I think I finally know what I am
…religiously speaking.
Listening (a practice I highly recommend) to the podcasts of the Long Now Foundation (thanks to Anthony Bishop for recommending them to me), I heard the following exchange:
Eric Schneider asked “Mr Eno, as a Zen Buddhist (Eno: “I’m not!”) how do you reconcile the 10,000 year clock project with the Buddhist notion of impermanence?”
Brian Eno: “I’m actually not a Zen Buddhist. I’m not embarrassed to be described as one, but, um, I…”
Stewart Brand: “What are you, actually? (laughter) Do you have any belief structure whatever?”
Brian Eno: “The sounds like an accusation, Stewart. (laughter) No, I don’t think I do actually, I think I’m a, a… (Brand: “You’re an atheist?”) somebody who believes in the muddle. I’m a muddlist. (laughter) I more and more think that things just muddle along. Everything just muddles along.”
Stewart Brand: “Are there rituals that muddlers…?”
Brian Eno: “Muddlers like me surrender to the muddle, and love the process of surrendering to the muddle.”
I’m a muddlist too! This seems like the most perfect description I’ve ever heard of how I think and feel about religious matters. Not for me the ironhard certainty of any position…
The Long Now Foundation is dedicated to getting us lifting our eyes above the rut and taking a longer term view. Their iconic project is building a mechanical clock that will run and be accurate for 10,000 years. This podcast takes about the features of that and so much more, and is hilarious and moving and brilliant. You have to join the foundation to watch the video, but the podcasts are free, and I *highly* recommend this particular one.