I am on the verge of 39 years old. In my short time on Earth, I have learned much. I have an insatiable thirst for (properly produced) knowledge. I also am adept at cultivating Wisdom through a contemplative lifestyle. I am at about the halfway point of my life. I would like to offer some insights based on a lifetime of contemplation. I have had the advantage at various points of my life to be at the periphery of the incessant “money game” that our shared species plays each day. Instead of cultivating a meaningful life, tragically too many people get caught up in total devotion to the “money game.”
This lifestyle has the advantage of creating the necessary financial support to navigate society. However, it also comes with disadvantages, such as not having adequate personal space to connect with the instinctive rhythms of one’s life as an animal subject to Time. Too many in this world have gotten totally immersed in a lifestyle of chasing money. That is, the line of demarcation between “enough” and “excess” is blurred. Consequently, it may be difficult for some to abide in the contentment of having “enough”. Indeed, learning how to reconceptualize that which one already has as “enough” requires a certain amount of Wisdom to begin with. We need to learn how to be happy with reality as it is. This is not easy task; however, it is worth the Time and effort.
WHERE ARE THE WISE ELDERS?
In my lifetime of contemplation, I realize the importance of properly produced knowledge, as well as Wisdom. I also recognize that these things require Time and effort to cultivate. There is no “easy path” to Wisdom. Wise Elders arrive at their due social status as a result of a lifetime of cultivating Wisdom. They have garnered the respect of younger generations. There have been and currently are human cultures that have a social role for Wisdom. That is, one may be able to seek out and consult Wise Elders in other cultures/Time periods. However, modern America has a curious lack of Wise Elders to consult. Where are those that have devoted most, if not all their lives to a daily Wisdom practice? Where are those who have demonstrated their Wisdom to younger generations? Where are the temples to facilitate consulting Wise Elders?
Instead, what modern America offers its youth is in stark contrast to Wisdom. In the modern Western culture, we are conditioned early onto play the “money game”. The necessity to have money to survive is conflated with a “money-as-happiness” mentality. Money brings opportunities, not happiness. The underlying attitude of the individual allows them to use opportunities to cultivate a long-term trajectory in life--whether grateful for what they have or dissatisfied with what they don’t. Put simply, without underlying Wisdom to guide money use, people can conflate opportunity with happiness. Tragically, too many people are caught up in the excitement of spending money on opportunities to realize that they are simultaneously conditioning their minds to forego inner peace in favor of the temporal distractions that money brings. Such is the path of a fool.
Instead of temples where youth may consult Wise Elders, we have an excess of “elderly” people. That is, foolish people who have neglected a daily Wisdom practice for most, if not all their lives. Instead of garnering respect, all too often “elderly” people are forcibly confined to what our culture calls “nursing homes.” These elderly people are often forgotten about. While they are still people and deserve caring attention and support from society, they have also created a life that is not worth consulting. Foolish young people can easily bypass talking to elderly people. At best, many elderly people have “experiential knowledge” based on how they have navigated their culture and the world up to this point. This falls short of Wisdom. Perhaps that is why we do not have a social role for “Wise Elders” yet.
ELDERSHIP AS A VALID SOCIAL ROLE
I would like to use this opportunity to introduce an important social role for our society: Wise Elder. This social role is unique. It is also one that takes decades to cultivate. A Wise Elder in the making must have a daily Wisdom practice, at the least. A Wise Elder in the making also must have a contemplative lifestyle that integrates with their daily Wisdom practice. This also means that the goal of the Wise Elder in the making is a genuine lasting happiness, rooted in their daily Wisdom practice. A Wise Elder in the making would derive their happiness from the Stillness/Silence of the present moment, the only knowledge of Time to which we have access as human animals. A Wise Elder is also committed to this Wisdom practice as their social role does not “come to fruition” until later in life. This requires a significant degree of humility and the ability to find satisfaction in life with the Stillness of the present moment as the foundation.
A Wise Elder in the making may not have the money, power and prestige that those who chase money may have. However, the Wise Elder in the making retains a genuine lasting happiness in the face of a foolish society. Indeed, there is no “quick path” to Eldership. This is exactly what appeals to me as an individual. I find great value in going slow and living a contemplative lifestyle. I recall that when I was younger, I looked forward to the ageing process as it brings Wisdom with it. I also recognize that my social role does not yet exist in modern America. Perhaps after several more decades of “Me being Me,” I will have carved out a social role for Wise Elders. Our fractured society needs Wisdom and Eldership now more than ever. We need Wisdom to resolve the challenges that are currently facing our civilization. Indeed, we are at a convergence of significant issues that must be resolved for the long-term safety of our shared species.
