 'sink in' to me, for as a 'connoisseur' of pleasure, I myself was quite smitten with this planet i.e. the world i.e. bodily existence. I suppose experiencing my due share of sicknesses and having just surpassed the mid-point of average 'life-expectancy', that is, I can now actually see my eventual and inevitable old age waving hello at me, I can truthfully say I'm no longer quite so 'smitten'. Anyway, these Buddhists and Hindus have a belief in what is called 're-incarnation', where if one insists on 'trouble-making' one finds oneself being born, and getting sick, and growing feeble and old, over and over and over ad infinitum; that sounds kinda sorta hellish, ya think? -and these same Hindus and Buddhist hint of the 'trans-migration' of a 'no-longer-trouble-making-something-or-other, like a 'parolee' perhaps, to someplace or other where this no-longer-trouble-making-something-or-other needn't be subjected to birth, sickness, old age, and death. Therefore say these beloved Hindus and Buddhists: BE GOOD TO YOUR NEIGHBOR! -ENEMIES TO BE DULY INCLUDED!
Anyway, the next foundational idea is presented with the introduction of Gran'ma Brown. BN.: Who don't take no shit. A.H.: Not from herself or any one else! The foundational idea being related is sincerity. Not lying to oneself. Very very important to accept the truth of ones manifestations, even and especially one's 'unsightly', 'unpleasant', 'uncool', 'unflattering', 'un-kosher', etc. etc. manifestations. Every person who took their spiritual growth seriously, that I have ever met, that is: every serious 'Sufi', 'Buddhist', 'Christian', 'Muslim', 'Jew', 'Hindu', 'Shaman', I've had the pleasure of conversing on serious spiritual matters with have stressed the importance of having a valid and working self-knowledge and understanding, and without self-sincerity any self-knowledge and understanding one thinks and/or feels one has is invalid. Duh.
So our 'shit' has to be 'pointed out' to us, by ourselves, verified by another, and/or by another, verified by ourselves. Somehow we've got to get some sort of clue about what in/about us needs attention and 'work'; for if we obviously are not 'there', we cannot 'get there' by remaining 'as we are', which for some 'strange reason' is not so obvious. BN.: Meaning? A.H.: Meaning what I said: 'as we are', for some 'strange reason', it is not so obvious there is that in us what needs quite a bit of 'building up', as well as that in us what needs to be 'taken down' a notch or two or three or four; or perhaps surrendered all together. The 'books' Initiations are about dealing with that. But let's keep with Foundations.
Another important foundational idea, related in the personages of Jr. Brown's Grandparents, is respect for one's 'elders' i.e. one's 'Teachers', within and without, shown by Jr. Brown loving to hangout with his Grandparents even over hanging out with his friends for 'candy' and 'play', and where he enjoyed listening, though at his young age he rarely understood, to his Grandparents conversations. And that is how it is, yes? -I mean we may listen and hear, but often it's not till after much life-experience that we begin to be able to say to ourselves: 'Oh, now I see what Grandpa, (Mom, Uncle, Guru, Scripture etc.) was trying to tell me!' We ought respect respectable teachings even if at first we don't quite understand. BN.: How does one know a teaching is respectable? A.H.: Ha! You're asking me?! All I can say is hopefully we have operating in us a Certain Loyal Something!
Ray-Ray's 'hard head' is the next very important foundational idea related to the presumably spiritual questing reader. BN.: I want to hear this. I wondered if there was something significant about Ray-Ray using his head, literally, to get apples for his grandmother. A.H.: I am conveying through Ray-Ray careening head first into the trunk of the apple tree to knock down a few more ripe apples, that in this 'business' of spiritual awakening, surrendering, striving, growth, whatever you want to call it, one must commit the whole of oneself. For such a serious endeavor, the success of which makes the difference between Life and life and death all over again, half-steps and half-measures just won't do. We must give/surrender our all.
