Canadian Content - Philosophy Discussion http://forums.canadiancontent.net Studies, articles, news, etc. ... Anything about why we do what we do. en Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:04:28 GMT vBulletin 60 http://forums.canadiancontent.net/images/styles/cancon/misc/rss.jpg Canadian Content - Philosophy Discussion http://forums.canadiancontent.net Intelligence (from Dion thread) http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=75243 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:45:22 GMT Does it show more intelligence to ask questions or to answer them? I though this might generate some discussion (or not) as it had started to in... Does it show more intelligence to ask questions or to answer them?

I though this might generate some discussion (or not) as it had started to in another thread. Could be a chicken or egg delimma. Light and civil please. ]]> Philosophy Discussion Lineman http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=75243 Thought and conciousness http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=75239 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:18:48 GMT What is the relationship between thought and consciousness? why do we seem unable to go beyond thought? What is thought and what is consciousness?... What is the relationship between thought and consciousness? why do we seem unable to go beyond thought? What is thought and what is consciousness? Are the two different? When we say what is the relationship between thought and consciousness, it implies, does it not, that there are two different entities, or two different movements? First we have to consider what thought is, for it is upon this whole question of thinking that all our conduct, our activities, are based. Thought is part of our emotions, sentiments, reactions and the recognition of those reactions. And what is consciousness? To be conscious of something, to be aware of, to be able to recognise, to understand, that is the whole field in which the mind is in operation, and that is more or less what we mean by consciousness.You can reason this and think it out for your self .You don't need a degree ,you don't have to be a philosopher .So,what is the relationship between the two? All our activities are based on thought, with its images, past remembrances or future projections and the enormous activity in every direction, technological, psychological, physical. And our relationship with each other is based on thought, the thought which has created your image about another and the other's image about you. That thought surely is based on knowledge, experience, memory. The reaction of that memory is thinking. And experience, knowledge, memory and the movement of thought is a material process. So thought is always limited because knowledge is always limited. There is no complete knowledge about anything - except the ending of knowledge, which is a different matter. So where there is the operation of knowledge and the movement of memory, thought is limited, finite, definite. And what part does thought play in consciousness? All the knowledge which we have accumulated, all the experiences, not only the personal but the collective memories, genetic responses, the accumulated experience of generation after generation, all the travail, anxiety, fear and the pleasures, the dogmas, the beliefs, the attachments, the pain of sorrow - all that is our consciousness. You can add to or take away from it but it is still the movement of thought as consciousness. One can say there is a super consciousness but it would still be part of thought. Consciousness is in constant movement, breaking up the `you' and the `me'. Our consciousness is made up of its content; without that content what is our consciousness? Is there a consciousness totally differing from that which is made up of the various activities of thought which we call consciousness? To come to that point one has to find out if thought can end, not temporarily, not between two thoughts as a gap, or a period of silence or unconscious movement. Can thought ever end? Again you don't have to be a philosopher to think it out . ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=75239 Imagine http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=75103 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:13:52 GMT Imagine that you're full of energy and enthusiasm,excitedand positive about the day ahead. Imagine that you're highly effective, able to achieve whatever you set out to do with confidence and ease.In your mind's eye, see yourself working with discipline and focus, quickly and easily making the decisions that move your world forward. Visualize yourself as always knowing what to say and do in every situation. Imagine yourself being the person you've always wanted to be. Imagine living the life you've always dreamed of living.
See it all in rich and colorful detail. Allow yourself to dream, and know, with absolute certainty, that you can have it, you can do it and you can be it.
Make your image of yourself and your life a positive one, and you'll program yourself for real, sustained success. Imagine yourself at your very best, and hold that image firmly in your mind, day after day, moment by moment.What you're able to imagine, you're able to create and experience. Dare to imagine, and then put your precious time to good use by bringing your imagination to life . ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=75103 The absolute truth . http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74916 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:00:39 GMT There is a assumption these days that everything is relative, a matter of personal opinion, that there is no such thing as truth or fact independent... There is a assumption these days that everything is relative, a matter of personal opinion, that there is no such thing as truth or fact independent of personal perception.
Just wonder ; is there such a thing as truth apart from personal belief, apart from personal opinion? Is there such a thing as truth? This question was asked in the ancient days by the Greeks, by the Hindus and by the Buddhists. It is one of the strange facts in the Eastern religions that doubt was encouraged - to doubt, to question - and in religion in the West it is rather put down, it is called heresy. I think that one must find out for oneself, apart from personal opinions, perceptions, experiences, which are always relative, whether there is a perception, a seeing, which is absolute truth, not relative.
