The way in which the soul interprets matters is both a function of fear, which is consequent to its interpretation of death as/and looming nonexistence; and desire(s), particularly identified as pleasures which speak, not only of the soul’s craving of a continuance, but a continuance of such nature that is unendingly expansive and desirable. Few would want to ‘live forever’ (metaphorically speaking) in a 6 x 8 foot cell.
But perhaps this might be reduced even further to simply fear. For if, or when all other hope of pleasure is extinguished and is utterly and plainly removed, most would still opt for the living hell of that cell than face some fullness of soul’s extinguishing. At least for some time to face and figure out what is the cost of its continuing existence, and whether it is not only payable, but worth the paying. ‘Can a soul be so moved to embrace its own non-being?’, becomes a question. Is there enough ‘pain’ to do that?
And one might, if or when considering a suicide say ‘but of course there is enough pain’ (which may also be reduced to absence of all hope of pleasure, of relief), but the simple fact of the matter is that presently, neither you nor I, are suicides. We only guess here at motives. Yet even so we may have had some taste of the extremes of hopelessness and of which stuff of certain thoughts may enter.
Which brings us to another question “Is such pain ‘an additive’?” Or it simply some manifest convincing, or ‘hint at’ of hope’s possible absence? Would one have to ‘inflict pain’…or does it suffice to remove hope? Take away any and all hope and the soul withers into unending suffering. Pain is simply a mechanism designed (if or when inflicted/experienced) that makes us acutely aware of hope of relief. If one could ‘short cut’ directly to all loss of hope, not having to ‘inflict’ anything other, would it not suffice to clearly show the dread abyss the soul cannot but ‘draw back from’. The ‘no hope’ of any relief.
And, of course, this example is fraught with all manner of faults identifiable. But which, when examined individually as they might arise in protest of premise are themselves reduced by dissection, will yield same conclusions. And those severally seen as the terrors of isolation.
No, there are no other visitors to the cell. No, there is no recurring sunrise nor sunset to the cell. Even the ‘matter’ of the cell is not visible to its occupant, as though it might ‘speak’ to him in some engaging as in “Oh, there’s a crack there, but none there” or “I can count the bars if I choose and occupy”.
No, the soul ‘locked up to itself’ is all the hell there is and can be. Why do you think dark and dim solitary confinement is so effective and dreaded, even in this realm of the material and toward some ‘behavior modification’? The soul needs to express and have such feedback of existence by such expression. Even ‘bad’ behavior, which follows all the precise and same mechanism of ‘good’ behavior, does not differ in exercise. The soul’s being is affirmed only by feedback. Isolate from all feedback, and/or hope of it, and the soul is itself that living hell.
Though most of us prefer a stroke of affection to a strike of rebuke, in extreme the soul will ‘settle’ for anything. Here the so called nihilist is exposed as liar. No nihilist, if ultimately concerned with truth (or some profession of ‘objective’ absence) could ever have grounds for telling another ‘he is one’. And this even beside the more obvious lie of stating as truth “there is no such thing as objective truth…or meaning”
In some short response the soul is ‘always ruled’ (governed), as no less anarchists are liars, for they too must follow the rules of the soul (the rules of the road) in expression and necessity of feedback; and no soul ‘is’, that is not in every way….subject. No matter, if to any extreme it protests it follows it own ways, its own rules, and is fit to. The soul is itself always reactionary…even if, or when, given to deepest illusions of self creation and initiation. It is locked to being by the rule(s) of the soul. And no soul can be apart from hope. Even the soul of the suicide…hopes for relief in some acting upon itself toward some blissful imagining of unknowing of itself.
And here comes Jesus. Locking all down (or is it ‘locking all up’?) to a truth known to Himself as fully in Himself as the very truth of all things. Laying down a ‘rule of the road’, even that which no man can receive. But is true, nonetheless.
The Son of Man goeth as it is written of Him, but woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born.
“Wait!” the soul must say. This is not receivable. The only way the soul could know or believe this saying as to what is ‘good’, and ‘for it’, requires it first to be born to knowing. But Jesus is saying the good (of a soul’s estate) if found in betrayal, is to have never been. No soul can receive this to its own knowing!
Something must happen for any assent or agreement to this speaker’s trueness that reveals a good that is otherwise known, or ‘from’ otherwise issued, that is all and apart from any soul’s knowing, or ability to attain knowing.
‘Ye must be born again’, if any knowing is to be made known to any.
No man can say in truth “It were better (or good) had I not been born.” All his knowing is far too bounded to know this. He is already locked up to himself, even in that cell, even if only metaphorically, mentioned.
You know, sometimes a man may find himself given to that musing, particularly in some extremis of being when the nakedness of it becomes too great to bear, or seems too great to suffer “It might have been better to have not been born than to come to this”. Even thoughts of ‘unborning’ one’s self.
But it is far too late for that, and was never in one’s hand (though it may appear in imagination as such possibility ‘to do’ ). Yes, far too late. But always soon enough (and never too late) to recognize one’s hand is forbidden from any accomplishing of that which that hand had nothing to do…being.
The supreme ‘of being’ who may be known as the Supreme Being, has made, and keeps by sustaining, all rules of the road. They are unbreakable, unshakeable, and immutable. The soul is always subject….and no less, always seeking to cast off governance. It is locked up…until…hope of relief becomes all that is both desperately sought, while just as desperately plain it cannot accomplish for itself.
May the hope of relief…move you. But not in ignorance.
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