The crack in everything
The crack in everything
Not too long ago, after a concert given by Anjani I went through the open door of the room where Leonard was hanging out. Said Hello and he said it back to me and he offered me something to eat. Since no one else was talking to him at the time I thought I would tell him something about me. I told him that I thought that Anthem was his best song and I might have even said that I thought it is amoung the best songs ever written by anyone. If I didn't say it, I was at least thinking it. It wasn't a question and I wasn't looking for him to agree or disagree with me. How he responded was that he said that he got very very lucky. Then I told him that even though I like his songs and that I like the way he sings them I much prefer hearing Anjani singing them. This lit his face in a big smile and he responded with "So do I, so do I."
I have seen what Leonard has said about some different things that he has done and it seems that he was especially pleased with the album "The Future" He has also said he felt that he could stand behind every line in all those songs but especially the song Anthem.
To me the song Anthem is a way to present "There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in" the rest is commentary. As a matter of fact I sometimes think that everything else he might have written is commentary on that line.
The first line of the song is "the birds they sang at the break of day" it could have read "the birds they sang at the crack of dawn"
Maybe it can't be proven that it is an eternal truth but I have yet to see an exception to it and so it does suggest that it is eternal. To me it stands right there in synergetic relation with such truths like , every time we half the distance between objects we fourfold the attraction or we need a minimun of four sides to enclose space. There are no exceptions to these things and they are things that if wrong can be proven wrong. I think that these kind of truths can seem small but they are ones that you can have confidence in because of the fact that if they are wrong they can be proven to be wrong.
I have an interest in seeing how this general principal can be demonstrated in specific cases and maybe others will see what I am getting at and join in. I will write more from time to time.
I have seen what Leonard has said about some different things that he has done and it seems that he was especially pleased with the album "The Future" He has also said he felt that he could stand behind every line in all those songs but especially the song Anthem.
To me the song Anthem is a way to present "There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in" the rest is commentary. As a matter of fact I sometimes think that everything else he might have written is commentary on that line.
The first line of the song is "the birds they sang at the break of day" it could have read "the birds they sang at the crack of dawn"
Maybe it can't be proven that it is an eternal truth but I have yet to see an exception to it and so it does suggest that it is eternal. To me it stands right there in synergetic relation with such truths like , every time we half the distance between objects we fourfold the attraction or we need a minimun of four sides to enclose space. There are no exceptions to these things and they are things that if wrong can be proven wrong. I think that these kind of truths can seem small but they are ones that you can have confidence in because of the fact that if they are wrong they can be proven to be wrong.
I have an interest in seeing how this general principal can be demonstrated in specific cases and maybe others will see what I am getting at and join in. I will write more from time to time.
Everything being said to you is true; Imagine of what it is true.
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Re: The crack in everything
Hi lazariauk,
I totally agree that this is one of Leonard's greatest songs (maybe the greatest) and that the line you mention is the main message. I believe that these words come from a Kabbalistic source. I'm glad you got a chance to meet Leonard in such a personal way. I was lucky enough to have the same experience earlier this year.
All good things, John E
I totally agree that this is one of Leonard's greatest songs (maybe the greatest) and that the line you mention is the main message. I believe that these words come from a Kabbalistic source. I'm glad you got a chance to meet Leonard in such a personal way. I was lucky enough to have the same experience earlier this year.
All good things, John E
Re: The crack in everything
Hi JohnJohn Etherington wrote: I believe that these words come from a Kabbalistic source.
It's hard to tell where words come from but of a truth such as this I imagine there would be traces in all the places where there is a love for truth and that is likely all places.
One that might be of particular interest to you is William of Ockham, a Franciscan friar who is also attributed with developing the scientific tool that is known as Ockham's Razor.
The way he spoke of the crack in everything is that his claim was truth only comes from God and can only be known through intuition. Then he said that on the Earth it was the Church which was manifesting this truth. Then he said something that got him kicked out of the church, he said that even the pope was fallible. (he is sometimes spoken of as the first protestant) He also made the claim that no matter how wrong any church was, no matter how far they ventured from the truth that there would always be a light shining through it. He cut both ways.
