The Omnipotent Mind

Omnipotent: Having unlimited power, authority, or force; all-powerful

Mind: The consciousness that originates in the brain and directs mental and physical behavior. Memory, recollection. Conscious thoughts; attention. Opinion or intentions. Intellect; intelligence. One considered with regard to intellectual ability. Mental or emotional health; sanity.

Contemplation: To ponder or consider thoughtfully. To intend or anticipate.

Imagination: The process or power of forming a mental image of something not real or present. Creativity; inventiveness, resourcefulness

Generalize: To render general rather than specific. To draw inferences or a general conclusion. To speak or think in generalities.

Genius: Brilliant mental ability or outstanding creative power. A person of the highest mental ability or the greatest creative power. A strong natural talent. The prevailing spirit of a place, person , time or group. A person who has great influence over another. The guardian spirit of a person or place.

The opening question in the investigation of omnipotence as it relates to mind, is why are humans (or at least some of them) seemingly so insatiable in their quest for knowledge? To escape ignorance, to draw out understanding, to combine understanding with something that resides within are all at least partial explanations. The desire to transform oneself, through the act of mental alchemy, with a result that in some essential and lasting way, empowers that individual through a newfound clarity of thought, understanding, perspective, or strategy. Transformation, that is thought to be an improvement, is surely signaled to us through the feeling of pleasure. It is pleasing to achieve solutions, to "grow" to change for the better, to become more efficient, and to solve. Perhaps all of these explanations for why we seek knowledge and growth, as well as the fact that we achieve pleasure though these through these thoughts, by these acts, while engaged in making these distinctions, are all "reasons". Beyond reasons, lies an intent, an inborn desire, an ongoing struggle, a programed action that we can not so much claim, as it claims us, or, "is" us.

We learn through; the senses, experience, observation, and action.

We deal with reality on a functional level beyond what our "senses" can detect. in the "stuff" we use, be it foods, fertilizers, chemicals, the bio-engineering, packaging, transportation, etc, all involve a level of reality beyond sight, sound, taste, etc. (except we can "see" the difference and "taste" the difference and "hear" the difference) the level that we manipulate is beyond our senses, with only the outcome being detectable.

The only reason we are able to deal with reality on these micro scales is because of three reasons. 1. the opportunity afforded by the chemical, sub-atomic structure of reality 2. Our ability to cognate, decipher, break apart, measure and conceive of new combinations and ideas about objects that we are then able to put into practice. 3. The innovation of methods to achieve this end.

It may seem that the world is in some overall sense seemingly incomprehensible. I only say this, because at this juncture of human understanding, many things, many important facts, conditions, states, properties, reasons, and causalities, as well as the notion or complexity, or even lack of intent is still beyond our comprehension. There is also the very real possibility that there is no "end" of knowledge, rather, it is continuous, and quite possibly, on the ultimate scales of interactions, beyond measure, beyond our ability to devise and perceive, and perhaps, abstract beyond meaning (for us). That notwithstanding, most of what we see and work with on a day to day basis is made up of ideas that have been around for centuries, if not millenia. High tech electronics, is built upon a series of ideas, all used together, and re-formulated and, through the power of imagination, used to create novel solutions. Very little is changed, the structure may be completely different, the basis, everything, but that is only because of the necessity of an idea for reorganization, which in truth, may be revolutionary, but in practice, represents a re-organization, or at best, an importation of a slightly different strategem.

[ The decision of which ideas come into practice and become widely disseminated, and which do not, is largely determined in the marketplace, largely by financial efficacy, or the ability to solve problems on a massive scale, for a target audience, whose tasks are in line with the solutions afforded by the new idea. The base, unenlightened marketplace creations, which appeal to not only needs, but the most selfish wants and gaudy attractions of the general lower motivations of man are but a small part of the meaningful contributions and creations of the human mind. ]

Historically, over time, enduringly, the basic stock from which these ideas arise remains essentially the same. Human ingenuity, diligence, passion, drive, determination, imagination, breaking problems into fundamental elements, outsourcing, collaboration, study, research, administrative process, oversight, alliances, patents, trademarks, intellectual property, licensing... these are ideas and abilities and processes that have been around in some form (or another), more or less for ages.

