Jim Dollar's Photography and Philosophy

See what we look at.
Hear what we listen to.
Know what we know.
Say what needs to be said.
Do what needs to be done.
All there is to it.

Derailed by wanting what we want.
Refusing to maintain balance and harmony.
Being awash in opinions,
assumptions,
presumptions,
inferences,
projections,
fear,
desire,
hearsay,
noise,
complexity,
drama,
trauma...

And here we are.

Start with balance and harmony.
And the forces of destabilization.
Notice how your mind
can serve balance and harmony
or destabilization--
how we can be the source
of balance and harmony
or the source of destabilization
by the way we react/respond
to our circumstances.

Cut out the alcohol.
Square up to life just as it is.
Feel what we feel.
Let things be as they are.
Develop our capacity for
emptiness,
stillness,
silence.

Embrace no control
no contrivance.
No plan.
No agenda.
No opinion.
No expectations.
Nothing at stake
in any outcome.

Preferences without 
obsession/compulsion/addiction.

Just seeing what happens
and what we do about it
in each situation as it arises,
trusting our original nature
and innate virtues
to lead the way.

Like a tree in the forest,
a flower on a hill.

–0–

What is right?
How do you know?
Where do your boundaries lie?
Who lays them for you?
What is the truth about you?
Who told you so?

There are things that define us
that we have nothing to do with.

They are just there.

We just are the way we are.
We just know the things we know.

Where do we go to talk about those things?
To explore them?
To discover what all is there
that we had nothing to do 
with putting in place?

We are more than we know.
Why don't we do the work
of finding out who we are?

And working together with ourselves
to know and be who we are,
and do what is ours to do?

To find our life and live it?

What have we always dismissed,
discounted,
ignored?

About us?

"The stone the builder rejected
becomes the chief corner stone."

–0–

We all experience the same things
that have always been experienced.

"The way of a snake upon a rock,
the way of a ship at sea,
the way of a man with a woman."

All of our experiences are universal experiences.
They differ by the quality and degree
of the expectations, assumptions
and opinions that we bring to the experience.

We experience the same things,
but we interpret/understand them
in quite different ways
dependent upon our background
and the way we have learned to see/decipher the meanings of
the things we experience.

Religion is merely a way of understanding,
interpreting,
explaining,
our experience.

If we can find our way back
to original experience,
that is,
experience without the burden
of previous experience
and the weight of explanations, etc.
that have gone into biasing 
the ways we see what we look at/experience,
we can free ourselves of the doctrines
that we have inherited,
either religious,
cultural,
politidal
or scientific,
and simply be with what is
without prejudice or presumption.

When I do that,
I discover grace to be 
a primordial experience of experience,
and the foundation of all religions,
which exist to explain,
and attempt to control,
the experience of grace in our life.

Grace is good luck,
good fortune,
and is offset 
by the curse
of bad luck, 
bad fortune--
that is, things either going,
or not going,
our way.

Religion claims to be a hedge
against bad luck
and the font of blessings and grace,
or good luck
throughout our existence.

Original experience sees it all for what it is
without expectation or opinion.
When we do that,
we do not need religion of any form.
Just seeing is enough.

"Well, there is this, and there is that,
and this is what we can do about it,
and that's the way it is."

Beyond grace,
there is also the primordial experience
of balance and harmony.

We all have that experience 
from time to time,
and strive to hang on to it
with pharmaceuticals and alcohol,
but balance and harmony
are immediately lost
by trying to sustain/maintain them indefinably,
while striving to have our way
and get what we want.

Can't be done,
but. 

Balance and harmony come and go,
but can be cultivated
by the attitude we take 
to living life generally
according to the prescription 
applied to grace:
"This is the way it is,
and this is what we can do about it,
and that's that."

Not pushing,
not striving,
not forcing
not trying to have/avoid
what we want/don't want,
but just seeing,
just knowing,
just doing what is called for
and just being fine/okay with that
is the foundation of a life
that is as good as it can be,
and to want/insist on having more
stirs up forces
that lead to the heaving waves
and the clashing rocks
in no time at all.

The concept of "stirring up forces"
needs to be explored.
It is another of the primordial experiences.

There appear to be forces at work in our life,
arranging things according to a pattern,
making things work as they do.

We have all experienced that,
and it is another purview of religion
to claim to control those forces
and to put us in the flow of good
and out of the reach of evil.