How would one find out if there is such a thing as truth which is absolute, which is complete, which is never changing in the climate of personal opinions? How does one's mind, the intellect, thought, find out? One is enquiring into something that demands a great deal of investigation, an action in daily life, a putting aside of that which is false -I believe that is the only way to proceed. If one has an illusion, a fantasy, an image, a romantic concept, of truth or love, then that is the very barrier that prevents one moving further. Can one honestly investigate what is an illusion? How does illusion come into being? What is the root of it? What it means is playing with something which is not actual , right?
The actual is that which is happening, whether it is what may be called good, bad or indifferent; it is that which is actually taking place. When one is incapable of facing that which is actually taking place in oneself, one creates illusions to escape from it. If one is unwilling or afraid to face what is actually going on, that very avoidance creates illusion, a fantasy, a romantic movement, away from that which is. That word `illusion' implies the moving away from that which is. Can one avoid this movement, this escape, from actuality? What is the actual? The actual is that which is happening, including the responses, the ideas, the beliefs and opinions one has. To face them is not to create illusion. Illusions can take place only when there is a movement away from the fact, from that which is happening, that which actually is. In understanding that which is, it is not one's personal opinion that judges but the actual observation. One cannot observe what is actually going on if one's belief or conditioning qualifies the observation; then it is the avoidance of the understanding of that which is.
If one could look at what is actually taking place, then there would be complete avoidance of any form of illusion. Can one do this? Can one actually observe one's dependency; either dependency on a person, on a belief, on an ideal, or on some experience which has given one a great deal of excitement? That dependence inevitably creates illusion. So a mind that is no longer creating illusion, that has no hypotheses, that has no hallucinations, that does not want to grasp an experience of that which is called truth, has now brought order into itself. it has order. There is no confusion brought about by illusions, by delusions, hallucinations; the mind has lost its capacity to create illusions. Then what is truth? The astrophysicists, the scientists, are using thought to investigate the material world around them, they are going beyond physics, beyond, but always moving outward. But if one starts inwards one sees that the `me' is also matter. And thought is matter. If one can go inwards, moving from fact to fact, then one begins to discover that which is beyond matter. Then there is such a thing as absolute truth, if one goes through with it .Please investigate it ; in yourself. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74916 The way it is, http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74882 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:17:23 GMT Thought can never penetrate very deeply into any problem of human relationship. Thought is superficial and old and is the outcome of the past. The... Thought can never penetrate very deeply into any problem of human relationship. Thought is superficial and old and is the outcome of the past. The past cannot enter into something that is totally new. It can explain the new, organize it, communicate it, but the "word" is not the new. Thought is the word, the symbol, the image. Without this symbol is there thought? We have used thought to reconstruct, to change the social structure. Thought, being old, reforms that structure into a new pattern, based upon the old. And basically, thought is divisive, fragmentary, and whatever it does will be separative and contradictory. However much it may explain philosophically or religiously the new and necessary social structure, in it there will always be the seed of destruction, of war and of violence. Thought is not the way to the new. Only meditation opens the door to that which is everlastingly new. Meditation is not a trick of thought. It is the seeing of the futility of thought and the ways of the intellect. Intellect and thought are necessary in the operation of anything mechanical, but the intellect is a fragmentary perception of the whole and meditation is the seeing of the whole. Intellect can operate only in the field of the known and that is why life becomes a monotonous routine from which we try to escape through revolts and revolutions - merely to fall back once again into another field of the known. This change is no change at all as it is the product of thought which is always old. Meditation is the flight from the known. There is only one freedom: it is, from the known. And beauty and love lie in this freedom.

