As I sit here procrastinating on all the papers I have to write, all the studying I need to do, I can't help but think about how much work our species has to do here on earth. My friend Dan was just telling me how modern clinical psychology (he's studying to be a psychologist) doesn't match up with his spirituality. Psychologically speaking the ego is a healthy thing, he said, something that keeps us sane by being able to compare ourselves with others. His spirituality focuses on how everything is an illusion and we are really just One. Now I am all with him there, but even though none of this is happening and this is all an illusion (spirituality) this is also really happening (psychology). As the saying goes: before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. So we're all connected, we are all one, this is all an illusion. Yep. So what, we are also destroying the life giving properties of our planet, we are teaching selfishness, greed, and ideologies of separation and disharmony between our fellow brothers and sisters. This is really happening. We can know that we are all ONE, and that we are going to die, and this is all an illusion. Great. OK, it's true. But then what? We have to see things as they are. We are really here, conscious creators in the midst of creation, totally fucking things up. It's all connected, it's all perfect on some higher realm, yea, that's all true, but so what!? We have work to do. We are being fools. We are serving selfishness, delusion, greed. We are slaves to darkness. We have to get to work returning our people to the land, developing harmony once again, cleaning the water, living simply, destroying the corporations which are keeping us enslaved. Sitting and meditating on how perfect everything is, is not the answer. It's nice, it feels good, but there is work to be done. You have realized that everything is perfect and it's all connected, and we're all ONE, and life is impermanence, good, nice, fine, well done. Now take the next step and see things as they are. Foolish, insane, WE, as ONE, are being terrible creators. We have to work to do. We have to unite to stop this savage beast of darkness and delusion, selfishness and greed. So you know we are ONE. Good. Now go and tell someone about it. Don't sit in your meditation chamber and do yoga. That's just more selfishness, although, I could probably do with some more yoga and meditation, and these can be constructive things, but we have to be engaged). If we just isolate in the emptiness and bliss of meditation or yoga, we let delusion continue to do its work. Chop wood (not literally, at this point with all the deforestation, it's probably a better idea to replace this adage with "plant tree") and carry water. We have work to do. Let's save the world (boy that sounds cheesy). Let's save ourselves (WE ALL OF US) not me myself or you yourself. We are meaningless. We are nothing. We as individuals are temporary. The individual is the illusion, we don't need to sit and meditate all day because we don't even exist. True. But actually we do exist, and this is really happening, so what do you want to do with your time, sit and meditate to experience non-existence (you'll have eternity for that) or do you want to step out the door, open a book, think, learn, act, and engage in this trip that IS REALLY HAPPENING!?