magician's power

since i returned to the city, it's been weirdly busy with catching-up stuff.  for a largely underemployed monkey, things should be a bit more sparse, i thought.  however, when it involves people who i dearly care for, i suppose it's a task i would do with much anticipation.  and last night, i was out with one of my favorite people and i may give him a temporary code name: magician.

why do i call him a magician? well, first, often people mistake my pronunciation of magician vs. musician.  after all these years in north america, all i need is a bit of tiredness or lack of care, and there it goes, murdering very simple syllables.  and he is a musician who is also capable of casting some serious magic. i swear.  i dont say that lightly.  if youve been reading my writing, at least you would be familiar with the fact that i complain about the general public more than anything...  so i think that name should work for now.

anyways, i missed magician's birthday while i was in england and so we met up for a small celebration. not for a birthday, but probably more for the fact that we can have some real great time just talking. talking. talking.  thinking. thinking. thinking.  and i leave the meeting, enriched, waiting for the thoughts to grow further till the next exchange.  what a pleasure- he really brings out some real interesting points in life and boy, he is a sage.  calm, collected and truthful.  often he is almost painfully honest i think. he thinks that he should grow some hard shell. i certainly hope not.  it's not easy being who you are, i understand, but boy, it gives everyone a certain hope to see someone who is truthful and appreciative of joy and beauty of... life.

the surprise subject of the sushi conversation was 'power.'  i never know what we would converse about and i quite enjoy the fact that both parties are quite malleable in minds, free to go anywhere the thought trail may lead. i was quite amused about the idea that he was thinking about the concept of power- as human beings, we cannot help being part of a larger context, and with conscious decisions and actions, hence being political beings, therefore being subjected to the concept of power .  but you see, he is the last one that i could think of, to have an ambition to 'rule over the world,' and this is one of the many reasons i like him so much.

so there we are, two kids, conversing about power, while neither of us really care to possess any for ourselves.  weird eh?  but you see, the funny thing about power is that one can polarize the power as being passive and active.  active acquisition of power would be someone like hitler.  he was cunning, brilliantly smart (you cant create that much havoc being dumb) and determined.  he did everything in his power to create a movement and push the population to be his tool.  he was active in obtaining and exercising that power he held.  the passive example would be someone like... dalai lama.  he does not go places to acquire more power. he probably care less about what everyone thinks of him.  instead, he is a true sage who freely dispenses his ideas, leaving it to you, the listener, to decipher and interpret, to understand and to act- and by being completely passive, people come to him.

it's hilarious because it fits my view of the world being a circle (how bloody convinient, you may think! but i can only be so objective... in fact, i like being quite subjective as i realize i dont really have a choice... weak monkey!)  if you start at a specific point in a circle, you can take one of the two ways- clockwise/counterclockwise, but you can arrive at the same point eventually. and if you keep going, you will return to the point you started with initially.  imagine a clock- you can get to 3 o'clock, regardless of which direction you've spin the needle (though one direction would be much closer than the other, yes) and if you get to the farthest point (let's say 12 and 6 o'clock), you would have spent exactly the same amount of distance travelling.  and if you started from 12, you will return to 12.

so power, the same thing. you can be purely aggressive or passive, but it'll get you to the same point- where you can influence the world.  and most of us fall inbetween the two poles and depending on who we are individually, one would be closer to one end or the other.  another funny observation was that jesus, who is often seen as the passive example of great power (his submission have saved the humanity, according to the christians), he really wasnt all that passive- he did go provoke people (telling his mum that she shouldve known better and not worry about him when he disappeared as a child, throwing the tables at the church yard etc), did go do things (preaching, healing, recruiting) and most importantly, he carried out the active duty of being sacrificed.  being completely passive would have made him, well, a much older man with quite a flaccid life.  and there would have been no salvation of any kind for the christians. interesting, isnt it.  in my opinion, jesus is a prime example of being between the two poles, who carefully balanced the active/passive actions to achieve the most result- power.

oh come on. jesus- whether you are christian or not, wherever you may have came from, whatever you do, i am sure that at least youve heard the name, if not have contemplated upon his name. and that's power, im not trying to be provocative for believers or non-believers, but as a cultural icon, he exerts enormous amount of power.  if not, why would you be pissed? (or why would i even worry about you, the reader, being pissed?)

anyways.  magician was fascinated about these 48 rules of power he have read from this book recently.  some appealing to him, some repelling for him.  some he may test out, some he may already do innately.  and i wonder if he have realized, he already carry a significant amount of power in monkey world.  not only i was deeply tickled about the concept itself, i have been talking it over with various people and now actually sitting down and musing about it.

and he carries this power because he is closer to d.lama than hitler.  he is able to observe and is not afraid to be curious. even when the object of curiosity may be quite dangerous (power did drove many people into madness and delusions, i am sure one can recall at least one person in their lives who became insane with acquisition of power), because he is honest and truthful to himself, i think he is free of the danger- of self-imposed delusions and justification (of things that are not 'right,' whatever that may mean).  and because he is allowing himself to be passive (which, already is a rather strong power he holds for the most difficult subject of his influence- his own self), he is considered emotional and soft, hence his brief thought (i hope) of growing a tough armour.  but you see, this is exactly why he is one of my favorite people.  and not because he converses with me in this manner. but because he lives in this manner, whatever he does- composing, playing, reading, writing... just being himself, really.

i laud his honesty for self and the incredible curiosity that he has.  and i am very thankful of his company.  especially since no one needs to grant their time with me, that he shares his thoughts with me simply because he would like to.

there are many people in my small, innermost circle of people who are very passive about this power business.  almost all of them i think.  we do it for one reason or another. perhaps for certain individuals, it just comes innately, without the need to process and think.  but this very reason that they could be free of possession- whether it be material or mental, permanent or ephemeral, and the the consequent need for 'power,' they become powerful.  i wont dare compare them to d.lama (he's a big name, just like jesus), but in principle, quite close to him anyways.  and because they dont hold onto things, they can let life bring things to them, to channel- which makes it possible to experience and be conscious about so many more things than the normal, average life.  this makes them rich in life, letting them to be more powerful in one's own life- as forced frustrations and failed desires wont really matter to them, which makes it possible to redirect their emotions/thoughts for things that matter. once again, circle, bringing them to the point where they are powerful and fulfilled.

it is such a pleasure to experience such company.  i wonder what kind of things i bring to peoples' lives, but i hope it's something good.  perhaps i can dare to hope i am being 'good' by being passive.  because it would be such a shame to not to share such feelings with others, especially when i love them deeply. love to you all.