What difference does it make who says it? What's in a
name? I'll just be John Buck right now and maybe John
Doe tomorrow.

You hear people tell others "get real!", "be practical!",
"use your common sense!", etc. They generally are
implying that the one they are speaking to isn't being
realistic, isn't facing reality or the truth of the matter or
how it really is right then and there. Possibly the speaker
isn't doing so either.

Reality-based? Is that the actual reality now or based on
yesterday's, last year's reality? Is it based on a few bits
and pieces of a reality or a great amount of a reality?

Reality or being alive is right now for all practical purposes
or scientifically speaking - a moment ago is gone and a
moment from now doesn't yet exist. Any reality happening
to you happens now.

Awareness, being a 'watch-tower' from moment to moment
is the only way a human organism is going to pick up on or
catch any amount of reality occurring in each actual moment
or the moment - the only moment or 'life'.

The 'store-house' of all past experience, knowledge, training,
skills, etc. must sit quietly or be on stand-by while this full
awareness is in operation. A 'processing' goes on below
the surface not getting in the way of full awareness.

Responses to this or that or that and that come up
automatically, wholely, completely and the variations, the
combinations are ever fresh, new, hot off the press so to
speak. One is being really real - no phoneying, no half-assing,
no 'hollywooding', no 'plastic'. Any deception, tricks, etc.
are done naturally - they are 'you' or the totality of this
particular human entity or organism.

There can be no other, no thing over me - no master, no
guru, no governor, no fine woman ( man ), no God, no
country, no expensive car, etc. as "all that" or any of that
would divide me, conflict me, weaken me and disrupt this
full vital awareness, this wholeness of being.

Sure I bow before the king and so on....the playing along a
bit is nescessary and useful - it's a part of the whole self-
defense or "survival package". It's not being phoney - It's
being like Christ when he said "Agree with thine adversary
while in the way with him lest he deliver thee up to the
jailor". Christ wasn't some sheltered, pampered square-ass
mfer - he had "street-smarts" and was worldly-wise.

If one desires to be based in reality one must shed and
shred much so that one can travel light and be much more
aware. Awareness is the 'flame', the 'aliveness' or really
being alive.

John Buck

Sometimes a name is one of the only things we truly own. It is the first thing we are freely given in life. No matter whose name is behind the words I will always analyze them to take and learn from what is good and then disregard the rest. Ones reality is based on their perception and therefore your reality is probably different than my own but one thing remains constant and that is the reality of our mortality on this earth.

I wholeheartedly agree with you that Christ was “worldly wise” and that awareness is key to anyone’s reality.

Luke

when the plane crashes out in the middle of "nowhere"
and you and I are the only survivors, maybe as we
look into one another's eyes a clear understanding,
an immediate realisation or 'knowing' will occur and
then the 'reality' will be "our reality". From there two
heads, two hearts may be as one as they deal with
'reality' from moment to moment.

Stripped of all the BS you and I may very well being
looking out at 'reality' through the same eyes. Then
we can proceed to work together, work out the details
as we go along surviving, living in the world. Two heads
can be better than one when they are truly working together!

Peace Bro,

Charley

When faced with a situation where your life and the lives of those you are with are on the line 'reality' becomes fighting for survival. I feel that the primal need/desire to survive becomes a leveling field and everyone’s reality is the same for that instant. The difference then becomes how each person deals with it.

Two heads are much better than one if they are working together like you said. If we were in such a situation I think that you and I would see eye to eye and be able to use our combined knowledge and experience to overcome our individual faults and thereby be able to deal with whatever ‘reality’ had to dish out.

Peace to you also bro,

Luke

Good stuff Charley, why the Pseudonym though?

I fully agree with "Awareness is the 'flame', the 'aliveness' or really being alive."

Nice. May I quote you on that?


Sincerely
Rich

All my antics, stunts, playing 'dumb', playing devil's
advocate here on this forum had/have a purpose -
there was/is a method to my madness I wanted
to see who was who, what was what, test people,
draw people out, etc.

No doubt I alienated a few, POed a few, made a few
scratch their heads, etc. I meant no real harm - one
could view it as SD practice or training.

In a forum environment we only have typed words -
one isn't actually among people in the flesh. We don't
get to observe eyes, facial expressions, body language,
manner of dress,etc. As you well know, when entering
a crowd, a new environment one must 'case' the place
and really check people and things out. Learned, acquired
and developed that long ago on the "mean streets" and
while in jails and prisons.

Awareness, aliveness, wholeness are the 'flame' burning
at the top of any acquired skills, knowledge and past
experiences. 'That' is the 'window' that it all comes through
or how it enters into the actual living moment or reality as
it is now - whatever that may be. We must be whole,
unified or as one for optimal performance at surviving,
living and functioning in this world as it is.

So many don't truly understand what it means to be as
cunning as a fox yet gentle as a lamb or to be like a
chameleon. They hinder, restrict themselves from using
all ways as way and fully expressing, doing what must be
done. They don't understand what it really means or why
to play the bum, the sucker, the "bad guy", the "good guy",
the idiot, the smart guy, the coward, the brave guy, the
life of the party, the wallflower, the talker, the silent type,
the crazy guy, etc.

Sun Tze wrote "The art of war is the art of deception."
We are ever in a war living amongst are fellow man/woman
in this world as it is right now. Few in our life time will ever
be near and dear, be so close as to be as one with us -
true friendship, true love isn't growing on trees "out there"
in this so-called 'civilization'.

I'm going to take a break from the forum for awhile. To
you and all those that read this post I say, Rich is in my
view a SD expert and this forum and many who post
here are as good as it gets. Keep it real and keep on
keeping on!

Peace Bro,

Charley