THE STORY OF JOHNNY WHOOPER SWAN We go to school trusting our parents. We meet a teacher there who stands up front with a big desk, and a pointer. She or he trains us in an authoritative manner. We attach mentally to a life long need for authority in order to live lives successfully. Right so far? In my case, at the age of 25 I was ready to enter the practice of law where I hoped for success and a happy life finally. Very shortly, very shortly, I became anxious. There was a foreboding. I was made more uncomfortable with each experience. Law work is nothing like what I was told it would be. The system is corrupt. But I still cling to my expectation that career success is necessary to my happiness as a man. Each day my grasp of what the fuck success amounts to after all becomes more clouded, murkier. I hear songs on the airwaves and at concerts which describe my life as the life of a fool. What am I becoming? I want to rip off my business suit to run naked in the street with my hair on fire! But I am too afraid. In strange, weird (weird comes from a word meaning wise), fragmented steps I go about a journey of my own believing myself to be the first man to have failed in such a total way which journey works so as to break up my career, end a marriage, and start an entirely new way of relating with my two children whom I love deeply. Almost magically I meet a woman who is a career counselor who asserts a beautiful message that I am made to be joyful in my work everyday and at all levels. This understanding sets me on a completely new course. It is no longer a world of systems to me but an undivided one of unlimited beauty. It reminds me of a painting. A true masterpiece. I am drawn from within to learn the truth about my identity and nobody else can teach me that. From this point onward I will use thinking capacity for mastering mechanical processes and follow my heart, which includes my whole nature, which includes your whole nature and that of every human being for all the rest. I’ll go by the name Johnny Whooper Swan who does not explain itself to anyone. By my fruits shall I be known. Watch me soar!

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

 The Myth of Sisyphus



For those mortal there’s birth, life, and death. Sisyphus was not happy. He wanted immortality. As the Supreme Trickster of the realm, Sisyphus tricked Hades, chained him up, and gave man immortality. Nobody on Earth would die with Hades chained up in Hell. War was going to be boring. The Gods were angry.


So, they devised a suitable punishment for him. He was made to push a rock uphill everyday for eternity which rock was enchanted to suddenly roll back down the hill just before reaching the top requiring Sisyphus to repeat the task everyday with no chance of success. Does this sound familiar in your life as you have experienced it? It sure does to me.


By this punishment the Gods are revealing to Sisyphus that immortality for one such as he is useless because his life as he is living it is monotonous without lasting meaning. Death is his friend. He was better off as a mortal. At least his misery had an end.


Looking at it, I see that Sisyphus’s punishment seems grave to us because we have acquired a desire to succeed in our labors. Should he be able to end the sorrow stemming from his failed labors he would thereby be both immortal and happy.  What is required of the Trickster Supreme, then, is to end the source of his suffering, the impossibility of success, and thereby to end his suffering. He can end his suffering. So can you and I. By seeing the fact that he, Sisyphus, is the sorrow he feels the sorrow will fade away and he will be free of suffering and immortal which is what he wanted to begin with. These gods certainly loved Sisyphus. 


It can be seen that as Gods who are always going to do good these Gods actually gave us the answer to life’s riddle without the necessity to trick Hades or anybody else. For any mortal on Earth who sees the futility of a life attached to success and the avoidance of failure there is a revelation that opens a door to freedom from suffering. Whatever one does thereafter will be joyful! Which is better, a temporary success or an eternal life in joy doing only what you really want to do for no hoped for result? Easy answer. But who knows? You may wish to suffer awhile longer.


When there is no longer a reason to strive to find happiness all will be done joyfully, including death, which, if eternal, means only that we will be happy forever. And if death is not eternal, we will be happy forever! That Myth is worth its weight in the gold of real treasure!


Suppose I love making fine shoes. And I make them because I make them and not to succeed in a shoe business. I create a beautiful pair of shoes. And another and so on as long as I am enjoying doing so. Will you, Sir, have need of money to buy shoes when you have such a friend as me? I do not want your money. Have no use for it because of my many friends. And what about all the rest of it? Financial concerns would just be a nuisance. If I love to play the guitar I simply play. Someone will listen and  want to play with me. What is the problem? Is it not obvious the ones who promoted the money game were after power? What is power to me? I am happy forever.

 



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