Chance and Probabilites

Chance is simply an easy way to designate unknown causes. There is no such thing as

coincidence. Synchronicity is merely the acknowledgement of how our perception works with regard to Kaos and the sudden realization of some relationships within All This Is.  Therefore, perceived randomness is a lack of awareness, or misplaced focus, within our perspective regarding the relationships we have developed in our universe. 

 This creation and destruction of relationships and symbols results in impermanence through the constant activity that is required in order to have existence.

Physical manifestation depends upon movement or activity.  Existence, not being infinite, is finite but constantly changing.  This constant change aids in the avoidance of nothing through the discovery of continuing desires, and thereby simulates infinity through  the experience of unending probabilities.  Finite ceaseless movement invariably develops patterns within our perspective which we perceive as cycles.

Obviously, this is not fatalistic determinism, but a resultant pattern perceived within the Kaos of Existence and Nonexistence. The experiences perceived within Kaos are a result of our attachments, relationships, activities and understanding.  We create our experiences through our own desires and repulsions whether we are consciously aware of them or not.

It must be remembered that this is an illusion.  Movement is an illusion created by the Mind to foster the perception of Existence.  Only able to conceive of one symbol and its associations and relationships at a time, even if supremely quickly, these thoughts, or symbols, are perceived as appearing serially and provides the illusion of time.  Perceived relationships with other symbols create the illusion of space and further probabilities.  Together, with space and time, the manifestation of the physical occurs as a finite reality acting cyclically within our perspective.

Your Universe

The Universe, All This Is, is not what we have learned it is.  The Universe is nothing other than symbols, their values and associations, and the relationships of symbols within our perception.  The symbols and relationships are constantly changing to provide an experience of something in order to avoid No-thing.  These experiences are our everything and that keeps us from Nonexistence.  Therefore, what we are perceiving is our entire Universe, and nothing else.  Anything outside of our perspective does not exist.

To quote Lon Milo DuQuette’s subtitle in his book Low Magick, “It’s all in your head, you just have no idea how big your head is.”  To put it bluntly, “your head”, or your mind, is the totality of all that exists.  This is not mere solipsism.  It must be remembered that Existence is an illusion, and that includes us.  Our perspective is indeed the Universe.

Since our perspective is limited, our Universe is limited and finite.  The more we expand our perspective the more limitless our existence becomes.  We expand our perspective through activity.  Note that anything that exists is active from the smallest spinning quantum particle to the largest pulsing quasar.  Without activity or movement there is stillness...No-thing.

Increasing activity with symbols and relationships that make up our Universe creates more perceptions and expands our perspective.  Seeking out and interacting with newly discovered symbols and forging new relationships expands the Universe.  Therefore, focusing only on certain symbols and relationships limits our perspective.  Perspective is the Universe.

Ceasing our focus, stilling or removing our thoughts that create focus, also removes self-imposed limitations on our perceptions and expands our perspective.

If we change our relationships or our symbols within our perspective, we change our Universe.  The Universe changes according to the minimum amount of effort, or energy, required for the next “logical” progression, but it is constantly changing.  The Ultimate Reality, being ineffable, cannot be perceived or experienced, so we continually create symbols to represent that while avoiding No-thing.  Changing our perceptions and our focus also changes our perspective as new symbols and relationships are discovered which actually existed all along, but our previous perceptions and focus eliminated that awareness.

By ignoring most of the Universe, Reality, we continually re-assign our purpose and create our experiences.  This ignoring, or forgetting, allows us to have a more individual being, and individuality allows others to exist.  Our Existence is the creation of those symbols and relationships of “I” and “Others”.   

Fear or disgust of No-thing, or Nonexistence, creates the illusion of separateness and the desire for other(s) and attachment(s).  Remove fear and you remove the perception of separation.

You are as real, or illusory, as everything else in the Universe, or your perspective.  As stated before, our individuality is a product of our symbols and relationships, and we are all the same thing.  Consider what “You” actually comprises.  Should you lose your legs in an accident, where did “you” go?  If you were super-morbidly obese and went from 800 lbs. to 150 lbs. are “you” still here?   “You” are actually comprised of the relationships and symbols of the Universe as with everything else.  The “others” are also “you”.  When you perceive others within the Universe, you are actually only perceiving that which is of yourself.  

