I have found it inarguable that life is a string of experiences that bring us from
where we ‘were’, at some point, to a place where we ‘are’ right now,
even if perhaps it is not where we were hoping to be. It’s always about
where we want to be, no matter from ‘whence’ we came. Always about the ‘now’,
and not about times past or future.
Whether you agree or not, we all have to live in that ‘now’, and there really
is no alternative. We can deny reality or we can focus on what has happened
in the past, or obsess on what may happen in some desirable future.
Or we can deal with today.
The only obstacle before us is the determination of what constitutes truth,
how to identify fact, and discover the reality that we call home. Our objective
is to investigate and to discover, without the benefit of knowing what awaits us
or even the level of our own abilities. The goals should not be interpreted
as an obstacle, but more of an incentive and a pleasure, neigh,
an intimate desire to comprehend ourselves and our environment. We experience
the need to explore almost any suggestion to find some hint of ‘truth’,
to luxuriate in some credible ‘fact’.
Philosophy ‘is’ an obsession, at least it is for some of us. The process
is invigorating and intoxicating. At times, it can certainly be an ‘addiction’.
The value is always about the ‘end’, the result. But it all seems to suggest
that it is much more about the way we arrive at where we are.
The ‘journey’, as it were.
The discussion, the debate, about the ‘means’ and the ‘ends’, has been present
and somewhat obvious for literally a thousand years, actually ‘thousands’,
and yet there seems to persist argument on the issue. How is that even possible?
The questions are relatively simple, as are many of the answers. It is the thought
and the effort where we find conflict. Not so much with those that disagree
as with ourselves as we attempt to make sense of it all.
In any case, this introduction was supposed to be something more upbeat
and uplifting, and while I understand why it may be something otherwise at this point,
I think that we have ‘reality’ to thank for that realization. Life is a matter
of positives and negatives, and it would seem that it is a matter
of human nature that we focus on those ‘negatives’, which tend to take up
an undeserved amount of time, or should we say life? The positives
are easier to process as they invariably take care of themselves.
The negatives are what need our focus and our attention.
The issue here today is the existence of ‘Ki’ and what it represents. Where does
it come from, and does it really matter? We can look for conflict or we
can embrace the insight and perspective that presents itself.
Both ki and philosophy are intricately related. They are not the source
of dogma or coercion, but fundamentally integral to the search for information
and revelation, if you will. They allow us to learn and grow and understand.
I am not sure that anything else is even required, except perhaps
the intent to think and listen with an open mind.
These are all independent entities, and yet none can exist without the consent
of the other. What a fascinating concept. I have come to understand,
albeit typically from a state of frustration and confusion, that this dichotomy (trichotomy?)
approaches a level of insignificance as we focus
on our inquiry into self and life.
We are here to present an internal argument that simply exists
as an eternal conversation between who and what we are, and inevitably
who and what we truly wish to be. I can only speak for myself,
but at times I know not from where the genesis of my words emanate.
I offer as an alternative that this is something intimately me, and yet
working at a level that I cannot comprehend in any real way. I cannot control it,
and yet I understand everything, at a level that is difficult to describe.
‘Ki’ has the ability to pay attention to things that I may not have considered independently.
I often find myself being ‘persuaded’ by some questionable ‘inner’ voice
or ‘compulsion’ to look at things that I never realized were of importance.
Is this simply an aspect of discipline and focus, or is there something else involved?
Does it really matter? The goal here is to learn, and to grow, and to evolve
into something we would consider ‘better’. Or am I wrong?
I find the concept of ki to be both fascinating and poignant, at times
approaching the profound. Always comforting. We need only to listen and contemplate.
The process is perpetual and self-sustaining. It is always forward-looking
and without bias, usually optimistic, but even when not, it is still the source
of knowledge and insight into a never-ending quest for understanding.
What is ‘ki’? It is a reflection of self, an echo of our own soul, the impetus
of our emotional desires, and an intellectual and rational response to our questions
of existence. There are no limits to what we can discover about ourselves.
Ultimately, we are the only obstacle of consequence.
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