vanity

"For you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
Genesis 3:19 [Bible, Revised Standard Version, 1952]

"I have seen everything that is done under the sun,
and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind."
Ecclesiastes 1:14 [Bible, Revised Standard Version, 1952]

keep on truckin'

It is the history of America and the many crises that almost destroyed us, and the stories of the heroes that led us out of the darkness, that give me hope and strength, not anger or despair. Whatever the consequences of the current economic disaster, we will emerge a stronger nation, though it may be not apparent in terms of economic or political might. I really do place my trust in the minds of those who are working to navigate us through the next few years. No doubt there will be less than perfect decisions. Whether or not we like it, we all must accept it; that the course of events is not now within our purview, at least not mine. All the hand-wringing and debate, all the gurus, prophets,and armchair wizards will fade in the ever changing realities of the situation at hand.

We will endure and we will survive and we will emerge with integrity.

What Is Truth ?

The old man turned off the radio, said:
"Where did all of the old songs go?
"Kids sure play funny music these days.
"They play it in the strangest ways".
Said: "It looks to me like they've all gone wild.
"It was peaceful back when I was a child."
Well, man could it be that the girls and boys,
Are trying to be heard above your noise?
And the lonely voice of youth cries:
"What is truth?"

A little boy of three sittin' on the floor,
Looks up and says: "Daddy, what is war?"
"Son, that's when people fight and die."
A little boy of three says: "Daddy, why?"
A young man of seventeen in Sunday school,
Being taught the golden rule.
And by the time another year has gone around,
It may be his turn to lay his life down.
Can you blame the voice of youth for asking:
"What is truth?"

A young man sittin' on the witness stand,
The man with the book says: "Raise your hand.
"Repeat after me: I solemnly swear."
The man looked down at his long hair.
And although the young man solemnly swore,
Nobody seemed to hear anymore.
And it didn't really matter if the truth was there:
It was the cut of his clothes and the length of his hair.
And the lonely voice of youth cries:
"What is truth?"

The young girl dancing to the latest beat,
Has found new ways to move her feet.
The young man speaking in the city square,
Is trying to tell somebody that he cares.
Yeah, the ones that you're calling wild,
Are going to be the leaders in a little while.
This whole world's wakin' to a new born day,
And I solemnly swear that it'll be their way.
You better help that voice of youth find:
"What is truth."
And the lonely voice of youth cries:
"What is Truth?"

Written by John R. Cash.
(© Songs of Cash/Bughouse.)
Single release: © 1970, CBS Records.

poetry in motion

unrequited

how much longer must i squat

before i submit

the spirit rot

beneath the bar

chained to the pain

addicted to the quest for perfection.

its a dead end my friend

alas in vain

muscle and might i will not gain.

o god of iron yes set me free

let me go

its not me.

Polarity

Why must so many people divide persons and things into categories (i.e. stereoyping). Is it the simplest way to view "the rest of the human race?" Does it arise from a psychologic need, or is it simply the easiest way to avoid mental exertion?

Liberals are ..., Conservatives are ...., Religious people...., Muslims are ..., Jewish people ...., College professors ..., The media ..., and ad infinitem. How about "He's a pretty nice guy, except he's a communist"; or "stay away from him, he's a born-again."

All stereotyping stems from prejudice, based on prior teaching(often mythology), formative environment, and maybe specific experiences. Most people, it seems to me, use personal anecdotes to reinforce previously held beliefs.
Wouldn't it be more respectful to give each human being the dignity of being an individual who can think and act for himself?

The thinking is similar when it it comes to situations or ideas in pertaining to life in general. Most people [it seems to me] initially see solutions in terms of polarized trains of thought: we must do this(extreme measure), or do that(other end of spectrum). Some follow this train to the bitter end, others proceed to find a solution somewhere between the poles.

One example is Darwinism vs. Creationism. In today's world, the two can coexist in harmony; with the understanding that neither the terms [Darwinism(evolution), or Creationism] represent a coherent or unified set of principles or beliefs. The more accepted theory of evolution today does not equate to Darwinism as postulated around 1850. Nor does Creationism necessarily equate to a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis (in the Christian Bible). Theories evolve over time, and an individual can develop his own theory which contains elements of different theories. Once again, the naming of a theory usually just serves to establish a broad category which may be convenient but also serves to polarize people's beliefs. After all, a theory is a unified set of principles that purports to describe some aspect of reality; thus by definition does not represent a set of proven facts.

These simple thoughts represent a plea to all to strive for a truly open(and active) mind. This entails the willingness to temporarily discard all predjudices and examine a subject objectively using something akin to "the scientific method."

End of Today's Lecture

The Wisdom of Will Rogers

"You know horses are smarter than people. You never heard of a horse going broke betting on people."

more philosophy

"Our relationship with God is like the relationship of a drop of water to the ocean."
Yogi Shanti Desai, of Ocean City, New Jersey.

Since there are very few if any original ideas, it is pointless for me to fill up blogspace with my personal observations. It is really just an exercise in ego for me to do so, mostly with self serving and superficial motives. In doing so I am only borrowing others' ideas and displaying them as if my I had some part in developing them; or trying to present myself as a messenger of "truth".

Thus the emphasis on quotations which over the years have had a profound effect on my thinking.

"The universe that we see is a projection of our own mind."
Yogi Shanti Desai, YOGA Holistic Practice Manual

life

pain builds character;
character builds faith;
faith can move mountains.

(author unknown)