Immanence

There are times when artisans (writers, painters, etc.) of fictional media capture a universal truth

better than any ancient tome of philosophy or time honored adage uttered by a wizened sage.

One such truth is offered by George Lucas during the second instalment of his Star Wars saga,

“The Empire Strikes Back (20th Century Fox, 1989).  While the hero of the story, Luke

Skywalker, is training to be a Jedi Knight on the swampy remote planet, Dagoba, he experiences

doubt in his ability.  In response to his master/teacher, Yoda’s, request to perform a certain

amazing feat, Luke says that he will “try”.  A ruffled Yoda chides his students doubt with these

words of wisdom, “There is no try, only do, or do not... there is nothing else”.  Granted, Yoda

seemingly applies positive connotation to “do” and negative connotation to “do not”.  However,

with this statement, the diminutive alien guru has captured the entire ideology of action and non-

action.

The first step before any project one undertakes or before the simplest thing one does or even

before the very next moment of existence, is to make a choice.  In other words, a decision

regarding the matter at hand, regardless of how large or small, must be made before action can

occur.  Even if one opts to refrain from taking action and simply do nothing at all, a choice has

still been made, for non-action can be an equally valid option.

This said, one must not mistake non-action for “in-action”.  Non-action is a conscious choice

while in-action is more like a psychological stutter preventing any choice at all.  For example; a

child is playing with a ball and it rolls into the street.  The child may choose to follow the ball into

the street to retrieve it or purposely wait to avoid an oncoming vehicle.  However, the child also

might stand there unable to make a choice at all caught between the desire for the ball and the

fear of the road.  In-action may appear on the surface to be the same as non-action, but lacks

the key element of Right Action.

In the grand scheme of things, from the most infinitesimal happenstance to the mightiest of

cosmic events, one’s choice can ultimately be reduced to either action or non-action.  Rest

assured, anything else is either pure illusion or one of the above two possibilities in disguise.

The concept of action and non-action are often associated with a third, yet utterly false, concept

known as “reaction”.  It must be firmly understood that the term reaction is a dodge or fantasy

employed to either:

    A.)  Shed responsibility for one’s actions by shifting blame onto someone or something else.

            Exp: “I only hit Billy because he hit me first!”

    B.)  Provide unneeded verification from external sources for one’s personal validity to oneself

            or at large.

            Exp: “I was considering having another piece of cake... is that a good idea?”

In both cases, the fact of the matter remains: the end result of either action or non-action

regardless of the potential mitigating factors upon which the choice is to be made, ultimately we are responsible for our own actions or non-actions.  No being can ever truly choose the

course of another being’s life path without permission.  And, of course, giving such permission,

overtly or passively, would be a choice.

Unfortunately, many people in modern society blindly give their freedom of choice away to all

manner of respectable leaders and charlatans alike.  From charismatically suave religious

scions, to powerful political figures, to simple stories in the daily news, people all across the

world remit personal autonomy over themselves without even the slightest struggle or conscious

thought.

When we give ourselves the opportunity to step back from the dualities of material existence (i.e.

large or small, important or insignificant, extreme or relaxed), life can be examined more

objectively.  With the distance of objectivity, the course of one’s journey in life can be seen as

merely a continuous series of choices to either act or not act based on the situation and

circumstances of each given moment. 

The key necessary for a harmonious journey through life is to make the process of choice as

smooth as possible.  This can be achieved by developing the ability to allow choices to flow

naturally, seamlessly from the “inner” or “true self” (to be discussed later)  instead of becoming

mired in the daily affairs of life and the chaos of the mundane mind.

The art of being able to allow choice and action to flow naturally is at the root of the Taoist and

Zen philosophy known as “Right Action”.  The proper application of right action is not only one of

the primary tenets of living in harmony with the immediate environment or moment of life, but

with the entire cosmos as well.  Following the path of right action means choosing the course of

action (or non-action) which is best suited to continue smoothly along life’s journey in a

successful manner.  However, right action should not be confused with good vs. evil.  Morality

and ethics are completely separate concerns ~ perhaps equally important, but separate

nonetheless.

Right action is also a process which, as suggested above, is in accordance with one’s true self,

yet balanced with reality.  When stripped of other supportive philosophies and mechanisms, the

reunification with and refinement of the true self necessary for right action is the innermost goal

of apotheosis.

However, lets not get too far ahead of the subject.  The continuous series of your actions, right or

otherwise, has lead you to be reading this book.  Pause and think for a minute or two about the

events of your life which, for good or ill, have brought you to this very instance of time.  Picture in

your mind how simple and open-ended the choice to get out of bed this morning was and how

that choice has lead you along a chain of narrowing choices right up to the decision of reading

the very next word in this paragraph or not.  Right now you may choose to continue reading or

you may opt to do something completely different.  At this moment, regardless of other

perceived influences or consequences, your will is free to do as you choose.

