I decieded to take some of my life away from our Google overlords, and move over to a new home here.
Trodding on....
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
On Humility
Kant is among the first philosophers to view conception of humility as "that meta-attitude which constitutes the moral agent's proper perspective on himself as a dependent and corrupt but capable and dignified rational agent".
Self-importance is man's greatest enemy. What weakens him is the feeling of being offended by the deeds and misdeeds of his fellow men. Self-importance requires that one spend most of one's life offended by something or someone
The capacity to be in awe of that which we cannot explain... That, I think, is what the greater part of humility is. The capacity to be open to something greater than oneself. False humility is the pretence that one is small. True humility is the consciousness of standing in the presence of the divine, which is why it is the virtue of prophets, those who feel most vividly the nearness of God.
Self-importance is man's greatest enemy. What weakens him is the feeling of being offended by the deeds and misdeeds of his fellow men. Self-importance requires that one spend most of one's life offended by something or someone
The capacity to be in awe of that which we cannot explain... That, I think, is what the greater part of humility is. The capacity to be open to something greater than oneself. False humility is the pretence that one is small. True humility is the consciousness of standing in the presence of the divine, which is why it is the virtue of prophets, those who feel most vividly the nearness of God.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Bug's Life
It is not the urban distractions that disturb the hermit.
I spent a couple of days in an abandoned Paliwal village in the desert off of Jaisalmer. I was cooped up inside a small enclosure, which I guessed was used as an animal pen (pigs or chickens), to escape the roving Border Security Force.
Impossible to stand up straight in, just enough to lie down, light came in through a few spaces in the hay as narrow laser beams, but the whole experience was exhilarating and fascinating. The microcosm became immense, filled with miniature life and drama and significance and beauty. Because I was a part of the earth, like a creature in its burrow. There was no sign of the curse of the Paliwals, or goddesses or ghosts. Rarely had I felt such love for life as therein. For contour and texture, the bug and the microbe, the twig, straw, dust. Mere conveniences and security will never compare.
I spent a couple of days in an abandoned Paliwal village in the desert off of Jaisalmer. I was cooped up inside a small enclosure, which I guessed was used as an animal pen (pigs or chickens), to escape the roving Border Security Force.
Impossible to stand up straight in, just enough to lie down, light came in through a few spaces in the hay as narrow laser beams, but the whole experience was exhilarating and fascinating. The microcosm became immense, filled with miniature life and drama and significance and beauty. Because I was a part of the earth, like a creature in its burrow. There was no sign of the curse of the Paliwals, or goddesses or ghosts. Rarely had I felt such love for life as therein. For contour and texture, the bug and the microbe, the twig, straw, dust. Mere conveniences and security will never compare.
On Ownership
There is no delight in owning anything unshared ~ Seneca, Roman philosopher
To own something means both to have the ability to control it, and to be morally justified in excluding others from attempting to control it.
Property is abhorrent to me, even that of ideas and creativity, it is theft on numerous levels. I've have always had an allergic response, rejecting any possessiveness of any kind, though, needless to say, always respecting the property and possessiveness of others.
My general response to ownership, property or possesiveness has been to walk away.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Dakshinamurti
In Hinduism, Dakshinamurti, manifestation of Shiva, sits facing south and transmits truth through silent teaching.
To begin at the beginning...there is the abstract silence, from which arises the ego, which in turn gives rise to thought, and thought to the spoken word.
To begin at the beginning...there is the abstract silence, from which arises the ego, which in turn gives rise to thought, and thought to the spoken word.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Wierd lunch time conversations
Him : If you were to preach about something, what would you preach about?
Him : I would preach
Him : I would preach
- a Thoreau style civil disobediance on a personal level, and
- a find out for yourself attitude, Buddha style...
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