The Slope of Enlightenment is the Trough of Disillusionment. They are the same, even as they are different. This is all you need to know.

Close this thread. Seanyboy speaks the truth.

((((cmonkey)))

But imagine a small bear, imagine a small sad bear. The sad bear is sitting, fat and sad, next to the Trough of Disillusionment. Every few minutes, the sad fat bear leans his head over the trough, sticks out his tiny pink tongue, and laps up the Water of Shame, tears rolling down his sad fat bear face. Resigned to his fate, the sad fat bear with sad fat bear tears rolling down his sad fat bear face sits back and slowly eats a chunk of salmon, contemplating this current mystery.

Does this not mean something?

Yeah we're drinking and we're dancing
but there's nothing really happening
and the place is dead as Heaven on a Saturday night
And my very close companion
gets me fumbling gets me laughing
she's a hundred but she's wearing
something tight
and I lift my glass to the Awful Truth
which you can't reveal to the Ears of Youth
except to say it isn't worth a dime
And the whole damn place goes crazy twice
and it's once for the devil and once for Christ
but the Boss don't like these dizzy heights
we're busted in the blinding lights,
busted in the blinding lights
of CLOSING TIME
-l. cohen


Dunno why but I was reminded of this verse.

Buck up cmonkey .. it doesn't get any better but it still does, somehow.

*hug*

Everyone is trying
to get to the bar
The name of the bar
the bar is called Heaven
The band in Heaven
plays my favorite song
Play it once again
play it all night long

Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens

There is a party
Everyone is there
Everyone will leave
at exactly the same time
Its hard to imagine
that nothing at all
could be so exciting
could be this much fun

Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens

When this kiss is over
it will start again.
And not be any different
be exactly the same
It's hard to imagine
that nothing at all
could be so exciting
could be this much fun

Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens

- Talking Heads

heaven, is the whole of the heart
and heaven don't tear you apart
yeah heaven is the whole of the heart
and heaven don't tear you apart

there's too many kings wanna hold you down
and a world at the window gone underground
there's a hole in the sky where the sun don't shine
and a clock on the wall and it counts my time

and heaven is the whole of the heart
and heaven don't tear you apart
yeah heaven is the whole of the heart
and heaven don't tear you apart

there's a song on the air with a love-you line
and a face in a glass and it looks like mine
and i'm standing on ice when i say that i don't hear planes
and i scream at the fools, wanna jump my train

and heaven is the whole of the heart
and heaven don't tear you apart
yeah heaven is the whole of the heart
and heaven don't tear you apart
yeah heaven
ah heaven
yeah heaven

-Psychedelic Furs

(and of course, my fav inspirational lyrics--No One is Alone)

My lyrics were not meant to be inspirational, just kind of zen.

((cmonkey))


The snake said to the wind, "I wriggle about by moving my spine, as if I had legs. Now you seem to be without form, and yet you come blustering down from the North Sea to bluster away to the South Sea How do you do it?"

"'Tis true," replied the wind, "that I bluster as you say. But anyone who sticks his finger or his foot into me, excels me. On the other hand, I can tear away huge trees and destroy large buildings. This power is given only to me. Out of many minor defeats I win the big victory. And to win a big victory is given only to the Sages."[1]

--Chuang Tzu

Don't give up!

seanyboy is correct...
However, now that you are free from your former illusion, you can replace it with another, if you so wish.

Or as the Great Sage Lou Reed put it:

I'm Set Free
(Reed)


I've been set free and I've been bound
To the memories of yesterday's clouds
I've been set free and I've been bound

And now I'm set free
I'm set free
I'm set free to find a new illusion

I've been blinded but
You I can see
What in the world has happened to me
The prince of stories who walk right by me

And now I'm set free
I'm set free
I'm set free to find a new illusion

I've been set free and I've been bound
Let me tell you people
what I found
I saw my head laughing
rolling on the ground

And now I'm set free
I'm set free
I'm set free to find a new illusion

The sad bear is sitting, fat and sad, next to the Trough of Disillusionment. Every few minutes, the sad fat bear leans his head over the trough, sticks out his tiny pink tongue, and laps up the Water of Shame, tears rolling down his sad fat bear face.

That's the problem: you don't sip from a trough like a sad lil bear, you plunge your head in and quaff that shit down like a thirsty Stallion of Desolation. EVERY. LAST. DROP. EMPTY IT. Then you take the Great Big Wee of Closure and Movin' On.

After the Wee of Closure, it may become necessary to expel the now-digested Salmon of Yearning, at which point the sad bear may proceed to the Forest of Consolation, where, if he can avoid being eaten by the Papal Bull of Elimination, he can complete his ultimate purpose and win the game.

But the real question is: does the sad bear shit in the Forest of Consolation?