We have no meaning without context. Each of us maintains the context that gives us meaning. What happens when we dare step out to a context of no context? Is it even possible? Is this what the spiritual paths mean by dying to self?
We fear that if we step out of the snug cocoon of context we have woven about ourselves, we will die. And we will. Without context, the self we know, the self we wear like comfortable pajamas (or a hair shirt) will disappear.
We fight to maintain our context, the text by which we con ourselves. We make our living with our context. We get through the day with it, snug in its bubble.
As missionaries of self, we look to sell our context to others, while preferring to think we are giving it away.
Like dung beetles, we sit in our context, enjoying its sweet aroma, so happy to have a home.
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Hi George,
ReplyDeleteThis gives new meaning to the phrase "taken out of context". Sadly, no matter how many times we are taken out of context, the tendency of our egos is to get us back into context.
Our egos do this because they have assumed the duty of protecting us. The problem is the ego sees our context as who we are and therefore our context becomes that which the ego must protect.
In our efforts to slip out the door of context we must be relentless. At the same time, however, we must be aware that the ego is clever and can misdirect our relentless action into reaffirming our context, even while -- at the same time -- we believe those same actions are setting us free.
How do we remain relentless without mistakenly feeding the ego and solidifying the context we seek to abandon?
The ego is like a corporation
ReplyDeleteIt's only interest is self preservation
and the accumulation of stuff.
The ego's trick is that it is not trying to protect us.
No, it is trying to protect itself.
And that is the ego's context
No context no ego.
No ego
Oneness. LG
Hey LG, I appreciate that. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI see your point regarding ego.
ReplyDeleteGenerally, however, I do not regard context as a bad thing. In fact, I believe so much of the fracture in our national spirit is related to a lack of context. Anyone with a political ax to grind tosses out context first thing. Statements are left standing naked and ripe for attack. The result is the endless partisanship and polarization we witness every day with sinking hearts. I've stopped watching cable news because I've found myself yelling, "You've taken it out of context!" too many times. And that's precisely why these villains do it ... because without context, we have no historical perspective.