The reason that I thought he might be of particular interest to you was because you seemed to be struggling a bit with being able to clearly express what the difference was between intuition and feelings. William of Ockham examined that pretty carefully.
Everything being said to you is true; Imagine of what it is true.
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Re: The crack in everything
Hi lazariuk,
Thanks so much for that....you're right, I like the sound of this guy! Actually, I'm pretty clear about feelings and intuitions, even if I haven't seemed so (sometimes I just bash something on here in the middle of doing something else, without checking what I've said).
I think ituition is closer to psychic ability...your mind just zooms in on the truth about something without any rational explanation. Feelings are more closely related to emotions and are experienced more below the head. Intuition = fire and feelings = water.
All the best, John E
Thanks so much for that....you're right, I like the sound of this guy! Actually, I'm pretty clear about feelings and intuitions, even if I haven't seemed so (sometimes I just bash something on here in the middle of doing something else, without checking what I've said).
I think ituition is closer to psychic ability...your mind just zooms in on the truth about something without any rational explanation. Feelings are more closely related to emotions and are experienced more below the head. Intuition = fire and feelings = water.
All the best, John E
Re: The crack in everything
For a physical demonstration that will allow you to see where a crack is that lets the light into you, go to the linked site. You won't see the crack but you will see where it is. I have more to say about this but it can wait.
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/blindspot1.html
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/blindspot1.html
Everything being said to you is true; Imagine of what it is true.
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Re: The crack in everything
The Black Spot dost vanish. Science supports intuition from yea ages past. There is nothing new in this world, only the time it takes to unearth it.
"Bipolar is a roller-coaster ride without a seat belt. One day you're flying with the fireworks; for the next month you're being scraped off the trolley" I said that.
Re: The crack in everything
I love this kind of thing. Thanks for the link, Jack. I'll go through it again when I have more time.
~ Lizzy
~ Lizzy
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
~ Oscar Wilde
~ Oscar Wilde
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Re: The crack in everything
Within these darkened rooms where I abide
from day to dismal day, I wearily stride;
I'm searching for the windows. When at last
one opens, it will offer some relief.
There are no windows such, that I can tell;
I've found not one. Perhaps it's just as well:
the light might only impart further grief.
Who knows what other things it might forecast?
C.P.Cavafy
from day to dismal day, I wearily stride;
I'm searching for the windows. When at last
one opens, it will offer some relief.
There are no windows such, that I can tell;
I've found not one. Perhaps it's just as well:
the light might only impart further grief.
Who knows what other things it might forecast?
C.P.Cavafy
"Bipolar is a roller-coaster ride without a seat belt. One day you're flying with the fireworks; for the next month you're being scraped off the trolley" I said that.
Re: The crack in everything
Now I know why I landed
In this Fairyland Forum
Where birds of a feather
Flock and fly
And come together
I've nought to add
I'm too busy
But like Leonard says
"They're gonna hear from me"
daka
In this Fairyland Forum
Where birds of a feather
Flock and fly
And come together
I've nought to add
I'm too busy
But like Leonard says
"They're gonna hear from me"
daka
If you don't become the ocean you will be seasick every day....Jikan (aka Leonard Cohen)
It's comin' from the feel that this ain't exactly real, or it's real, but it ain't exactly there! . Jikan
It's comin' from the feel that this ain't exactly real, or it's real, but it ain't exactly there! . Jikan
Re: The crack in everything
Right On, Jack!!
I don't think the light issue itself is very important compared to the importance of the metaphor.
May this thread be blessed and guided by the "source".... sounds like star wars
(the pure, primordial ultimate nature of the mind)
daka
The 'crack' is intuited, referred to, and understood and appreciated in most places where truth-seekers gather, but some are smaller cracks and some are bigger, letting in more light. And, as your link points out there is a subsequent subjective, interpretive process....a potentially problematic factor in the communal and global understanding and appreciation of the (metaphoric) light source.It's hard to tell where words come from but of a truth such as this I imagine there would be traces in all the places where there is a love for truth and that is likely all places.
