"Dynamic ocean of being, everything is constantly swirling in and out of existence..." - Jed McKenna

An exchange between Jed McKenna (pseudonym) in his book, Spiritual Warfare, and a student:

"Scoop a jar of water out of the ocean and put a lid on it, I tell them. Study it in its segregated state.Where is the ocean in that jar? Where are the tides and the currents? Pour it back into the ocean and it returns to its integrated state. The temporary entity no longer exists.

Entity? Ronald asks.

By scooping it into a jar, you've created a new entity, a sub-ocean. It's not possible to subdivide infinity, of course, but try telling that to your new entity. It has all the properties of the ocean from which you scooped it, in no way greater or lesser than any other sampling you might take, yet it bears little resemblance to its authentic oceanhood. It has an independent existence, yet as soon as you pour it back, it merges seamlessly back into the integrated whole. Where is that particular sub-ocean entity after you pour it back in? The same place it was before; everywhere and nowhere. It didn't exist before you scooped it up, but you didn't create it. It doesn't exist after you pour it back, but you didn't destroy it. So what was born when you segregated that jarful? What died when you reintegrated it?"

Comments

[Lisa]

I love that! I made an illustrated book on this, The Droplet and the Sea:

http://dropletandsea.wordpress.com/

[carolyn reyes]

hey, there. i didn't read this post. i accidentally came upon your blog when "googling" "finger pointing to the moon is not the moon" to give april as a reference for a paper she is writing for ministerial school. how the hell are you?

tu amiga,
carolyn (grand canyon trip...cuban...)

[UndonseDoks]

When I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a comment is added I get four emails with the identical comment. Is there any way it is possible to eliminate me from that service? Thanks!

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