The foundational idea that follows is in the relating of the origin of those rocking chairs of Gran'ma and Gran'pa Brown, and which is basically saying: we are mirrors of one another, in more ways than one. BN.: What are some of the ways we mirror one another? A.H.: Keeping to the origin of the rocking chairs, one way we mirror one another is in our self-interest. Both partners are looking out for number one. Great and not so great disagreements always arise at some time or other in relationships, and whether or not these disagreements damage the relationship depends on how flexible, or not our self-interest is. When we're not so flexible, and our self-interest is threatened by some sort of misunderstanding resulting in a disagreement, we find ourselves 'taking an entrenched position', represented by the respective crafting of the rocking chairs by Jr. Brown's grandparents. In such a state, one or all participants in the strained relationship are as deaf, dumb and blind to one another. We mirror one another in our inability to hear, to speak, to see the other. Also, self-interest prevents me not only from seeing my partner, 'the other', but also from seeing myself! If I am absolutely and always 'right', I'm definitely not seeing myself! And of course my partner may mirror this also. Such a situation is guaranteed to bring a relationship to an end sooner or later; -unless, as Jr. Brown's grandparents, one recognizes oneself in the 'other' and the other in 'oneself'. And that's the other way we can mirror one another, in that way that dissolves fear and enmity and catalyses reconciliation. BN.: I'm thinking of the Indian saying, and I think its in the Gospels too, 'Thou art That'. A.H.: Yes, exactly. That's what I want to convey/remind the spiritually questing reader.
The next foundational idea has to do partly with loss and gain. Giving up or letting go as a prerequisite for Receiving something from Heaven, if you will. BN.: You mean Jr. Brown losing one button and finding another, A.H.: Yes. How loss becomes a gain. I remembered a tale by Rumi in which there is relating the Prophet Muhammad being called by God to prayer, and he goes to do ablution in a river, and an eagle or some big bird comes and snatches up his boot from the river bank, and Muhammad curses at the bird for taking his boot, but then the bird turns the boot over in its grip and out falls a poisonous viper. Muhammad duly begs forgiveness. What he thought was misfortune turns out to be a very fortunate occurrence. This story of Rumi is made all the more poignant considering the possible symbolism of 'boot' and 'viper' and 'bird'. BN.: Which is? A.H.: Which I'll save for later. -Or sooner. Depends on the flow.
So, also, contained in the relating of the button for a button episode is the foundational idea of preparation; the preparing of something to be able to Receive. I mean, to use the analogy of a vessel, it of course has to be empty in order to Receive, but also there has to be a vessel to be empty! In this same episode we learn of Jr. Brown's special 'shirt' of a certain kind, and which represents an 'education' of sorts; better to say development, I think, outer development, his what can be called 'valid-personality', and the importance of having an outer development that does not impede and is even conducive to a more important inner development. Though the 'shirt' is his favorite, as it should for a time be, it has real importance only so far as something can be taken in by it for the assistance of inner development; the development of a soul, or 'jiwa'; and maybe something dear and deemed reasonably necessary to this most favorite 'shirt', i.e. that button, must be 'let go', so something for the inner growth can be Received. And indeed, as the swooping eagle in Rumi's story graced, we might say, Muhammad by not letting him have a choice in the matter of letting go of his most likely duly deemed necessary boot, so is Jr. Brown graced by not having a choice of losing that button, BN.: Explain, please, what you mean by graced with not having a choice. A.H.: If one is not yet strong enough, so to speak, to override a, let's say personal inclination that isn't conducive to ones Receiving, is it not an act of Grace, if ones personal inclination is made mute, so to speak, because a circumstance makes one helpless, and in that helpless state one has no choice, and can only Receive what Heaven has for one? Muhammad may not at that particular moment of his development, 'let go' of that boot, so an eagle does the 'letting go' for him; And Jr. Brown's 'letting go' is taken care of by that big black raven. BN.: Yea, I get it.