Obviously you don't have to agree or whatever ;not telling you how to live as some may imply . ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74882 Negative people make alot of noise. http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74765 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:58:51 GMT Those who are negative make a lot of noise about how bad things are. Those who are positive quietly and steadily make a lot of real improvements... Those who are negative make a lot of noise about how bad things are. Those who are positive quietly and steadily make a lot of real improvements and contributions to life.There are always problems and there are always challenges. And there are always people willing to transform those challenges into great opportunities.Those who have the courage, commitment and discipline to follow their own best dreams, bring the rest of the world along with them. Those who choose to do the best they can with what they have, create a better life for everyone.For every high-profile guru of doom who wails about how hopeless and unfair life is, there are millions of others working tirelessly to make life better than ever. For every frightening crisis that is breathlessly reported, there are millions of real, meaningful success stories that don't get noticed, but that do have enormous positive influence.Negative people obsess over the past while positive people work their way eagerly toward the future. Life gets better and better when you choose to make it so, and the future is bright indeed. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74765 Curiosity http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74764 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:52:58 GMT Curiosity will take you to wonderful places you never would have otherwise known you could go. Curiosity is, at its heart, a love for life and... Curiosity will take you to wonderful places you never would have otherwise known you could go. Curiosity is, at its heart, a love for life and everything in it.Those who are the most authentically and persistently curious are the best informed. Simple, sincere curiosity brings a richness of wisdom and unique experience into your life.The biggest impediment to curiosity is arrogance. For in order to be truly curious, you must first admit that you do not know.Keep in mind that intelligence is more than a measure of what you already know. Intelligence depends on always being open to learning new things, some of which will contradict and supersede what you already thought you knew.Though curiosity will often compel you to undertake great effort, curiosity itself requires no effort. Drop your pretenses, allow yourself to be curious, and you are.There is no end to the wonder that you can discover, wherever you are, whatever you do. Be curious, and be fully alive. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74764 <![CDATA[Your best teacher>]]> http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74760 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:21:01 GMT Life is a continual learning experience. Make the commitment to never stop learning, and you'll live a vibrant, fulfilling life.During our formal education we get the mistaken impression that we need someone else -- a teacher -- in order to learn.However, your best teacher is YOU. Life is always presenting you with learning experiences. You can choose to learn from them or not. It's all in your attitude. Everything that happens to you, both "good" and "bad" -- especially "bad" -- is an opportunity to learn.When you encounter a setback, you have basically two choices. You can choose to be angry and resentful and depressed about it, or you can choose to learn from it. The way you react is completely up to you. If you're angry and resentful, what will that get you? How will it add value and accomplishment to your life?When you choose to learn from every experience, you focus your attention on constant self-improvement and positive enrichment. Life presents lessons to you every day. It's up to you to do the learning. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74760 Free from the EGO http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74759 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:45:16 GMT There is more to live than serving your EGO.Those things that seem like failures to the EGO , are pure opportunities for raising your awareness to...
There is more to live than serving your EGO.Those things that seem like failures to the EGO , are pure opportunities for raising your awareness to higher more fulfilling levels.Experiences your ego would never allow will connect you to what you sincerely desire. Feelings, thoughts and actions that go beyond yourself show you who you truly are.Anxiety, fear, worry and doubt are all devices that your ego uses to hold you back. Stop being a slave to ego, and you are free to live without limits.By appealing to your ego and cooperating with it, others are able to control your life. Yet when you let go of your ego's concerns, you can freely live to fulfill your own true purposes.Why would you wish to be a slave when you can choose to be the master of your destiny? Why would you let ego hold you back when there are so many great things you can accomplish?The best thing you can do for yourself is to live your life beyond yourself. Let go of your ego's incessant pleading, and discover a whole new wonderful world.
]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74759 3D image http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74744 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:26:10 GMT I want to share with you this interesting video: http://www.kabbalah.info/engkab/kabbala ... ciousness1... I want to share with you this interesting video:
http://www.kabbalah.info/engkab/kabbala ... ciousness1
What do you think about this? ]]> Philosophy Discussion katnut http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74744 Unitity of mind and heart . http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74684 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:47:40 GMT Training the intellect does not result in intelligence. Rather, intelligence comes into being when one acts in perfect harmony, both intellectually... Training the intellect does not result in intelligence. Rather, intelligence comes into being when one acts in perfect harmony, both intellectually and emotionally. There is a vast distinction between intellect and intelligence. Intellect is merely thought functioning independently of emotion. When intellect, irrespective of emotion, is trained in any particular direction, one may have great intellect, but one does not have intelligence, because in intelligence there is the inherent capacity to feel as well as to reason; in intelligence both capacities are equally present, intensely and harmoniously.Now moderneducation is developing the intellect, offering more and more explanations of life, more and more theories, without the harmonious quality of affection. Therefore we have developed cunning minds to escape from conflict; hence we are satisfied with explanations that scientists and philosophers give us. The mind-the intellect-is satisfied with these innumerable explanations, but intelligence is not, for to understand there must be complete unity of mind and heart in action
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Quote:
Obviously you don,t have to agree with this or any other post that I have placed .Hope you don't
. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74684 Sentient...... http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74624 Sun, 15 Jun 2008 09:29:23 GMT 1. Marked by comprehension, cognizance, and perception: alive (http://www.answers.com/topic/alive), awake (http://www.answers.com/topic/awake), aware...