In terms of the history of philosophy, ethics, politics, etc. all of the world's ideas concern human life, and do not represent anything truly genius.

Thus, the importance of creativity, and pursuits that stress creativity to set the stage for our continuing ability to innovate and create. Music, sports, art, conflict, conquest, games, etc. all of these are areas that develop the talents that are relied upon so heavily by those who solve problems, those that innovate, and iterate. Talents and abilities such as dedication, pushing oneself to ones very limits, breaking through, challenging the seeming impossible, creativity, teamwork, coordination, practice, leadership, mastering ones role, learning from defeat, travel, competition, growth, culmination, management, contemplation, new strategies, deception, secrecy, dedication, desire, sacrifice, gathering tools, and talent...

And yes, war is a major contributor, motivator for humans to innovate. Games, competition, technology, all come down to learning basic survival skills and survival talents. War, continuing struggle, continuing conflict, to a conclusion... and then continued conflict, new alliances, all of which are a potent and essential form of "gamesmanship" that is both life giving, life saving and patently essential to the continuation of a peoples....

Teaching, is nothing more (when done right) than the dissemination of ideas that strike at a particular truth. The best students only require a mentor, whom they can learn from, observe, follow their recommendations and instructions and take what is given, and expand upon it and integrate it in new ways.

And it is but a simple note of truth and wisdom to say that what we should strive for is that which is deeper, that which is true, that which is sustainable, that which is translatable, generalizable.

Of the great sages and prophets, of the Greeks, specifically, Jesus, Mahavir, Gautama Buddha, etc, none of them wrote down or recorded their words. it may be speculated upon endlessly why this is so, but the general assumption is that to write these ideas and teachings down, would be to profane them. true knowledge was to be remembered. what was written down was that which was mundane. that which was essential, was transmitted orally. faults, errors in understanding were corrected verbally, and in person. Knowledge was fluid, dynamic, debated, discussed and given life anew. There were no additional "editions" to the bible. it was discussed, deepened, explicated. Even today, no one attempts to read the bible in seclusion in order to understand it's meaning. You go to church, you listen to the pastor, the story is interwoven with your life, true examples, modern day issues. There is illumination, there are scholars, researchers, bishops, scribes, seminaries... The word is not alive until it is spoken. The text remains the same. The task of the living is to expand their consciousness, their understanding, their practice, to make ever closer approximations, not with the literal word, but with the ever deepening, living word. This example is for any ancient text, or piece of teaching that is "classic" and does not adhere to the assumption of incompleteness that resounds today. The point being, that the living contemplation, the aliveness of the act of mindful contemplation is where any and all "power" of ideas resides, not within the text. Only as the text illuminates mind, is there power. For text itself, is profane in comparison, and in truth, merely a chemical composition of ink and pulp, with no power unto itself, until and unless read and comprehended by that which is living and capable of "acting" upon those inherent truths, or knowledge.

And it can be quickly seen that those qualities that distinguish a great student, from a mediocre one. A "great" student (and there is no reason why we can not all be one) has the ability to comprehend complex thoughts debate, and defend, and contemplate and logically apply and generalize their truths and apply them across wide ranges of even disparate or seemingly unrelated material. In short, the ability to not have to be told the same answer repeatedly, as the principle is replicated in slightly different context. The ability to deduce principles. The ability to learn techniques, or to perceive and elucidate the foundation of certain ideas.

And once again, most importantly and essentially, imagination. Virtually everything we see, touch, use in an urban setting, first existed in the mind of a human. And vice-versa, everything that exists in a natural state, is represented within the human mind and held, adorned and perfected over time to a increasingly truthful mental representations, such that over time, to "see" things is to at once observe and elucidate mindfullness and the thing itself. In the present day, where what we view, large is that which has been created or altered by human minds (and actions), we are in an age where this type of artificiality, begets more artificiality. We have entire generations that have known nothing but the combination of increasingly complex technologies. Once again, artificiality, begets artificiality. ever increasing and divorced from "nature" or that which is not man.

Turning another page in the discussion, omnipotence may be impossible to achieve individually, but the contemplation of omnipotence, or even the feeling of omnipotence is to be had for the taking. In an age where great ideas are realized on a daily basis, the contemplation of omnipotence is merely the extension of the mental ability to it's logical conclusion. It could be argued that omnipotence is a contemplation that human beings would be incomplete without having or aspiring to in some essential way, as a subtext to all acts that fit the definition of contemplation.

