Living in the world
“Contemplation is a stance, a holding oneself in visual and mental readiness before the world which is not a mirror, not a problem, an adversary, friend, playground, not ‘raw stuff’, not symbol, not a balm, not terror. The contemplative must be disciplinedly poor: you must stand before your subject, attention straining convinced you know nothing.” — Tim Lilburn
I can’t remember the last time I wrote on Substack.
Eons ago, or so it seems.
Why?
I’ve no reason and neither do I need one.
Unlike many, I’ve not jettisoned my love of words for the elixir of making it in the boondocks of social media. Sorry, that’s a bit crass but truth is, I’ve never been disposed to fame, fortune or attention largely because, being of the world, I’ve never felt myself poor and I certainly don’t crave (social media) connection.
As to the rubric, I could leave you with Lilburn’s prophetic few lines taken from his majestic and haunting book “Living In The World As If It Were Home” but perhaps I ought to add a few more lines.
Oh go on then!
I shall.
None of us asked to be here.
None of us knew what to expect.
And, even now, I’d query if any of us know why we’re here. It sure as hell isn’t to ‘work’, i.e. to earn a living, notwithstanding that that has become the de facto and de jure way to exist for many, many people.
Perhaps there are times where we feel the Lords of Chance have our backs that or we’re in swoon to our better, more prescient days sufficient to find meaning and purpose…and a bit of love, friendship and communion with nature. But it seems cyclical or effervescent at best.
But, as Stephen Jenkinson has said many times, nature doesn’t need us, but we sure as hell need it. Of course, you wouldn’t think that from the way we devour all and sundry. That said, there are a few gentle souls who’ve not outgrown their animistic past. On this point, I’d wager you’ve not read The Last Messiah by Peter Wessel Zapffe?
Perhaps in the end it’s not so much that we live in the world as we’re ‘lived’ by the world; namely, we occupy our space, holy and sacred at times, where we’re not communing with out egoic self that thinks, in a Cartesian way, that by dint of all it knows, it’s got it all figured out.
That’s a long-winded way of saying that a blistering experience with mystery and wonder can do more for our so-called soul then any amount of retreting or psychological tuning up.
Take care weary travellers of the Substack world.
Blessings, Julian