A friend asked, “if you are able to remove all the concrete layers that form your identity, well, then, who are you?”

I’ve been feeling the weight of this question, mostly in my shoulders, where (I sense) the weight of the idea of “identity” sits for me primarily.

All of the answers to “I’m the type of guy who does X” seem to reside there.

But, then I contemplated the ideas of “what if there is no spoon?”

“What if there is no mountain?”

“What if there is no self?”

At first glance, that’s ridiculous. The spoon is there. The mountain is there.

But when you realize that all of your experience is shaped by your perception which is shaped by words and concepts to help you make sense of the world, then you begin to come to terms with the notion that, while they do that, they also separate you from the world.

My yoga teacher said the other day, “you don’t go out into nature. You are part of nature.”

You and I are connected to the spoon through the fabric of the universe. We’re connected to the mountain. By naming them “mountain” or “spoon” or “self,” there’s an artificial dividing line that is being placed among things that are, in fact, whole. All is one.

Or as Jews say, “G-d is one.”

The Taoists call it “the Tao.”

So, if not a “self,” then what?

A manifestation of universal energy. Nature takes many different forms. Some we call “trees.” Some we call “lakes.” Some we call “selves.”

The opportunity is to not only sense the interconnectedness of all things, but to feel the interconnectedness of all things.

To allow for the energy of everything that surrounds us (in full 720 degrees) to be harmonant (if that’s a word) with the manifestation of natural energy that is you.

As Rumi says, “you are the drop, but you are also the ocean.”

A friend asked, “if you are able to remove all the concrete layers that form your identity, well, then, who are you?”

I’ve been feeling the weight of this question, mostly in my shoulders, where (I sense) the weight of the idea of “identity” sits for me primarily.

All of the answers to “I’m the type of guy who does X” seem to reside there.

But, then I contemplated the ideas of “what if there is no spoon?”

“What if there is no mountain?”

“What if there is no self?”

At first glance, that’s ridiculous. The spoon is there. The mountain is there.

But when you realize that all of your experience is shaped by your perception which is shaped by words and concepts to help you make sense of the world, then you begin to come to terms with the notion that, while they do that, they also separate you from the world.

My yoga teacher said the other day, “you don’t go out into nature. You are part of nature.”

You and I are connected to the spoon through the fabric of the universe. We’re connected to the mountain. By naming them “mountain” or “spoon” or “self,” there’s an artificial dividing line that is being placed among things that are, in fact, whole. All is one.

Or as Jews say, “G-d is one.”

The Taoists call it “the Tao.”

So, if not a “self,” then what?

A manifestation of universal energy. Nature takes many different forms. Some we call “trees.” Some we call “lakes.” Some we call “selves.”

The opportunity is to not only sense the interconnectedness of all things, but to feel the interconnectedness of all things.

To allow for the energy of everything that surrounds us (in full 720 degrees) to be harmonant (if that’s a word) with the manifestation of natural energy that is you.

As Rumi says, “you are the drop, but you are also the ocean.”