Sacred Lessons, side view

From: Kellee Plascencia 
Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2025 11:07 AM
To: Michael T. Kokal 
Cc: Mona Loring 
Subject: Re: End of the Road Podcast - Mike de la Rocha’s new Simon & Schuster book ‘Sacred Lessons’ Redefines Manhood

 

Thank you! Would it be possible to use THIS photo instead? Credit: Wade Brands

Response:  

Ok, I made the change.  But I don’t like it.  lol     

Our society is obsessed by images of our faces.   I have to laugh when Buddhists or other spiritual people talk about “no self” or non-duality or ego dissolution—but sure enough---they promote themselves with their picture.    I know I’m probably pissing in the wind here, but I take no self seriously.  We don’t exist in the way we think we do.  And pictures of faces are vestiges of colonialism that took away animism and collectivist culture so we can sell shit.  Don’t get me wrong, I really like Mike, but his book is not about him.  Its not about his face.  Its about something much bigger.  And that picture I found of him on Instagram is great because it suggests that is he part of something bigger.  And his pose of looking back is symbolic of  honoring his ancestors and what they have done. 

Sorry for the tirade…lol  I’ll stop now.  Love you Mona…lol 

 

    

The Self as the Tendency to Contract

 Perhaps what we experience as a "self" is our tendency to contract in the face of the overwhelming experience of reality.  

We are social creatures, we want to connect with everything, to find safety in connection.  To find a home.  We personify everything.  We see gods everywhere that are like humans, only more powerful.  Or we see one God who looks out for us and protects us like an omnipotent father or mother or both.  Nature or reality becomes just another community that is like us and acts like us.  Plays by our rules.

Unfortunately, nature or reality doesn't always cooperate.  And its difficult to face the sheer immensity and overwhelming lack of coherence of reality.  We can't handle the truth.  And when God shows Job the Leviathan, Job contracts.  His sense of self curls into a little ball of self protection.  He circles the wagons so to speak.  And we do this always and everywhere.  This tendency toward circling the wagons is the sense of self.  In some people it is strong and rigid.  In others, it is more loosey goosey and "non-dual" and the boundaries between the self and the other dissolve.  The tendency toward enlightenment then becomes the opposite motion of circling the wagons.