Saying For Today: Close-mindedness is not a virtue, nor is a mind as open as a Humpback Whale's gullet.
"Man on the Moon" is a tribute to comedian Andy Kaufman, with numerous references to his career including his Elvis impersonation, wrestling, and the film "My Breakfast with Blassie." The song's title and chorus refer to Moon landing conspiracy theories, as an oblique allusion to rumors that Kaufman's death in 1984 was faked" [Wikipedia: "Man on the Moon (song)"].
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She said, "You know, appearances can really be deceiving, can't they?" "No," replied the Sage, "appearances never deceive, the mind does."
*Brian K. Wilcox. "Meetings with an Anonymous Sage."
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Alan Bennett, in David Schiller's The Little Book of Zen -
I saw somebody peeing in Jermyn Street the other day. I thought, is this the end of civilization as we know it? Or is it simply somebody peeing in Jermyn Street?
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I had a good laugh reading Bennett's words earlier today. This jokey saying implies, at least to me, an implied answer. What? Well, it is simply someone peeing in Jermyn Street. Nothing more, nothing less.
But why say this about the man peeing? If the answer is obvious, why? The man peeing and Alan seeing says something about how the mind meets the world - both the outside and inside worlds.
Alan could see a man peeing in an odd place to pee. He could see the man peeing only, period - nothing metaphysical - or metapee - about it. He could see the end of the world as we know it. It depends on the mind, not the man peeing or the end of the world as we know it.
We see this dynamic in the prevalence of conspiracy theories. People seem to get enthralled with conspiracy cons. Apparently, it is tantalizing. To the unspiritual mind, truth is too demanding, too bland, is boring.
How often have we heard a preacher claim to know the day Jesus would return in the sky to levitate his loyals to a heaven up there? Of course, there is always an explanation when the prediction does not come true. Yet, as I used to, people get fascinated with such predictions and the thinking that seems to prove their validity. Would it not be wonderful if they were that enthused about the world they live in here and the people they meet daily? And, if they were, they might find something absolutely wonderful about a man peeing in the street? Who knows? Maybe there is a hidden beauty in everything - though, I am not recommending anyone to pee in the street... okay?
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We are wise to simplify the mind and feel the ground under our feet. Walt Whitman said, "A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books." So... Pie in my mouth tastes much better than pie in the sky.
I enjoy talking and writing about metaphysical matters. I enjoy theorizing and speculating. I appreciate now and then a talk about things that kind of blows the mind. I like reading books that make me wonder what the heck she or he is saying there. But my feet are on the ground. The key is not to get attached to the appeal of conjecture, theory, and mental gymnastics. The mind flying in ethereal realms is okay, but keep the feet, as noted, on the ground, or if you are sitting, keep the butt on the chair. When our opining closes our eyes to the beauty and glory of what is right before us and all around us or the truth staring us in the face, we have a problem - a mind malady.
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The mind is crafty, jumping to conclusions based on past conditioning. The mind is not as reliant as most people think. We all need to exercise intellectual humility. Close-mindedness is not a virtue, nor is a mind as open as a Humpback Whale's gullet.
One sign of a spiritual being is they are more interested in what is right before them than theories of what was, is, or might be. So, enjoy flowers outside the window, along the trail, at the park, or wherever. And, true, a man peeing in the street is just a man peeing in the street.
The truth is lovely, even when it appears to most people as dull and non-entertaining. Your mind sees as you are. And who said truth is present to entertain? Yet, to the mind-and-heart ready, truth can be truly entertaining - or, it might not be.
*Brian K. Wilcox, An Ache for Union: Poems on Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major online booksellers or the publisher AuthorHouse.
