Anything Goes [NOOK Book]

Overview

This chapter begins sayings of the author that contain the words “nothing”, “everything”, or “anything”. The sayings come from an unpublished 1994 work. The work has been rewritten and updated with more sayings. Some of the sayings are variations on sayings from Something For Nothing. The style of sayings in this book is generally more direct than the style of sayings in Something For Nothing. The sayings sometimes use the concept “thought-things”. Thought-things is the author’s term for reified thoughts and reified thinking. The sayings often use “I” and “my” instead of indirect pronouns. This assists you in applying the sayings, and in making them useful for mantras, prayers, and coping statements. Please make use of the sayings you find fruitful and uplifting.
This book is a compilation of sayings useful to understanding Eastern thought and General Semantics. The agreement between General Semantics and Eastern philosophy is profound, illuminating, and deepens the understanding of both. For instance, the expressions, “The description is not the described,” and, “The thought is not the thing,” are found in both Eastern philosophy and General Semantics. Both systems arrive at reality as nonverbal, silent, and beyond comprehension with thought. This despite the fact that one is spiritual and one is atheistic. Two entirely different approaches arriving at the same ultimate conclusions is exciting and enlightening.
If you are not familiar with Eastern thought, the word “nothing” can have a profoundly positive meaning. For instance, “nothing” can mean the unknowable creative source of everything. Eastern philosophy has two major divisions; one that has gods, and one that has a void instead of gods. The word “nothing” in this book often refers to this invisible, unfathomable, and all-powerful Eastern void. The word “void” is also to be considered positive in the Eastern philosophy sense. Perhaps, because of the negative connotations of the words “void” or “nothing”, the Western mind would do better to think of “positive pure-energy” in place of void and nothing.
The word “nothing” in this book can have many meanings other than zero: emptiness, empty space, formless energy, God, invisible power, no thing, no things as referents, no thoughts, no thoughts as referents, no thoughts being what they only represent, not thinging, self as space, the creative source, the ineffable, the life force, the nature of being, the positive Eastern void, the way of life. Try considering the word “nothing” as a shortened form of the two words “not thinging”!
The words “everything” and “anything” in this book mainly refer to: conceptualizing, concretizing, ideas, images, labels, making thoughts into reality, names, objectifying, reification, some thought, some thought-thing, terms, thingifying, thought as delusion, thought as illusion, thought pretending to be the real, thoughts as what they represent, thought-things, treating thoughts as things. Try considering the word “everything” as a shortened form of the two words “every thought-thing”! Try considering the word “anything” as a shortened form of the two words “any thought-thing”!
You will find the sayings herein amusing, helpful, interesting, and thought provoking. Many of the sayings are like Zen koans; if you sit with them, they reveal the other side free of words. Many of the sayings are open to multiple interpretations and meanings. New meanings will arrive on different journeys through the book. The same insight shared different ways helps you not to miss deeper felt experiences for simple surface meanings. It often happens that a slight change in wording allows someone to drop their mind long enough to hear something fresh. One person’s, “that’s obvious,” is another person’s “ah-ha” moment. Let the sayings pass that don’t open to you now. Focus on the sayings that bring stillness. Listen beyond the words. Feel, rather than think, the sayings through. Sense, rather than think, the music behind the words.
Enjoy the simultaneous double and triple meanings of “nothing”. Enjoy reading the same saying different ways for different meanings. Enjoy the play on words that contrasting “nothing” and “everything” often makes. Consider the meanings you find to be found, and not necessarily the right or perfect meanings for everyone. Forget the author’s intended meanings and discover your own. Take to heart the sayings and insights you want and leave the rest to ferment. One might remember the work of Ansel Adams.