Open Non-reification

All ideas are imaginary. Good ideas, bad ideas, useful ideas, idiotic ideas; whatever the idea may be, all ideas are products of imagination. The difference between humans and other animals is that other animals do not have the same capacity to create self-generated perceptions; imagination is self-generated perception.

Much is known about structure and function in the brain. The frontal lobe is the seat of imaging, and a major difference between human brains and the brains of other mammals is the size of the frontal lobe. Other animals have the same sense of being, but not the same ability to have an idea about it. Ideas are imaginary and reality is real. An idea about reality is really imaginary, and it behooves one be able to separate the two. The way to do this is to cultivate that state, effortlessly alert, not generating ideas. In this state we do no imaging, for this state of perception is sufficient unto itself: it can not be added to without being dispelled. Some have referred to this state as "open non-reification".

I now look through the forest: a butterfly flits through forest crown, the wind has leaves shimmering. I have no idea about it. I have only perception: perception adequate to the ever-shifting flood of sensation. My entire field of vision, every shifting flux of sound, the breeze drifting through the window, in one chord of awareness. Make note of the butterfly: all else must lose attention. Pick out one leaf: forest, butterfly, and breeze lose some portion of awareness. Entertain some idle thought and lose it all. This is the way the mind works. Mind is a powerful servant and a poor master. knowing how the mind works will help us build tools to separate the real from the imaginary, and thus restore imagination to its powerful and rightful place as magic wand.

Open non-reification is effortless awareness. When we abide in effortless awareness what is, is simply there. Reification is a "doing" possible only with effort of mind: this doing is habitual. The effortless non-doing which is open non-reification takes practice.

Reification is not a bad thing, nor is imagination. Doing of mind; use it, don't abuse it.

Enigmatic Humor

two monks passed in the hall

one said to the other

"what's new"

both laughed uproariously