In the Western world, so many ask: “What should I do? What is my path?” They ask this because they are haunted – like all of us – with that lurking sense of indeterminism. It follows us like a shadow. It doesn’t conform to what we’ve been taught in terms of “purpose” or other social rules humanity has made up about Life – it doesn’t tell us “what to do.” Because it doesn’t tell us, we are left wondering “am I doing what is ‘right’?” It is inferred from our peers (and Western society in particular), that in order to be “acceptable” (and thus “right”) one must accomplish or become “X” and so we are always searching for that elusive “X.” And so many people wait for someone to tell them what their “X” is because they are unable to figure it out for themselves because Reality doesn’t speak up!
This reality of the unknown, the uncertainty, the “no answers,” leaves us feeling anxious, vulnerable, and at odds with the Universe. Naturally, if someone could tell us what we are supposed to do, that feeling will go away and we will finally have peace. All kinds of religions have tried this, and in my opinion, all of them have failed. Where’s the promised peace? They missed the point entirely.
In order to truly come to a place of contentment, one must be in acceptance with the unknowns of Life and Reality. That is, one must consider his/her relationship to the great uncertainties of existence instead of fighting against them or trying to subdue them.
Society also teaches us that “knowledge is power,” and since we cannot gain “control” over so vast an unknown, we feel powerless and helpless to whatever its whims. Like a fly to flypaper. That sense of powerlessness leaves us worried… exposed. “I can possibly get hurt – emotionally and mentally. I could possibly be maimed, or worse yet, myself killed or someone I love.” Those may be extremes, but that is the irrational nature of fear when several people think about the uncertainties of life.
Will you ever find peace with Life when you view its vast unknowns and uncertainties with such suspicion and antagonism? No.
There is another way. A different way that can make such vast unknowns exciting and worth the adventure. That way is to not perceive it as you having a lack of knowledge that makes you ignorant and vulnerable, and for that you must be ready for battle; but rather, such vast unknown is really mystery. In other words, it is not something “out to get you” because you do not understand it or are unable to pin it down, it is simply that you cannot understand it fully, and we must be willing to accept that within ourselves, and still not hide from the very thought of its exploration. We must be willing to accept that the great unknowns of Reality contain attributes that our conscious brains simply will never be able to comprehend, for it is too great. And that is okay. Our relationship to it must correspond to that sense of acceptance, versus fighting against it.
Reality will always be a vast unknown that we cannot fully grasp. Incidentally, this is by design. We come into the world handicapped – not to know everything – and our physical senses work wonderfully in making sure we do not see it all. Why? Because it would rob us of creative freedom. Once you “know” something, you’ve defined it in some way, like it is carved in stone.
This is the beauty of the Great Unknown that we can never know. It must, by design, defy definition. That is, the greatness of Life is so huge that to think we can fully understand it (and thus control it) while in the human body and the body’s sense-limited brain is the ultimate of hubris. For crying out loud, the force of Life is so great that we call it a “Universe.” How can we possibly understand it at such a level to consciously control it?
We won’t. What comes from this vast great unknown is an entire Universe. All languages and concepts come from within it; therefore it cannot be defined by any one language or any one concept. If you were to try and assign some word, idea, or whatever, you’ve missed it. It is not a “thing” that can be seen like a target to be hit by an arrow. It cannot be limited, for all creation comes out of it. The best we can do is describe by analogy, which then limits it by the very limitations of the analogy itself. The Unknown cannot be put inside a box, because it defies all definitions, as all definitions must come from it. This is what gives us the sense of anxiety within ourselves. You cannot fully know it, because it cannot be fully known – otherwise the bedrock of creation would suddenly become limited, and thus so would we.
But we don’t like that. We don’t like “being left in the dark” in the world. How can we have a relationship toward this? By accepting its vastness as mystery and remain open to its participation with us, as opposed to fighting it or hiding away from it. We are connected to it and are inseparable from it, so it is vitally important to create a positive relationship with it and be excited about it. And who doesn’t love a good mystery? Yes, there is a gamble … You could get hurt. But equally, you could be rewarded with new wisdom and expansion of consciousness – a deeper relationship with the Universe than what you’d have if you were to cower before it.
We are always in relationship with everything around us. Those relationships either sustain us or we allow them to work against us in some way. To battle the force of Life and its subsequent realities is the ultimate act of futility. We cannot know all forms, we cannot know all concepts, but that is okay.
As I said, we are inseparable from this. That is, we came out of it. Force of Life. I am a force of Life; therefore, I came out of this great unknown and it is a part of me. You actually work with it every day and don’t give it a second thought. Believe it or not, you trust it implicitly. When you think “Pick up a pencil,” you have no idea how your body does it. You have no idea what muscles expand and contract, what the nerves are doing, how the blood flow is responding … You just reach out and pick up the pencil. And you are quite fine with not knowing the particulars of it. Same with your breathing, the working of your glands, the digestion of your food (for the most part). These are the vast unknowns OF YOU, and you don’t worry too much about them. You are already in relationship to the unknown through your own physical self and act quite fine about it.
So when we face the vast unknowns of Life throughout the day – those things that we cannot pin down, that we will never know or pin down – it is okay, just as it is okay in not knowing how you pick up a pencil. Now … in viewing it as mystery – this isn’t to say you cannot gain some clues! So long as you understand that what you are uncovering will never reveal the whole thing. You have to be okay with that. This is what makes Life interesting! Fun, even! You can never know the vastness of all things – because it is so huge – but that isn’t to say you cannot play with it and become greater within yourself for it.
The vastness of all Life which created galaxies, stars, planets, minerals, vegetation, animals, and people … is always with us because we came out of it. Yet its vastness is not something within the realm of definition and human understanding, because human definition and human understanding is not at the same level as Universal knowledge. We are a fractal of it, but not its totality. Our current viewpoint in existence is at the wrong level to see, much less grasp, the totality of it all.
Because reality is so vast, we have to accept that because we cannot fully know it or understand it, we are not going to be able to control it. That’s another thing we don’t like. Feeling like we cannot have control. Especially in the Western world, where we try to subdue nature and make the planet do whatever we want for our economy.
Give up this need to control all of reality. We are co-creators – meaning we create in cooperation with Life. We are not personal emperors and kings. You cannot push Life around in that sense. There are too many variables the conscious brain cannot comprehend – like what muscles to expand and contract to pick up a pencil.
Now, you may argue that the subconscious mind knows all the answers – and lay hope that it is the magician that can give you control over reality the way you wished your brain would. Again, you are a co-creator and not an emperor. You work in harmony with your environment … If you are pushing and shoving, that’s not very harmonious. In fact, it speaks more to a sense that you are in battle; that your environment is against you and thus the fight. Who do you think is going to win that battle if you are interconnected and telling yourself it is a duel? At that point, you are just in your own way, literally.
Instead of trying to push against the unknown, you can instead work with it. All variables and possibilities are wrapped up inside it. You don’t have to shove it. But you do have to learn to trust it. Since you are wrapped up with and it IS you, you are learning to trust yourself. Consider that.
The unknown is the Wave, while you are the Particle. You come out of the Wave, connected to it, but also somewhat “defined” and therefore subject to not fully knowing all the possibilities. But you certainly still have a sense of them being all around you – fuzzy, indistinct, undefined. What a juicy mystery! And you are it!