Contents
Synopsis
Everyone is always looking for something. Maybe that something is something, and maybe that something is nothing. Nevertheless, everyone is always looking. If you look for something and find something, what do you find if you look for nothing? If you let go of everything, only to find noth- ing, what happens when you let go of nothing? Do you find everything? Nevertheless, everyone is always finding. If everyone is either here or there, where are you? Are you here or are you some- where else? Nevertheless, you are.
Do you want to see the fallibility of belief? Why would anyone want to see the fallibility of belief? Why would anyone want to see at all? This book is not for everyone, but who is it for? This book is for the ones who want to stop playing the game of life, only for a moment, wherein they can find the will to keep playing, until there is nothing left to do. This book is for the ones who want to know why they are looking at all. This book is for the ones who are lost, and want to know why.
In the beginning of this creative non-fiction, I express the importance of the simple act of remem- bering. After the beginning, I express how easy it is to forget. In the same way that we have forgot- ten why we are here, where here is life, the reader will forget that they ever started this book at all. That is, in the reading of this book, the reader will forget that they are reading a book, but what will be found in the remembering? How ridiculous would it be that the reader forgets the very thing I am telling them to remember? What is that thing I am telling them to remember? Will they remember it? Will you remember it? Will it remember you?
Chapter Summaries
1. The First Letter
The reader decides whether or not they would like to enter the room, wherein they will be able to find their something. It becomes extremely apparent that there is nothing to learn, but instead much to unlearn. There are four stages the reader must transcend before there is nothing left to transcend: The Believer, The Knower, The Awareness and The Expression.
2. The Knower
The reader will transcend The Believer who believes in memories, truths and the reality of experi- ences, becoming The Knower, who simply knows of them. The Knower simply knows thought, wherein the concepts of memories, truths and reality may or may not appear. The Knower simply knows the one moment of now, for time is a concept within the experience. The Knower simply knows the whereabouts of here, for space is a concept within the experience.
3. The Fallacy
At this point, the reader might be experiencing some delusions within the transcendence of The Be- liever. The reader is reassured that as The Knower, they do not have the capacity to believe in prob- ability, coincidence or choice. Instead, they are reminded that they only have the capacity to know a physical experience in which the concepts of probability, coincidence or choice may or may not ex- ist.
4. The Delusion
Although the reader knows that there is a physical experience in which beliefs may or may not be believed, they are prone to forgetting. Does The Knower stop being The Knower in a dream, or does The Knower remain, simply knowing the experience of dreaming? The reader is reminded that in all situations that can be known, they are The Knower. The reader is reminded that all experi- ences can be known, meaning they are always The Knower, here, now.
5. The Awareness
The reader is now aware that they are The Knower, but who is the one that is aware? The reader realises that they are not The Knower, but simply aware of The Knower. The reader is simply the awareness of The Knower. The reader is now aware that they are The Awareness, but who is the one that is aware? The Awareness. This chapter will explore the infinite, paradoxical and ridiculous na- ture of The Awareness, in that it is always aware of itself.
6. The Second Letter
The reader understands the nature of The Awareness, in that The Awareness can never transcend itself. With this foundational understanding, the reader must now align the physical being within their awareness to express the same nature of The Awareness. The physical being must not believe in what is true or false, but simply be aware that an assertion was made. The physical being must not believe that they are The Knower. Instead, the physical being must be aware that they are prone to believing, should they forget their true nature as The Awareness.
7. The Expression
In this chapter I tell of my experience aligning my physical being with the nature of The Awareness. I also delve into the absurdity of remembering. The reader understands that it is ridiculous to try to “understand” formless abstractions that cannot be understood. However, the reader also understands that though they are unable to comprehend something formless, they are able to find expressions within the physical experience that express the nature of formlessness.
8. The Seeing
The reader will understand that what they see, is not necessarily what someone else sees. Is my blue your blue? Is my seeing your seeing? After finding themself in Carnival Island, the reader receives an invitation letter to the annual carnival! The reader uses this opportunity to abstract happenings within the physical experience of going to the carnival to find similarities and expressions. The reader is searching for expressions expressing the nature of The Awareness, from which all things are made aware of.
9. The Carnival
While becoming aware of expressions expressing the infinite, paradoxical and ridiculous nature of The Awareness, the reader loses themself in the character in the book. As the story of Carnival Is- land continues, so too does the reader’s fascination with the story. After finding countless expres- sions expressing the nature of The Awareness within Carnival Island, it will become clear that simi- lar abstractions are expressed differently through the reader’s physical experience of life. The reader forgets that they ever entered the room, and when they least expect it, I remind them.
10. The Domino Universe
This chapter further explores the nature of The Awareness through the telling of a domino universe, wherein enlightenment is reached when all domino pieces are perfectly balanced. However, one adventurer realises that although there are pieces that have fallen, they have fallen perfectly into place. The reader will see the infinite, paradoxical and ridiculous nature of The Awareness ex- pressed not only throughout the telling of The Domino Universe, but also throughout their own physical experience.
11. The Third Letter
The reader will now attempt to align their physical being to express the finding of expressions. I once again delve into my own experience of finding expressions and returning to the physical expe- rience after meditating on the idea of expressions. The reader is now well aware that they can only ever be here, but nowhere. Just as well, the reader is also aware that they can only ever be now, but never.
12. The Innuendo
The whereabouts of The Awareness is discussed, but never explained, for it is not a place that can be found. If all things seem to express the nature of The Awareness, do words also express the na- ture of The Awareness? The reader finds themself in an empty theatre, where the orchestra begins to play. What was once a convoluted attempt to recognise abstractions is now a seamless symphony of realisation.
13. The Champion
Before delving deeper into the ridiculousness of expressions, I attempt to demonstrate the presence of expressions in all things. The reader has developed a rather sophisticated understanding of ex- pressions and how to find them, but can expressions be influenced? That is, can the reader force specific abstractions to be expressed through their own experience of life?
14. The Guardians
The infinite and repetitive nature of The Awareness is now extremely apparent, in that all things will inevitably be expressed again and again, albeit differently. The reader enters another room, and an- other, and another. The nature of The Awareness is demonstrated throughout the many personalities of Carnival Island, alluding to the presence of Expression Theory in all things. If all things are sim- ply expressions, what has the reader been expressing? What will the reader keep expressing?
15. The Storyteller
Because of the reader’s ridiculous sophistication in the recognition of expressions, they open a book shop in the old bazaar, with the help of an apprentice. In this bookshop, the reader will be able to express themself throughout the expression of storytelling, just as The Awareness has expressed it- self throughout the expression of this universe. Soon after, the apprentice receives three letters from three loyal customers. The apprentice finds a secret room in the book shop and decides to enter, wherein they find a book with a hidden letter on the final page.
16. The Final Letter
In the same way this final letter is from The Awareness to myself in the expression of a letter, it is just as much from myself to the reader. In the same way this final letter is from myself to the reader, it is just as much from the reader to the apprentice. In the same way this final letter is from the reader to the apprentice, it is from the apprentice to The Awareness. The infinite, paradoxical and ridiculous nature of The Awareness is now completely expressed throughout the telling of this book, wherein the reader can finally choose to leave the room, and find themselves once again.
"When the devout being passes on they will find God, and when the atheist passes on they will find nothing – and they will finally find each other." - Sam Chahine