Finding our way to The Way one situation at a time. I don't know how great it will be, but I expect it will be interesting, and I look forward to it going on past all reason because wonder is just that way. Are you coming or not?
False Kevia — Canyonlands National Park, Moab, Utah
This image and the one I made in Watkins Glen are the two prime examples of my devotion to my intuition. I saw photos of both locations in photography magazines and was moved sufficiently by each to go to the trouble of getting to each site and doing that it took to come home with acceptable photographs. I will add that intuition is responsible for my photography from the start. I fell in love with a 35mm single lens reflex camera resting on a pool side table in a made for TV detective thriller that I saw as I walked through our den on my way out of the house when I was a junior in college. And a camera has been a part of my life ever since. And intuition has been a bigger part of my life, leading me from there to here, now all along the way. Leading me to this conclusion: If you aren’t living in the service of your intuition, you are missing your life. And it is never too late to wake up, get on board and allow your intuition to guide you the rest of the way.
Cullasaja River Cascades — Cullasaja River Gorge, Franklin, North Carolina, Nantahala National Forest
The thing to remember about Jesus is that he didn’t have a way. “Thy will, not mine be done.” Now we all are of the opinion that this was addressed to “God the Father, Almighty,” because we have been told that for absolute ages. I am here to suggest to you that God the Father Almighty is the creation of theology, primarily that of the Church of Rome in the 392 years between Jesu’s crucifixion for turning over the tables of the money changers in the temple and being a threat to the power of Judaism in Jerusalem. He was a revolutionary reformer and he was executed for it. And my contention is that he was addressing his, “Thy will, not mine be done,” to his intrinsic Intuition that was guiding him along his life’s way. And Jesus knew that his will, his wanting what he wanted and not what he needed to want was in his way, and he sacrificed his way and himself for the sake of what the situation called for: His death in the service of his idea of how Judaism ought to be.
Jesus was a revolutionary reformer in the traditions of all of the prophets of lore. And the difference between a reformer and a heretic is exactly what? The Priest and the leaders of the Temple saw Jesus as a heretic and a threat to the religious establishment. Jesus was a reformer and a threat to the religious establishment. And he died, like hundreds of his followers who also were reformers called heretics just like their leader, in the service of their idea of what the religious establishment should be. And neither Jesus nor his follow reformers had a will that got in their way. Their intuition–their heart-felt knowledge of what was called for an needed to be done–led the all along the way.
Our will gets in the way–because we will what we want. Our place is to read the signs of the times and to know what we know and take up the cause of what is called for amid what’s what, what’s happening, what’s called for and what needs to be done about it in each situation as it arises. When we are clear about that and live in the service of what is called for here, now, we are being who Jesus was. We are then Jesus in 2026 CE as he was Jesus in 036 CE. And what we want takes a seat in deference to, and the service of that which is called for and needs to be done in each situation as it arises here, now.
So getting what we want and having our way are not the driving force of our life. Seeing what’s what and knowing what is called for is (to be) the driving force of our life. And that means turning the light around. It also means praying without ceasing, which was Jesus’ call to drop into emptiness, stillness and silence often enough and long enough to know what’s what, what’s happening, and what is called for here, now in every here, now that comes along, which equates nicely to praying without ceasing, no?
Baxter Creek Bridge, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Big Creek District, Waterville, NC Access, North Carolina
Our overall, around the clock life strategy is to trust ourselves to the moment, to the here, now of our life, staying out of our way and allowing ourselves to respond to each moment of each situation as it arises with what is needed, when, where and how it is needed all our life long. Our undergirding belief is in ourselves, knowing that we have what we need to find what we need to do what needs to be done, here, now, always and forever. Thus, we walk into each day prepared to do what is called for throughout the day. Taking our cue for how to respond to the moment from the moment itself. No anxiety, no fear, no uncertainty. We have what it takes. Let’s see what is called for. This is our attitude for each moment of every day for the rest of our life. Notice this does not place the emphasis on having our way and getting what we want, but on seeing what is called for and offering what we have to give in doing what is called for and letting that be that. Our will and our way take a back seat to what is called for here, now. Our faith is not in getting what we want but in doing what is asked of us and trusting our needs to be met, perhaps at the expense of our ambition/desire.
Brown Pelican at Sunrise — Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Ocracoke Island, North Carolina
Jesus lived Jesus’ idea of the life he needed to live in light of what the situation at hand called for when, where and how the situation at hand called for his life to be lived. We cannot hope to do better than living our idea of the life we need to live in light of what the situation at hand calls for, when, where and how the situation calls for our life to be lived.
Living to see, hear, know, understand what’s what, what’s happening and what is called for in response in each situation as it arises using the gifts of our original nature, our innate virtues (The things we do best and enjoy doing most), our inherent imagination and our intrinsic intuition is to do exactly what Jesus did, and if anyone thinks they can do better than that, get out of their way and let them do it!
The Cypress Cove — Lake Chicot State Park, Ville Platte, Louisiana
No expectations, no desires, no willful insistence on having things our way. Just seeing, just hearing, just sensing/feeling, understanding, knowing what’s what and whats happening, and what is called for, and what needs to happen in response, and doing it as it needs to be done, when it needs to be done, where it needs to be done in each situation as it arises, as “circumstances beget circumstances” (An old Taoist way of explaining the essence of “No beginning, no ending”) all our life long. This is the Way. All the way along the way.