We protect ourselves,
not with prayer and votive offerings,
but with seeing/knowing/doing/being
and allowing things to be as they are
as we respond to the way things are
by doing what is called for 
in each situation as it arises--
without contriving/conniving outcomes
(creating good luck)
and escaping others
(avoiding bad luck).

This is known as "The Drift of Circumstances."

Circumstances are the building blocks 
of the universe and all that is therein.
Circumstances are as God is said to be:
"Infinite, eternal, almighty, all powerful, etc."

Circumstances always are,
always have been,
and always have been,
world without end, amen.

There is nothing but circumstances.
And "The Drift of Circumstances"
is inherent in the way of things,
just as "one thing leads to another,
and "one book opens another,"
"as surely as the day is long,
and day follows night
and the tides come in and go out."

It is the way things are.

What we read into that,
and say about that,
determines--or strongly influences--
what follows
"as surely as the day is long..."

And that is the spawning grounds
for the presumption/assumption
of "forces at work in our life."

It is The Drift of Circumstances
that is at work in our life.

As we sense that and work with it,
align ourselves with it,
live in accord with it,
as one might with the Tao,
or with God's will,
we increase our chances
of experiencing the flow of forces
at work in our life,
by being at-one with The Drift of Circumstances.

Reading the circumstances at work
in each situation as it arises,
and doing what is called for
in light of what is happening
and has been happening
and what will likely continue to happen,
positions us to see/know/do/be
what needs to be here/now
and to live accordingly.

And that is as close to being always
graced, blessed and lucky
as it is ever possible to be.

May it be so for us and everyone!

–0–

Human beings are good for laughter,
playfulness,
poetry,
music
and art.

War,
violence
and sex trafficking...

I'm sure the natural world
would be better off without us,
but here we are,
and the trick is to 
make the best of it--
not in terms of what 
we get out of it,
but in terms of what 
we add to it,
living in ways 
that make things 
better than they 
would be without us.

Living in ways that make
each day better
than it would be without us.

Taking care of our business
in ways that bring 
the light to life
in the world
of the same old same old.

Being a source of life,
and joy,
and peace.

Every day.

This is enlightenment.
Living in ways 
that make the world
a better place
than it would be
without us in it.

It begins 
with being where we are,
seeing what we look at,
and doing what needs
to be done about it,
in response to it.

We are witnesses
invested in the role
of seeing/doing 
truthfully,
rightfully,
for no reason other
than the importance--
the essential Mustness--
of seeing/doing
truthfully,
rightfully.

Jacob Bronowski said,
"If you want to know the truth,
you have to live in certain ways."
We have to live truthfully--
not kidding ourselves,
not deceiving ourselves,
being who we are,
doing what is ours to do,
anyway,
nevertheless, 
even so.

Because it is who we are.

That is all it takes
to be what is needed
here/now
in each situation as it arises,
all our life long.

Just seeing.
Just doing.
In response to what's what.
The way it ought to be seen/done.
Here/now.
No kidding. 

–0–

What's good for the antelope
is bad for the lion,
and vice-versa.

So what's good? Or bad?
Who's to say?
How do they know?

Good and bad all depend on who's talking
and what they have at stake in the matter.

Good and bad are always good or bad
from somebody's or some thing's point of view.

Take all of the points of view out of the universe
and there is neither good nor bad in the universe.
There just is.
What's what is then all there is.
No judgement.
No opinion.
No right or wrong.
Things just are what they are. 
Period.

Which means that nothing means anything
if there is nobody and no thing
for meaning to exist.

Meaning is always what we say something means.
It is like right and wrong,
good and bad,
meaning depends upon some point of view.

This or that means this or that
to somebody or some thing.
There is no meaning if there is no body and no thing.

Which gets us to this:

I would like to say that crazy
is being unable to,
being incapable of,
seeing/finding the humor in a situation--
in any situation.

But.

That gets us to comedians who kill themselves.
They must be bad comedians, right?
And to crazy people who laugh at everything.
And my idea of crazy being incapable of humor
makes no sense in light of the evidence,
which, I think, is grounds for laughter.

When nothing makes sense,
laughter is all that is left.
If we can't laugh about the joke
being on us
for expecting things to make sense
because we need for things to make sense,
to fit together,
to explain why and what for,
then what is laughter for?

And we have to laugh about that
because it is all absurd and ridiculous,
and we should be ashamed for expecting
things to be different than they are--
for wanting/needing things to be different
than they are--
but, we aren't ashamed,
and we do expect things 
to be different than they are,
and that is hilarious.

Where do we get the idea that things
can't be what they are?

Who are we to say so?