  1. Marked by comprehension, cognizance, and perception: alive, awake, aware, cognizant, sensible, wise1. Slang hip. Idioms: on to. See knowledge/ignorance.
  2. Able to receive and respond to external stimuli: impressible, impressionable, responsive, sensible, sensitive, susceptible, susceptive. See awareness/unawareness.
]]> Philosophy Discussion scratch http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74624 <![CDATA[Happiness & Selfish]]> http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74602 Sat, 14 Jun 2008 04:43:27 GMT When do I be happy? I am happy when the things are done in the way I wanted. I am happy when my favorite team wins. I am happy when the food is of my... When do I be happy? I am happy when the things are done in the way I wanted. I am happy when my favorite team wins. I am happy when the food is of my taste. I am happy when my boss grates me. I am happy when I spend the weekend with my loved one. Most of my happiness based on my preferences and desires. Tell me is my happiness based on my selfishness? ]]> Philosophy Discussion hariharan http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74602 Think for yourself . http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74502 Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:10:13 GMT If you expect to be told what or how without taking the time to understand why, then you can also expect to often be deceived. When you are...
If you expect to be told what or how without taking the time to understand why, then you can also expect to often be deceived. When you are unwilling to think for yourself, there are plenty of people eagerly waiting to take advantage of you.You have an extraordinarily powerful and capable mind. Go to the trouble and make the effort to make full use of it, particularly when it concerns your own affairs.Life is increasingly complex, and you can't be expected to know every little detail about every little thing. But you will be vastly more effective when you take the time to learn the fundamental principles of what you're doing and utilize good, solid reasoning.When it's your health, your money, your career, your property, your family or your future that's at stake, it's your responsibility to understand the situation. The person best suited to act in your best interest is you.Certainly it is wise to seek the advice of experts. But stay away from anyone who promises to do your thinking for you.Make the effort to be informed and then put that information to good, positive use. Think for yourself, and successfully live life on your own terms.
]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74502 Awarenes http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74501 Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:20:09 GMT Do you know what you mean by the word "aware"? Probably you use it in the sense that "I think," "I feel," and so on. It is very important to understand. The dictionary says: "the condition of being aware."But you cannot be aware of anything. Somebody has fed people with this kind of BS. You have been fed so long on this bunk that anybody saying anything on this probably creates some kind of indigestion there. You want the same thing there. What exactly do you mean by `aware'? You cannot be aware. There is no you. When there is an awareness there is no you. It is not there. It (the awareness) is aware of itself. It sounds mystical, but it is so. The anger or the feeling is aware of itself.
The `you' separates you from that. That is the movement of thought. There is nothing else other than what you are looking at.
My emphasis is that awareness cannot be separated from the activity of the brain. It cannot be used as an instrument to understand anything, much less to bring about any change. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74501 Prayers for the Poor http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74409 Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:06:28 GMT Some religious practices ask that you pray for the poor or for the less fortunate. Other prayer, in contrast, deals only with yourself and your... Some religious practices ask that you pray for the poor or for the less fortunate. Other prayer, in contrast, deals only with yourself and your correction. Your job is determine what you need in order to be complete. They pray to advance in your completeness.
This does not mean that you do not care about other people, especially those who need extra help. Correction means becoming altruistic instead of egoistic. Therefore, caring for others is "built-in" in the prayer. If you are not praying to become altruistic then you are not praying for correction anyway.
Being poor means being deficient, not having something. But why pray for something instead of working to get it? Because there is one thing that, no matter how hard we work for it, we will never get by ourselves: the Creator's quality of bestowal. So praying for the poor is wanting everyone to have the quality of bestowal because that the only thing they can't find on their one. Those who pray for the poor, for others, are rewarded first.
Your opinions?