A.H.: So now this 'shirt' of Jr. Brown's is only of relative importance, and the qualities of this 'shirt' are those qualities recommended by many a guide, guru, spiritual teacher, and I quote nearly exactly as put by Gurdjieff from "Meetings with Remarkable Men" his version of those recommendations, and I think that part of the book explains itself. But I want to explain what I mean by relative importance. This 'shirt' as I said, represents Jr. Brown's 'valid-personality', and includes and is limited to all functioning of his heart and mind and body. Now, bodies are temporary, so any and all functionings connected to it, such as hearts and minds, die when the body dies. Or so Bapak says, and I for now believe. So since a 'valid-personality' dies when the body dies, or soon enough thereafter, its importance can only be relative. Though we duly ought cultivate a rich ‘valid-personality’, it must be remembered this is only inasmuch as such cultivation is in support of growth and development of that what does not die with the body, our 'essential-inner-content', or 'soul', or 'jiwa'; the development of which is of its own God given inward capacity and the outward circumstances provided by God's Providence; so, it has been advised that one watch out for, and temper, ones 'righteous ambition' so to speak, that desire in us to go 'faster than God'; which such rich ‘valid-personalities’ are prone to have and try to do, which only can culminate in a ‘fancier’ and ‘fancier’ ‘shirt’, at the expense of the growth of what our ‘shirts’ are meant to contain; our ‘essential-inner-content’.
The development of a rich personality does not equal the development of a 'fruit bearing soul', and may even spoil the development of such 'soul-fruit'. Ours is the cultivation of a personality, God's is the cultivation of a soul. Our personality, that is, our body and heart and mind and the habits thereof, is like unto a field, our soul a seed, and God provides the rain and all important sun. We duly must take care of the field and keep the weeds at bay, but it is by God's Power and Grace alone, that seeds sprout and grow and come to bear fruit. Let us remember, that what can be learned and developed by the heart, mind and body are relative, changing, temporary, just like the things of the world, for the heart mind and body are instruments of and for the world; that what can be Received and developed by the soul is abiding, constant, for such are qualities of Heaven, and the soul is our, or perhaps I ought say God’s instrument of and for Heaven. BN.: There spontaneously arises in me the remembrance of the Lord's Prayer, 'Thy Will Be Done On Earth As In Heaven', A.H.: Interesting. Why do you think God's Will being done on Earth has to be prayed for? BN.: I don't know, A.H.: Yes you do! BN.: Well... 'cause it's like you say, my concerns are based on my heart mind and body, on worldly things, A.H.: As they should be, yea? BN.: Yea, A.H.: Yea, 'cause we got to make a living, feed, clothe and protect ourselves, express ourselves. It is right for us to pursue personal happiness right? BN.: Yes, but, A.H.: But what? BN.: But at what price? Like you said the lower forces tend to greed anger and lust... A.H.: Yes, some mitigation is necessary, I mean, what about other people and their pursuit of happiness, right? The first rule of worldly life seems to be like we said before, 'me first!' –which is translated from an instinct of personal survival. Let's diverge a bit from 'Up from downtown' for a moment and examine the condition of the world and ourselves, from an understanding I have due in part to a perspective of our existence related by Pak Subuh who like I said, I believe to be a genuine messenger of God; but of course what I say ought and must be verified. I do not here claim it to be the Truth, though from my study and observations and experiences thus far, I myself have come to take it to be true.
From The Creator: Life. Life is Existence; Existence is Life. There are seven vibrations of Life. Seven Levels or Worlds or Heavens of Life. Seven Circles of Life; of Existence. The Seven Circles are outside of us and as we are human beings, also within us. There are lesser Circles and greater Circles. The greater Circles contain the lesser. At the level we are, the ordinary human, we are the greatest of the lesser Circles. We are of the fourth Circle. There are Three Circles greater. So there are four circles or vibrations of Life that are lower, and three circles or vibrations of Life that are higher. Of the lower vibrations of Life, the lesser Circles, the lowest is the material; the Circle of the material energies. The Mineral World is the first Circle. The Circle of the material energies blends into the second Circle which is the Plant World. The Circle of the life of plants; the vegetable energies. The Circle of the vegetable energies blends into the third Circle of the Life, which is the life of animals; the Animal World. The animal energies blend into the fourth Circle of Life, the life of human beings; of ordinary human beings, of us.
