idiot_stimpy

- What if all the parts are actually intelligent entities?

From the perspective of enlightened mind, the world is just color and light. 

"Herein, Bahiya, you should train yourself thus: 'In the seen will be merely what is seen; in the heard will be merely what is heard; in the sensed will be merely what is sensed; in the cognized will be merely what is cognized.' In this way you should train yourself, Bahiya.

"When, Bahiya, for you in the seen is merely what is seen... in the cognized is merely what is cognized, then, Bahiya, you will not be 'with that.' When, Bahiya, you are not 'with that,' then, Bahiya, you will not be 'in that.' When, Bahiya, you are not 'in that,' then, Bahiya, you will be neither here nor beyond nor in between the two. Just this is the end of suffering." - Buddha, Bahiya Sutta

The world in reality has nothing to do with our thoughts, interpretations or feelings about it. It exist independently, free from what you imagine it might be. 

It is our mind that creates parts, meaning, "intelligence", or agency.

"You see yourself in the world while I see the world in myself. To you, you get born and die; while to me, the world appears and disappears." - Nisargadatta Maharaj

Objects appear and disappear in consciousness in this moment, and there is no other moment you are ever present in. There is nowhere else to be in this moment but where you are. Ultimately, the "self" does not exist apart from what is seen, heard, smelled, etc., it is a collection of phenomena appearing and disappearing that you group together and call "I". Phenomena presented to the senses are just as they appear without our interpretations.

-More specifically, the intelligence coordinating the collective into a coherent entity, may not understand its own nature nor the nature of the entity it is expected to ensoul

Where IS this intelligence, if it exists? I would argue that it only exists in your personal interpretation of reality, or in a belief system you have constructed or adopted. 

It is how we respond to phenomena that matters, and kindness should be at the center of that response.

All is already complete,

Spontaneously perfected.

Relax and take rest,

In the ordinary nature of mind. 

This moment. This place. Nothing to do. Nothing to add. No-one do or add. Perfect.

-So we are all mitochondria in the bowels of some cosmic colossus? If so, shouldn't we just act in our nature, as the poem suggests, to ensure its moments are not obstructed.

Just be present and aware, in my opinion, yes. The deepest practice in any tradition is just that. 

- Perhaps the human is designed to be more than mitochondria. Is there some delegation from The Source of All to soul-bearing species?

Whenever you are feeling tight and contracted, clinging to something or averse to something and struggling with that, it is being graphically demonstrated to you where you are stuck... what you are holding on to, or pushing away as though what happens in this reality were up to YOU. The communication is immediate and happens all the time. It is a horrible feeling. This communication is your delegation, lovingly pointing out what obscures your ability to see things as they are AND showing you what you need to drop, if you can but see it. It is the ultimate compassion, the ultimate kindness, the ultimate love.