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dafremen
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see also: the_puzzle_that_is_you
Here's one of the secrets of life and living as a human that everyone should know. If you read it through you'll either know it too, or see that you already do.
For those of you who don't have a lot of nautical knowledge, the term "monkey fist" may not mean much.
It's a knot, a very particular knot used to form the end of a rope into a solid ball. A well formed monkey fist is meant to act as a cannonball during docking operations, where the monkey fist is loaded into a small pneumatic (or normal) cannon, and a smaller rope is shot from the ship to the dock (or vise versa), allowing for the larger mooring lines to be transferred for tying the ship up, (so that it can't move while in port.)
Of note in this description is the fact that it's a knot, and also that it initiates the process of tying a ship down to the earth.
Now, if you haven't heard of this particular knot, perhaps you've heard of the hunters who trap monkeys using only a hole, some food..and the monkey's fist?
For those who haven't, it's a pretty ingenious trick which relies ENTIRELY on a quirk of the monkey's psychology.
See, the hunter will find a spot where monkeys are, then make a big, obvious production of digging a hole into the ground or the side of a termite mound..even into a rotted tree. The hole has a narrow opening at the entrance, then widens out once further in.
Into this hole the hunter, (again very obviously), places a treat. Maybe some grapes or a piece of chocolate. Then he walks away a distance and pretends to go on about his business as though he's forgotten the hole.
After a bit, either one of the hungrier monkeys, the more curious monkeys or a monkey with the habit of claiming the best things for him(or her)self, comes to see what the hunter was up to with the hole. Reaching in, they feel the treat, grab it, then try to pull it out. But there's now an issue.
Unfortunately, they've formed their hand into a fist, and it's too big to get out of the hole. The monkey tugs and pulls, but can't get their hand out. That is to say, they could, but it just doesn't occur to let go of the treat in their hand. To that silly monkey, the treat is theirs and they won't let go of it, especially once they've put some effort into trying to get it.
And so the hunter, alerted by the monkey's distress at being stuck by their own greedy (or silly..or needy) fist, soon approaches. The monkey tries to run, but is trapped by its own possessiveness.
(see also: the_fetus_that_wanted_to_rule_the_world)
Then the little idiot is either killed and eaten, or domesticated and made to do repetitive tricks or domestic chores.
(You might've seen a take on this trick in sitcoms and movies, where the not-so-bright guy gets his hand caught in a vase trying to take money or weed or something else out.)
What we might note in THIS story is the monkey's possessiveness. That his attachment to the thing he believes he is entitled to, is what keeps him from being free again, and ultimately leads to his life of slavery or being consumed.
Now if we turn to spiritual teachings, we find that practically every tradition has the same warning for us in some form:
Vows of poverty
The deadly sins of envy and gluttony
Jesus' admonishment to not store up treasures on earth
Buddha's instruction that we release ourselves from material attachments and desires
If anyone wants to know why it's so important to embrace poverty and let go of our possessions..
If anyone wants to know why it's so hard for a rich person to enter the "kingdom of heaven" (enlightenment)..
If anyone wants to know how continuing to maintain our "situation" maintains the current situation..
It's pretty simple. Materialism is a trap..and those who have the most in their monkey fist are the least likely to let go.
And then there's the more important piece of information. What lies on the other side of attachment and letting go?
Simple. We find out that the universe has our backs and that we could have let go all along and been not just fine, but much happier. Instead we want what we want and we can't let it go. We've forgotten that we belong to the Universe and it has its own plans that were in place before we came, and will continue long after we're gone. We're dead fingers on a head hand until we're part of that plan.
Remind me to tell you some time about the sad, sad story of a man who thinks he's accomplished something by controlling his dreams. Just couldn't let go of the reins and now even the string on his finger is lost.
see also:
waking_life
perception_is_not_reality
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