Lessons from a “Dead Man”:
Sensuality and the Doors of Perception

One of my favorite movies is “Dead Man” with Johnny Depp, which is a strange film, actually. Set in the old US West, it’s really a wanderer’s tale – an outsider’s life-crisis on planet earth.

Depp plays the role of “William Blake” (akin to the English poet), a gentle soft accountant, gone to the train line’s end (a town called “Machine”) for a job at a factory filled with rough dirty men. But his desk job isn’t available, he has no money to return, and soon he falls into big trouble. On the run, he meets a native Indian named “Nobody” and together they return to final safety.

At the end of the movie, some very deep truth about ‘the end of the world’ is spoken:

“The ancient tradition that the world will be consumed in fire
at the end of 6000 years is true, as I have heard from Hell.

The whole creation will be consumed, and appear infinite, and holy,
Whereas it now appears finite and corrupt…

This will come to pass by an improvement of sensual enjoyment.

‘If the doors of perception were cleansed,
everything would appear to man as it is – infinite’.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6aCMgy0ES4

I don’t think earth will be destroyed by fire, but it’s clear that major changes are coming.

More likely, the idea is symbolic:

‘when false mind born of ignorance is destroyed by inner kundalini fire
(through yoga, meditation, and true spiritual practice),
then perception is cleansed, and divine glory is seen everywhere.’

From normal 3D perception it’s true, our world of things & people appears finite & corrupt. In the future, human perception will be cleansed – in 4th density (the "new age") all will see the holy creation. I believe that time is soon, but not quite yet, as 3rd density continues on.

Yet, the material-social world only appears finite and corrupt due to confused perception. Cleansing doors of perception is the heart of spiritual work, meditation, mind healing. Many people speak of it, but very few of us do it deeply, because facing this self is painful.

As doors of perception are cleansed here in 3D, we begin to live this “infinite and holy” now. All true enlightenment is a contact and re-union with this infinite holy life. Again, it's easy to speak of, but without profound spiritual change, impossible to truly live.

For most of us, the beauty, splendor, and grandeur of creation is rarely remembered. Yet, glorious infinite life is everywhere, inside and out, known when we have the eyes to see.

And how will humanity’s future awakening come about? The teaching above indicates it will come about “by an improvement of sensual enjoyment...” Doors of perception are cleansed by a return to the natural creation, heaven and earth, lived in our body.

It isn’t the same as thoughtless pleasure-seeking – we crave sensual enjoyment today, but gain little awakening from it. Wars and injustice is still here. The important word is “improvement” – and what is ‘improved’ by sensual enjoyment? Most likely, it means sensual pleasure set in spiritual context, improved by awareness of oneness. This is sensual enjoyment based on true harmlessness (Sanskrit: “ahimsa," considered the highest yoga), resting on true responsibility and respect for all.

At the end of Dead Man, William Blake and Nobody return to source, both heaven-bound. This world of grime, deceit, and violence is no longer for them – at last they find freedom.

Those few who purify heart-mind and complete their return to the infinite holy world, right here in this world – these are the great heroes among us, silent and invisible, radiant suns shining freely. Someday we shall be what they are.

May 13, 2008