On Being (Open)

It is not easy, being open. Not like going to the store and unlocking the door and putting the "Help Wanted" sign out. Being open comes by degrees to most. Some have had single profound experiences that have radically changed their way of actuating. That, I guess is called Grace. In the little book of Not-Doing, it talks about subtracting, daily, in order to move to the destination. By subtracting from what we know, how we think, one arrives at the state of "full potential" or the "uncarved block". Why an uncarved block? Because it isn't set yet. It can be anything. It is in a state of, well, openness.
I am slowly coming to a minute understanding of the little book. I am, as I have confessed to you, Dear Reader, a dabbler by nature. A good starter, often brilliant, but I have no knack for the long haul. The unimaginable mediocrity of just tying my shoes is unbearable to me. I do it, but I do not do it well. So, when it comes to a disciplined approach to a field of study, forget it.
I am, slowly, coming to understand some things in the little book. I am coming to understand that it talks about openness. To be open to the natural self and the natural world. Not the world of television and news media, but to the age-old flow of life. I realized yesterday that this openness is difficult to maintain for a number of reasons. First, I must remember to be open. It is a conscious choice. Requires humbleness. Yeah, tough one for moi. Next, I need to take off the blinders. There are many mechanisms that conspire to keep me blind and unfeeling. Their tenacity and ingenuity are truly devilish. They exist in my mind and outside of my mind. All of society conspires to keep me closed. Nearly all of my mental processes conspire likewise. Then there is the courage to bear the beauty of this world. I sense in this a rushing torrent that I normally see only as a trickle. The beauty of a painting covered by the dirt of time, merely hinting at the bright colors contained therein. Details blurred, fine lines lost. Once that painting is restored, it shines. It is a (w)holy other experience.