Peach Orchard Memory — Anne Springs Close Greenway, Fort Mill, South Carolina
Articulation is the pathway–the Way–to TRUTH, as long as it does not merely repeat what has always been said, as is the case with theology and preaching, patriotism and blah, blah, blah wherever it is experienced. Jacob Brownski said, “We cannot know the truth unless we live in certain ways.” We have to live truthfully. It takes the truth to know the truth. It takes being the truth to know the truth. If we are not living truthfully, we are lying utterly, completely, uselessly. Why live a lie? Yet, that is the way life is lived all about us through the ages. Politics and Religion are two places where lying is not only commonplace, but also are required, demanded, insisted upon–and everyone is in on the travesty. I call out the lie! The lying! With: A Pox On All Your Houses! All of those who would know the truth must live it in order to speak it! And that line is very short indeed.
When Jesus said, “Pray without ceasing,” I interpret that to mean “Be always aware of that which is thought of as God with us.” Be always open to that which is with us always. How do we experience “that which is with us always”? “The something that is there”? “The something that is there” has been “there” from the very earliest awareness of “the presence.” I think every living thing is aware of “the presence,” and has been from the start. I think of that eternal presence as “Psyche.” The best thing about “Psyche” is that (She) is not draped with theology. We can sense (Her) presence but we have not invented a vocabulary with which to talk about (Her), and may it always be so.
Theology so skews the field! We cannot mention the word “God” without being immediately carried away into Original Sin, The Garden of Eden, Atonement, Redemption, Forgiveness, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, Heaven, Hell, etc. God has been captured and held captive by theology and has no hope of escape. So “God” is a word we cannot use because its meaning has been coopted, hijacked, and cannot be freed, and thus cannot be used to mean anything other than what it means. But, Psyche? As free as the wind blowing through the Cosmos! And it is that wind that I understand Jesus to be meaning us to be always attending. And, Oh if we would! That would transform everything!
Take it out for a test drive! Become aware of the “Something” that is with us always by being with the “Something” always throughout the day. Realize that we are sharing life always with “Something” that I call “Psyche.” See what you think, what you feel. See how it goes. Without ceasing.
The message of all the Messiahs through time is simple, straight forward, in capable of being missed, and, therefore being ignored: “This is the way to do it! Be me!” And we worship them all for being the spit’n image of who we all need to be, and letting them bear the wounds and the burdens that are ours to carry–which we disdain, preferring, instead, to project onto Jesus, and Gandhi, and all martyrs of all causes, the worship and admiration of disciples a step or two removed from the sacrifices made by those they worship and admire. And conveniently ignoring that it is not about believing in the masters, it is about BEING the masters. But that is a step too far. No?
In the silence, emptiness, stillness, we find what we need to do what is called for and needs to be done in each situation as it arises all our life long–doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right place, and in the right way. Through “circumstances begetting circumstances” all the way along the Way. And that is all there is to it. “Nothing to it but to do it!” (Maya Angelou).
I don’t know why I went from Greensboro, North Carolina to Deer Isle, Maine to take a photograph of the full moon. Or to take any photograph. In the grip of inspiration you don’t ask questions. That is also the difference between our sixties and our eighties. I am quite content to sit by the still waters and watch the days go past. I don’t have to have anything to show for it. Or do something worth while. It is worth my while to sit, watching the days go by. If I want to write something, I write it. Speaking of writing, if you haven’t read what I have to say on the parable of the prodigal son, I suggest you read it. You will find it at jimwdollar.com under The Parable of the Prodigal Son. It will be the end of Christianity as we know it if enough people read what I have to say. Then Christianity will have a choice, to hang it up or to turn the light around and begin living, not to believe in Jesus, but to BE Jesus. Or, as he put it, “Turn and become as little children.” It is the same thing, as Jesus would be quick to say.
Aspen 03 — Jasper National Park, Canadian Rockies, Alberta
We are our own light. Our own authority. Our own guide and Guru. We are all we need to find what we need to do what needs to be done with the time that is ours on the earth, and the task that is ours to do. All it takes is making regular visits to the emptiness, stillness, silence (One thing, not three) and waiting in the silence for what arises, emerges, appears, meets us there as the Knower within, AKA our Intuition. Our intuition knows. And Psyche, Tao join her as our three sources of balance and harmony, insight and understanding in the here, now of every situation as it arises.
Recurring visits with our inner Trinity qualify us to see, hear, know, understand, what’s what and what is called for and how we might do what needs to be done, when where and how it needs to be done as circumstances beget circumstances, and we respond to the urgency of the times that are upon us with what it takes to meet the moment with the gifts of our Original Nature, our Innate Virtues (The things we do best and enjoy doing most), our Inherent Intuition and our Intrinsic Imagination, bringing what we have to offer to bear on what needs our attention throughout all that meets us on the Journey that carries us all along the Way of Life and Being–which we remain prepared for by dropping into the silence and renewing our acquaintance with the Force that is with us always to the end of the age. Amen! May it be so!
The Willow in the Rain — Country Park, Greensboro, North Carolina
I am glad to have no idea of how things ought to be beyond being quiet and waiting to see what is called for in each situation as it arises and entering the field of action to do the right thing, in the right way, at the right time and dropping back into the silence until the next thing that is called for comes around and keeping the flow going through circumstances begetting circumstances as long as life lasts. May it always be so.
I give credit to the experience of emptiness, stillness, silence (One thing, not three) over time to be at the place of experiencing frustration without beingfrustrated, for example. This is the way of experiencing a situation without being consumed by the situation. We can observe a situation and be immune to the situation. This is the way of emergency room personnel being able to take whatever comes through the door and do what needs to be done. When, where and how it needs to be done. We can practice being here, now while not being here, now, every day. We can become immune to the inescapable things in every here, now, in the service of doing what needs to be done in the right way, at the right time, in the right place. And be open to the joy and pleasure of being able to offer ourselves in that way to what is asked of us throughout our life.
Jim Dollar's Photography and Philosophy 