I don't think the light issue itself is very important compared to the importance of the metaphor.
May this thread be blessed and guided by the "source".... sounds like star wars
(the pure, primordial ultimate nature of the mind)
daka
If you don't become the ocean you will be seasick every day....Jikan (aka Leonard Cohen)
It's comin' from the feel that this ain't exactly real, or it's real, but it ain't exactly there! . Jikan
It's comin' from the feel that this ain't exactly real, or it's real, but it ain't exactly there! . Jikan
Re: The crack in everything
This is a small crack I am pointing to here and you might be underestimating it because the metaphor seems so big. After spending some time here and seeing with others what we can make of this crack and its metaphor I plan to go on with my "Jack's guided tour of cracks" and look at the biggest crack of all, I mean the really big one, the crack of all cracks, the one that we can't help but see every day in every way, the one that you can look directly at but not see all of it because it is so big. Then you might change your mind about the small, well at least I did.daka wrote: I don't think the light issue itself is very important compared to the importance of the metaphor.
Everything being said to you is true; Imagine of what it is true.
Re: The crack in everything
Hi. Jack, I didn't explore your link, but I did click on it. I may have been there before. Anyway, the diagram of the eye was all I needed to get an idea of a crack you may be pointing to. If you were planning on getting into this, then I hope I'm not stealing your thunder.
The size of wavelengths of light we can see is limited to what we call the visible spectrum. Beyond that on the smaller wavelength side is ultra violet, and on the larger wavelength side is infrared. This visible spectrum is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, but of course, we can't see gamma rays and radio waves. (But bees can see infrared.) So, the visible spectrum is a literal crack - the open space of the spectrum - that lets us see stuff, and our eye is (one of) the crack(s) in us where the light gets in. Analogously, there is a limited range of sounds we can hear, and the upper limit decreases with increased age.

OK, I had to check out your link, so I have now, and I'm glad to see it was about blind spots. I didn't know that blind spot was there, and I actually had a physical reaction, my stomach turned. I felt sick. It was powerful. Get the idea? haha. I mean, how could I go my whole life, and not notice that had this big blind spot? I closed my eye and looked around the room looking for the blind spot, and I couldn't find it without something to look for that would disappear. I watched my daughter's toy disappear. And what I noticed was that, while the place where the dot had turned white on the website, the place where the toy was turned light brown - it blended in with the light brown carpet background. My brain fills in as best it can, I guess. I knew that the brain had a lot to do with what we think we see, but I didn't know I had this blind spot for it to fill in. The crack has a crack, but now I'm just being cute cute cute.
Another thing I have noticed about seeing is that if you look at something indirectly, it sometimes (maybe always?) gets clearer or brighter. I have found this to be easy to notice when I look at the starry sky. Pick your favourite star on that sequined dome, and look at it. Then move your gaze to looking near it, but not directly at it, and you'll notice that it gets brighter. I don't know why this is. Do you?
May the source be with you.
The size of wavelengths of light we can see is limited to what we call the visible spectrum. Beyond that on the smaller wavelength side is ultra violet, and on the larger wavelength side is infrared. This visible spectrum is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, but of course, we can't see gamma rays and radio waves. (But bees can see infrared.) So, the visible spectrum is a literal crack - the open space of the spectrum - that lets us see stuff, and our eye is (one of) the crack(s) in us where the light gets in. Analogously, there is a limited range of sounds we can hear, and the upper limit decreases with increased age.

