Boating In The

Territory

  by Bonzai Yak

  112 pages

Chapter 5: Territory Characters (part d)

 

Everything in the Territory is just an aspect of one single thing. That includes people, that includes me, that includes you as well. Whenever you play in the Territory, whatever you play with is part of you. Here I am now sitting on my seat in the Boaters Cafe, but at the same time I'm also sitting on a particular seat you keep inside yourself. Comfy place too, at least for me, and I hope I've sat in an amusing way that allows you to see a new character that part of you can be. Now don't get me wrong, it's not my intent to sit on you, I'm just sitting here in the Boaters Cafe drinking some tea and watching the light. But you came in and sat down with me, I'm here on my seat so what else can I do? It's like that when you're out boating too. Characters keep coming by and you can be sure that every one of them has something to do with some way that you are, or were or are trying to be.

Now that's a big thing if you want it to be, and some guys who boat in the Territory come here for that alone. Can't really blame them, it's hard to see how you can be a point of view of everyone else and they can be showing a part of you. Actually though it's just that way in the everyday world, but the maps people use get in the way. When you slip into the Territory though, the maps don't apply so you easily know that there's something else going on instead of the self you pretend you are. And you suddenly see whole parts of yourself that you've kept locked away inside. Parts of you that keep you stuck in uncomfortable ways in the everyday world. Parts of you that yearn for more. Parts of you that are fast asleep. You begin to see that the Territory might be a lot more than it seemed at first. All of your parts you've been trying to find and all of the ones that you blocked from your mind, maybe the Territory really is you in some bigger, more fuller way.

That's exactly right and exactly wrong. The Territory isn't you in some much larger sense that is hard to see, there is no you for it to be. Actually you're merely a way that the Territory expresses itself. Luckily though, even though the Territory isn't really you in some grander inclusive way, it isn't some other grand person either. There's no big guy way up in the sky or underground under your feet. That wouldn't be such a wonderful thing if you had to let go and disappear so another guy with a bigger sense of his who-ness inside could arise and come through and do what he does through you. I mean, talk about wholier than thou.

There's only one thing, one single thing and that's the Territory being right there. But it isn't right there in the way that you'd be if you tried to be the Territory yourself from the place where you are right now. The Territory isn't a personality like you or me, it's more of a home where various personalities like you and me reside. It has no selfness, no time or space; eternal, joyous, selfless, pure; it's completely empty and gone. Good thing too, it allows you to be whoever you are specifically so long as you keep a place inside that's empty and gone the same way. And once you develop that empty hole, it's bound to grow and become a way you can go when it's time for you to finally leave your self behind. Alone like that your self is free, it can be as specific as it wants to be.

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