Strength and Power

Strength is the ability to exert or withstand force.  Power is the amount of work that can be produced in a given amount of time.  Work is activity involving mental or physical effort in order to accomplish a goal.  There can be no effort without strength.

Within our perspective, the more symbols and the greater the associations, and the more relationships involved, the greater the force generated.  This greater amount of force, if properly understood and applied, ultimately increases the amount of power available.  With more power available, more work can be done toward accomplishing a desire.  Aside from a symbol’s number of relationships, the value of the symbol is also considered in the amount of strength that can be garnered.  This value is often determined by associations attributed to the symbol.

Strength is a contrivance.  A misunderstanding or misapplication of strength will often result in undesirable results.  The greater the strength, the greater the unwanted results if mismanaged.  Paradoxically it first seems, extreme self-control is necessary to knowingly wield Kaos.

Thoughts, emotions, feelings, sensations, abstract concepts, principles, associated values, breathing, physical objects, external and internal relationships, behavior, activities, everything perceived is to be controlled creating as much force as possible for the desired effect; however, it must be done in a manner which allows the most probabilities to conceivably occur.  

Intention

   As related before, Will and perception are not separate, but only appear so to the mind; therefore, intent, or intention is contingent upon the symbols and their associated values and the relationships available within your perception. Without symbols their is nothing to perceive.  Without the associations of symbols and their relationships attributing value, there could be no discrimination. Without discrimination there could be no attachment(s).  There would be no perspective.  There would be no others to experience, or goals to be obtained.  Without differing associations and symbols there could be no choices to be made or contemplated, or other relationships to be explored.  Perspective would indeed be nothing, nonexistent. Placing limitations on symbols, associations and relationships limits available perspectives by disallowing certain probabilities. Acting with intentions place limitations upon perspective as well. This allows the attainment of certain goals by limiting relationships. By imposing the goal of two, one causes suffering and discomfort, and three or more is often not realized or able to exist.

Goals or attainments are merely deeper attachments which contribute to the illusion.  Preferences are established or reconsidered, long range plans are created, and all require the manipulation of symbols, creation of relationships and acknowledgement of certain perceptions and associations in order to have any intention and accomplishment, or failure, to obtain a goal.

Therefore, our intentions are dependent upon our perceptions and what we perceive is also dependent upon our intentions.  Attachments are typically what we perceive which are also our goals or part of our intentions.  Thus, our intent is a variation of experiencing our attachments through manipulation of associations, relationships and symbols and perceptions which alter our perspective.  Probabilities are decided upon and chosen or discarded creating the Now.  Our internal logic determines the method and qualities of attachment(s) based upon previous discriminations of associations, relationships and desires.  Typically, intentions enmire us more completely in “Reality” due to their very nature.

A young man traveled to a foreign land to attend the school of a famous

teacher of Tao. When he arrived at the school he was interviewed by the teacher.

"What do you wish from me?" the teacher asked.

"I wish to be your student and become the finest Taoist in all the land," the man

replied."How long must I study?"

"A minimum of twenty years," was the teacher's reply.

"Twenty years is a long time," said the young man. "What if I studied twice as

hard as your other students?"

"Forty years," was the the teacher's reply.

"Why is it that when I say I will work harder, you tell me that it will take longer ?" the young man asked.

"The answer is clear. When one is fixed upon the achievement, one tightens the mind and is thus more distant from finding the Way," responded the teacher.       An Introduction from Hua Ching Ni

--The Empty Vessel / A Journal of Contemporary Taoism  Summer 1996

The work of the Kaos practitioner is to utilize intention as a tool rather than a hindrance in the manipulation of probabilities to obtain a more desired perspective.  Relaxing the mind, increasing awareness and perceptions, understanding symbols their associations and relationships are key to the activity which lead to those desired perspectives.

Desire and Attachment

Desire does not require attachment, however, attachment does require desire, or even disgust.  Resistance to a symbol (disgust) often creates the same attachment as desire. Attachment enmeshes us within Existence.  It firmly establishes a certain perspective due to the decisions made in order to have that attachment.  Attachments reinforce the illusion of separation.  Desirous attachment, or revulsion and disgust of a symbol and its associations creating similar attachment, is a result of perceptual changes through discrimination causing more illusions through magnification of some symbols, associations and relationships while diminishing others.

