The Brown Book Commentaries

―Nature does everything with Purpose.‖ ~ unknown
In the sense that one believes that Nature has its own consciousness that concretely plans & decides &
arranges what its components each do in response to one another, then this statement is – of course –
false. Nature is indeed an entity in & of itself, of course, and yet it is a non-sentient entity – one whose
components flow into and over and through one another; one whose parts intermingle and react to each
other without need of organization or impetus. Nature is the perfect ―autopilot‖ – adapting to crises and
conflict, and smoothly & all-powerfully erasing all discord while flowing steadily towards a distant (and
ultimately unattainable) horizon of perfect Harmony … And yet – at least in the sense that every facet of
nature is imbued with latent Purpose (i.e. that every individual entity within every interaction carries with
it the potential to be used Meaning-fully by any and all sentient beings nearest by) – this statement is also
a bringer of Truth. For even though
Nature itself does not do anything with
conscious Purpose, every single sentient
facet of Nature has the capability to do
so – if & when it so chooses.
Image 362 (Page 136a) … This picture (which I call ―Earth & Stone‖) shows
a close-up view of the Spring daffodils surrounding the ―Grand Bench‖
that overlooks the lake at Alexzanna Farms (in Wildwood, Georgia). It
reminds me of the Truth that Rebirth can happen even when Spring has
not yet arrived – that Rebirth is a choice made most powerfully not when
our days are warm & smooth, but rather when the frost of life‘s pains
have yet to thaw and the chill of life‘s dangers have yet to fade …
Image 363 (Page 136a – overleaf) … This picture shows a more distant
view of the same ―Grand Bench.‖ The statue at the base of the oak tree to
the right is of St. Francis of Assisi holding a tray of rose quartz, and
reminds me of the Truth that the purity of one‘s Wisdom is always
directly proportionate to the purity of one‘s Love; that the Wise are not
those who ―know much‖ or who exude wit or cleverness, but rather are
those who set aside ―being right‖ in favor of being Kind …
Image 364 (Page 136a) … This is a picture of Martha Austin, a Life-Journey partner of
mine from 1991 to 1993 – and a dear Friend since 1995. Her picture reminds me that
Friendship resides at the heart of every relationship – a Friendship that can only truly
blossom once all hope has been replaced by acceptance, and once all passion has been
replaced with Humility and Kindness …
―Interdependence is the art of loving without being consumed … As such, it means
gaining a sense of Joy & Serenity that includes others without depending upon them … This is
only possible when one is completely willing to be consumed by that loving.‖ ~ unknown
Dependence (what some know as ―codependence‖) brings the illusion of safety while simultaneously
destroying all hope for a Meaning-full Life … Independence, on the other hand, brings the illusion of
freedom while simultaneously shackling one to a life of callousness & greed … Interdependence, in
dramatic contrast, combines the best of both while avoiding the pitfalls of either. Interdependence is
immersion in a group of beings who are mutually Loving towards one another without inflicting one
another with the dysfunctional burdens of promise or commitment or duty or obligation. All are willingly
& Joy-fully a part of the whole, and all willingly & Joy-fully put their own desires behind the needs of the
collective … This is a communal structure in harmony with the fundamental frequencies of the Cosmos
… This is a village-sized enlivenment of The Way.
451