For Douglas Harding
Q: Hi Robert. I’m not quite sure how, but Facebook brought me into a discussion in a Headless/No-Head Douglas Harding group, which turned out to be about you. One of the participants states flat out that “Saltzman is a materialist!” Also this ‘not knowing’ thing is a trope, a stance. I read through most of it, and fortunately, a couple of voices jumped to your defense. Not that you need defending, as I know you’re quite capable of taking care of yourself, thank you very much.
I can’t help feeling there are quite a few out there who think they understand you, but their grounds for dismissing what you say indicate the opposite. Of course, it could also very well be that I imagine I get you, but in reality, have hardly a guard’s arse what you are talking about. I like the George Bernard Shaw quote a friend sent me recently: “The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
A: People who like to imagine themselves on a spiritual path will never understand anything I say. When the path peters out, and you find yourself alone and without assurances of anything, what I am saying is obvious.
A student goes to a Zen master asking to be enlightened. The master asks him, “Have you had your breakfast yet?”
“No,” the student replies.
“Well,” says the master, “when you have eaten, be sure to wash your bowl.”
People often write to me saying that my books ended their search for something “not this.” Naturally, being influential in that way produces objections and backlash from those who are not capable of being as they are in each moment but need to imagine something “better” in the fantasized future--something “special” to be attained by following instructions. That’s not my problem. Art is not a popularity contest.
Q: I love the headless Harding photo! And indeed, art is not a contest. And yes, so few are ready to stand naked in the wind of the reality of moment-to-moment human embodiment without taking refuge in conceptual frameworks other than those necessary to conduct our day-to-day lives and hopefully have some fun along the way.
A: Yes. Since we know nothing about ultimate metaphysical matters and have no way of finding out, the best we can do is human friendship, love, and laughter. If we can do a little good along the way, so much the better, I say.
Q: Exactly. The fullness of life and heart seems to arise naturally when the superfluous ‘metaphysical’ baggage gets ditched. Those clinging to that baggage see your position as negative, pessimistic, and not life-affirming. I don’t experience that. On hearing you, compassion and sensitivity increase. I find myself deeply disturbed by what we can inflict on our brothers and sisters because we identify with one of these stories. Life becomes simpler but not necessarily easier.
There is not a place to go, except this moment just as it is.
An enjoyable conversation....many thanks for these posts Robert - they are always useful as reminders of the ease with which we can be drawn away from this/now, and the uniqueness of each of our perspectives on what constitutes "this/now". I wish you well.