Attachment forms due to associations and choices made with regard to symbols and relationships.  I previously stated, “Because a symbol is a proxy for something else, and that something else is a proxy for something else, and so on, the values are the same because they are all the same thing. We can only interact with the symbol and it’s association within our perception rather than the actual thing.”  In order to have an attachment, certain values are attributed to the symbol, or associations are made, relative to other symbols that establish a perception of value greater or less than others.  This valuation is made upon the symbols and associations themselves, or upon the illusion as if it were real.

Attachment demands that we disavow the knowledge that symbols have the same value.  This disavowment creates new symbols, relationships and associations.  We may say that here lies good and evil, or the sacred and the profane.

Abjuration of Nonexistence is a process of disgust and desire.  Attachment, however, determines the value of something through symbols, their associations and their relationships while perceiving only a narrow range of the symbols and associations.  Separation is necessary with desire; more separation is made for disgust; associations of desire and disgust create structure and further separation; organization of those structures promote the perception of more separation;  attachment nurtures greater separation and enhances the illusion.

Truth, Doubt and Falsehood

Truth, doubt and falsehood, each are illusions; concepts or symbols created to enable the experience of Existence through the relationships of other symbols. The separation caused by the creation of new experiences via symbols and their associations and relationships born of desire or attraction and disgust or repulsion allow us to avoid Nonexistence.

Because a symbol is a proxy for something else, and that something else is a proxy for something else, and so on, the values are the same because they are all the same thing. We can only interact with the symbol and it’s association within our perception rather than the actual thing.

As these symbols and relationships seem to exist, and do so in a way that is relative to us, the representations appear in a field of time and space. This time and space is the "logical narrative" of our experience.

We symbolize "nothing", creating the illusion of separation in order to exist. However, Nothing cannot actually be represented, neither can infinity.  Therefore, we perceive a universe of an infinite variety of possibilities and representations or probabilities of symbols and relationships.

Everything in the Universe is represented in what is being experienced right now.  Our perspective only contains that which takes the least amount of activity, or energy, to perceive.  This means we are only experiencing the most probable, and the most relative, things we can experience from moment to moment.

So, in order to expand your perspective through thinking, expand your awareness and get rid of your thoughts, rely on them less, and make them interact with what no longer matters to you.  Expand your experiences, change your relationships, associations, symbols, etc.

In The Secret Oral Teaching of Tibetan Buddhist Sects, on page 8, by Alexandra David-Neel and Lama Yongden, we receive the following when the Buddha asked some of his students:

“If, now, you understand thus, and see thus, will you say: We honour the Master and  it is out of respect for Him that we speak thus?”

“We shall not do so.”

“What you say, O disciples, is it not only that which you have yourselves recognized, yourselves understood?”

“It is exactly that Venerable.”

The realization is that any “higher authority” or outside moral structure is simply another illusion created within the Universe in order to propagate further separation through the use of such symbols as Truth, Doubt and Falsehood, and their attendant associations and relationships that appeal to various desires or repel us.

Time and Space: Perceived Relationships

 

Time and space are a result of the relationships of symbols.    Time is the length of a perceived relationship relative to others.  Space is the quantity of relationships within a perceived area.  Change the symbols, and their associations and relationships, and the time and space of your relationships change.

Due to the forces of attraction (it could be called desire) and repulsion (it could be called disgust) which symbols are always exhibiting, and are continuously creating relationships between each other due to those forces, other symbols are created yielding new relationships.  These impulses, or forces, of desire and disgust are a result of Existence avoiding Nonexistence.  The near eternal dance of All This Is-- symbols and relationships forming and dissolving out of the Void evoked by desire and disgust resulting in impermanence, the illusion.

Each symbol is available for different relationships.  The more relationships formed, the more symbols. Of course, the reverse is that the more symbols involved the more relationships are possible; however, relationships can be formed based upon the number of symbols and  the associations attributed to the symbols.  Therefore, the nature of the symbol may also determine the type and number of relationships.  Symbols, their associations and relationships, ultimately result in structure.

Consciousness itself is a result of relationships.

