How Not to Do It

Two points regarding the death today of Aldous Huxley's wife: "The AP reports that Laura Archera Huxley, the wife to Aldous Huxley has just died at the age of 96. The article notes that she died of cancer, despite being in good shape and a regular exerciser." The first is just the amusing way the AP reported it---- "despite being in good shape..." Nobody lives forever, you are going to die of something. The article further states "that after her husband died of cancer in 1963, that she spent the rest of her own life promoting his legacy and his work." That legacy of course including the popular notion that you can trip your way to enlightenment. No, not the kind of tripping upstairs Jan Cox talked about, the 60's kind of tripping I have forgotten.

I suppose the subject of death could be worked into a comment on the mysticism taught by Jan Cox, I suppose, being as how so many schools work the contemplation of one's mortality into a serious method. Jan Cox did not however, although once he commented that such was a valid approach---contemplating one's own mortality. He said that this method had not worked for him though. (I cannot assume it never worked for him.) He died at 67 "despite being in good shape." Actually his life span was miraculous considering he was genetically programmed to die in his forties. Although regular exercise was something he encouraged, regular exercise was a minimum necessity---nothing that would of itself lead to enlightenment.

Nor can drugs lead to what is commonly called enlightenment. Recreational use was something he never encouraged, only allowing it under certain rare circumstances, and then, as with our beer drinking, with the proviso that you were not helping yourself in the quest, at all, by using drugs. Just don't pretend to yourself. Actually in these kind of comments he was pointing not to the drug and alcohol consumption, so much as trying to get us to notice the activity of our mechanical consciousness. Try and lift a mug while thinking 'this is hurting me.' Try it.

That "being in good shape" is your genetic programming, as is everything else. Exercise does not extend your life: Ms. Huxley dies at 96, Jan Cox at 67, both avid exercisers. Does this mean achieving a mystical awareness is hopeless. Yes. Keep that fact in your mind while thinking also: some have done so.

(And it sounds to me like the AP reporter just didn't want to jog today. )

How Not to do it--- such items won't get you anywhere, but help the quester perhaps in setting an internal background which allows for progress.