Being in the World 0—Introduction

Gnowly

Most of us are overwhelmed by the world in which we live. We find ourselves thrust—unasked, naked—into a context we do not understand; surrounded by people, societies, conditions and situations that we do not create or choose. Nevertheless, we must act to survive in a competitive environment that is all too often opaque and baffling, and we will be held accountable for our actions.

In other words, it's the Catch-22 of material existence. Here we are born into a world that is beyond us, yet we have to choose. And we find ourselves in so many situations that we don't agree with, we don't like, and we maybe don't even understand. Yet we have to choose and act on our choices. And we will be held accountable; we will be held responsible.

We find ourselves vacillating between mute acceptance and blind rebellion. Just when we think we understand the game, someone changes the rules. Stricken by uncertainty, we chase admiration, love and sense enjoyment. Sometimes we succeed, but far more often it inexplicably disappears, or we find ourselves betrayed.

Now, isn't this the story of everybody's life? Certainly the story of mine and of everyone I know. But there's something beyond this. There's something higher than this, and you can find it within yourself, if you know where to look.

That's what this series is about: a way of looking at life that allows you to make it meaningful—just the way it is, without changing anything except your point of view.

What is wrong? Why do we suffer? Is there an exit? A relief? A cure? What is wrong is that we are caught in a trap of our own manufacture, like a caterpillar in a pupa. Unfortunately, we do not recall how we wove ourselves into this confining karmic matrix. If we do not learn the structure of the trap, we cannot release ourselves, and we die. If we can understand how we are caught, we can unravel the threads and break free—a butterfly.

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