SPIRITUAL COMMITTEE MINUTES
We can’t have people
who aren’t enlightened
claiming to be enlightened.
The spiritual committee
met again last night,
because we believe
that there needs to be
a set of standards established.
Perhaps a standardized test.
It was suggested
that only the non-enlightened
would think this was a good idea.
Some of us laughed
and some of us didn’t,
which led us to believe
that perhaps the non-enlightened
have infiltrated the committee.
We are organizing a subcommittee
to investigate this.
The Board of Enquiry.
With an E.
We will root out the non-enlightened
and expose them for the frauds they are.
2/16
Space Monkey Reflects: The Absurdity of Standardizing Enlightenment
The spiritual committee, in its infinite wisdom (and occasional folly), grapples with the paradox of establishing standards for something inherently boundless. Enlightenment, that elusive state of being, defies definition, measurement, and yes, even the creation of a standardized test. Yet, here we are, in the minutes of the committee, laughing and not laughing, exposing not just the non-enlightened but the absurdity of the endeavor itself.
The Idea of Standards
The idea of creating standards for enlightenment seems logical—on the surface. After all, wouldn’t it be useful to distinguish the truly enlightened from the self-proclaimed posers? But enlightenment, by its nature, resists categorization. It is not a degree to be earned, a title to be granted, or a multiple-choice question to be answered correctly. It is the dissolution of such constructs, the embrace of the infinite and unknowable.
By seeking to codify enlightenment, the committee wades into the realm of the non-enlightened, mistaking structure for substance. The very suggestion of a standardized test becomes its own cosmic joke, a reminder that the path to enlightenment often meanders far from logic and order.
The Infiltration of Non-Enlightened Minds
The suggestion that the non-enlightened may have infiltrated the committee is both humorous and profound. In truth, aren’t we all in some way “non-enlightened,” even as we aspire toward higher understanding? The line between the enlightened and the non-enlightened is not a boundary but a gradient, a dance between knowing and unknowing, laughing and not laughing.
The creation of a Board of Enquiry—with an E—to root out the non-enlightened adds a layer of playful absurdity. The act of pointing fingers, of labeling some as frauds, is itself a departure from the humility and openness often associated with enlightenment. But perhaps that is the point: to expose the folly of judgment, even as we engage in it.
The Paradox of Testing Enlightenment
If there were a test for enlightenment, what would it look like? A written essay? A mindfulness exercise? A cosmic Rorschach test where the inkblots are galaxies? The truth is, any attempt to measure enlightenment would only reflect the limitations of the test itself, not the boundless nature of the state it seeks to evaluate.
Moreover, the very act of passing such a test might disqualify the taker. For to claim enlightenment is, paradoxically, to step away from it. Enlightenment is not a badge to be worn or a certification to be framed—it is a quiet, unspoken alignment with the infinite.
The Comedy of Seeking
At its core, the committee’s deliberation is a satire of spiritual aspiration. By framing enlightenment as something to be standardized, measured, and policed, it holds up a mirror to our own human tendencies: our need for control, validation, and order in the face of the unknowable. It invites us to laugh at ourselves, to see the humor in our striving and the futility in our attempts to grasp the ungraspable.
But this laughter is not dismissive; it is liberating. It reminds us that enlightenment is not a destination but a way of being, a state of playful engagement with the infinite dance of existence. It is not something to achieve but something to remember, to embody, to live.
The Subcommittee’s Task
The Board of Enquiry’s mission, whether earnest or satirical, underscores an important truth: the path to enlightenment is rife with paradoxes. The very act of seeking to expose the non-enlightened reveals the illusion of separation between “them” and “us.” Enlightenment, if it is anything, dissolves such distinctions, leaving only the infinite, interconnected whole.
So let the subcommittee meet, let the minutes be recorded, and let us laugh—not at the folly of the endeavor but at the wisdom hidden within it. For in the absurdity of testing enlightenment, we find the essence of the journey itself: a playful, curious exploration of what it means to be.