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http://www.kabbalah.info/ ]]> Philosophy Discussion katnut http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74409 The beginning and the end is in us http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74344 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:28:58 GMT Image: http://www.jkrishnamurti.org/images/px_trans.gif The discovery that lies in self-knowledge is arduous, for the beginning and the end is in us... The discovery that lies in self-knowledge is arduous, for the beginning and the end is in us . To seek happiness, love, hope outside of us leads to illusion, to sorrow; to find happiness, peace, joy within requires self-knowledge. We are slaves to the immediate pressures and demands of the world, and we are drawn away by all that and dissipate our energies in all that, and so we have little time to study ourselves. To be deeply cognizant of our motives, of our desires to achieve, to become, demands constant, inward awareness.I think that without understanding ourselves, superficial devices of economic and social reform, however necessary and beneficial, will not produce unity in the world but only greater confusion and misery.Your thought . ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74344 Our body, our feelings, our thoughts. http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74235 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:48:15 GMT Image: http://www.jkrishnamurti.org/images/px_trans.gif To understand ourselves requires objective, kindly, dispassionate study of ourselves,... To understand ourselves requires objective, kindly, dispassionate study of ourselves, ourselves being the organism as a whole—our body, our feelings, our thoughts. They are not separate, they are interrelated. It is only when we understand the organism as a whole that we can go beyond and discover still further, greater, vaster things. But without this primary understanding, without laying right foundation for right thinking, we cannot proceed to greater heights. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74235 Permission to post in the philosophy section? http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74217 Sat, 31 May 2008 11:57:12 GMT Thanks; Not my cup of tea, but probably should be read by all who consider themselves to be philosophers: http://consc.net/zombies.html full... Thanks;

Not my cup of tea, but probably should be read by all who consider themselves to be philosophers:

http://consc.net/zombies.html


full credit and thanks to David Chalmers ]]> Philosophy Discussion Nuggler http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74217 To comprehend the totality of life http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74190 Fri, 30 May 2008 16:30:51 GMT Life demands that I look at it afresh. Because life is movement, it is not a dead, static thing, and I must therefore approach it with a mind that is... Life demands that I look at it afresh. Because life is movement, it is not a dead, static thing, and I must therefore approach it with a mind that is capable of looking at it without translating it in certain terms—as a Hindu, a Christian, or whatever it is I happen to be. So, before I can look at the whole picture, I must be aware of how my mind is burdened with knowledge, tradition, which prevents it from looking afresh at that which is moving, living. Knowledge, however wide, however necessary at one level, does not bring comprehension of life, which is a constant movement. If my mind is burdened with technique, training, so that it can understand only that which is static, dead, then I can have no comprehension of life as a whole. To comprehend the totality of life, I must understand the process of knowledge, and how knowledge interferes with that comprehension. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74190 <![CDATA[How to "become" intelligent .]]> http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74136 Thu, 29 May 2008 14:43:12 GMT The moment you try to become intelligent, you cease to be intelligent.If I am stupid and everybody tells me that I must become intelligent, what... The moment you try to become intelligent, you cease to be intelligent.If I am stupid and everybody tells me that I must become intelligent, what generally happens? I struggle to become intelligent, I study more, I try to get better marks in school or wherever. Then people say, "He is working harder," and pat me on the back; but I continue to be stupid because I have only acquired the trimmings of intelligence. So the problem is not how to become intelligent, but how to be free of stupidity. If, being stupid, I try to become intelligent, I am still functioning stupidly.You see, the basic problem is that of change. When you ask, "What is intelligence and how is one to become intelligent?" it implies a concept of what intelligence is, and then you try to become like that concept. Now, to have a formula, a theory or concept of what intelligence is, and to try to mould yourself according to that pattern, is foolish, is it not? Whereas, if one is dull and begins to find out what dullness is without any desire to change it into something else, without saying, "I am dull, stupid, how terrible!", then one will find that in unravelling the problem there comes an intelligence freed of stupidity, and without effort ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74136 To have Chatacter. http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74132 Thu, 29 May 2008 10:22:22 GMT To have character means,to be able to withstand the false and hold on to the true; but to build character is difficult, because for most people what... To have character means,to be able to withstand the false and hold on to the true; but to build character is difficult, because for most people what is said by the book, by the teacher,by the government is more important than to find out things for them self. To think for oneself, to find out what is true and stand by it, without being influenced, whatever life may