"He not busy being born is busy dying" resonated with me as a young man dissatisfied with the world, but more so, dissatisfied with myself. Bob Dylan has a way of evoking feelings and questions I never knew I had. The words, the way he sings them, it feels right, and profound, but looking deeper, what does "busy being born" really mean?
The essay The Question of Rebirth from the Gurdjieff Journal is the most succinct and deep exploration of that question that I have ever come across. To come to the realization that "I have to first awaken so that I can die, so that I can be born" is a major shift in thinking. Gurdjieff's message is stark, but in that starkness has a feeling of truth. But, to put oneself under the tutelage of a teacher? The rebel in me reacts. However, after the reaction dies down and I face the facts, its obvious to me that I can't do it by myself. And there is also resonance with "So it's a long path, but the only path worth taking, for its direction is vertical, ascending."
Truly, "he not busy being born
is busy dying."
from "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) Bob Dylan
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