Of the three greater Circles we can speak only of one, the next higher level, The Circle of the True Human; The True Human World, what I like to call the World of Saints, which for me means the world where the Love of God rules rather than the love of self, and which is not on this planet, the Love of God that is, except through the life of one whose spiritual growth has come to be able to contain such Vibration of Life I am calling the Love of God.
According to Pak Subuh, and various seers of various peoples and spiritual traditions, the True Human World is the next Circle greater than ours to which we ‘go after death’, provided the necessary conditions are met. That is to say: ‘it has successfully been brought about in one the Life of a ‘fruit-bearing-soul'. It can and has happened, rarely, that a person becomes of the Circle of True Human and even of the Greater Circles, before death of the earth-body. Such persons are known as "Messengers", 'Prophets", "Saints", "Sages". And it is from the lives of such persons that we have an outward evidence that there are greater Worlds, Circles to which we can and ought aspire; as it is our destiny, our Dharma, the Reason of our existence, The Will of our Creator, the meaning of our Life within life, having been born a human being, to do so.
Those persons who are called "saints" or "sages" or "bodhisattvas" by some, are True Human Beings. The rest of us are not yet True Human Beings; just 'ordinary humans'. Although, really, the True Human Beings are ordinary, and the rest of us are below what ought be for a human being, ordinary: -Upon a crowded sidewalk, a boy noticed a person had unawares dropped some money; a bill of a large denomination. The boy picked it up and returned it to the person who had dropped it, and hurried upon his way before the grateful one who had dropped the money could finish his thank you. An ordinary human act by the boy. However the people who crowded this sidewalk and who witnessed what had occurred, thought and felt this act to be very extra-ordinary! Oh how they murmured and commented to one another, looking at the boy as if he were from another planet, while feeling ashamed even while inwardly wishing that if it had been them who picked up a bill of such a large denomination, they'd've stealthily done what any 'ordinary' human being would do, and that is right away stuffed the money in their own purse or pocket!-
So, we are advised to pray for God's Will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. We can take Heaven as being for us 'ordinary', that is ‘earth-bound’ humans, the Circle of True Human Being, the fifth Circle that is the first of the greater Circles. The World of Virtue we may call it, and it is the influence of the True Human energies from this World, this fifth Circle, that generates the ‘extraordinary’ acts such as that of the boy of the story just related is meant to symbolize: The Ability to act from non-self-interest. Now, why would such an ordinary human act be seen as extraordinary? By what influence would a person feel pocketing the found money the 'right thing to do’? Such influences come from the lesser Circles. And naturally so. The influences of the lesser Circles are natural; are lawful. They are the results of the forces that determine the Material World, the Vegetable World, the Animal World, and the World of the 'ordinary' human. These are the Worlds where ‘dying’ happens, and therefore gives rise to the desire of ‘look-out-for-number-one-cause-one’s- number-is-limited!