We must address: Climate change; political unification; technological advancements that must be integrated; etc. Put simply, it is no longer feasible to merely do what the previous generation did and expect things to work out. We must develop effective strategies to address overlapping/related issues. How does climate change affect the economy? How does the economy affect politics? How do politics affect happiness? How does happiness affect our impact on climate? Generations ago, the human species was not advanced enough to have to “weave” various strands of technological advancement, which include physical technologies like computers, as well as conceptual technologies like political and economic systems. However, in the modern era, we absolutely need to learn to effectively “weave” various technologies. Simply “chasing money” is no longer a wise path forward. Indeed, we currently cannot account for how various technologies interact with each other. Please see my essay, "5G, the Arc of Knowledge and the Brick Wall that is Reality” This essay describes how overlapping technologies have put us on a path for an awkward future reality if we do not wake up and address the issues resulting from “technological overlap.”
My contribution to the significant and ongoing issues that must be addressed by the living generations on Earth is to engage in my daily Wisdom practice. This practice informs my public writings, videos, as well as my long-term trajectory so that I will one day be consulted as a Wise Elder.
ANSWERING MY OWN PERSONAL CALL TO ELDERSHIP
I do not expect to arrive at “Wise Elder” status in this decade, or even the next one. This long-term outlook is integral to understanding my personality. I do not get caught up in frivolous activities of temporal cultures. Rather, I contemplate reality and try to envision ways to integrate Wisdom into our modern culture. I think rather differently from average people caught up in the “money game.” Indeed, each “Call to Eldership” is individual. My Call is different from that of the next person. However, each one of us can answer our personal Call to Eldership.
As a part of my personal Call to Eldership, I have had to face difficult circumstances, which include significant physical limitations. I have a long-term back injury. I have written an essay on some of the challenges I have faced in my life regarding this back injury. As a part of answering my Call to Eldership, I have had to make the decision to devote myself to healing my back during this period of my life. This requires a significant amount of Time and energy.
My back pain is significant. I can only sleep on the firmest mattress I can find. My only other option is to sleep directly on the floor. This limits my life substantially. I have limits on travel as I must plan ahead to ensure that I have a place to sleep. My back hurts during my seated meditation practice, which limits the amount of Time I can spend in meditation. I also have limits on types of work I can do as certain activities can exacerbate my back pain. My back is at the focal point of my life, currently. As such, it is wise to devote the necessary Time and energy to heal.
As a part of my healing process, I have obtained certifications as a Yoga Instructor as well as a Personal Trainer. These certifications help inform my daily practice to heal my back. Yin Yoga is my specialty, and it forms the foundation of my efforts to heal my back. In Yin Yoga, poses are held for long periods of time. This could be 5-10 minutes in some cases. It may be an hour or more in other cases, and everywhere in between. I have noticed significant improvement since I began my practice of Yin Yoga toward the end of 2021. However, I still have years to go in this healing process.
I currently stretch for several hours daily. This requires most of my Time and energy. Indeed, at this point in my life, answering my Call to Eldership requires total devotion. It is grueling, Time consuming, and extremely rewarding. I see progress regularly and some of the challenges that I have faced in the past surrounding my back pain have disappeared.
There was once a point in my life when I could not sit on most chairs. They were not supportive enough and I would develop back pain that would interfere with daily activities if I sat on the wrong chair. However, my daily Wisdom practice has changed this, and I no longer think twice about which chair I should sit in.
There was once a point in my life that I could not do most abdominal exercises. The pain in my back would flare up upon doing most ab exercises. For years, I was limited to a few ab exercises. However, my daily Wisdom practice has allowed me to explore a wider range of ab exercises. I am currently availing myself of this new opportunity and building my core strength to augment the healing of my back.
Furthermore, my sustained practice of Yin Yoga requires that I engage in supportive activities to facilitate the healing of my back. One of these activities is taking regular walks. Engaging in mindful walking allows my body to “feel itself” as it repositions itself. Indeed, holding a stretch for 40 minutes results in significant changes in the body. While these changes are positive, they nevertheless require personal space. I must give my body the space it needs to heal.
I also support my body’s healing by following a strict vegan diet. This diet helps promote healing in my body. It also gives me the sustained energy to engage in all the various activities needed to heal.
The healing the comes with answering the Call to Eldership is not new to me. Part of the reason I am so optimistic about healing my back is I have healed other ailments through application of Wisdom.
There was once a point in my life in which I had moderate psoriasis. I had rashes on my legs, shoulders and arms. It was unsightly. Indeed, one of the challenges for those living with psoriasis is having to continually explain to those around you that the rashes are not contagious. However, long-term adherence to a strict vegan diet, along with healthy activities and supplementing this with 5-30 grams daily of the conditionally essential amino acid glutamine has resulted in a total healing of my psoriasis. I no longer have any rashes on my body, and this was because I answered my Call to Eldership. I recognized that my psoriasis was seen as a “chronic” issue by mainstream medicine. In other words, ongoing treatments would be needed to “control,” not eliminate the psoriasis. No Thank You, Big Pharma!
I have also used natural means to heal significant stomach issues. For many years, I was nauseous for no apparent reason. I would eat and then develop nausea. I suspected that this was related to my psoriasis in the form of “leaky gut syndrome.” Once again, by answering my Call to Eldership, I have mostly healed my digestive issues. So long as I follow my diet, I do not have much, if any digestive discomfort.