OK, I had to check out your link, so I have now, and I'm glad to see it was about blind spots. I didn't know that blind spot was there, and I actually had a physical reaction, my stomach turned. I felt sick. It was powerful. Get the idea? haha. I mean, how could I go my whole life, and not notice that had this big blind spot? I closed my eye and looked around the room looking for the blind spot, and I couldn't find it without something to look for that would disappear. I watched my daughter's toy disappear. And what I noticed was that, while the place where the dot had turned white on the website, the place where the toy was turned light brown - it blended in with the light brown carpet background. My brain fills in as best it can, I guess. I knew that the brain had a lot to do with what we think we see, but I didn't know I had this blind spot for it to fill in. The crack has a crack, but now I'm just being cute cute cute.
Another thing I have noticed about seeing is that if you look at something indirectly, it sometimes (maybe always?) gets clearer or brighter. I have found this to be easy to notice when I look at the starry sky. Pick your favourite star on that sequined dome, and look at it. Then move your gaze to looking near it, but not directly at it, and you'll notice that it gets brighter. I don't know why this is. Do you?

Re: The crack in everything
Once in a state of heightened consciousness I noticed that whatever I was looking at was not out there but rather the light that was coming in my eye and whatever part of the light that my focus went it would appear as a discreet object, like a particle and wherever I wasn't focusing on was behaving like a beautiful wave. Later I learned that this remains true under the most controlled labratory conditions and is still a puzzle to science. I think your experience might have something to do with the wavelike conditions that are happening on the edge of your focus.Manna wrote: Then move your gaze to looking near it, but not directly at it, and you'll notice that it gets brighter. I don't know why this is. Do you?
I will respond to the rest of your post tomorrow.
Everything being said to you is true; Imagine of what it is true.
Re: The crack in everything
Manna I like how you can get on your horse and ride off in every direction. But if you don't mind I would like to look at one or two cracks at a time, slightly off focus of course. I hope others take the time to do this physical demonstration for themselves. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/blindspot1.html It is always good to let your body know what your mind is doing and the other way around.Manna wrote: I didn't know that blind spot was there, and I actually had a physical reaction, my stomach turned. I felt sick. It was powerful. Get the idea? haha. I mean, how could I go my whole life, and not notice that I had this big blind spot? I closed my eye and looked around the room looking for the blind spot, and I couldn't find it without something to look for that would disappear. I watched my daughter's toy disappear. And what I noticed was that, while the place where the dot had turned white on the website, the place where the toy was turned light brown - it blended in with the light brown carpet background. My brain fills in as best it can, I guess. I knew that the brain had a lot to do with what we think we see, but I didn't know I had this blind spot for it to fill in.
After seeing the demonstration and seeing why it is so, you realize that it just has to be that way. In order to see you need to have a blind spot. When I was first really looking at this something else was happening in my life that was such a mystery to me. Someone had come into my life, travelled a far distance and gave me something that I very much needed. What was so puzzling to me was how she knew that was what I needed when I didn't even know and I thought I was a person who knew myself well. How could she be so exact in her knowing? Then it dawned on me, what is true in the physical is also true in the metaphysical. If we are aware we have to have a blind spot. It just has to be that way. It is the corresponding metaphysical crack. My reaction was much like yours
To be instantly plunged into the realization of it's implications can be overwhelming. Here is what I concluded and tested to my satisfaction.I didn't know that blind spot was there, and I actually had a physical reaction, my stomach turned. I felt sick. It was powerful. Get the idea? haha. I mean, how could I go my whole life, and not notice that I had this big blind spot?
First what I am going to say about seeing others I know that the same can be said about others seeing me.
I can see in others strengths and weaknesses that they cannot see in themselves.
They are things that they will never see and cannot be made to see.
I think this leads to a realization of how vulnerable we are and how interdependent we are. I think it can also lead to a very good ethics.
If we are open and honest here is the position we are in. What is probably most critical about us others can see but we can not. This includes our strengths, our weaknesses, what we can give and what we need to receive. Much is open, people can see our weaknesses and use them to humor themselves or others, people can take advantage of us and use us to their own advantage, but also people can know where we need to be covered as in (cover my blind spot) where they need to be patient with us, they can see what help we need and they can see what help we are capable of giving.
