Conference A31
Mechanical Creatures
In no way could we deny the Law of Recurrence processing itself in every moment of our lives. Certainly, in every day of our existence, there is a repetition of events, states of consciousness, words, desires, thoughts, volitions, etc.
It is obvious that when one does not self-observe, one cannot realize this incessant daily repetition. It is evident that whoever has no interest in observing themselves also does not wish to work towards achieving a true radical transformation.
To top it all off, there are people who want to transform without working on themselves. We do not deny the fact that everyone has a right to the true happiness of the spirit, but it is also true that such happiness would be more than impossible if we do not work on ourselves.
One can change intimately when one truly manages to modify their reactions to the various events that daily befall them. However, we would not be able to modify our way of reacting to the facts of practical life if we did not work seriously on ourselves.
We need to change our way of thinking, be less negligent, become more serious and take life in a different way, in its real and practical sense. However, if we continue as we are, behaving in the same way every day, repeating the same mistakes, with the same negligence as always, any possibility of change will in fact be eliminated.
If one truly wants to come to know oneself, one must begin by observing their own behavior in the face of the events of any given day of life. We do not mean by this that one should not observe oneself daily; we only want to affirm that one must begin by observing a first day. In everything there must be a beginning, and beginning by observing our behavior on any day of our life is a good start.
First and foremost, we need to understand that we are machine-people, simple puppets controlled by secret agents, by hidden Selves. Within our person live many people; we are never identical. Sometimes a petty person manifests in us, other times an irritable person, at any other moment a splendid, benevolent person, later a scandalous or slanderous person, then a saint, then a liar, etc. We have all kinds of people within each of us, Selves of all kinds. Our personality is nothing more than a puppet, a talking dummy, something mechanical.
Let's begin by behaving consciously for a small part of the day; we need to stop being mere machines, even if only for a few brief minutes daily, as this will decisively influence our existence. When we Self-Observe and do not do what this or that 'Self' desires, it is clear that we begin to stop being machines. A single moment of being conscious enough to stop being a machine, if done voluntarily, often radically modifies many unpleasant circumstances.
Unfortunately, we live a mechanistic, routine, absurd life daily. We repeat events, our habits are the same, we have never wanted to modify them; they are the mechanical track through which the train of our miserable existence circulates; yet, we think the best of ourselves... Everywhere abound the "MYTHOMANIACS," those who believe themselves to be Gods; mechanical, routine creatures, characters made of the earth's mud, wretched puppets moved by various Egos; people like that will not work on themselves...