Things make no sense!
Why do they have to make sense?
Why can't we nod in agreement,
laugh about the dichotomy
of insisting that things make sense
when things make no sense whatsoever,
and get back to doing what needs to be done,
anyway,
nevertheless,
even so?

For no reason than because it needs to be done?
Like feeding the baby
and changing their diaper,
and letting the dog go outside to pee? 

–0–

We are (Get ready for this,
as ridiculously unbelievable as it is)
vehicles of transcendence. 

We are transcendent reality writ large,
spilling over,
pouring out.

Along with Jesus,
we all can say,
"The Father and I are one!"

Except but...
If only...

We are at once,
transcendent wonders
and the slime at the bottom of the pond.

"OM Mani Padme Hum"
was produced for us
about us.

Except but...
If only...

We all are one slight shift in perspective
away from knowing
and being
it is so.

That slight perspective shift
is called "Enlightenment."

It is realizing what's what.

It is knowing and being what's what.

It is acting/living as though what's what
is what,
thoroughly,
completely,
absolutely.

We are one slight perspective shift
away from it all being so.

Except but only...

What? Except but only what?

What is standing in the way?
Keeping us from seeing/knowing/
understanding/being
what is so? 

Don't let life get in the way!

–0–

We generate noise in 10,000 ways,
along with complexity,
drama
and trauma.

We could compensate for that,
if we will,
with emptiness,
stillness
and silence.

In order to maintain our balance and harmony,
remain in the flow of life
through all situations and circumstances,
and live in the way 
of life everlasting
in each moment as it arises.

Meeting the moment
as it needs to be met
with the right action
in the right place
and the right way
at the right time
just like we knew what we were doing--
but we don't.

We are just living spontaneously
in response to the needs of the now,
doing what comes naturally,
for the joy of doing it
and the satisfaction
of having done it.

Loving our life and enjoying 
the wonders of being alive.

–0–

We live looking for things that catch our eye
and be alive with the radiance,
the splendor,
of the sublime,
and divine.

Transcendent reality grounds us,
steadies us,
anchors us,
reminds us
that "this"--the everyday world
of normal, apparent, reality--
is not all there is,
or even a sizeable percentage.

We are wonders ourselves,
from wonder
on our way back to wonder,
stopping by here
to remember who we are
and where we come from
and what we are made of
and for.

This world snaps us awake 
to the wonder of wonder,
the essence of the other world,
the invisible world
that primitive peoples
have always known to ge
the foundation of this world.

This world calls for enlightenment,
recognition,
realization,
remembrance,
thanksgiving,
gratitude for
the occasional "cracks
where the light shines through"
"hallelujah!" 
(Leonard Cohen).

So we live looking,
starved for,
the things that catch our eye. 

–0–

We wade into our circumstances
bent on conquest and annihilation!
On "Shock and Awe"!
On triumph and subjugation!
And for all of the bluster,
here we are.

We who would be Champions of the Way,
are lost, adrift and astray.
Without direction or incentive,
vitality or hope,
with only the wasteland
to call home.

All because we don't know 
what to do with circumstances
unfolding before us,
sweeping us away
like so much dust and ashes,
laughing,
taunting us with disgust and derision
for being so blatantly clueless
for all our talk of glory and treasure.

Circumstances hold the key,
but it will not be taken by force,
or surrendered by threat or demand.

Circumstances, and their hand servant,
situations, 
come at us one after another 
throughout each day,
inviting us again and again,
to start with any of them,
looking/seeing,
listening/hearing,
knowing/doing/being.

But we do not again and again,
stop, look, listen!

All we do is force our way
in the service of what we want,
never mind what is needed,
necessary!

Do not have a will!
Do not have a way!
Do not have even an opinion!
Or an expectation!

And do not think ever 
of using your circumstances
to advance your agenda,
achieve your goals,
realize your plans,
die with the most toys
and WIN! WIN! WIN!

Take the words of Jesus to heart:
"If you would be my people,
pick up your cross daily,
and follow me,"
he said, on the way to the cross.

Circumstances are not about winning,
but about dying--
again and again--
to the things that are a delight to the eyes,
and pleasing to the taste
(As the Forbidden Fruit was for Adam and Eve).

Our place is to be what is called for,
to do what is needed,
to offer what is necessary
to the unfolding of situations
in the service of the true good of circumstances,
and let that be that--
"Without hope,
without witness,
without reward" (Steven Moffat).

