See the Ball, Move the Ball

Here's a meme share coined by Wayne Dyer in his commentary on the Tao Te Ching, Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao.

See the ball, move the ball.

In other words, there is no opponent, there is no competition, there is no attachment to outcome; there is only the job of moving the ball. There is no need to personify an enemy; there is no need to manufacture violent emotions. Simply see the ball; move the ball.

A Simple Explanation of the Tao Te Ching -- Verse 68

Prior to reading this post, please acquaint yourself with "Start Here: A Simple Explanation--Basic Principles" in the column on the right side of the screen. The Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, is an ancient Chinese collection of 81 wisdom verses. In the "Simple Explanation” model, the Tao spoken of by Lao Tzu refers to the metaversal information and principles of organization that have informed our universe since the moment before creation. Non-being refers to clearing your personal UC of earthly memes and karma. Non-action refers to allowing the original universal UC to direct your personal UC for the greater good. Here is the 68th verse of the Tao Te Ching, which I have translated directly into Simple Explanation terminology from an original verbatim translation by Jonathan Star.

Tao Te Ching, Verse 68

The most skillful military leader is neither violent nor aggressive;

The most skillful soldier never acts out of anger.

The best way to win a battle is to avoid confrontation.

The best way to get the job done is to make sure that others’ needs are met.

This ancient principle is known as “living in harmony” with your fellows.

Living in harmony brings out the best in others.

When you live in perfect harmony with others, you live in perfect harmony with the metaverse.

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In this verse, Lao Tzu describes the metaversal principle of Harmonious Cooperation thusly: all Units of Consciousness have their jobs to do, and the most efficient way for us all to get our jobs done is through cooperation, not competition. Even Generals and soldiers, whose very jobs seem defined by combative non-cooperation, are most successful when they fight not out of anger or violent intent, but dispassionately, solely to "get the job done."

Wayne Dyer says of competition in his commentary on the Tao entitled Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao :
“…cooperate with your opponents by wanting them to play at a high level—the best they’re capable of. Shift your focus from being upset or self-reproaching to the task at hand. See the ball, move the ball, or remain upright and balanced in a martial-arts contest. When anger isn’t a component, your game will go to a new level… So change your thinking about competing to cooperating in all areas of your life, including your work.” p. 324
I like Dyer's meme: "See the ball, move the ball." In other words, there is no opponent, there is no competition, there is no attachment to outcome; there is only the job of moving the ball.

Begging the question: In this game of life, how do you know if the ball needs moving? You will find yourself there and aware in some situation; you will see a ball that needs moving; you will be in an excellent position to move the ball; therefore, it is quite likely your job is to move the ball. That's all. Your primary job is not to harm or crush any other in order to move that ball. If the Universe has some need for the ball to move, it will be moved. The Universe has arranged circumstances to put you there to move the ball. If someone else winds up doing the job instead of you, that's great, too. It doesn't really matter who in particular gets the job done, as long as it gets done. In this manner, we not only cooperate with one another, but we cooperate with the Universe, and the metaversal principles it embodies.

Process Note: Creating Mystical Art

I took these photos today and then massaged them in PhotoShop and Microsoft Office Picture Manager. I'm sure they'll be useful as visual metaphors, but I'm not sure when or how. Until then, can you tell what these are images of?  Do they suggest anything to you?

Toroidal Forces--1000 Petalled Lotus



This familiar "1000 Petalled Lotus" mandala can be seen as a top view of a torus. Can you visualize the lines of energy flowing upward over the curved top of the hemisphere and then spiraling downward into the funnel?

Sagrada Familia -- Biomimetics and Architectural Symbolism

At the doctor's office the other day, I happened to see the December, 2010, National Geographic article on Barcelona's Sagrada Familia cathedral.  How this amazing structure, which has been under construction for a hundred years, passed me by until now is a mystery to me. The architect, Antoni Gaudi, designed this cathedral to uniquely reflect God's plan of natural structural design in contrast with the usual human approaches to architecture and engineering. The load-bearing columns, for example, replicate the twisting and branching structure of tree trunks rather than the normal design and arrangement of columns and arches typical of cathedrals. Gaudi also reflected God's plan in pure math forms, such as "Quadratic surfaces and conic curves: parabolas, hyperboloids, ruled surfaces."

The National Geographic article calls Gaudi's approach "biomimetic architecture."

Here's a quote from the National Geographic article:

"As idiosyncratic as Gaudí himself, it is a vision inspired by the architect's religious faith and love of nature. He understood that the natural world is rife with curved forms, not straight lines. And he noticed that natural construction tends to favor sinewy materials such as wood, muscle, and tendon. With these organic models in mind, Gaudí based his buildings on a simple premise: If nature is the work of God, and if architectural forms are derived from nature, then the best way to honor God is to design buildings based on his work. As the Barcelona scholar Joan Bassegoda Nonell notes, "Gaudí's famous phrase, 'originality is returning to the origin,' means that the origin of all things is nature, created by God." Gaudí's faith was his own. But his belief in the beautiful efficiency of natural engineering clearly anticipated the modern science of biomimetics."

Yes, toroidal forces appear is in this cathedral in many forms. Here's what Wikipedia says about the hyperboloids:

"Gaudí used hyperboloid structures in later designs of the Sagrada Família (more obviously after 1914), however there are a few places on the nativity façade—a design not equated with Gaudí's ruled-surface design, where the hyperboloid crops up. For example, all around the scene with the pelican there are numerous examples (including the basket held by one of the figures). There is a hyperboloid adding structural stability to the cypress tree (by connecting it to the bridge). And finally, the "bishop's mitre" spires are capped with hyperboloid structures.[9] In his later designs, ruled surfaces are prominent in the nave's vaults and windows and the surfaces of the Passion facade."