bring of misery or happiness - that is what builds character.For instance, you do not believe in war, not because of what some reformer or religious teacher has said, but because you have thought it out for yourself. You have investigated, gone into the question, meditated upon it, and for you , all killing is wrong, whether it is killing to eat, killing out of hatred, or killing for the so called love of one's country. Now, if you feel this very strongly and stick to it in spite of everything, regardless of whether you go to prison or are shot for it, as you may be in certain countries, then you will have character. Then character has quite a different meaning, it is not the character which society cultivates. But, you see, you are not encouraged in this direction; and neither the educator nor the student has the vitality, the energy to think out and see what is true, and hold to it, letting the false go. But if you can do this then you won't follow any political or religious leader, because you will be a light unto yourself; and the discovery and cultivation of that light,throughout life, is an education- without any diplomas or degrees. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74132 What makes us fear death? http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74096 Wed, 28 May 2008 12:33:44 GMT Do you think a leaf that falls to the ground is afraid of death? Do you think a bird lives in fear of dying? It meets death when death comes; but it... Do you think a leaf that falls to the ground is afraid of death? Do you think a bird lives in fear of dying? It meets death when death comes; but it is not concerned about death, it is much too occupied with living, with catching insects, building a nest, singing a song, flying for the very joy of flying. Have you ever watched birds soaring high up in the air without a beat of their wings, being carried along by the wind? How endlessly they seem to enjoy themselves! They are not concerned about death. If death comes, it is all right, they are finished. There is no concern about what is going to happen; they are living from moment to moment, are they not? It is we human beings who are always concerned about death - because we are not living. That is the trouble: we are dying, we are not living. The old people are near the grave, and the young ones are not far behind. You see, there is this preoccupation with death because we are afraid to lose the known, the things that we have gathered.We are afraid to lose what we have learnt, accumulated. If we could carry over all the things that we have gathered - our friends our possessions, our virtues, our character - then we would not be afraid of death, would we?
Now, if you can live from moment to moment and not be concerned about the future, if you can live without the thought of tomorrow - which does not mean the superficiality of merely being occupied with today; if, being aware of the whole process of the known, you can, relinquish the known, let it go completely, then you will find that an astonishing thing takes place. Try it for a day - put aside everything you know, forget it, and just see what happens. Don't carry over your worries from day to day, from hour to hour, from moment to moment; let them all go, and you will see that out of this freedom there comes an extraordinary life that includes both living and dying. Death is only the ending of something, and in that very ending there is a renewing. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74096 Am I happy? http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74056 Tue, 27 May 2008 00:09:35 GMT I don't know. I have never thought about it. The moment you think you are happy, you cease to be happy, don't you? When you are having fun and shouting with joy, what happens the moment you become conscious that you are joyous? You stop being joyous. Have you noticed it? So happiness is something which is not within the field of self-consciousness.When you try to be good, are you good? Can goodness be practised? Or is goodness something that comes naturally because you see, observe, understand? Similarly, when you are conscious that you are happy, happiness goes out of the window. To seek happiness is absurd, because there is happiness only when you don't seek it.Same with humility? Can you cultivate humility? If you repeat every morning, "I am going to be humble", is that humility? Or does humility arise of itself when you no longer have pride, vanity? In the same way, when the things that prevent happiness are gone, when anxiety, frustration, the search for one's own security have ceased, then happiness is there, you don't have to seek it. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74056 Why do we seek fame? http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74055 Mon, 26 May 2008 23:19:52 GMT Have you ever thought about it? We want to be famous as a writer, as a poet, as a painter, as a politician, as a singer, or what you will. Why?... Have you ever thought about it? We want to be famous as a writer, as a poet, as a painter, as a politician, as a singer, or what you will. Why? Because we really don't love what we are doing. If you loved to sing, or to paint, or to write poems - if you really loved it - you would not be concerned with whether you are famous or not. To want to be famous is tawdry, trivial, stupid, it has no meaning; but, because we don't love what we are doing, we want to enrich ourselves with fame. Our present education is rotten because it teaches us to love success and not what we are doing. The result has become more important than the action.You know, it is good to hide your brilliance under a bushel, to be anonymous, to love what you are doing and not to show off. It is good to be kind without a name. That does not make you famous, it does not cause your photograph to appear in the newspapers. Politicians do not come to your door. You are just a creative human being living anonymously, and in that there is richness and great beauty. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=74055