A man appears on the scene – no, scratch that, there have been too many men in this role. A woman appears on the scene. She is a great mystery to her new neighbors, quiet, preternaturally serene, utterly uninterested in the affairs of the world.
To the few who encounter her, it is clear that her history, her past, is neither a secret, nor of any interest to her, and when asked to share, she gently demurs. How peculiar this woman in a world awash with autobiographers hungry to tell their stories.
Her present is almost as mysterious as her past. She has taken a job as a baker’s assistant, rising well before dawn as bakers must, and ending her work day shortly after the lunch hour. Her free time is spent in long walks through the neighborhood or hikes through nearby forests or sitting on a park bench, her lone companion a mongrel that showed up as mysteriously as did the woman.
When approached, the woman is neither reserved nor obsequious, neither standoffish nor solicitous. She smiles easily and is generous with her attention. There is no restlessness in her eyes, no fidgeting of hands or feet, no shifting of her gaze, and most who speak with her are flattered by the intensity of her gaze, calmed by the serenity of her presence.
Her clothing is subtle, simple, neither accentuating her figure nor masking it. She owns no vehicle, preferring to walk everywhere and anywhere.
She is either ignorant of, or indifferent to, technology. While so much of the world occupies itself with the contents of handheld devices, speakers, and screens, she remains steadfastly present, her head up, eyes alert and aware.
She seemingly wants for nothing, her demeanor a peculiar contrast between being both incurious to the world and deeply attentive to it. The shriek of an ambulance goes unnoticed while birdsong holds her rapt.
A visitor to her simple apartment finds no television, no computer, no telephone, no mode of artificial connection with the outside world. She offers her visitor a simple cup of tea, then sits quiet, attentive, serene.
What does she think of the latest, horrifying developments in the news, asks the visitor, the news in question being whatever calamity is currently agitating the populace.
The woman confesses she knows nothing about it.
‘Oh,’ says the visitor, as perplexed as she is insistent. ‘But doesn’t it worry you that this is happening and how it might impact our world?’
‘The world has always had its disturbances,’ answers the woman. ‘Why should this be any different?’
‘Because,’ sputters the visitor, ‘it’s happening now and it could impact you!’
‘If it is to be it will be,’ says the woman, a subtle smile crossing her lips. ‘I have nothing to do with any of that.’
The visitor’s frustration grows. ‘So you don’t feel any responsibility over this? You don’t think you should do your part to help stop it?’
‘Do you imagine in, say, ancient Rome, that this same conversation was not held countless times?’ asks the woman. ‘And did those conversations or the actions that came from them stop the barbarians from storming the city?’
Visibly flustered, the visitor’s voice rises. ‘It is people like you who allow these things to get out of control in the first place! If you added your voice maybe together we could make a difference.’
The woman pauses for a moment, her eyes locked on her visitor. ‘You suffocate a fire by starving it of its fuel, not by adding to it.’
The visitor’s cup rattles onto the table as she rises to leave. ‘So you’re a philosopher! Well, remember those are the ones the barbarians finished off first.’ And with that the visitor storms out.
The woman rises, collects the cups and places them in the sink. Then she fetches the dog and for the next few hours the two disappear into the neighboring forest.
I want to let you in on a little secret. There are no problems. There never were any problems, there are no problems today, and there will never be any problems. Problems just mean that the world isn’t turning the way you want it to. But in truth, there are no problems. Everything is unfolding as it should. Everything is right. You have to forget about yourself and expand your consciousness until you become the whole universe. The Reality in back of the universe is Pure Awareness. It has no problems. And you are That.
– Robert Adams