Here's an image of a hyperboloid

Do you see that this mathematical structure is also the central funnel of the torus? The hyperboloid shape can have a wide waist or a narrow waist.

 

Natural light is funneled through the cathedral's ceiling through numerous hyperboloidal skylights. Hyperboloid skylights allow more light to enter because light rays follow the same straight lines that create the circular cut-out. Take a look at the image of the hyperboloid above. Do you see how the grid lines that seem to swirl around are actually straight? A ray of light that enters along one of the grid lines at the top of the figure goes straight along wall of the hyperboloid through the middle to an apparently wider diameter than the size of the hole. A simple hole or tube only allows the light to go straight down the sides of the cut-out. 

The twisting of the columns also follows the hyperboloid which provides structural strength. A hyperboloid column distributes load more efficiently than a traditional straight column.

I personally love the skylights. To me, the light coming in through the funnel is a good visual metaphor for the light of God inspiring our path, or to put it another way, for the metaversal information pouring into our universe through our universal funnel.

 Watch for another article here soon discussing the symbology of the cathedral's spires...

The Simple Explanation's Golden Rule: Reaching Out With Love

This could be considered the central takeaway message/motto/meme of  the Simple Explanation:

Your job is to reach out to others with love, aid, and information for the betterment of all.

 

This goes for all Units of Consciousness, from sub-atomic quanta up through cells and organs to organisms and beyond. Every physical manifestation links up with others of its kind (atoms link together to make molecules; molecules make cells; cells make organs; organs link together to make organisms; organisms link together to create societies, and so on) to become the building blocks of the next level of hierarchical aggregation.

Does this apply to human UCs? Of course it does!

Your job is to reach out to others with love, aid, and information for the betterment of all.

When should you do this?

Now.

To whom should you reach out?

Well, who's there next to you? Who needs your help right now where you are? Is someone asking for aid or information?

What if I don't feel like helping others?
It appears to be a human truth that one can only find happiness through serving others. A me-centered life ultimately disappoints, as in, "I can't get no satisfaction."

Or, to put it in more general terms:



 It's the job of all UCs to join with others to collectively form the next hierarchical level up.

Process Note: Commenting on the Basics

I'm warming up to this next philosophical writing jag by reviewing and commenting on the Simple Explanation Basic Principles over there on the right side of the blog screen. The basics were written a year ago, right after the theatre season ended here in Ashland. So far, I've put up new Comments under chapters One through Seven. I'd recommend you all reread the Basic Principles and the new Comments, then make some Comments of your own. Let's start a dialogue! I'm preparing a manuscript now for publication and feedback would be good at this stage.

• This week much of my creative energy has been channeling into the Albion Inn's website. I've designed and added three new pages to the Albion site for Winter Specials and for a 3-Day Past Lives Regression Workshop we're hosting in February. I really enjoy website design. I approach it conceptually as a magazine layout rather than a website. This gives my site a different look, with nice big headlines, easy-to-read text, and feature photos. 
• A year ago, I sat down to novelize my Ph.D. dissertation and out popped the Simple Explanation instead. Yesterday, when I sat down to work on the Simple Explanation, the opening scene for a stage play based on my dissertation emerged. Nice symmetry. I think it will work splendidly as a play. This could be big.

Personal Note: Eulogy for a tooth

Two weeks ago I took a bad fall on the street while walking the dogs and landed hard on my chin. Yesterday, the dentist pulled out a tooth that had cracked in two during the fall. As the dentist wrestled with the tooth's roots, I realized that this tooth was its own little entity, and that she had been mortally wounded in the fall. Unable to do the job she was instantiated to do any longer, it was time for her to go. Later in the evening I felt a sadness for the tooth's demise and imagined that Whoville was holding a wake for the dearly departed tooth. I looked forward to falling asleep so that my governing UC would be available to attend the party, maybe even give a brief eulogy. "She took one for the team," I'd say. "She is free now to move on."

Meme Share!

Here's a new term I've just thought up: "meme share."  Meme Sharing is what you do when you share a meme that is dear to you with others. If you look at the post called "Onward and Upward" you will see the first instance of meme sharing.

Sharing memes accomplishes at least three things I can think of:

1. revealing your important memes to others in the hopes they will pick them up and use them;
2. revealing your important memes to others so that others will know you better;
3. building communities through shared memes.

What types of memes can you share?

• mottos, sayings, and maxims, like "Onward and Upward" or "It's All Good"
• iconic artwork, photos, architecture, etc. that you admire
• favorite books, movies, songs
• favorite things, like Rocky Road ice cream, or puppies, or sunsets
• values that are important to you, like Justice or Liberty

Imagine that Meme Sharing could become another type of social networking. We could start it off here, at the Simple Explanation blog site. Wanna get in on the ground floor? Leave your memes here, under Comments. Just share one meme per posting, and tell us briefly why it's important to you and how we might be better off if we also adopted that meme.

Onward and Upward!

Here's a meme for you: "Onward and Upward!" 


"Onward and upward!" is encouragement to get back up and get back in the game.  
"Onward and Upward!" releases us from disappointment when expectations aren't met. 
"Onward and Upward!" allows us to be fully present in the here and now and available for the next opportunity.
Gotta go now.  Onward and Upward!