HEALING MY BACK WITH YIN YOGA
I have demonstrated to myself, as well as to others, that my daily Wisdom practice results in meaningful improvements to issues that modern western medicine is not prepared to heal. I am not looking for “symptom fixes”, which is how modern western medicine approaches chronic issues. Modern western medicine seems to excel at emergency medicine for acute issues. However, as a global healing tradition, modern western medicine fails miserably at healing chronic issues. The problems with my back are too subtle for modern western medicine to appreciate. This is why an alternative approach, rooted in Wisdom, is beneficial.
I am at the midpoint of my life. I recognize that healing my body will only become more challenging with the passage of Time. I am still relatively young, and my body remains capable of significant physical feats, like holding a stretch for an hour or more. I also recognize that if I do not answer my Call to Eldership at this stage in my life, I may never be able to heal my back. I recognize that my back pain will only get worse with the passage of Time, unless I heal it now.
During my stretches, I can gauge the state of my body. Indeed, Yoga increases mind-body awareness. My insight is that my back pain is related to the muscles surrounding my bones being rigid and holding the bones in a position of misalignment. As I stretch, the muscles open up and shift positions. The muscles then “pull” the bone with it. This is grueling and rewarding simultaneously. This is a yearslong process, minimally.
As such, I have had to make difficult decisions to answer my own Call to Eldership and devote myself to healing my back. If I am 39 and have such significant limitations, what will my life look like in 10 years? In 20 years? My only choice to ensure that I have healthy “Elder years” is to heal my body now, while I still can.
Sadly, my decision to answer my Call to Eldership has resulted in a deterioration of my familial relationships. Too many people in my current social network have refused their own Calls to Eldership. They may be older or younger than me; however, I have yet to find meaningful Wisdom in my social circle. I find pressure to play “the money game” so that I can convince other people that I am happy, like they pretend to be. I do not need to convince anyone that I am happy as I am a rare individual in modern western society who values knowledge and Wisdom instead of “fitting in.” I carry a genuine lasting happiness with me, even if my current lifestyle does not meet others’ expectations. I must support myself, in general, as modern western society does not yet have a place for Wise Elders in the making.
WHERE WILL I GO FROM HERE?
I would like to use this opportunity to share some things with my audience. The first thing I would like to share is my plan for the coming year as it relates to my online content. I am in the midst of a profound healing journey. I have been engaging in a disciplined Yin Yoga practice for nearly 18 months now. I am living the aforementioned benefits. I have decided to invite my audience to share in this very personal, yet extremely profound healing journey. Yin Yoga has opened doors of opportunity for me that I could not have envisioned years ago. My plan is to document my healing journey through videos. I will share some of my daily Wisdom practices, including Yin Yoga, meditation, breathing and physical exercise. This will help my audience to witness the power of my daily Wisdom practice. This will also help me to reflect on my own healing journey.
I envision this process to require at least the next several years. I invite my audience to participate in a long-term healing process with me. Watch my healing journey; share my videos with others to inspire them; subscribe to my YouTube Channel and Blog; and explore your own daily Wisdom practice. You may even find yourself answering your own Call to Eldership!
Wisdom resonates with Wisdom!
Finally, I would also like to share a part of myself with my audience. Some people fall into the mistake of looking at my superficial attributes and making a determination on my gender identity. I recognize that Standard American English is my native dialect, and I tend to wield the dialect better than most members of the dominant class, much to their chagrin! I also recognize that I may appear on the surface like a cis man. That is, someone born male who fully identifies as a man. I am not such a Creature. My gender identity is best understood as non-binary. I am in deep communion with my inner Yin.
Furthermore, my sexual orientation is asexual. I am the A+ in the LGBTQIA+ community. That is asexual (A) and non-binary (+). My preferred pronouns are They/Them/Theirs.
I am in the process of contemplating alternative ways to present non-binary genders that sidestep the primitive bigotry that pervades certain elements of modern society. However, this is a work in progress. The subjectivity of individuals must be validated. Of interest to me is the use of the term "gender expression".
The unknown will always remain a part of life. The unknown is vast and includes the rest of the universe, Time, and even the subjectivities of those around us. Indeed, we cannot directly access the subjectivities of others. However, we can cultivate Wisdom by recognizing that the unknown does not have to be feared. Rather it is the individual who chooses to fear the unknown. The unknown is just as subject to the passage of Time as the known. We can train our minds to rest on the passage of Time in order to counteract the emotional effects of engaging with the unknown. This is part of cultivating Wisdom. We learn to “know that which we do not know” and remain comfortable with it.
Now more than ever our society needs Epistemology and Wisdom. Epistemology and Wisdom are my contributions to society. I continue my daily Wisdom practice and each day is a beautiful new experience of the Stillness/Silence of the present moment.
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Thank you and have a content day.
Sean