How people treat us when they can see our blind spots will make a very big difference in the quality of our lives. Not always knowing how to treat us they will be very dependent on us to learn. The way they learn is watching how we treat others when we see their blind spots.
I think all this stuff is going on all the time even if we are aware of it or not. I have also noticed that people seem to have a great inhibition about seeing what is right in front of their face. I think they can very easily see others very very clearly but don't really want to because the implication of that is that they can be seen that clearly.
With a bit of practice some of these things can be tested. One is that when you see someone's blind spot you can go into it and they won't see you. They really won't.
I was reading somewhere where Leonard said he was enjoying something that came with the older years, he said that was enjoying becoming invisible. I think this is what he was pointing to. I think he knows that there is a crack in everything.
Last edited by lazariuk on Thu Jan 03, 2008 7:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
Everything being said to you is true; Imagine of what it is true.
Re: The crack in everything
The Big Crack
The Mother of All Cracks
The Crack in Everything
For reasons unexplained to me and not knowing if it was something I was looking for or just something that I was being shown I began noticing at a young age that there are cracks in everything.
Everything that was spoken of as being good seemed to have something broken or wrong with it. Everything.
This was true of everyone. All those who I thought might be a hero seemed to have something that told me that there are no such things as heroes. Every person who was considered beautiful was hurt in a way that took away from their beauty. Every person who I thought might be a genius had something that took away the possibility of them being a genius. Everyone who was said to be good had been wrong in some way.
Nothing was perfect, no perfect spheres, no perfect cubes, no perfect straight lines nothing perfect. A crack in everything.
It went the other way as well. There was never anyone so ugly that I couldn’t see some beauty in them. So wrong that I couldn’t see some truth in them. Nothing so broken that there could be no way that it couldn’t be made better. No one so far out that they couldn't be pulled back in.
Eventually I think that all parts of me felt satisfied that things were so, my heart, body, soul and mind. So one day I went walking into a park wanting to see the crack in everything. I wanted to know if I could see it as one. I thought I might be asking too much but as easy as can be I saw it. There it was right in front of me in all it’s glory. The crack in everything. You can see it too, I’m not anyone special.
The Crack In Everything Is What The Waking Have In Common
( gee I like that. I had no idea what words I was going to use when I got to that spot but when I got there they just came and I think that is probably as good as I can get in putting it into one sentence. If anyone wants me to elaborate, I will be happy to)
The Mother of All Cracks
The Crack in Everything
For reasons unexplained to me and not knowing if it was something I was looking for or just something that I was being shown I began noticing at a young age that there are cracks in everything.
Everything that was spoken of as being good seemed to have something broken or wrong with it. Everything.
This was true of everyone. All those who I thought might be a hero seemed to have something that told me that there are no such things as heroes. Every person who was considered beautiful was hurt in a way that took away from their beauty. Every person who I thought might be a genius had something that took away the possibility of them being a genius. Everyone who was said to be good had been wrong in some way.
Nothing was perfect, no perfect spheres, no perfect cubes, no perfect straight lines nothing perfect. A crack in everything.
It went the other way as well. There was never anyone so ugly that I couldn’t see some beauty in them. So wrong that I couldn’t see some truth in them. Nothing so broken that there could be no way that it couldn’t be made better. No one so far out that they couldn't be pulled back in.
Eventually I think that all parts of me felt satisfied that things were so, my heart, body, soul and mind. So one day I went walking into a park wanting to see the crack in everything. I wanted to know if I could see it as one. I thought I might be asking too much but as easy as can be I saw it. There it was right in front of me in all it’s glory. The crack in everything. You can see it too, I’m not anyone special.
The Crack In Everything Is What The Waking Have In Common
( gee I like that. I had no idea what words I was going to use when I got to that spot but when I got there they just came and I think that is probably as good as I can get in putting it into one sentence. If anyone wants me to elaborate, I will be happy to)
Everything being said to you is true; Imagine of what it is true.