Thursday, July 20, 2006

One Taste


[image source]

There has been a lot of Ken bashing in the integral blogosphere of late, so I just wanted to post a reminder of the KW we used to know and love (well, most of us at least).


It is not quite right to describe One Taste as a "consciousness" or an "awareness," because that's a little too heady, too cognitive. It's more like the simple Feeling of Being. You already feel this simple Feeling of Being: it is the simple, present feeling of existence.

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But if I remain in the simple Feeling of Being, what does it matter if a friend gets a new house and I do not? Her joy is my joy, in the simple Feeling of One Taste. What does it matter if a colleague receives accolades and I do not? His happiness is my happiness, in the simple Feeling of One Taste. When there is but one Self looking out through all eyes, do I not rejoice in good fortune wherever it occurs, since it is the good fortune of my own deepest Self? And when suffering occurs anywhere in the universe, do I not also suffer, since it is the suffering of my own deepest Self? When a young child cries from hunger, do I not suffer? When one young husband delights in seeing his wife come home, do I not rejoice?

~ Ken Wilber


Seems as though it has been a while since KW has said anything as centered as this. Maybe I'm just missing his newfound brilliance, but the KW of old used to inspire me in deep ways -- for which I am eternally grateful.


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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

One of the reasons I've been so annoyed with Ken lately is that I always used to find his writings beautiful and insightful-- well, I still find his older writings worhtwhile. Despite my disillusionment, I'm still looking forward to what he has to say in his next book...

william harryman said...

I hear ya . . .

Unknown said...

Now, now, Bills. Don't you two get all soft and squishy on me. Stoke those feelings of hate; feel their power and might.

It was KW, after all, who pulled the car over, opened the back door and dumped your bodies out into the gutter!

The REAL 2nd Tier awaits you and is found by doubting Wilber, seeing into Wilber's errors and omissions.

Straighten your spines, gentlemen!

Anonymous said...

"The REAL 2nd Tier awaits you and is found by doubting Wilber, seeing into Wilber's errors and omissions."

Well yeah, sure, which is of course really why I want to read Wilber's next book... ;)

Squishiness is...