Boundless, in the dictionary, means ‘beyond limits’ or ‘having no boundaries.’ That sacred energy, that eternal flame beyond man-made descriptions, may indeed be of a boundlessness beyond the limited, and, hence, beyond the bounded conceptions and images of mankind. People tend to pretty much exclusively perceive and think about things in terms of limited labels, circumscribed patterns, fragmentary constructs, and sequential images and descriptions. All of these are, by their intrinsic nature, fragmentary, isolating, and limited. Thought/thinking is of this limitation. It has not changed in us, fundamentally, for millions of years. Four million years ago, we perceived via limitation and conflict. And four million years later; we are still perceiving basically via limitation and conflict. We still primarily mostly look with separation at all things; one still continuously perceives oneself as being a separate, independent individual.
Even most of the scientists are caught in this fragmentary, circumscribed, piecemeal way of looking at things. Even though they have some interesting theories and discoveries, they still are perplexed about the nature of things. They have their conflicting theories and divisions of thinking about things. The various so-called religions, too, have their divisions and conflicting theories and stories. Concerning them, people still make and construct stone images to impress others by, just as what was done many millennia ago. Though we’ve changed tremendously technologically, we’ve — most of us anyway — stayed fundamentally the same inwardly (i.e., psychologically) for eons. We still look at things via separation, limitation, circumscribed labels, and conflict. Most of us have a lot of deep-seated fears and psychological problems. Yet we think that we are highly evolved.
Most of us were enthusiastically programmed to react, perceive, and continue to function just like everyone else, both outwardly and inwardly. Heaven forbid if you began to look at things in a whole, new way. But a whole, new way was how Einstein came up with some of his brilliant works; and, believe me, he understood far more than what he revealed in his published and popular works.
The question is: Can one perceive — in a fundamentally different way — without exclusively depending upon mere (limited) patterns (that you were molded to contain)? To answer that question truly and deeply, consciousness needs to go through a radical change. All of the stuff that was hammered into you, throughout your past, has to be put aside or (rather) psychologically died to. When one truly transcends all of the illusory separations, limitations, fragmentation, and division, then real intelligence and compassion emerge. But it isn’t compassion that “you” “have”; it is compassion; it is of the whole, not of a separate “you.”
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This Allosaurus Dinosaur Leg-bone was sliced and polished, revealing the now crystallized canals (ducts or channels) that used to transport air (and some blood) through the system; they stored oxygen within their bones, which was a very advanced system (superior to what mammals currently have).
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
❤ Love this Tom – "When one truly transcends all of the illusory separations, limitations, fragmentation, and division, then real intelligence and compassion emerge." This is a soul-searching post! 🙂
Thanks much, Kym! So glad that you see something there! 🙂
You’re welcome my friend. I hope that you are doing well. Hang in there and enjoy your day! 😀
Thank you, Kym!
U2! 🙂
“Yet we think that we are highly evolved.” I find these words humorous as well as true in view of the fact that humans are the youngest species on the planet, and the least evolved…If we want genuine wisdom we need to attend to nature in her myriad forms. Trees, for example, have been around for 400 million years and could teach us a lot if we could learn to listen… Nature acts as a whole and does transcend differences through unity on a level that humans apparently can’t comprehend.
We are so used to perceiving our human selves as advanced that we are destroying the world we live in. Nature will survive but will we?
Yes, Sara, nature has a tremendous order. There is a lot of disorder within nature too. Granted, the disorder fits into a larger order. The disorder of many human beings, on the other hand, does not fit very well into a larger order. Human disorder is often not part of a larger whole but, rather, is fragmentary and unrelated to any intelligent whole.
And we want to go to other planets (to plant our disorder there), which is so ludicrous.
the other planet thing is not only ludicrous, selfish but insane –
I couldn’t agree more. Human disorder doesn’t fit into the whole because, damn it, we make sure that we stay separate – this whole thing makes me crazy. As you say human disorder seems unrelated to ANY intelligent whole.
Yes, Sara; human disorder is often not related to any intelligent whole.
I remember reading that we are all of us just colonies of microbes. Maybe looking at ourselves as a habitat for life might help erase the separation?
Many microbial factors agree with you. (Just kidding.) 🙂 Actually, i think that it is best to stick with getting orderly mentally (with what we can actually see). We can get abstract and even say that deep down we are quantum fields and quantum waves… but that really doesn’t solve our very real human problems.
I feel that it would be prudent to observe beyond mere labels and beyond fragmentary concepts. Look beyond what was implanted in (and “as”) you. 🙂
Great post. I was at a UCLA lecture some 50 years ago where this professor discussed how children begin life with what we would call creative perspectives until they are pushed into a rigidity by their parents. But fingerpainting at an early age wasn’t the answer–your post was the missing step for a parent like me confronted with a child’s behavior.
Yes, pushed into rigidity. Not only by their parents but by teachers, crap on television, video games, and myriad other things. Very intelligent parents — mindfulness-wise — would be an important key to keeping the rigidity-making-process at bay but, unfortunately, most parents are not truly of great insight and order; they spread the rigidity just like the rest.
Fortunately, for me, my parents were quite off-the-beam and crazy; so were a lot of my teachers. So, early-on, i began to question things, to look at things differently, and go beyond “what i was told.”
There are some alternative schools out there that really educate kids differently; but they, unfortunately, are very few and far between.
Provocative post – thanks for articulating our trap so well. I sense major hurdles in life serve as opportunities to see the seemingly familiar in a whole new way – to drop some of our learned perceptions/biases. We as a species are pretty good at getting around hurdles, but in my own case, I’m changed on the other side. Not radically perhaps. But noticeably. Can’t speak for others, but I cross my fingers.
Yes, it is wise to see the seemingly familiar in a whole, new way. However, too many of us look with how we were programmed to look… which isn’t really looking at all. When we change, it usually is not fundamental enough of a change; it is only partial, which is not really much of a change at all.
It isn’t difficult to drop the standard, old patterns if we perceive the danger of clinging to the past, to the traditional known. That danger is destroying us and the creatures of the world (by our stale reactions).
Thanks, Jazz. 🙂
The world would be a much better place if we could be compassionate toward our fellow humans and put ourselves in their shoes sometimes. As to the photo, were you at an exhibit Tom, or is this one of your dinosaur acquisitions? I know you wrote about getting a tooth awhile ago. The Allosaurus photo is pretty and looks like some type of stained glass doesn’t it?
Yes, Linda. The world would be a much better place if we all would be compassionate toward our fellow humans (and our fellow animal friends). They are us!
It’s one of my dinosaur acquisitions (which i had gotten many years ago). The guy who found, cut, and polished these is retired and no longer sells them. Real rarities! 🙂
Well I did a post earlier this week about how many people worried about a shaggy pup who was chased onto the Detroit River by a coyote and was out there for four days during the Polar Vortex we had in mid-February. That dog lived and people had angst over his well being that entire time (and beyond). The police would not allow any rescue operations as a man had fallen through the ice and drowned a few days earlier. He was testing the ice in a part of the ice which was not as thick. Anyway, it seems to me that sometimes people show more compassion or empathy for animals than they do for their fellow man. I thought they might be from your collection – how exciting. You were lucky to find this rare item and too bad the person who find this treasure is now retired.
Sad about the man and the dog.
Yes, it’s unfortunate that one of my great fossil sources retired and moved on.
Beautiful
Sometimes one has to descend in the depths to transcend. Your posts stretches my mind but they make me grow. Thanks, Tom.