Death and Transformation

“Being” is akin to the peak of a wave in the ocean, and death is merely the peak transforming the state of coherency into a different state.  The peak may now be an eddie in the wave once it curls under or settles into the wave; regardless, no water is lost and all remains a part of the wave and the ocean.

The body and mind are no more real and no more fictional than thoughts, ideas, concepts and sensory inputs. Space and time, are also dreamed up concepts that exist nowhere in reality except through the perceptions of someone that experiences them.  Certainly, space and time are useful tools that add texture and complexity in this dream, but they are still phantoms.

All is "real"; All is illusion.

Everything that you know, sense, feel, see, perceive, think, etc., is a representation-- a symbol.

Even in a sense of time, everything you seem to experience "now" is actually infinitesimally in the past. Not just when you look at the sun as it was 8 minutes ago, or the moon a second ago, but also your hand; a very small slice of time, but still in the past.  

The "now" is also a representation, a monstrous set of symbols perceived by us from the past and to be acted upon in the future. We are constantly re-creating our pasts and futures through the maintenance and use of our symbols and the relationships that we participate in with them.   There is only this “now” which is our current perceptions of symbols and relationships.  All else are probabilities of occurrence outside of our perceptions.

The perception of  symbols and their values and relationships are the only reality, because nothing else exists. When we learn to work with our perceptions we are actually learning how to make them work for us.

By moving away from the known and "accepted" toward the unknown, or previously unperceived, you open yourself up to other probabilities.   Within those new probabilities you "discover" it in your new perspective because it was the "next logical step" from your old perspective and understanding of your symbols. This discovery of new symbols, by whatever means, is typically known as creating. However, all that is new is the perceptions and associations of symbols with their relationships in your perspective. Therefore, creating is actually discovery of new associations and relationships of symbols and a perception of other probabilities through the management of symbols.

Creation necessitates that transformation of one to another, and often this is perceived as death, the gateway to another perspective.

However, we are dying all the time.  Every cell within our bodies is completely replaced every seven years, many cells much more often.  Where did we go?  Our infant and child selves transformed years ago and no longer exist.  

The First Law of Thermodynamics, The Law of Energy Conservation, states that energy can neither be created or destroyed.  Therefore, energy can only be converted, or transformed, from one state to another.  This conversion from one state to another  is death itself. 

Death is the harbinger to a new state of being.

Initiation and Self-Initiation

Consider that Truth is unchanging and absolute, or it cannot be true.  Physical existence is

dependent upon relationships and symbols which requires duality.  Truth, being non-dual, is physically nonexistent.  Nothing is true; all else (i.e., everything, reality, existence, etc.,) is illusion.

Doubt emancipates the mind. Doubt creates a change in perspective through a reassignment of associations and relationships because of a revaluation of perceptions. Voluntary restrictions are imposed, and new awareness is implemented, in order to allow new or different perceptions.

"Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep insights can be winnowed from deep nonsense." ~ Carl Sagan

However, do not doubt your symbols, for that means failure as value has been attributed to those symbols to perpetuate existence. Doubt your current perceptions of your symbols and your lack of awareness concerning the relationships involved and associations known regarding those symbols; be skeptical of the narrow range of your perceptions regarding the symbols and relationships you think you know or understand.  

New associations or manipulation of symbols into different symbols, and awareness of other relationships, allows the Mind to discover other probabilities of existence due to the newly realized perspective.  By immersing your conscious perceptions within your normally "non-conscious awareness" you expand your perspective.

This is initiation. As Kenneth Grant writes in Outer Gateways, "...initiation is necessary before the faculty can be activated and utilized.  But such initiation is always and can only be self-initiation; all other forms of initiation are false because [they are] necessarily inadequate. Initiation denotes a journey inwards and may only be undertaken by each traveller for and by himself."  Therefore, genuine initiation is that which the Mind confers upon itself; all others are simply different means of attaining to this.

A fundamental lesson of enlightenment is the realization that alteration of the Self alters the Universe.

Doubt offers discernment. Appropriate doubt offers another perspective; inappropriate doubt offers delusion.

The practitioner, in order to become magus, must first be the master of his body, his speech and his thoughts.

Change yourself, your perceptions, your symbols and your relationships, and you've transformed your perspective.

To change your perspective is to transform Kaos itself.-- Kaos Axiom of the Codex.

Justice, Adjustment and Authority

Cause and effect, balance, karma, another adhesive that binds us to Existence. Validation of desires and structure of symbols and relationships which reinforce attachments within the illusion, justice is a discrimination based upon a certain perspective.

Discrimination is a means of experience chosen by us following a certain path using an internal logic we determine; therefore, internal logic is used to discover or create our continually changing, or adjusting, experience.

This internal logic, or conception of justice, strives to maintain equilibrium within our perspective by balancing values and desires to maintain the illusion with minimal effort or energy. The path of least resistance will always be chosen even if we are unaware of the goal(s) we have chosen. However, there is no up or down in space; no right or wrong without others. We choose the path of our efforts, not others. We decide what remains within our perspective in relation to what is currently perceived.

Polarization is an integral requirement for change and probabilities. The seeming inequities that must be adjusted, rewards enjoyed or punishments endured, and the unfair/fair actions perceived, are all illusions of our perspective according to our internal logic..

We balance the Universe according to our genuine desires, known or unknown, affording justice as we wish it to be.  By cleaving out or destroying certain probabilities through our thoughts and deeds we generate a path of experience through other probabilities.

 Authority is created by us to provide adjustments we deem necessary and maintain the illusion of security within Kaos. This allows us to remain blind to No-thing.-- Kaos Axiom of the Codex.

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.