Our place is to place ourselves
in the service of our circumstances,
with filial allegiance
fealty
and liege loyalty,
doing the right thing,
in the right way,
in the right place
at the right time.

Regardless of what it means for us personally.
This is the meaning of the cross--
doing what is right no matter what,
because it is right  never mind what the cost is!

This, and only this, breaks the curse 
of the wasteland
and ushers in the time of vitality,
delight, joy, enthusiasm, wonder
and abundant life.

Obi Wan Kenobi advised,
"Listen to the force, Luke."
Lao Tzu advised,
"Live aligned with the Tao."

They were saying,
"Find the flow of circumstances
and trust yourself to it 
through all of the trials and conditions
of your life."

The flow of circumstances is the flow
of your heart and being 
in the service of what is truly you,
and truly yours to do,
no matter what.

What can you do--
what do you do--
wholeheartedly?

Do it!
"In season and out of season!"
All your life long!
In accord with the circumstances
of each here/now that comes in a day.

Without forcing,
without pushing,
without contriving,
without conquering...

Just seeing, just doing,
with your whole heart.

This is Buddha Mind.
This is Tao.
This is The Force.
This is Jesus embracing the cross.
This is embracing the circumstances
of our life
and doing what we can with them--
doing the right thing,
in the right way,
in the right place
at the right time.

World without end!
Amen!

–0–

I'm interested in where opinions originate
and how they proliferate,
and what they do on their days off.

I've noticed that they are everywhere people are,
and that everyone has more than they need,
so they keep trying to give them away
to anybody who will relieve them of the burden,
but nobody wants more opinions,
and never heeds them
or pays them any attention,
but attempt to return the favor
by offering up their own,
which generates more opinions
just by being aired.

So I have devised a theory,
that may, itself, be "nothing more 
than an opinion"--
Which is another thing,
opinions are always decried
as being "nothing more than an opinion,"
when everybody has nothing else to offer.

Why don't they get themselves some facts?
And argue about them?
But, that gets us into
how anyone could argue about facts?

If we had more facts and fewer opinions,
the world would be a lot quieter place,
with everyone having less to say
and being quite content with the facts
at hand,
but that gets me back to my theory
that opinions are generated/created/manufactured
by being stated
in a ping-pong ball being dropped onto
mousetraps holding ping-pong balls kind of way,
and like that opinions are flying in all directions
spontaneously/instantaneously.

They are self-generating, eternally-perpetuating,
constantly-birthing-propagating-spawning-breeding
themselves into being by word of mouth!

We get rid of them by not saying anything.

And if that means we have nothing to say,
we will be able to explore the silence
and discover what we have been missing
all these years!

–0–

What guides our boat on its path through the sea?

What idea of how things ought to be
do we live to impose upon each situation as it arises?

How do we know that is how things ought to be?

How does how we want things to be
impact our actions in each situation as it arises?

What is the origin of our wants?

What does wanting know?

How does what we ought to want
impact what we do want?

How do we know what we ought to want?

Who says so?

We live in the service of some idea
of how our life needs to be lived--
where does that idea come from?

How valid is it as a directing influence
on our life?

As a guiding impetus in each situation as it arises?

What are we living to do, to get, to have, to be?

What guides our boat on its path though the sea?

–0–

Being right about "Yes" and "No"
is the most important thing to be right about.
We can't go by what someone else says.
It is our own call all the way.

We can only trust ourselves 
to know what we are talking about
when we have more than a casual acquaintance
with emptiness,
stillness
and silence--
and can recognize the "click" within
when we are right about "Yes" and "No."

The inner "click" doesn't get enough press.

"Follow the 'clicks'!"
"Let the 'clicks' lead you!"
"Go without hesitation
wherever the 'clicks' take you!"
do not rank among the best advice ever given--
and that is why things are as they are
wherever we look.

No one has time for the "clicks."

Adam and Eve never waited for the "click!"

And, here we are.

If it is appealing to the eyes,
and arousing to the senses,
we don't bother with
taking it into the emptiness/stillness/silence
and listening for what it has to say.

If we want it with all our heart,
that's enough for us,
neverminding that the heart 
can be tricked in 10,000 ways.

Take the heart into the emptiness/stillness/silence,
and see what it has to say.

Adopt the practice of listening looking,
hearing seeing,
in the emptiness/stillness/silence
in regard to everything that comes your way.
If it "clicks" with you,
take it for a spin,
always looking for the follow-up "clicks"
at every fork in the road.

Too bad Adam and Eve
didn't know bout the "clicks"
at every fork in the road.

–0–