The great and rare mystics of the past . . . were, in fact, ahead of their time, and are still ahead of ours. In other words, they most definitely are not figures of the past. They are figures of the future.
Ken WilberRead
All the things and events we usually consider as irreconcilable, such as cause and effect, past and future, subject and object, are actually just like the crest and trough of a single wave, a single vibration. For a wave, although itself a single event, only expresses itself through the opposites of crest and trough, high point and low point. For that very reason, the reality is not found in the crest nor the trough alone, but in their unity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the interconnectedness of opposing forces and the unity that arises from their relationship.
Ken Wilber's quote illustrates the idea that what we often perceive as opposites, like cause and effect or past and future, are actually aspects of a singular experience, much like the crest and trough of a wave. Instead of viewing them as independent entities, he invites us to understand that their true essence lies in their unity, suggesting that reality is a complex interplay of dualities rather than isolated concepts.
Themes
UnityDualityWaveRealityOpposites
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical discussion on the nature of reality, I might reference this quote to highlight the importance of understanding dualities.
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So it is a good idea to start simple, I think, and be very careful. There is a spiritual opening in the Kosmos. Let us be careful of how we fill it. The simplest is: Spirit or Emptiness is unqualifiable, but it is not inert and unyielding, for it gives rise to manifestation itself: new forms emerge, and that creativity is ultimate. Emptiness, creativity, holons.
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It is flat-out strange that something-that anything-is happening at all. There was nothing then a Big Bang, then here we all are. This is extremely weird.
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