01 March 2014

David Narby - Chapter 11: Warring Factions

"Let's get something straight." Said Amisa.

Clivid jumped up and going to the art supply cupboard rooted around for something.

"Ah!" he said as he walked over and presented a t-square to Amisa, "Is this straight enough for you?"

We all laughed and Will said, "What an excellent lesson in interpretation, Clivid."

"Seriously," Amisa said, "Let's get something straight, we are all wrong."

Clivid said, "I suppose you could lock us all up if we were not already incarcerated here."

Amisa continued, "I did not mean wrong in the sense that we need to be punished. I meant it in the sense that we need to correct our thinking, that we need to change our perspective. We are looking at everything from an 'ego' perspective."

Will smiled and said, "Since we are sitting here believing that we are all in different bodies what other perspective could we adopt?"

Amisa said, "The ego thrives on conflict. Warring factions attacking each other. Science versus religion. Within science, physicists versus psychologists. Within religion, Catholics versus Protestants. Within politics, right wing versus left wing, government versus opposition, east versus west. No matter what arena you enter it's all about conflict: family, society, sport, politics, media, business..."

Will interrupted, "And we could go on and on naming them."

Amisa said, "And all based on the simple idea that we are all separate. That we must strive for our autonomy and fight for our independence from each other."

Smigs said, "Looking back, the history of the world has always been about conflict, and looking at current policies and trends it's not going to change anytime soon.

Amisa said, "That's one of the ego's favourite ploys. It convinces us that the future will be identical to the past. simply because it looks at everything with a past perspective. It is never in the present and does not want us to become present."

I asked, "Why does it not want us in the present?"

Amisa replied, "Very simply, it does not and can not exist in the present. When we become truly present it disappears."

Darukin said, "Our fear is that if we let the ego go we will be out of our minds crazy, since for the most part the ego is what we have experienced."

Will said, "Yet, while David was describing his in-mind experiences we were all nodding knowingly, like we had experienced something similar."

Darukin said, "That's true, but we are not willing to discuss them with anyone, particularly, not in here."

Amisa said, "So, we all accept that we've had experiences that are beyond our ego and even beyond this world."

Everyone nodded agreement. I was wondering where do we go from here. We all sat in silence. I looked around and realised that I did not really know any of these people. I knew part of their stories, but what I thought I knew about them was based mainly on my own projections. I said,

"We're not really seeing each other. We're all crazy. We think the images we have of each other are real, when they are only ego projections. How do we end this insanity?"

Everyone clapped and congratulated me and said things like 'Well done!', 'Welcome Home!'. I was a bit embarrassed, unable to see what all the jubilation was about. Will said,

"See, David, you've accepted that we are all insane, not just those of us locked up in asylums."

Amisa said, "Within our minds there is a spark of radiant light, that is overshadowed by the ego. As far as the ego is concerned it cannot be. We, as egos, are convinced of this and so we never see the light. Yet, when we sit still, close our eyes and quieten our minds, we see it. It is always there, always was, and always will be, forever."

I asked, "What about the world we see with our eyes open, so convincing it is impossible to see it as an illusion?"

Amisa said, "Simple, David, just look for the light in everyone and everything."

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