A common structure, or shape, as a result of various symbols and the associations and relationships formed, is a vortex of energy.  How this vortex of energy is perceived is dependent upon the overall nature of the relative relationships and associations of the symbols involved.  For example, the vortex of energy could be a black hole, tornado, whirlpool, hurricane, or even a blockbuster movie, new song or dance move that sweeps everyone’s awareness as a result of the attendant symbols, relationships and associations.  The new dance move may be restricted to a specific club, city or nation demonstrating the number of symbols and relationships involved.

Completely understanding that the Universe is composed of symbols and their associations and relationships will allow you to make changes in those associations, symbols and relationships allowing new probabilities and creating change in the Universe.

There is only one Universe.  Multiverses are mentioned, other dimensions, planes of existence, etc., all results of infinite probabilities.   They are all part of All This Is-- the Universe.

There is but one Universe, Reality, which exists in such a way as to validate its existence creating structure.  All This Is is interdependent as only Nothing can exist by itself; therefore, Existence is only possible in reference to something else.

Potential or Infinite Probabilities

All this is, Reality, is nonexistent-- within and of the Void; fluctuations of the No-thing, existence is infinite probabilities.  Existence and Non-existence is Kaos. -- Kaos Axiom of the Codex (c)



The Universe is bursting with abundance, a virtual infinite supply of experiences via an endless number of symbols and changing relationships and associations.  There is nothing that cannot be yours as there is no end   to what is available.


What is currently available in your Universe is due to your perspective of the symbols and their relationships and associations which are currently perceived.  


We cannot perceive of anything as it truly is; we merely perceive the relationships and associations of symbol(s), and not the actual  symbol.
Realize that your perspective is all ready full of symbols and representations or associations, and you move beyond the physical and into the metaphysical.


Therefore, the values in your perspective, the things, the objects, etc., are no longer more real or more substantial than your thoughts. It's all  symbol and all on the same 'level'. A mountain takes no more effort to move than would a pencil.  What matters is how it works in your perspective rather than what size it is or how complicated you think it might be.


Become more aware of the symbols that compromise your experience.  (Remember that all existence is symbols of which we only perceive a small portion.) You can direct your experience by giving more attention, or being sure to focus more upon, those things which you would find in your new, more desired, experience.


Remember: the symbol is not independent from its surroundings. They work in tandem.  


We cannot experience ourselves except through others; something cannot exist except in relation to something else.

Piercing the Veil: Perspective and Examination

Often, there are those who profess to be “more spiritual” and in tune with the unseen as opposed to those who are more commonly referred to as shallow and materialistic.  I mention this as many who declare themselves to be on the “spiritual path”, or any other specialized interest for that matter, use terms specific to their area of study.  One of these terms heard very early on is “piercing the veil”; it’s also known as “rending the veil” in some areas.

I enjoy the imagery as it conjures up the idea that decisive action is necessary, and it involves some sort of struggle.  I’ve never deeply discussed with anyone, or had them adequately explain, what exactly “the veil” is when further questioned.  Sure, I’ve received the standard, “The veil of reality or material existence!  What else would it be?” or some variation.  And that’s fine, but it’s a circular response as no definitions are provided.  Which is why I imagine, when pressed further, that the attempt at deep discussion is quickly avoided.   

Again, what is reality and why is it a veil that must be pierced or destroyed in order for us to be directly conscious and intimately aware of the spiritual?

I’ll answer with a passage from Alexandra David-Neel’s book, The Magic and Mystery in Tibet.

“A flag moves. What is it that moves?-- The flag or the wind?”
The answer is that neither the flag nor wind moves.  It is the mind that moves.

Your perception of All This Is determines what you will experience.  You must change how your mind works in order to change your perception.  You’ve been conditioned by others, your relationships and associations since pre-birth to perceive the Universe in a particular way by those around you, a universe of accepted and pre-defined symbols.  

The veil is conditioning which has restricted your ability to perceive reality and only allowed you to be aware of it in a very narrow way.  The struggle required for piercing or rending is the taking possession of your mind from others-- increasing your awareness and reorganizing your relationships and associations with the symbols you currently perceive that have been embedded into you during your entire life.  

Change your perspective and you discover more of the Universe.

