Thursday, August 12, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
The philosophy of Despair
It is written in the very structure of the brain that each impression of the senses must bring with it the impulse to act.
One of the few things that we may know in life is this, that it is impossible for man to know anything absolutely.
To reach for the ultimate end of action is never to begin to act.
Greater sensitiveness to external things means greater capacity for pain, hence greater suffering, when the natural channels of effort are closed.
That the joys thus produced had no real objective existence, man was not long in finding out, and it soon appeared that for each subjective pleasure which had no foundation in action, there was a subjective sorrow, likewise unrelated to external things.
What, then, are you doing under these blue skies? The thing you do should be for you the most important thing in the world.
It does not matter if the greatest thing for you to do be not in itself great. The best preparation for greatness comes in doing faithfully the little things that lie nearest. The nearest is the greatest in most human lives.
It is not that "I come like water and like wind I go." I am here today, and the moment and the place are real, and my will is itself one of the fates that make and unmake all things.
Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it.
The book was written by David Starr Jordan.
One of the few things that we may know in life is this, that it is impossible for man to know anything absolutely.
To reach for the ultimate end of action is never to begin to act.
Greater sensitiveness to external things means greater capacity for pain, hence greater suffering, when the natural channels of effort are closed.
That the joys thus produced had no real objective existence, man was not long in finding out, and it soon appeared that for each subjective pleasure which had no foundation in action, there was a subjective sorrow, likewise unrelated to external things.
What, then, are you doing under these blue skies? The thing you do should be for you the most important thing in the world.
It does not matter if the greatest thing for you to do be not in itself great. The best preparation for greatness comes in doing faithfully the little things that lie nearest. The nearest is the greatest in most human lives.
It is not that "I come like water and like wind I go." I am here today, and the moment and the place are real, and my will is itself one of the fates that make and unmake all things.
Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it.
The book was written by David Starr Jordan.
Seven Principles
Thesis and antithesis are identical in nature, but different in degree"; "opposites are the same, differing only in degree"; "the pairs of opposites may be reconciled"; "extremes meet"; "everything is and isn't, at the same time"; "all truths are but half-truths"; "every truth is half-false"; "there are two sides to everything," etc., etc., etc.
6 The Principle of Cause and Effect
"Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause; everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law."—The Kybalion.
6 The Principle of Cause and Effect
"Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause; everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law."—The Kybalion.
The Kybalion: The seven principles
1. The Principle of Mentalism. 2. The Principle of Correspondence. 3. The Principle of Vibration. 4. The Principle of Polarity. 5. The Principle of Rhythm. 6. The Principle of Cause and Effect. 7. The Principle of Gender.
The Principle of Mentalism
"THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental."—The Kybalion.
2. The Principle of Correspondence
"As above, so below; as below, so above."—The Kybalion.
3. The Principle of Vibration
"Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates."—The
Kybalion.
4. The Principle of Polarity
"Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled."—The Kybalion.
The Principle of Mentalism
"THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental."—The Kybalion.
2. The Principle of Correspondence
"As above, so below; as below, so above."—The Kybalion.
3. The Principle of Vibration
"Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates."—The
Kybalion.
4. The Principle of Polarity
"Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled."—The Kybalion.
The Kybalion
Now for a second proof. Three kinds of pleasure correspond to the three elements of the soul—reason, spirit, desire. In each man one of the three is in the ascendant. One counts knowledge vain in comparison with the advantages of riches, another with those of honour; to the philosopher only truth counts. But he is the only one of them who makes his choice from experience of all three kinds. And he, the only qualified judge, places the satisfaction of the spirit second, and of desire lowest. And yet a third proof: I fancy the only quite real pleasures are those of the philosopher. There is an intermediate state between pleasure and pain. To pass into this from pleasure is painful, and from pain is pleasurable. Now, the pleasures of the body are really nothing more than reliefs from pains of one kind or another. And, next, the pleasures of the soul, being of the eternal order, are necessarily more real than those of the body, which are fleeting—in fact, mere shadows of pleasure.
Greater far are the rewards of virtue than all we have yet shown; for an immortal soul should heed nothing that is less than eternal. "What, is the soul then immortal? Can you prove that?" Yes, of a surety. In all things there is good and evil; a thing perishes of its own corruption, not of the corruption of aught external to it.
In a word, love is the nourishment of the heart as food is of the body; to love is to fulfill the desire of nature, to satisfy a need. But if possible, manage it so that it will not become a passion.
Disgust and weariness follow you everywhere. You seek solitude, and as soon as you are enjoying it, it wearies you.
the people of Ancient Greece also made him one of their many gods—calling him "Hermes, the god of Wisdom.
The legends of the "Philosopher's Stone" which would turn base metal into Gold, was an allegory relating to Hermetic Philosophy, readily understood by all students of true Hermeticism.
Greater far are the rewards of virtue than all we have yet shown; for an immortal soul should heed nothing that is less than eternal. "What, is the soul then immortal? Can you prove that?" Yes, of a surety. In all things there is good and evil; a thing perishes of its own corruption, not of the corruption of aught external to it.
In a word, love is the nourishment of the heart as food is of the body; to love is to fulfill the desire of nature, to satisfy a need. But if possible, manage it so that it will not become a passion.
Disgust and weariness follow you everywhere. You seek solitude, and as soon as you are enjoying it, it wearies you.
the people of Ancient Greece also made him one of their many gods—calling him "Hermes, the god of Wisdom.
The legends of the "Philosopher's Stone" which would turn base metal into Gold, was an allegory relating to Hermetic Philosophy, readily understood by all students of true Hermeticism.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Getting old is not for the weak hearted
I'm retired. I was tired yesterday, and I'm tired again today.
Someone had to remind me, so I'm reminding you too. Don't laugh.....it is all true.
Perks of reaching 50 or being over 60 and heading towards 70!
1. Kidnappers are not very interested in you..
2. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
3. No one expects you to run--anywhere.
4. People call at 9 pm and ask, did I wake you?
5. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
6. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
7. Things you buy now won't wear out.
8. You can eat supper at 4 pm.
9. You can live without sex but not your glasses.
10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.
11. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
12. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.
13. You sing along with elevator music.
14.. Your eyes won't get much worse.
15 . Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off..
16. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.
17. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.
18. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.
19. You can't remember who sent you this list.
And you notice these are all in Big Print for your convenience.
Forward this to every one you can remember right now! And Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
Someone had to remind me, so I'm reminding you too. Don't laugh.....it is all true.
Perks of reaching 50 or being over 60 and heading towards 70!
1. Kidnappers are not very interested in you..
2. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
3. No one expects you to run--anywhere.
4. People call at 9 pm and ask, did I wake you?
5. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
6. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
7. Things you buy now won't wear out.
8. You can eat supper at 4 pm.
9. You can live without sex but not your glasses.
10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.
11. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
12. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.
13. You sing along with elevator music.
14.. Your eyes won't get much worse.
15 . Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off..
16. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.
17. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.
18. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.
19. You can't remember who sent you this list.
And you notice these are all in Big Print for your convenience.
Forward this to every one you can remember right now! And Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
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