I always felt profoundly between worlds. Yet pride myself on connecting worlds, mainly nowadays in the form of people, so much so that it’s now my main work. Being a die-hard creative-thinker, I’m an artist, creator and writer too. Two contrasting, but equally invigorating writers whose work I love and have consequently sparked this piece are firstly, Epic Gonzo whose lively Peru travelogues have not just provided a welcome break these last few days, but unabashed, comedic adventures in a straight-talking style I might’ve rather kept to over the past 18 months during my own inner and outer travels. Go have a read.
The other writer whose wide-ranging repertoire I’ve been admiring is Hannah Close on Metaxu, a graduate from Schumacher College and traveller of the Anthropocene with eloquent forays into ecological design, liminality and islandness: “You can belong in fragments, too, cue: archipelago.” and her inspiring dissertation around island metaphors and relationality. Hannah was host for the Kinship ‘23 programme I took part in, riffing on the same theme and hosting such luminaries as Alastair Macintosh and poet David Whyte. I’m admittedly jealous of Hannah’s regular reflective-sailing jaunts round the inner Hebrides (I had an old wooden boat when I lived on Skye) but it’s her aim of “repairing our perception of relation in an alienated society” which sails closest to my interests, in terms of fragmentation and crisis of communication and coupled with those of my colleague Dr. Hanne De Jaegher in enaction theory, interbeing, intersubjectivity and participatory sense making.
Somewhat bizarrely, I just found out my new neighbour is an executive at the brilliant renewable energy and sustainable farming movement Practical Action, founded by E.F. Schumacher …and then if that wasn’t enough before breakfast, somewhat dragging me back towards the point of this piece, I discovered an early edition of his E.F’s ‘Small is Beautiful’ is adorned with “There is no God but God. Muhammad is his Messenger”- the central tenet of Islam. Huh?! It’s a sign! ; ) A certain synergy arising from all these new cosmic-mind-angels, along with the daily influences and inspirations from some other wonderful colleagues and friends like expert Inclusion Trainer Kate Salinsky and Regeneration Leader Katherine Long, and their super active ground work and collaborations, pushes me on generally. And I’ll get there shortly.
Incidentally, I’m also beavering away at an article for Beshara magazine around the metaphysics of Bohm, Dialogue and Ibn Arabi. This piece here lays the groundwork for that (he says). Sorry, I’m thinking out loud again.
“Get to the point, Drury!” I hear you. OK.
We live in a state of perpetual tension. That’s why it’s hard for me to get the one thing done. I need the tension of two. Because that’s the potential principle. Metaphors are the only thing we have at the end of the day, aren’t they? “It’s Judgement Day, sucker!”
Jordan Peterson explains the importance of the difference between mythological gods and historical representation beautifully here, thus
“Sometimes the objective world and the narrative world touch.”
- also citing Jungian synchronicity, which we’ve all experienced to some degree. Our existential meaning is basically between narrative and pure abstraction; matter and spirit, which is essentially what our sacred traditions are and “what they are for”. Of course there is no single truth, because the ‘single truth’ by definition incorporates all, and cancels all that’s false, therefore has no contender. So that means there is only single truth, right? LOL.
So what happens when our state of mind succumbs to the politic of the day? Why do we get distracted and swept along with the mundane, the political zietgeist, the news, the scandal, the latest movement, the mass protest? What about the dominant narrative of how to live and be? Whose narrative is that anyway, in my head?
Forget the questions already. Rumi said “You are what you seek.”
My mum is a perfect example of humble simplicity, “Don’t absorb so much” she said, “you’ll end up confused.” I didn’t listen, and I ended up confused. Are you? Humour me, you’re still here.
Simple is beautiful.
So now I seek again the in-between of everything. And yet my position of being human is to make meaning, which means connecting things. Phew.
Hannah Close explains our daily dilemma thus:
“The dominant culture forces us to choose one cliffside of this bottomless canyon when we could be swimming, basking, between them in a pool of sublime entanglement.”
“..in a pool of sublime entanglement.” Of course! We are completely at a loss to know why we are here. It’s not even worth asking. But starting from the unknown means there’s nowhere to go, no opinion to have and nothing to prove. Peaceful huh?
But ask we must, for that is our lot. Otherwise we have no idea. Do you?
The ultimate in metaphors is embedded in the spiritual stories of our great religions. Those stunningly unbelievable (see what I did there) results of the great cosmic consciousness. And here’s the thing: If God is everything, why do anything? Well, me lad, you tried that didn’t you? And what happened? Yes, you remember. Wasn’t nice was it?
So there’s only one choice: Ask.
Ask yourself, ask each other (“There are no others.” - non-duality Master, Sri Ramana Maharshi.). But remember, the mind has limits. And be patient!
“Don’t try to see through the distances, that’s not for human beings.” - Rumi.
While you’re patiently still sat on your ass, basking in your pool of sublime entanglement (ew), read the stories and ask God, the universe, Siri, yourself, your mug of tea, whatever, for insight and understanding of who you are and why on earth you are here.
Ask.
Literally.
Now.
Go on.
I imagine if you ask with true sincerity, you’ll be met with a certain resounding silence and stillness. And therein will be your answer.
Be still and know.
Finally, on the theme of Selfism (autism?), and the Meaning of Life (it’s now 43), I’m going to leave you with this stunning short film by neurodivergent artist and guerrilla scholar Alison Leigh Holt, which Hanne DJ just sent to me, because it leaves me with that lovely feeling of basking in the delicious Soup of the Unknown, and I hope it does for you too.
Peace.
JD.
Next: The Zen of Collecting Roadkill.