Embracing and Celebrating Individuality

Photo / Meme - 'Individual' by Jay Taylor  - Quote from U.G. Krishnamurti.

My attempts to extricate myself from the tangled web of societal brainwashing have been aided by the work of several remarkable human beings. One of these is Anti-guru extraordinaire U.G. Krishnamurti. Unabashedly individual, unapologetically radical, and a definite guest at my ultimate dinner party,  'The Other Krishnamurti' was an underground hero - an anarchist without the label, a fabulously free spirit, and one of the most radical voices humanity has ever produced. If you're interested in free thinking, look him up if you dare! :o)

Throughout his interactions with those who flocked to see him, U.G. constantly communicated his conviction that he had nothing to offer anybody – no advice, no guidance, no enlightenment – and that his own life, and his own experiences, were utterly irrelevant in the context of another individual. This is the paradox one encounters when 'meeting' a unique souls such as U.G. - we come looking for guidance, for a model...and rather than a blueprint, we find a mirror in which to view our own enquiry.

Each and every one of us, before cultural programming gets its claws into us, is destined to be an utterly unique expression of life, with our own inbuilt guidance system offering us all the insight and wisdom we could ever need in order to live our lives to the fullest – each of us a 'unique flower', as Krishnamurti put it:

“To be yourself requires extraordinary intelligence. You are blessed with that intelligence; nobody need give it to you; nobody can take it away from you. He who lets that express itself in its own way is a "Natural Man"... If nature had been allowed to go on in its own way, everybody would have become a unique flower. Why should there be only roses in this world? What for? A grass flower or a dandelion flower has as much beauty, as much importance in the scheme of things. Why should there be only jasmine flowers, roses, or some other flower?”


Photo - 'Oxeye Daisy with Raindrops' by Jay Taylor

In my own observation, each and every flower, each and every life form of each and every species, truly is utterly unique, despite any apparent appearances to the contrary. And that includes me, and you.

It sounds trite, I know, but there has genuinely never been – and never, ever will be – another entity in existence with your exact combination of your characteristics and qualities, or with mine.

Why, then, do we spend so much time trying to “fit in” somehow, somewhere; trying to please or to rebel;  trying to be something we're not? Our social conditioning is the answer. One of the reasons people were so drawn to U.G. Krishnamurti was his capacity for cutting through their crap and demanding authenticity from them. He was oftentimes harsh and could be brutally, painfully honest with people, but he demanded that they be real in his presence, not some version of themselves that they imagined the 'guru' would approve of. Who is this honest with us, really? Isn't this honesty refreshing? Can we begin by being radically honest with ourselves?

Photo - 'Barefoot in Wet Grass With The Sunbird' by Jay Taylor

Like kicking off your shoes and stepping out barefoot, facing one's own falseness may not always be comfortable, but it IS incredibly liberating. It is also rather addictive. Because in the moment that the realisation of the depth of one's social conditioning becomes apparent, in that moment of innocence and nakedness, one is presented with the opportunity to break free. In seeking out that which we are beneath the brainwashing we've been subjected to, we can begin to rediscover our own true nature – our own passions, our own truth.

My own work in this regard encompasses my artistic and everyday exploration, as I work and play with the ultimate creator, Life Itself. I am utterly fascinated by the myriad manifestations of life: uniquely individual, yet inseparable from the whole: every being, every flower, every rust bloom, every brush-stroke, every atom. Everything consists of patterns when you get down to it - infinite combinations of something and nothing, duality and oneness, darkness and light, sound and form, all intertwining endlessly. Through my creative ventures, I endeavour to set aside the programming; to give expression to a that playful original essence, and to share the results with others who delight in the wonders of being alive.

For as UG Krishnamurti once said, “If you have the courage to touch life for the first time, you will never know what hit you... Real courage is to brush aside everything that man has experienced and felt before you. Only hen tcan you be yourself. That is individuality. For the first time, you become an individual.”
I'll embrace and celebrate that!  
 
With love - Jay

Photo - a selection of 'Said in Stones' by Jay Taylor, an ongoing project celebrating the unique and amazing character of ordinary, everyday pebbles and stones