What exactly would be the defining qualities of the contemplation of the mind as a device, and process capable of conjuring up a complete representation of omnipotence? When I say, "complete" I mean, the fullest extent of the human capacity to imaginatively conjure up omnipotence, while engaging in the process of the contemplation of this state?

To conjure omnipotent contemplation would be, to comprehend omnipotence to the fullest ability of man... to the extent that such a contemplation would be equal to, or greater than, the fullest limits of the humane capacity to contemplate such a subject... would that not be the same, or equal to, the actual, limits of omnipotence itself? or, even would that not be the same as the actual contemplation of the actual experience of omnipotence itself? Because we are talking about limits, so the actual experience in this case would be the same as the contemplation to the highest/furthest degree. I'm talking about the most full and convincing experience an individual could have with such a thing, forever and ever.

One of the amazing things about the mind, is that it is limitless, to the extent that there always seems to be, a capacity, to understand, the great, eternal truths of existence. What I find specifically amazing about this seeming capacity, or, possibility, is that... somehow, the mind has built into it, a floating limit, that, has no seeming limits... It can be safely said that although we may not be able to contemplate existence "as it is" we can certainly contemplate existence, "as it is for us" and as a representation, --which may be the only thing that the entirety of existence is.. for we do not know-- this representation resides within the human mind. Inborn and complete, whether used or not.

The reason for this is not so much the amazing nature of human beings, or the human mind, rather, as a point of conjecture, seeing as the human mind is made of the "stuff" of existence, abiding by it's chemistry, it's physics, etc, the capacity to contemplate and understand existence itself, would be a priori for a device devised of the very stuff of that which is being contemplated. deep and completed, fully infused within the human mind, betwixt, around, and through it, is the very stuff that is being contemplated. When we contemplate omnipotence. we are thinking it on one hand. but on the other, we are divining, coaxing from the very nature of the object mind, the truth of the divine code, of that which came into existence, and plays by it's rules, and, as predicted and demonstrated, all of existence, through the forces, is aware of every other part, to the extent that it is all one, and the same, and seemingly indivisible. The mind is engineered, to serve as a mental representation of the universe and everything in it. As such, it is complete unto itself as a "universe" unto itself, yet, wholly dependent on the outside world for it's lucid reality-based divination.

And yet, as humans, our minds are not only mini-universes unto themselves, but programmable devices. Our own mini-sage's. We have the universe to contemplate, yet, we also have the ability to program our own minds and to contemplate and focus on that which we deem important. This is one of the reasons that man's "accomplishments" have been so pervasive. Not that we approach omnipotence, rather, that we can focus and specialize and gear our minds towards specific problems.

One of the major preoccupations of highly structured societies, is to establish a class of thinkers, teachers, leaders and intellectuals to serve the populace. To make full use of ones intellect requires that they integrate their knowledge and all aspects of self into a uniform whole of acceptance and understanding, and to continually further the process of learning and teaching. For the entire populace must be educated, exposed to education and have a voice to share their ideas and focus their talents. Everyone, has a talent. Everyone has an understanding, and the diversity of thought is not something to be graded or judged, for the most novel and unique discourses, viewpoints and truths, can not be predicted, nor reasonably, or reliably found in any particular group, area or type of individual. Intelligence means nothing in the face of individuality. Individuals can wallow in mediocrity and ignorance for decades, before (for example) a singular event, either subjective or external, occurs that suddenly thrust an understanding or purpose upon that individual that has enormous societal significance and that no one else, could or would ever be able to do, given the set, setting and time.

All of this is to say, "omnipotence" is the a priori condition of mind, and existence, and so, the mind as omnipotence, is a truth, rather than a specific contemplation or mere possibility. and Individuals will make use of their minds in novel, unpredictable ways. And so it seems that one of the major preoccupations of a wise and just society, would be to engage all of it's members in continual opportunities for mental self improvement and individual expression as well as to make them aware of the omnipotence of their own minds and the sublime truths that lurk for them to find and share if they follow their own unique pathways of self-experience and education.