Now, send your imagination reaching into the future.  Notice that as you get further and further

away from the present how the possibilities of choice and action become broader and broader.

You may continue to read or not... then you may stand or remain seated... if you stand, you could

walk this way or that or sit back down... once you begin to walk you may do, see, hear, touch,

smell, etc. a great many things... and on... and on. 

Understanding the flow of life in this fashion of narrowing circumstances of the past and

expanding possibilities of the future makes the moment of NOW the focus of your entire being.

(See Fig. A)

                                                                                      Fig. A

Every choice and every action (or non-action) you have ever made has brought you step by step

to NOW.  Likewise, the choice and/or action you currently decide upon will set the tone for each

choice or action thereafter. NOW is the moment of “becoming”, the moment of ultimate

transformation and the absolute fulcrum of reality.  Therefore, since the past is done and gone

and the future is that which has yet to occur, NOW is all that truly exists.  In the grand scheme of

this immanent approach to life, every course of action or non-action one decides upon,

regardless of how superfluous or urgent it may seem at the time, become no more or less

important than any other.

The realization that each and every moment of existence is indeed an actualization of reality can

be daunting.  Some may perceive this view of life as an endless flow of dire circumstances and

willfully or subconsciously adopt an attitude or mental paralysis.  Such a condition would make

the process of choice nigh impossible.  This potential is known as “In-Action” which was

discusses earlier.  For emphasis, I will again state that in-action is not the same as non-action.

Others may perceive this philosophy in quite the opposite manner and discard the idea of

immanence altogether only to be replaced with self importance.  Unfortunately, this reversal of

propriety can only lead to ignorance and folly.  While I am certainly not an expert on the subject, I

often wonder if these extreme reactions to immanence might offer some insight into various

psychological dysfunctions such as Obsessive-Compulsive behavior or even certain forms of

schizophrenia.  However, such speculation is beyond the scope of this book.

Besides becoming mired in the illusion of reaction or being immobilized by fear or carelessness,

there is another obstacle to harmony with the immanent moment.  The third detriment of which I

speak is a complete ignorance of the importance of NOW.  While this ignorance is intimately tied

to the false nature of reaction, it typically takes the form of getting lost in either thoughts of the

past or dreams of the future.  I do not mean to imply one should forget the past nor fail to plan for

the future.  However, making either of these temporal concerns the focus of one’s reality is

unwise.  To be entangled within the thicket of what could/should have been or to drown in the

sea of what might/can be is to completely avoid the moment of NOW. 

If one’s consciousness is not focused on the immanent moment, the right action necessary to

prevent the regrets of the past and prepare for or even eliminate the worries of the future is not

possible.  Yet, I will briefly make this one caution; I have seen many who claim to be focused on

the NOW only to actually lead a self-serving (if well meaning) life and completely miss the point.

It must be kept firmly in mind that living in the NOW does not equate to irresponsibility.  In fact,

understanding right action and comprehending that NOW is the embodiment of all space and

time and life demands the highest level of responsibility for one’s whole self.  One may

potentially avoid this pitfall by remaining brutally in touch with the philosophy of “Know Thyself”.

Falling prey to any of the above debilitating patterns (reactionary illusion, immobilizing panic,

ennui, chronic regret, or self delusion) is contrary to a healthy life path in general and a serious

road block toward mental, emotional, or spiritual evolution in specific.  Avoidance and/or

liberation from these dangers requires three things; Acceptance, Balance, and Focus.

     1.)  Acceptance:  One must accept the ultimate responsibility for not only one’s choices and

            actions in the immanent moment, but for all actions of the past and all

            possibilities of the future.  Denial of any part of this only serves to set

            limits.

     2.) Balance:  The best condition in which any being can face the immanent moment is one of

            balanced interaction between body, mind, and spirit.  Only through the

            development of the total being can one’s personal evolution continue.

     3.) Focus:  The actualization of reality within the framework of the immanent moment

            can only occur when one’s whole self is focused upon the NOW.

            Otherwise, much of reality will escape conscious notice.

As any teacher worth listening to will say, mastery of these things will forever be out of reach

since there is always room for improvement.  Remember, it is the journey which is important,

not the destination.  However, once you have honestly set yourself upon these paths of

development, the immanent moment will open up as a powerful reality.

As stated earlier, the moment of NOW is the ultimate moment of transformation.  Through the

focused will of one’s whole being, influence over both the subtle and material reality can be

gained.  All possibilities and potentials of reality are bound within a single moment in time and

space... and that moment is NOW.

~Gryphon M