The following is attributed directly to Siddhartha Guatama, the Buddha:

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”

Observation and analysis, or examination, is the first step toward changing perspective and increasing awareness of what is perceived and how.  

Magick, Intention & Desire

Aleister Crowley defined magick as “the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will”, in his book Magick in Theory and Practice.

Peter Carroll further defined magick in Liber Null & Psychonaut writing, “Any act of will is magic[k].”  In the same book Carroll also states, “Will and perception are not separate but only appear so to the mind.”  

Therefore, any act of perception or exercise of the will is a magickal act.

Further contemplation results in the realization that All This Is is magickal.  What could be more magickal than creating all of existence out of non-existence, or Everything out of Nothing?

The obstacle for magicians, sorcerers, witches, etc.,  is to consciously control it; bend it to the current whim of a small piece of a person’s present understanding.  

Many report that “intention” is what makes the difference.  Pure intention through focus of the will in some manner generates the desired change.  

Intention appears to be our own brand of logic based more upon a sense of a composite range of perceptions.  For example, if you have a gun in your hand ready to shoot someone you could say that your intention is to pull the trigger and kill them.

But what if someone takes away the gun? You could say the intention to kill that person is still there, but what about pulling the trigger?  Reality, or perception, has shifted.  Your intention to pull the trigger is no longer there, but your intention, or desire, to kill them probably remains.  Intention requires a few things (i.e., symbols and relationships) to be in place within your perception.

Either way, intention depends upon your reality and what you perceive as the conditions of your reality.  Only someone truly insane would stand outside and intend to fly off into the sky, or believe that they could through simple wishing.  The sanitariums are full of those with pure intentions and resolute beliefs.

Therefore, doubt does not have the effect that most people assume, but will allow you to more clearly define the outcome by identifying necessary associations.  It could be that doubt allows you to reach that next step toward the desired reality.  However, doubting the symbols and relationships of what is within your perception will remove probability and cause failure.

Perhaps a purer form of what we most assume to be intention is called desire. In the example above, the intention to pull the trigger and kill was born of a desire for that person to no longer to live, to be gone. Again, manifesting that desire into the commonly accepted reality is the obstacle, and is still dependent upon the associations and relationships of what is perceived within the symbols of existence. But we may be closer to realizing our desires with a clearer understanding.

A magickal act that results in the person that a gun was trained on in the above example to suddenly move to another country due to an irresistible job offer or family situation would achieve the desire for that person to be gone as well.

The Djinn

There once was a boy who met a djinn.  The djinn gave him three wishes.

"I wish for an endless supply of wishes," the boy commanded.

"Very well," said the djinn.  "You have an endless supply of wishes, and two remaining after that."

Then the boy wished for a spaceship to take him anywhere he desired.  He indeed traveled far, and along the way he wished for things like air, food, water, companionship and more.  Although the journey to other worlds was fun, eventually he grew tired and wished for an endless amount of energy so he would never have to rest.

He still has an unlimited supply of wishes left, which comforted him; yet, he continued to realize that his companions and friends were not real.  They only came to play with him when he wished it.

He understood it was all an illusion really.

The boy eventually became lonely and dissatisfied.  He missed people and things he could not control.  He missed the fighting, the make-ups, the wondering what may happen next, the joy of discovery;  the feeling of triumph when successful and even the pain of failure.  He missed the genuine feelings from others that were sincere and decided upon by themselves.  After considering all this for quite some time, the boy decided that life was far better left to its own elements.

His second wish was to "undo" his first wish, and return the endless supply of wishes back to the djinn.

The boy, now a man, lived a happy life for a number of years.  However, in the back of his mind he remained suspicious that it may all be an illusion.  That somehow his life, and everything about it, is something that he wished for into being.  He wanted to be absolutely sure that life was as real as it could possibly be.

What an awful thought!  To think that nothing was real and nothing truly existed, even himself as he understood it.  That every bit of his existence was merely a vast and intricate illusion showing that his life had absolutely no value, and he did it all simply to avoid that acknowledgement of nothing.

This troubled him so much that he came to a decision and used his third wish.

"I wish I had never met the djinn!"

In a puff of smoke the djinn vanished.  There remained the man, the same as he ever was.