Who Gives A F*ck What You Think Is RIGHT? You're An Illusion!

I don't know if it still happens - I imagine it does - but I remember seeing news reports of towns after some sports team lost a game (or sometimes won), and the people literally trash the city, burning dumpsters, turning over police cars, smashing windows etc. etc. etc.  I always thought it was pretty weird and rather stupid.  But it's kind of like watching an auto accident. It grabs you, even if it's horrible.  

Of course, for years, people have also been doing it for political reasons as well. And it's gotten considerably worse in the last few years.  I live in Portland, Oregon, which was dubbed "Little Beirut" by the Bush administration because of the protests that always happened here. Then, in 2020, we had the "summer of love," a mostly "peaceful protest," where at least two dozen people were killed and over two billion dollars of damage sustained.   Why?  

The next year, we had the January 6th event at the capitol building.  I will refrain from saying much, as I'd likely piss people off. 

But THAT'S the point.  If you get all fired up, one way or another about any of these events, whether political or sports-oriented, or anything else...who cares!?  Who gives a F*ck?   

Our entire history, for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, is based on people claiming their Rightness, over someone else's Wrongness.  Indigenous people fought over land or resources. Nations fight and fight over land and resources.  People kill each other over which is the best way to worship God, and every variety of other idealologies, like political systems.  In the last century, some estimated 262 MILLION people were killed by 'democide' or government caused deaths.  I'd be interested in knowing how many people were killed over 'stolen' parking spots!

Again, the point is that every one of those deaths is based on someone saying, "I'm right and you're wrong!"  

But WHO is right and WHO is wrong?  Who gives a f*ck?!   EVERY IDEAL YOU HOLD IS AN ILLUSION, including the illusion that you are this person you believe yourself to be!  

From your very birth, you've been shaped to be this so-called Person.  Your parents, your environments, your teachers, your friends, your work chums, what you read and what you watch.....this all gathers in your mind and creates the multifarious facets of your supposed you-ness.  Along the way, you grasp onto some things more and others toss aside, but you're like a recipe of stuff all mixed together over years to make the You-cake!   And of course, what YOU believe is Truth, is RIGHT!  Right???   But it's all garbage!  

All this stuff belongs to the Persona - not to YOU!  You are the Space of Awareness, within which all this garbage arises and accumulates. You are NOT the giant trashcan of beliefs and habits and concepts.  That's just a story - one of the billions of stories that occur in this world today, and the 108 to 116 billion people who have EVER lived on this planet (according to estimates).  Billions of people living, staying for some time, perhaps killing someone else or being killed by someone else, but ultimately dying - all of them!  So is THIS what you want to do with this life - spend your days certain that YOU are right about what's going on, and "those blankety-blanks are taking us all to hell?"   

Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithuna - Eating, sleeping, defending, and mating - these are the activities that ALL living entities are engaged in, whether human or sloth, flea or demigod.  Eating, sleeping, mating and DEFENDING - being RIGHT and fighting those that disagree with your rightness.  Is THIS how you want to spend your limited days here?  

Socrates told us that "The unexamined life is not worth living."  He also allegedly said "Know Thyself", and by which I'm pretty sure he wasn't talking about the trashcan stuff, but rather Who Are You?  What is this "I" around which revolves these thousands of beliefs. Who is aware of these thoughts and ideas, and who has the choice to simply let them go, let them be, without placing even an iota of importance to them.  

The REAL You is this Pure Awareness...the SPACE of Pure Presence.  You can choose to focus ON and AS that Awareness, rather than mind stuff that is floating around in it.   Many of the great spiritual traditions over the centuries have been about purifying and stilling the mind.  Why?  To let go of all that garbage.  Just like I've spoken of a great cathedral, which when you enter, you often feel the Presence - both because of the intention that is there, but also because it's primary EMTPY of a lot of stuff.  Similarly, at the ocean - there's just vast SPACE and you feel it.  You ARE that Space of Awareness, but rather than living in that, you grab onto the 'stuff' that arises.   

Let go of all the stuff!!

Just Stop and BE Presence!

with deep love

Aja

(aka Baba Buzzkill)

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Linktr.ee/ajathomas

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे 

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