the imbecile inside each of us

I am J. Sri Bhagovwid, and I am a guest poster on this blog. If you can’t remember my name, just use the mnemonic, “Bag of Weed”. I think you can remember “J” and “Sri”. Some of the devotees at the ashram in Pondicherry address me as “Sir J Bag-of-Weed” and that’s OK, as long as they share. Call me whatever you want, just don’t call me late for curry. You can also call me JSB.

The proprietor of the blog wanted to ask me a few questions. Here is the dialogue we had.

Eric: As I was making the graphic for you I was thinking your quote is a bit insulting.
JSB: The part that gets insulted is not the real you.
Eric: I give up.
JSB: If only it were true you’d have a chance.
Eric: Oh, Christ.
JSB: So, you want another guru!
Eric: Really, what is the point of calling your followers idiots?
JSB: I don’t have followers. I’m not a mother goose. I only have fans who are on the same path.
Eric: Fine. Why call your fans idiots?
JSB: Imbeciles.
Eric: Imbeciles.
JSB: The part of them that gets insulted…
Eric: IS NOT THE REAL THEM! I got it.
JSB: You are a bit testy today.
Eric: Photoshop kept crashing when I was making the graphic.
JSB: When you are listening to the voice in your head. Who is listening?
Eric: Me. I’m listening to myself.
JSB: You can’t be both. Are you the speaker or the listener?
Eric: I don’t see why I can’t be both. Maybe nobody is listening. I’m just speaking.
JSB: You have it completely wrong. The imbecile never tires of talking to the listener, who never speaks. YOU are the listener.
Eric: If I am the listener, who is the speaker again?
JSB: Just some imbecile.
Eric: No. You’re just playing with words now. Who is the imbecile?
JSB: It is just a ball of mental dust. It is the tool of language revolving around itself incessantly, collecting fragments and snippets of information
Eric: Tell me more.
JSB: What for? You are already spinning it in the cocoon of language in your head. Better you imagine that cocoon and remember it’s not you. That’s enough for now.

[Photoshop work by Eric Kuns]