August 14, 2011
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Turn this Thing Around
So I rode back to the place where I found that just-pre-fledgling falcon a while ago, hoping I wouldn't smell a dead animal. When I arrived, the unmistakable scent of decay put something of a damper on those hopes. Now it may *not* have been the poor falcon doing the stinking. But it was never possible to deny that the bird could have (literally) suffered such a fate. Clearly the Universe -- or The Great Mystery, or God, or Random Chance or The Flying Spaghetti Monster or The Enormous Whatever -- felt it appropriate to twist the knife in me. You know...for effect. Or random chance. Whatever. Sure, it could have been some other animal funking up the joint. But so what? Whatever died right where I left that falcon, you can bet some degree of suffering was involved. And in all likelihood it was prolonged and quite probably -- certainly to my mind -- unnecessary.
The above is merely an anecdotal example. We all know the world is utterly replete with stories like this -- and far, far worse.
At this point young believers and lifetime deniers invariably toss in some platitude about "It is not for us to know..." To which I say DUH. But facts, at the end of the day, are still facts. And cruelty is no less cruel.
Speaking of facts and cruelty...the fact is, I find it less and less possible to deny that The Great Mystery is not only indifferent; it is also cruel in ways even a dysfunctional alcoholic father would find appalling.
So The Great Question is, Can we right this obvious wrong? As a struggling life-form in kindred spirit with all other struggling life-forms, I believe the answer is yes. And that's good, because life and struggle really ought to have meaning beyond...let's say consumerist materialism.
Evidently The Great Mystery is more twisted than a mangrove root. So let's not rely on prayer. Let's fix things ourselves with the tools we have. And let's do it the way any battered but reasonably enlightened child would; by taking stock and doing a better job than ol' pawpaw is doing, passed out on the sofa.
Considering the ineptitude of the role model we've got, this really shouldn't be a task too far.
And it's not: If you value Love and Compassion, don't get on your knees and look to the sky. If you value Love and Compassion, make it Yourself.
Comments (36)
Excellent message, Seῆor Bear. Spaghetti Monster helps those who help themselves. Love comes from within, not without. Make love not war. She loves you ya ya ya. Erm ... yes. Excellent message.
@girlForgetful - indeed. she most certainly does.
Suffering is a great conundrum but clearly it is woven into the very fabric of our world.
I tried to read this twice. Not only am I not sure exactly what happened (but I'm pretty sure it was a gigantic bummer) I don't quite get how we are supposed to untwist things and set them straight. Who is the role model to whom you refer? All I can think of you might mean is The Pope?
We're not to know but we are to try to help others even if we can't succede sometimes.
@Diva_Jyoti_3 - haha the pope. no, i don't mean the pope. too small. i mean the prime mover. supernatural or not. by any of the names i use above and/or an infinity of others. i mean the universe.
@NightlyDreams - if the universe is sentient, however, the fact that we're "not to know" does not excuse its objective cruelty. if it's not, then my conclusion (and yours) still stands.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - agreed
@complicatedlight - The Universe as a role model. Holy moly I missed the whole point, now I get it. Cool blog!
@complicatedlight - it's only cruel because you don't know
damn...that last paragraph is perfect
:/ i heard that those who take the sufferings of animals seriously have never really seen human suffering, but i disagree. i hope baby falcon is ok somewhere out there.
I root for the bird, because birds with those tiny brain are even more interesting that a lot of us. But if the bird indeed died, hey, look at the bright side, I'm sure it went in the arms of the Big Spaghetti Monster and is hunting kilos of spaghetti up in the sky. And no, I am not mean, ptch.
I wanted to say many things that you can do when sitting in your knees, but I'll ruin again the whole bright atmosphere you succeed to instill in your posts, so I'll just stfu.
@NightlyDreams - i certainly understand why you feel that way.
AGREED.
Damn this post has the power up in it. I still have a fairly grim estimation of what's about to happen ("about" on a cosmological scale, meaning the awful decline and enslavement of what's left of the humans), but I also agree with you there's a great opportunity to turn it around. I'm (still) reading Chogyam Trungpa's Shambhala which really addresses the idea of our responsibility to create enlightened society. Somehow.
Ah, the idea that we not only can, but will evolve into enlightened sentient beings. So be it.
All life is valuable. So says the flying spaghetti monster.
No duckling dollops. Just lots of craft hats and bracelets.
@dirtbubble - yes. somehow. thanks for the thoughtful comment and rec.
@an_OM_aly - make it so, number one! (i'll be expecting a status report...;)
@tulipsnchimneys - yes it is. all life. such a mystery it all is - but that's one of the hard clues.
This is all one Great Experiment. We're thrown in the grinder and Something is recording the Results. Does it matter if we try to improve? Maybe. Or maybe that just initiates another round of Testing. In fact, I'm fairly certain it does. Cruelty? No; no more than your average Scientist, anyway - we call it Objectivity. The Scientific Method.
The only Good in this world is what we can make, what we can give. The Scientists up there? The Principal Investigator? What do you think they're after? They want the Good. Distill it. Test it. Formulate an Antidote. It's all a matter of what Test Bed we've been tossed in.
love the last sentance
How you conclude is a good start.
you know, i stupidly forgot the most comforting thought: "at least i'm getting out of here."
Amen.
Good, good point.
i feel like i keep sowing the seeds of love and compassion in barren earth.
@reymarie88 - keep working it.
this post is delicious
you can write another one on how
@kaiori - haha...yeah. that's the trick, ain't it?
yes! (sorry that I don't appear to have anything deep to say)
That's so very sad.
@drawmafreezone - and yet...what's that aphorism you're fond of using?
@complicatedlight - It is what it is?
@drawmafreezone - DINGDING! you win a special prize!
@complicatedlight - I can't wait to unwrap it