December 06-A, 2022

Sentience is a quality of perception,
of being able to perceive something,
on a level beyond sight and sound--
a "sixth-sense" type of awareness.

We know more than we know how we know.
We know more than we know that we know.

There is too much noise,
complexity,
movement
and drama 
about our life
than sentience can compete with.

In order to be sentient,
we have to be empty,
still,
silent--
and develop the ability 
to "fall into emptiness,
stillness
and silence"
while walking about
and participating in life
like everyone else.

And we have to overcome,
by setting aside,
the immediate objection,
"What is it good for?"
"What can you do with it?"
"How will it help us get what we want?"
"How can we use it to have our way?"

Always the angle,
the leverage,
the advantage.
"What is it worth?"
"What is its value?"
If there is no practical,
immediate benefit,
we are not interested.

These current times are going to have to
play themselves out
before anyone will be a fit candidate
for a conversation about sentience.
I'm afraid I won't be around for that.

So, I will say that sentience opens the way
for perception of a universe filled with possibilities
we do not know exist,
and what that means for us
is beyond imagining,
but a day there will be unlike anything
that has ever been experienced,
and it will leave us completely out of the loop
until we have learned a new language
and a different way of living
and comprehending what life consists of,
and is about.

I look forward to knowing what I can of it
from wherever I may be 
and whatever "I" may mean,
when it all comes to pass.

–0–