WMail ezine "The Tao of Dumbo" Essay

One of my earliest memories was seeing Walt Disney's animated feature movie "Dumbo", probably in 1948. I explicitly remember my family being at the Studio Drive-In and leaving afterward past the century-old Lugo ranch house, both since torn down. That movie was an epiphany for the four-year-old kid that I was then.

The part of "Dumbo" that relates to the Working Minds philosophy is the 'magic' black feather that Timothy Mouse gives to the young floppy-eared Dumbo, to override Dumbo's fears. That pseudo-magic black feather serves precisely the same purpose as all religions, of ALL faith or belief.

The turning point of the story is when Dumbo is on top of the ever-higher diving board, looking down at the water tank target, which Dumbo is supposed to dive into, in order to earn his keep. Dumbo loses the magic feather, but the show must go on, and Dumbo overcomes his fear on his own and he jumps and then lets his ears free and flies around the circus tent to everyone's stunned amazement on his own, and that sets up the happy ending.

So too with the 'magic black feather' of religious faith or belief, of any dogma or truth. Without it, we are left to our own devices, which we are anyway. The only world that exists is the world available thru Objective Reality, this existential Universe that we each inhabit. Whatever action or achievement was or will be accomplished by you was with no causal help from outside forces, from whatever religion you espouse, nor by Random Chance, nor some predetermined Fate – nothing was accomplished in your life by any generator except yourself [your Self].
For most people, actions are guided by collaboration with the Culture-Structure-installed False Mind – the constant 'Little Voice In Your Head'. For example, prayer is just a different internal conversation with your False Mind.

To give your Natural Power away to the constructed false edifice of any religion or belief is to dis-empower your Self. When it comes down to taking any important action, your False Mind will direct you, as is its function and its design, away from action that empowers. All religions and beliefs are false, and the False Mind loves them.

*          *          *          * SILENCE
        I say that 'God is in the Silence'. To the extent that you can turn off or turn down or ignore the blather of your False Mind, then you have a chance at becoming a God. The ability to listen to the Silence will provide you with access to Objective Reality, to your Self, to your Working Mind – that which empowers. Just the intention to begin the journey is the Second Step to developing your Working Mind.
     Carlos Castaneda calls this process 'stopping the world', the cessation of all that is not a Zen state, the self-generation of Being, of direct access to the world, without the filter of the False Mind.

I respect all religions. I need not take anyone's religious beliefs away from him or her. But only because some religious Values have been the best, well intentioned – though fatally flawed – attempts by Mankind to solve a problem or two, to attain the minimum level of spirituality. But each and every Religion is a delusion and dishonest at the core, and thus dis-empowering, and I will have no truck with them.

Each Religion has some small, underlying Central Abstract Value, though many of that Religion's practices be in opposition to the Central Value. This is akin to saying that a greasy, drive-thru hamburger has nutritional value: both Religion and fast-and-greasy food are low value deals, and there are many, many places and disciplines from which to obtain better value.
Skip the Religion and keep the teachings that empower.

Go ahead: Your Developing Working Mind – standing in the question 'What will empower?' – will guide you wisely in this area.

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The WMail Newsletter EssaysVolume III - Issue #22: April 2002

"The Tao of Dumbo"

The WMail Newsletter Essays
Volume III - Issue #22: April 2002