When an animal has a territory it doesn’t have a cleanly demarcated section of land it calls home like countries do.

It’s more like a point of light, or multiple points of light. The “shadow lands of the other” is not a gate but a path of increasing darkness.

A “road” is that which connects two lights. A “journey” is this leap of faith into the shadows, hoping for light at the other end. (E.g. cross continental migrations of birds come to mind)

A territory is basically a radius of understanding. Invading a territory disrupts that understanding. That’s why territories are defended. Out of fear of the unknown.

Literal border walls are stupid within this model. It confuses the territory with the literal map of the territory.

IMO The reason the US historically was so welcoming to immigrants is because its actual territory far exceeded its physical borders. The mixing pot was not due to a permeable boundary but because everything was *in* the boundary.

As this sphere of influence shrinks fear naturally sets in. Those who expanded the border knew how to start fires (for good and for bad) while those who grew up taking the fire for granted neurotically lash out at the darkness.

Lashing out at the darkness is fairly stupid since you’re liable to injure yourself as well as your friends.

The traditions that used darkness as a ritual to create courage no longer work. They just create more neuroticism instead. “The darkness fear will continue until courage improves.”

The point of darkness/void/meaninglessness/death is to motivate the caretaking of the “sacred flame”. It’s purpose is lost and detrimental when that flame is a dying ember.

This is when tradition grows stale. When the darkness that once was the seed of courage becomes the gatekeeper preventing a now necessary journey from happening.

The path to enlightenment is the stupidest journey of all. It’s like looking for fire in a cold barren mountain or something. It’s intrinsically a desperate journey because the goal is not to find fire but learn to *make* it.

“Anyone who is looking for enlightenment should be given 30 whacks with a stick.”

As we solve our survival needs the sacred flame moves from being food or literal flames to something else.

We chase shiny thing after shiny thing. A great career. A big house. Cool cars. New toys and gadgets.

When we realize how cold they are in hand we realize that the scared flame is not a flame... but a person.

The equivalent of lashing out in the darkness upon this realization is swipping desperately on tinder or having multiple one night stands. It ‘feels’ good just like clawing at a mosquito bite can feel good.

This makes the path to enlightenment even stupider since the goal is now realized to be finding yourself. How can you lose yourself?

Even if you’re given the answer, something along the line of “you are the universe everything is connected ok stop suffering now.” it still feels stupid. (As it should)

It only makes sense within the context of true self being distorted or corrupted by something “other”. The defeat of this “enemy” then becomes the external goal. Slaying the dragon of darkness is totally not a stupid goal.

There is truth to this. We have no control over our genes, country of birth, gender, parents, an many early experiences. These are all added as external scripts to the actor “I”.

Imagine an actor shouting and ripping his scripts to pieces “I don’t want this garbage! Give me the REAL script!!” There’s no way to give him what he wants.

Calling or implying someone to be lazy is one of the most arrogant things you can do. It’s implying that someone should be following their script with more gusto or passion. It implies that you have the right to be playwright to another’s life.

This is something a “true” leader never does. Someone who has discovered Self sees past the emptiness of scripts as well as the drama of even the greatest highs and lows of all emotions.

A “true” leader inspires an outpouring of emotion precisely because he or she can always bring you “back” by showing you that it’s just a show.

Tying together this thread of thoughts...

We like to follow people who are being themselves because they show us the “Way”. That home is where the heart is. Something something consciousness as light analogy.

Going to sleep now...