TheBroaderCulturalSignificanceOfBeing

[2008-08-21-1900] Letting mind run, wander, a half practice of stillness, a bit of despair: I want to die. That old thought. Came of the old tiredness: you can sit, enjoy peace, choicelessness, but as long as you live, must come out to choose again. And it came of feeling no great flow, no cultural significance then.

I followed: well, nothing? Then perhaps play the game, attract attention, imagining the creation of myths, spectacle. That falls flat though.

Insight came as: look for the broader cultural significance of each action.

That took care of my aimlessness, and, later: If no significance in broader action, none in smaller.

Where to find culturally significant action? Where is there fear?

On top of that, seeing then all the surrogates, substitutes for such significance, or I'm not sure exactly what I was up to in this chart:

Look for broader cultural significance of each action--
vs. channel culture
vs. gatha [a saying used to keep mind focused on present action]
vs. control of mind [self-control?]
go to where most significance
vs. personal interest, personal attraction
vs. meditation-peace

I was probably just comparing modes of operating.

Considering this, I saw every cultural Movement as seeking to provide a broader cultural significance to the individual actions of its adherents: the Integral movement, evangelical/born again Christianity, whatever. Veganism.

Helping to narrow the possibility of choice? (we do this because . . .) Integral: ~ do & develop your personal practice to aid the evolution of culture. Frank Cook: eat a wild plant every day (broader significance: making self, others aware we live in a world of abundance, not scarcity, if we cultivate and do not lose the relevant knowledge).

Looking at the culture as a being, if one doesn't have compelling personal interests and desires, looking for areas of fear, in one's self, in the broader culture, may be an approach to finding a culturally significant path.

Culture-wide fear. In my case: wandering around Mexico (yet for me to challenge much). Also: living in the forest, drinking the water, eating the food there, dealing with one's self out there, no insurance, no career, no family, no lover, no car, no house, etc. (yet with multiples of all of these).

Going to these areas, these edges, we "express & illumine the field of choice" (Danby wrote of Shakespeare). The culture-mind values this exercise and expansion. It enjoys overcoming fear-limits, e.g. "this is not a good time to go to the Middle East." On the contrary, if you go when people say that, your actions will be far more culturally significant than otherwise.

Just as a guess (and cliché): cultural significance comes from crossing edges, boundaries. First, perhaps, the personal ones, then those of the broader culture (or both at the same time).

So, now can I rest a bit and go back to reading Pynchon?

The main cultural significance things are leading up to for me may be wandering Mexico, may be something else. But, at least, as I defecate--relaxing, releasing, returning--in the woods, as I read Pynchon, as I nab, pinch, and eat the fat sierra ants that crawl all over me wherever I lay, even in the middle of an expanse of bare granite (nutritious snack comes to me!), as I cook my pot of food (as now, at this moment), I can wonder what broader significance that action might have, or what more significant broader action it could be a part of (people learning to be content in the forest? something else?)

Peace,