Jig of Live - Zen, Jung and Time

[edouglas@dejel.com]

This has probably been brought up before, but I am fairly new here.  In
"Jig of Life", there is a reference to a zen koan when the old lady is
speaking: "one hand clapping".  (A koan is a riddle used by the zen
master/guide to befuddle the default reasoning process of the pupil so they
can break through to the next level of knowledge/enlightenment.  In this
case the master asks: "Tell me the sound of one hand clapping.")

The previous line in the song -- "your little boy and your little girl -- I
have seen interpreted as her future children.  That may be, but they could
also be the inner aspects of her being, her soul and her self,
respectively.  I've heard somewhere (the famous unnamed source) that some
while after conception the fetus actually decides which sex it will be,
which would indicate that the non-incarnated gender might be the soul
aspect of the physical person whom the physical sex had to "destroy" to
survive.  This sounds very "biologically" Jungian, where one's soul is the
opposite sex.  But as I somehow never took a biology course, this may all
be totally off-kilter.

Finally, perception of time (which we often see as chronological but
dreamtime is very different) seems relevant here to the entire song.  I've
read the "Oversoul Seven" trilogy by Jane Roberts of "Seth" fame, and one
underlying principle of the book is that past, present and future are not
only inextricably intertwined but one has the capacity to travel to any
time to experience and change things once our sequential perception is
cleared.

P.S.  Back in 1986 I heard "Jif of LIfe" on the BBC, but without any
singing.  It was a different arrangement and the broadcaster said the song
was an old tune unearthed by one Paddy Bush.  Does anyone know more about
this?

P.P.S. There is a specific word for focusing on one small detail to the
(possible) detriment of the whole picture.  If anyone knows this word,
please pass it on.  I looked it up years ago, haven't found it since, and
would be thrilled to rediscover it.

Cheers -

Doug

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It's interesting that Freud means "joy" and Jung means "young".  I wonder
what Adler means.
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