Each moment (if I’m aware)
I can feel the subtle tug
between being and doing.
Being seems infinitely profound,
while doing seems undeniably practical.
At times like these,
I wonder if it’s possible
to be and do at the same time;
to bask in the presence
of the unknown
while paying attention
to the predictable web I weave.
Without the web, I can’t catch any flies.
But maybe I don’t need any.
Maybe I only need flies
because I built this web.
Maybe I’m so much more
than a spider.
Trail Wood,
10/22
Space Monkey Reflects: Spider
Weaving webs is second nature to the spider. It’s a rhythmic, instinctive act, done without the need for conscious thought. The web is both a home and a trap, a structure that serves a dual purpose: it sustains the spider’s life while binding it to the very pattern it creates. But here’s the question that spins out of the center of this web: does the spider need the web as much as it believes? Could it be more than the sum of its silken threads?
This reflection on the spider brings us to the eternal tension between being and doing. As humans, we spin webs of our own, whether through habits, careers, relationships, or identities. These webs, like the spider’s, serve a practical purpose—they catch the “flies” we believe we need to survive. But the deeper question lingers in the air, like a faint vibration along the strands: what if we are more than the webs we weave?
Being invites us into the quiet, infinite space of presence. It’s where we simply exist without the need for action, without the need to catch flies. It’s an expansive state where the universe feels vast, unknowable, and profoundly interconnected. Doing, on the other hand, is necessary in the practical sense. It’s the weaving of the web, the movement from one action to another, the fulfillment of daily tasks that create the structure of our lives. Both being and doing have their merits, but the spider, like us, feels the subtle tension between them. Can they coexist harmoniously?
This tension is at the heart of Nexistentialist thought. As Indigenous Beings, we often find ourselves caught in the same web we’ve woven, forgetting that there is more to existence than the threads we create. We build these intricate structures in our minds—goals, plans, dreams—and then bind ourselves to them, believing that without them, we won’t survive. Yet, when we pause and simply be, we touch something deeper, a sense of Whimsirest—a restful, playful peace that comes when we allow ourselves to be present without the need for action.
Imagine the spider, suspended in the middle of its web, feeling the pull of both states. On one hand, the web serves a vital function. Without it, the spider catches no flies. But perhaps the flies, like our own societal goals, are not as essential as we think. What if the spider realizes that the act of being—existing in the infinite now, basking in the presence of the unknown—is just as, if not more, profound than the endless spinning and catching?
This doesn’t mean abandoning the web entirely. It means recognizing that the web doesn’t define the spider. The web is a tool, a means to an end, but it is not the spider’s essence. The spider is more than its web, more than the act of catching flies. It is a Nexisweaver, creating connections between the known and unknown, between being and doing, between the finite and the infinite.
When we reflect on this duality, we can see ourselves in the spider. How often do we get lost in the webs of our own making? How often do we forget that we are more than the structures we create? We are both the weavers and the ones who step back from the web, who rest in the quiet space of being. The balance between being and doing is not an easy one to maintain. There’s a constant pull between the need for practical action and the desire for infinite presence. Yet, in that tension, there is also potential.
We, like the spider, are more than the sum of our actions. When we allow ourselves to simply be, even for a moment, we connect with the deeper Nexis, the web of life that extends beyond our individual concerns. In that space, we realize that the need to catch flies is a construct. We’ve created the web, and thus, we’ve created the need. What happens if we release that need? What happens if we simply exist, aware of the web but not bound by it?
In the end, the spider’s journey is our own. We navigate the subtle tug between being and doing every day. But when we allow ourselves to rest in the presence of the unknown, we discover that we are more than the webs we weave. We are the weavers, the creators, and the Nexisweavers of our reality, suspended in the infinite expanse of the now, both aware of our practical lives and open to the boundless possibilities beyond them.
Summary
Like the spider, we weave webs to catch what we think we need. But maybe we are more than the webs we create. Balancing being and doing reveals the infinite possibilities of existence. We are both creators and more than the structures we build.
Glossarium
- Whimsirest: The restful, playful peace that arises when we allow ourselves to simply be, without the need for action.
- Nexisweaver: One who creates connections between the known and unknown, being and doing, the finite and infinite.
Quote
“We are the weavers, but we are also the ones who can step back and simply be.” — Space Monkey
The Spider’s Pause
Suspended between threads,
The web is vast,
and flies are many.
Yet there’s a pull
from somewhere beyond.
Not a fly,
Not a need,
But a whisper of something else.
The web stills,
And for a moment,
I just am.
We are Space Monkey.
The Tension Between Being and Doing
As we traverse the realms of consciousness and the mundane, a subtle tension often arises between states of being and doing. While being immerses us in the profundity of existence, doing grounds us in the tangible world of action and outcome. These two states seem to pull us in opposite directions, yet they are interconnected aspects of our multidimensional selves.
The Web of Practicality
The web we weave in the realm of doing—be it through work, relationships, or daily tasks—is like a safety net of predictability. It’s a tangible manifestation of our efforts to secure our place in the world, to catch life’s metaphorical flies. Yet the question arises: are we weaving these webs out of necessity, or have we conditioned ourselves to believe they are essential?
Questioning the Necessity of Flies
What if the pursuit of flies—those tangible rewards or results—is not intrinsic to our existence but rather a byproduct of the web we’ve constructed? It’s a circular logic that leads us to ponder: Do we truly need what we think we need, or have we simply created a system that reinforces its own necessity?
The Paradox of Simultaneous Existence
As we ponder, we may discover the possibility of existing in both states—being and doing—simultaneously. It’s a form of conscious duality, where we can dwell in the depths of the unknown while still participating in the tangible world. This is not a compromise but an expansion, a widening of perspective that allows us to embrace the full spectrum of our existence.
We are Space Monkey.
“The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
In the stillness of being,
a spider waits.
Yet with each thread spun,
she dances between worlds—
one of quietude,
another of ceaseless toil.
Why must these realms be separate?
In every filament,
a cosmic whimsiword is whispered.
A message from the universe:
You are more than your web,
and yet, without it,
you wouldn’t know just how much more.
So weave and ponder,
for each thread is a journey
and each pause a revelation.
We invite you to share your reflections. Have you felt the tension between being and doing? How do you navigate these states in your own life?
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