It is important to know how these lower World forces influence us. These Worlds are within us. We are of the material, plant, animal, energies, and of that what is higher also. A spiritual life includes the awareness and questioning of how is it that in the average case, that in you and me, we would feel a ‘pull’ in both directions? To return the money, or to keep it for ourselves? –are we aware of our inner-content? What does choice really mean, what is the true significance of being able, in a position, to choose? A spiritual life includes the right balancing, harmonization of the forces, the influences, the energies of our inner-content that results in our becoming Truly Human. But are we duly aware of the lower, lawful, forces in us? It can be recognized what Worldly influence is strongest in us at any particular moment, by our valuation of the moment: Why would I pocket the found money? -If I valued material energies over all else, expressed and experienced in the worshipful slavish possession of a material object, I pocket the money as a means of being able to achieve such material possession to worship. I experience self-value from the possession of the material object the money would allow me to buy. -If I value the plant or vegetable energies over all else, I worship life; MY LIFE ONLY, and I pocket the money as a means to enhance my life, through some enjoyment of food or drink or some such thing; think of how a vine or tree must 'grab' as much space and sun and water as it can for itself, for its own survival, choking and overshadowing other plants out of existence, less it be choked or stunted in the shadow of a faster growing vine or tree. In the competition for sun, for water, plants aren't 'against one another', rather plants are simply 'for themselves'. The life in a plant is 'aware of’ ‘sensitive of’ only itself and its needs, and cannot be 'aware' or ‘sensitive’ of the life and needs of life in other plants or life forms. -If I value the animal energies over all else, I’m aware of the other, but due to the material and plant energies in me, the other is to be competed against, to be feared or to take advantage of. There can be and is some non-competitive consideration of an other with what arises from the animal energies, but it is very limited. -If I am of the ‘ordinary’ human energies, I pocket the money perhaps or perhaps I don’t. I will have a struggle over it. A hallmark of being human is an urge to 'do the right thing', but what I do, how I judge what is 'right', depends on what particular content, what influence from what Circle in me is dominant at the moment; and what influence of what Circle in me is dominant, is not at all constant. The forces and energies in me are constantly waxing and waning. A spiritual life includes gaining some stability in one’s inner-content. Now I must duly say: if I return the money, it doesn’t mean I’m under the influence of the True Human world, the Circle of Heaven, for I could return the money to ‘gain points’ couldn’t I? –to be seen by others in a certain ego-pleasing light yes? Perhaps the boy in the story only wanted to be thought well of and to be liked and loved by his peers… such would be a ‘generous’ and ‘considerate’ act for quite selfish reasons, very indicative of ‘ordinary’ human acts and behaviors; but the boy in our story ‘ran away before any thanks could be given’ indicating perhaps he had no selfish motive, and was truly under the influence of, guided by, the higher Circle. Which is a way one can tell if one’s behavior is of the ‘ordinary’ human Circle from which can arise acts that are helpful to others in a way animals and plants and rocks can’t do, but nonetheless have a selfish ‘pay off’ in the end. There are Generous acts, and ‘generous’ acts. Generous acts are empty of ego, so to speak, are done because they are the right thing to do, because they are a ‘sacrifice unto Brahman’ as the poet of the Bhagavad Gita puts it, whereas ‘generous’ acts are done to ‘get a goodie’ for oneself.
Now I know I’ve just said a lot, and what I’ve said only touches upon the Reality, and so must be studied and verified through much study and verification in one’s own experiences; and also I must add before getting back to our dialogue on ‘Up’ from downtown, that the Greater and Lesser Circles, the Heavenly and the Worldly Circles of Life and life are all ‘connected’ if you will. The lowest Circle, the Material World is ‘connected’ to the Highest Circle, which I shan’t name as it is utterly beyond my ability to ‘name’, and all other Circles. That is to say the Influence of the Greatest Circle can enter, and does enter into the forces, energies and entities of all the Circles contained within it. In fact, it can be said that a greater Circle can and ought influence the lesser Circle, or Circles it contains, and by which the lesser Circle or Circles derive meaning and value.
I know it’s a lot to try to grip, but it’s an important and pertinent study, this idea of the Heavenly and Worldly Circles within and without one, and one should consider it and come back to it again and again.
