14 Feb

Posted at 12:09h in Observations

Religious practices vary considerably such that there is no scholarly consensus about what precisely constitutes a religion. However, religions are generally founded on matters supernatural, transcendental and spiritual. Standing on this foundation, all early adherents are on equal footing. As more adherents join a religion, structures are built upon its foundation to house them. The structures have many stories, stories upon stories; each sustaining the story above it. The most desirable living spaces in these building structures are those with the best views, those on the highest stories, the stories raised to reach the heavens. These living spaces are given to religious leaders and their wealthy supporters. Then, all adherents are no longer on equal footing. In fact, as soon as the structures are a couple of stories tall, their foundations are buried underground and not visible. All that remains are the stories....

05 Feb

Posted at 10:15h in Observations

Wisdom and compassion are the essence of divine consciousness. Wisdom is embracing many perspectives, not solely our personal perspective. Compassion is treating others as we wish to be treated. Wisdom is light. Compassion is love. While seemingly mutually exclusive, wisdom and compassion are mutually dependent as one doesn't exist without the other. Wisdom is the realization that "every thing" is a different aspect of one thing. While "every thing" appears as a distinct thing that seems it can be variously described, "every thing" is temporary and ever-changing. Thus, "every thing" cannot be described as it is not the same thing at the end of its description as it was at the start. Ultimately, "every thing" is a manifestation of one thing that cannot be described beyond that it is what it is whatever it is. Thus, "every thing," when viewed as independent of the one thing, is illusionary. Though illusionary, "every thing" appears real, different from every other thing and as a function of our individual perspectives and attitudes. Thus, to truly know some thing, and ultimately realize it is part of the one thing, we need to embrace all perspectives and accept that our personal perspective is not better than that of others. This is wisdom. With wisdom, we embrace others and their perspectives as dear to us as ourselves and our own. This is compassion. With compassion we treat others as we wish to be treated as we realize we and others are just seemingly different, temporary manifestations of one thing. Thus, with compassion, we identify with others and embrace their perspectives. Hence, compassion and wisdom are one. Ultimately, as in Dante's "Divine Comedy," wisdom is the light that leads us to compassion, the love of everything, as "every thing" is everything....

02 Feb

Posted at 10:15h in Observations

Time is a light from beyond the horizon making its way to here. Time is an echo making its way to somewhere. Time is a subtle breeze lulling us to sleep....

01 Feb

Posted at 10:15h in Observations

"There are two young fish swimming along who happen to meet an older fish. The older fish nods at them and says: ‘Morning boys, how’s the water?’ The two young fish swim on for a bit and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and asks: 'What the hell is water?'" Of the most basic things we are often oblivious. Yet, as we enter Act 3 of our lives, the transition, our appreciation of the most subtle things is enhanced. For example, an "ugly" formica kitchen surface, that we desperately want to replace with granite, is overwhelmingly beautiful when we envision ourselves dying in five minutes....

31 Jan

Posted at 10:15h in Observations

"Any man who carries a hyphen about with him carries a dagger that he is ready to plunge into the vitals of this Republic whenever he gets ready." Theodore Roosevelt: "There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all ...

30 Jan

Posted at 10:15h in Observations

“The one who would be in constant happiness must frequently change." Those who are happy are grateful for and make the best of whatever their circumstances. As the only constant in the universe is change, to always be happy we need frequently change as our circumstances change....

29 Jan

Posted at 10:15h in Observations

According to Wikipedia, "A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation".  The first laser was built in 1960, Lasers are used in optical disc drives, laser printers, barcode scanners, DNA sequencing instruments, fiber-optic, semiconducting chip manufacturing (photolithography), and free-space optical communication, laser surgery and skin treatments, cutting and welding materials, military and law enforcement devices for marking targets and measuring range and speed, and in laser lighting displays for entertainment." Clearly, a laser can do many extraordinary things relative to a flashlight. Yet, for making our way through a dark thicket, a flashlight is better. Likewise, those with a laser-sharp mind are best not deployed to solve simple tasks. For example, undoubtedly Albert Einstein was extraordinarily brilliant, yet forgot the basic concept of gravity (what goes up must go down) as he lost most of the money he received with his Noble Prize in the stock market in the 1920s....

27 Jan

Posted at 10:15h in Observations

According to Wikipedia "The word [analyI sis] comes from the Ancient Greek ἀνάλυσις (analysis, "a breaking-up" or "an untying;" from ana- "up, throughout" and lysis "a loosening")." Separately, Wikipedia states  the word "bullshit" means nonsense and derives from the "word 'bull' [which] may have derived from the Old French bole meaning 'fraud, deceit'" However, perhaps "analysis' is rooted in the word "anal." At the dawn of humanity, humans were hunter-gatherers. In hunting for prey, hunters would follow the tracks of an animal and identify it and its proximity by analyzing its feces for freshness, form, texture, taste and smell. Thus, the first analysis was the examination of anal excrement. As civilization developed with the advent of farming, hunters tracking bison at times initially misidentified the feces of a rancher's bull as that of bison; bullshit, not the real thing they were seeking....

25 Jan

Posted at 10:15h in Observations

"To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it.” We are often prisoners of our mind which, as its etymology, is our memory....

23 Jan

Posted at 10:15h in Observations

"He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.” Perhaps Confucius means that he who conquers his self is the mightiest warrior. The self is our identity that is manifested by our body, finite in time and space. When we conquer our self, we are nothing but one of infinite manifestations of the universe which is forever and endless. To conquer our self takes the greatest courage to overcome the fear that we will be nothing. But it takes little courage when we realize the obvious, sooner or later our self will be nothing....