Friday, July 26, 2013

being



Most people take for granted the definition of "being" such as "human being."  But what is a being? Is there such thing as an animal being ? Is there such thing as a pillow being? I, like many I'm sure, believe the being to be the center of my consciousness... Where the awareness happens... The CPU of ME. Kind of like the controller of everything in each of our individual worlds. So then what does the dictionary say?

1 a : the quality or state of having existence 
b (1) : something conceivable as existing 
(2) : something that actually exists (3) : the totality of existing things 
c : conscious existence : life
2 : the qualities that constitute an existent thing : essence; especially : personality
3 : a living thing; especially : person

Basically, anyTHING conceivable as existing. A be-ing is that which IS or could be. 

Meaning, potential is being just as much as anything else "be's" (is)? Yes... it makes sense if you think about it... Try an exercise:

Look at your hand. Look at the back, look at the front, your fingers, fingernails, scabs, scars, and anything else you see. Now notice that the hand you are looking at is not wet (or if it is, notice it is not dry)... there is a POTENTIAL for BEING wet (or dry) and this potential is infinite in all directions in that your hand could be hot, cold, holding a pencil, masturbating, snapping, building, etc. etc. 

So then, your being us only limited by what you choose to do, to think, to speak... 

It's interesting to note that in the first dictionary definition of "being" there is no requirement for the humanness factor... Just that it had qualities to exist. To be recognizable as something (an unidentified flying object is still "identified" as a UFO.)

As humans, human beings that is, "being" is constantly expressed and expanded through that which we do. 

Our being this isn't stagnant, but dynamic... constantly moving like a candles' flame. 

 Could it be that our bodies are the wax, our brains are the wicks, and our "is-ness" is like the flame? And then this "flame" which is "us" is really the same "flame" as all "flame" just in a different environment? 

In other words, could that which gives each of us life, be the same force for all... Just as a flame on a candle is the same flame as a bonfire as a forest fire? Just that our "flame" is localized to our bodies for now?

Funny we all relate with our "human-ness" and categorize our minds with the "trees" and "ocean" and "buildings" and "animals" when maybe we should be relating on our "being-ness." Human beings, tree-beings, air-beings, art- beings... we're all beings.  The fact that we are here, as opposed to, not here. What is a better reason to celebrate?