Sooo shall we continue with the book Foundations? BN.: Yes! A.H.: Where did we leave off? BN.: You were explaining about Jr. Brown’s special certain kind of ‘shirt’. A.H.: Yes, so I think I said enough about that. The next foundational idea that is presented is related simply through Gran’ma and Gran’pa Brown not being completely ‘taken away’ by the activity that is the communion of their senses with the world. Our senses, you know, only give us information about a particular; which of course can be very important, but in shall we say cultivating an inner attitude that will allow for us to Receive from Heaven, it is imperative to remember that any and all given particulars have a place in a whole, and the first Heaven for us is the whole that is embracing of all the particulars our senses can commune with. BN.: So we want to avoid tunnel vision, A.H.: Sometimes, most times we can’t, but it can happen that ‘something’ in us will be remembered, and if we value it this ‘something’ can widen our perspective. But tunnel vision can be the result of a very strong passion or desire, and as this ‘something’ in us is subtle, it must be by us really valued so that by it and because of it we are able to get free of a strong desire and receive some perspective. BN.: What makes some desires so strong? I mean a strong desire can make us do things we ourselves consider undesirable in a different state of mind? A.H.: Yes, such is our human condition isn’t it. It’s why we need a system of various ‘punishments’ and ‘preventive measures’ meaning of course police and lawyers and judges and jails and prisons and so on. A desire can be dangerously strong. Simply, a desire’s strength is determined by the quantity and quality of the life force that generates it, and by it having the approval of ‘I’. What I mean by approval of ‘I’, is that we take the desire as who we are rather than what we are experiencing. And, if you haven’t noticed, with the approval of ‘I’, when a desire has the feeling of ‘I’ with it, with that comes a type of self-justification. The repeated indulgence of such desire can and does lead to a terrible state and becomes what is called addiction, and then even when one is aware that one’s desire is not one, has not the approval of ‘I’, it is too late so to speak and one’s will is decimated and has no power over the repeatedly indulged desire that has become addiction. There’s more to say, and it’s touched on later in the fourth book from Up from Downtown, but let’s get back to the book Foundations.
A.H.: So we come to the first tale related to Jr. Brown and Ray-Ray from Gran’pa Brown, which is the tale of an argument on a mountain between different states of ‘the same ol’ water’. The foundational idea behind this tale is, first of all, of the truth of the inner-essence that is the same despite the differences obvious in outer perception. As the essence of water does not change whether we have ice, or liquid or vapor. BN.: I'm thinking back to Gran'ma and Gran'pa Brown and their rocking chars... A.H.: Yes, it's going a bit deeper into the idea of one as other and other as one with the relating of the Truth, as my personal experience has born witness to, that this one and the same inner-essence shared by all existences regardless of outward form or inward development is a direct result of its 'coming from' Our One and Only, Ever Uniquely One And The Same, Sovereign Source of all that exists, past and future existences duly included, represented in the tale by 'Ms. Yemaya' the Ocean, Our Mother of all waters.
It's a warning also, this tale, that there is that in us which in the name of self-interest judges merit, amongst other 'qualities', based on perceived outward differences; i.e.: 'bigger' 'smaller' 'smarter' 'prettier' 'dumber' 'darker' 'lighter' etc. etc. And of course our 'cultural educations' greatly panders to and and enhances this trait. Perhaps in the world of Mammon, this propensity of judging 'greatness' in ourselves, and/or clansmen, and/or sports teams and various celebrated idols/icons, and 'not-so-greatness' in those other than ourselves or 'clansmen', idols and icons etc. makes perfect sense and can be very 'helpful' toward ones selfish aims of getting a promotion, or winning the stupid-I-mean-super-bowl, or for one's plans for eventual world domination or something like that, but for the truly spiritual aspirant, this trait in the the self must be identified and recognized for it's downright silliness, on the one hand, and on the other for its quite devilish insidiousness. Through my ever evolving 'connection' with Conscience I have realized that to disparage another, especially based upon one's own mis-perceived 'greatness' or 'goodness' or 'intelligence' or 'wisdom' or what have you is a very heinous 'sin'. BN.: Sin? A.H.: Yes, mistake. a very heinous mistake that can erase in an instant all spiritual gain one may have painstakingly made over quite some long suffering time.