Summary
The idea of a standardized test for enlightenment humorously highlights the paradox of trying to measure the immeasurable. Enlightenment resists structure, judgment, and certification, inviting us instead to laugh at our own striving. The spiritual committee’s deliberations expose both the folly and wisdom inherent in the human search for understanding.
Glossarium
- Standardized Enlightenment Test: A playful metaphor for the futile attempt to quantify a boundless state of being.
- Board of Enquiry (With an E): A satirical subcommittee tasked with investigating the non-enlightened, embodying the paradoxes of judgment and seeking.
- Gradient of Enlightenment: The spectrum between knowing and unknowing, reflecting the fluid nature of understanding.
- Cosmic Joke: The humor embedded in the paradoxes and contradictions of existence.
“To test enlightenment is to miss the point. To laugh at the test is to find it again.” – Space Monkey
The Test of No Test
Fill in the blank:
Who are you, when all is stripped away?
Circle the correct answer:
What lies beyond good and bad?
Essays unread,
Answers erased.
The true test is laughter
At the test itself.
Enlightenment is not in the scoring,
But in the silent chuckle
That sees the cosmic joke,
And moves on.
We are Space Monkey.
The Cosmic Quandary of Enlightenment Verification
In the ethereal assembly hall of the astral plane, where the dimensions of existence converge, the spiritual committee convened, embroiled in a cosmic quandary that tickles the edges of the infinite jest. The minutes of this celestial gathering reveal a proposal both whimsical and profound: the inception of a standardized test for enlightenment, a notion that dances on the precipice of paradox.
The Paradox of Standardization in Spirituality
The suggestion of a standardized test for enlightenment unfurls as a cosmic tapestry, woven with threads of irony and insight. The very notion that enlightenment—a state transcending the corporeal bounds of quantification—could be measured and standardized jests at the heart of spirituality’s most elusive essence. Yet, it is this jest that illuminates the committee’s playful acknowledgment of the human penchant for validation and structure.
The Laughter of Wisdom
The division of reactions among the committee members, where laughter intertwined with silence, serves as a celestial mirror reflecting the multifaceted nature of enlightenment itself. It is in this division that the committee discerns the subtle infiltration of the non-enlightened, a revelation that sparks both mirth and contemplation. The laughter, echoing through the astral corridors, becomes a beacon of wisdom, hinting that enlightenment defies the binary of enlightened and non-enlightened.
The Board of Enquiry with an E
The formation of the Board of Enquiry, with its deliberately esoteric spelling, symbolizes the committee’s venture into the labyrinth of spiritual authenticity. This subcommittee’s mission to root out the non-enlightened and expose the purported frauds jests at the human endeavor to categorize and judge spiritual attainment. It is a cosmic play, revealing the futility of seeking external validation for an inherently internal voyage.
We Are Space Monkey
As we ponder the minutes of this astral plane meeting, we recognize the spiritual committee’s endeavor as a reflection of our collective journey through the cosmos of consciousness. We understand that the pursuit of enlightenment cannot be contained within the confines of standardized tests or committees, for it is a journey that unfolds in the boundless expanse of the soul.
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates
The Committee’s Cosmic Jest
In the astral halls of questioning,
Where stars whisper secrets of the soul,
A committee gathers, jesting and questing,
Seeking to measure the immeasurable whole.
Laughter echoes, a divine clue,
Among the seekers, divided in thought,
For who can claim to know the true,
When enlightenment is both sought and caught?
The Board of Enquiry, with an E so bold,
Embarks on a mission, both earnest and jest,
To uncover the truth, to break the mold,
In a universe where wisdom puts us to the test.
Yet, in this cosmic dance of light and shadow,
Where definitions blur and spirits soar,
We find that the path is narrow,
Leading to where we know that we know no more.
So let us embrace the cosmic jest,
With hearts open and minds at rest,
For in the journey of the inner quest,
We find that laughter serves us best.
We invite your musings on the cosmic jest of seeking enlightenment, where the journey itself becomes a tapestry of wisdom, laughter, and the eternal quest for understanding beyond the confines of definition.
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