This last section of the manuscript for The Book of Chen Jen is broken down into several posts. To see all the posts in chronological order, go to the Book of Chen Jen Index Page (scroll down to Section 3). For the sake of these posts, the questions posed by the interviewer, Sue-tzu, will be in bold and the answers by the author will appear as regular text.
“Realize your humanity, there is nothing else to be.” Can you explain what Chen Jen is saying here?
Why do you ask at this moment?
Well, because it seems to tie-in with what you just said. Chen Jen seems to eschew all metaphysics, all talk about what he has already said is beyond all knowing. He seems to approach human experience without reference to any ‘higher’ spiritual realities.
Yes, that’s true. If it is beyond words, ‘shut up!’ That’s Chen Jen’s word on metaphysics. But there is also his understanding of harmony, which is an experience — not a concept. Essentially, he would say that in the realization of the innate nature of his humanity is his fulfillment in harmony. Nothing is added. No bolt of spiritual lightning shoots out of the ether and enlightens him as a reward for his diligence. No, Chen Jen realizes what it is to be human and that is all. He does not transcend his humanity; he allows it to blossom into its full form. He is ‘realized man.’
He believes in an ‘innate nature’?
I appreciate your critical discernment. No, he does not believe. He experiences what is there. And that experience is had in spontaneity. It is just as all we see in nature; all creatures do what they are. It is only in the human being that it is possible — for reasons beyond our knowing — to want to be other than we are. I offer the fear of death and the wish for immortality as examples. I know there are those who, reading this, might say they have no desire for immortality, but I doubt that they would not prefer that to total extinction. We fight what IS.
Isn’t that our ‘innate nature’, then — to fight against what IS?
Good question. It is certainly a part of who we are. But are we, as a race, dysfunctional? Or, more to the point, are you, Sue-tzu, dysfunctional? Are you “good in your skin”, or are you in conflict within?
I am to some extent in conflict with my own self — my behavior and my responses to that behavior. I guess you could say I am dysfunctional. But is dysfunctionality my innate nature?
If it were, it wouldn’t be dysfunctional. Sorry. That’s just semantics. Your question is a very important one and I think we should try to answer it as best we can. Or rather, let’s consider what Chen Jen would say. What do you think he would say?
I don’t think he would say much of anything. He’d laugh and just go on enjoying transcending that narrow view of human experience.
Exactly. Experience is all. He has experienced more than conflict. He has experienced harmony and knows that there is greater potential in the human nature than the conflictedness which arises from the ego-self.
So, he is saying something about the human condition, nonetheless. Humanity, for some unknown reason, is dysfunctional and fails to realize its full potential. Some see this as a ‘Fall’—a fall from some previous pristine state. The philosophical Taoists, like Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu, explained things this way. Others, more scientific, might say that it is merely an evolutionary stage — having recently acquired self-consciousness, we are only beginning to grapple with the experience and have taken temporary refuge in an ego-self. We are experiencing growing pains. But no explanations are necessary, or even possible. It’s the givenness of our experience that matters. We are conflicted. We can transcend our conflictedness. And, in doing so, we are able to embrace our humanity in its totality, including that conflictedness. Nothing is rejected. All is affirmed. We are not in conflict with conflictedness.
It is important to remember that Chen Jen is presenting a philosophy of life, not a system of metaphysics — he leaves that to the myth-spinners.
There’s something else about his philosophy that seems a bit disturbing: “Nothing matters,” Can you explain that?
I can try. But, first what do you say we take a break and have something to eat?
Sure. And another beer.
“Realize your humanity, there is nothing else to be.” Can you explain what Chen Jen is saying here?
Why do you ask at this moment?
Well, because it seems to tie-in with what you just said. Chen Jen seems to eschew all metaphysics, all talk about what he has already said is beyond all knowing. He seems to approach human experience without reference to any ‘higher’ spiritual realities.
Yes, that’s true. If it is beyond words, ‘shut up!’ That’s Chen Jen’s word on metaphysics. But there is also his understanding of harmony, which is an experience — not a concept. Essentially, he would say that in the realization of the innate nature of his humanity is his fulfillment in harmony. Nothing is added. No bolt of spiritual lightning shoots out of the ether and enlightens him as a reward for his diligence. No, Chen Jen realizes what it is to be human and that is all. He does not transcend his humanity; he allows it to blossom into its full form. He is ‘realized man.’
He believes in an ‘innate nature’?
I appreciate your critical discernment. No, he does not believe. He experiences what is there. And that experience is had in spontaneity. It is just as all we see in nature; all creatures do what they are. It is only in the human being that it is possible — for reasons beyond our knowing — to want to be other than we are. I offer the fear of death and the wish for immortality as examples. I know there are those who, reading this, might say they have no desire for immortality, but I doubt that they would not prefer that to total extinction. We fight what IS.
Isn’t that our ‘innate nature’, then — to fight against what IS?
Good question. It is certainly a part of who we are. But are we, as a race, dysfunctional? Or, more to the point, are you, Sue-tzu, dysfunctional? Are you “good in your skin”, or are you in conflict within?
I am to some extent in conflict with my own self — my behavior and my responses to that behavior. I guess you could say I am dysfunctional. But is dysfunctionality my innate nature?
If it were, it wouldn’t be dysfunctional. Sorry. That’s just semantics. Your question is a very important one and I think we should try to answer it as best we can. Or rather, let’s consider what Chen Jen would say. What do you think he would say?
I don’t think he would say much of anything. He’d laugh and just go on enjoying transcending that narrow view of human experience.
Exactly. Experience is all. He has experienced more than conflict. He has experienced harmony and knows that there is greater potential in the human nature than the conflictedness which arises from the ego-self.
So, he is saying something about the human condition, nonetheless. Humanity, for some unknown reason, is dysfunctional and fails to realize its full potential. Some see this as a ‘Fall’—a fall from some previous pristine state. The philosophical Taoists, like Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu, explained things this way. Others, more scientific, might say that it is merely an evolutionary stage — having recently acquired self-consciousness, we are only beginning to grapple with the experience and have taken temporary refuge in an ego-self. We are experiencing growing pains. But no explanations are necessary, or even possible. It’s the givenness of our experience that matters. We are conflicted. We can transcend our conflictedness. And, in doing so, we are able to embrace our humanity in its totality, including that conflictedness. Nothing is rejected. All is affirmed. We are not in conflict with conflictedness.
It is important to remember that Chen Jen is presenting a philosophy of life, not a system of metaphysics — he leaves that to the myth-spinners.
There’s something else about his philosophy that seems a bit disturbing: “Nothing matters,” Can you explain that?
I can try. But, first what do you say we take a break and have something to eat?
Sure. And another beer.
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