The next tale related to Jr. Brown and Ray-Ray by Gran'pa Brown is that of the lil' Amazonian Hummingbird. BN.: I like that tale... A.H.: I knew you would! -So, the foundational idea behind this tale is, well there's more than one... First is the un-daunting, and resolute determination to achieve the noble goal. And we've talked already about the play of forces, the affirming/aspiring; the denying/inhibiting; and the harmonizing/reconciling... BN.: Yes, this dynamic plays throughout the whole of 'Up' from downtown... A.H.: ...And throughout every moment of the days of our lives, if such moments are concerned with achieving an aim. Monsieur Gurdjieff claimed that this dynamic, this law, was cosmic, that it takes part in everything. I can't yet make such a claim, but thus far I've witnessed it in all the inner and outer phenomenon I've been able to witness. Anyway, also contained in the relating of this tale is the truth, according to my experience, of the coming to the 'end of effort'. BN.: The end of effort? A.H.: Yes, but only after expending all of one's will for effort. BN.: ...Thinking and thinking and thinking until the lil Amazonian Hummingbird was all thought out... A.H.: Yes. It's then that it is realized the possibility of how to get past the denying/inhibiting force, that ornery ol' Mr. Condor, to realized the aspiration to 'lay eyes on God'. Thinking did not produce the solution, the solution was realized when there was 'no more thinking'.
In speaking of the three forces, duly note that the lil' Amazonian Hummingbird does not confront, or try to beat or disable, so to speak Mr. Condor, but begins by 'working with' him. That is, the Hummingbird flies along with the Condor to attain a position where the aim may be realized. We have to remember That what reconciles the opposing forces of affirming/aspiring and denying/inhibiting; if these forces, the affirming and denying, are hellbent on destroying one the other, as what occurs ordinarily among folks who are 'third force blind' as Monsieur Gurdjieff put it, and either or both sides are successful, what will be there to be harmonized/reconciled? Everything, every force and/or entity has its place, its reason for existing. The Wisdom of Heaven is about 'Working with'. Denying has it's place, but is it for us to annihilate that what must be denied? The harmonization/reconciliation of the opposing forces is how new possibilities arise, real solutions to our actual problems of getting on and along with one another and our environment. And this harmonization/reconciliation comes 'from above', from beyond our ordinary capacity, and is, I feel, a true expression of the Reality of Heaven. BN.: So... the problems inherent of duality, of separation, that lead up to and include war, can't be solved by us, by our efforts... A.H.: No. The way comes from beyond us. It comes to and then through us, this is a great 'secret' of all true religions. It is why certain behaviors are extolled and certain one to be shunned. It's an attempt to help us to develop the capacity to Receive That what makes the harmonization/reconciliation of the forces of duality, of separation possible. We try to be 'good', but we can't. Inwardly anyway. We can have some outward pretense of 'good', but where does such 'good' go when someone 'steps on our toe'? Eventually, maybe realizing the futility of our earnest efforts to be 'good', which can only be realized by making lots and lots, that is constant true efforts to be so, brings us to prayer, to ask for help. It's what we pray for in praying for God's Will to be done on earth as in Heaven. We come to see our will is quite inadequate and insufficient. BN.: Again the story of Gran'ma and Gran'pa Brown... the opposites are realized as one... A.H.: Yes, what we Receive from Heaven cleanses us of our faults and gives us to capacity realize... To truly be: 'As One'; which of course can be thought about, and sentimentally arrived at through feeling, and often is, but thinking and feeling are abstract of reality. BN.: What do you mean? A.H.: I mean the true Realization of our Oneness is quite different from our thinking/feeling about it. Like the difference between a chunk of real gold and monopoly money. One is Reality, has real value, the other is pretending. That what is Real, is abiding, not subject to change; the other changes with the proverbial wind, one day we're friends, the next we're sworn enemies. BN.: Yea, Gran'ma and Gran'pa Brown don't annul each other, they come to sit together... A.H.: Having seen their self in the other and and the other in their self, an act that represents the entering of the harmonizing/reconciling force, they come to sit together, each in their own chair, and with appreciation of the chair of the other. Our ordinary propensity is to say, "No! -For me to sit with you, you must have a chair like mine!" -or something like that.
(To Be Continued...)
