Tantobourne

I wholeheartedly agree with the concept. I definitely need to flesh-out my reading some. Someone once mentioned that the "Tao of Pooh" was an interesting read. Sting and the Police aside, synchronicity fits so well into the concept of 'cycles' and the 'as below, so above', 'drop of water into the ocean, ocean into the drop of water' concepts that I've mulled over.

I think I'll add to my list of 'books to read' ; ) Right now I'm casually reading through "Cryptonomicon" and doing some off-and-on reading of "The Dancing Wu-Li Masters". I had to forgo a Noam Chomsky book, "Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies". but his writing style is so heady and dry that it's tough to 'want' to go back and finish it. Good stuff, nonetheless, just...dry. Perhaps some Taoism and I Ching would be a bit more refreshing.

I'm not all to concerned with my ideas holding up under scrutiny. Under my own scrutiny, sure, since I'm comfortable with being a contradictory sot and changing my opinion when I want. I'm not sure I understood your question, though.

My motivations for 'breaking it down'? Oh...I don't know. It's that typical tinker mentality, I suppose. Sometimes I get a wild hair and want to rip something apart just to know how it works. My intent and subsequent gain would be to look at all the sub-components that comprise of the whole and to have a better mental picture of how it works.

From another point of view perhaps one could call it the 'dog vs. tail' syndrome. I like to chase my tail. Hell, I know it's a tail but for some reason I just have an urge to chase it. It's not all as hopeless as one would think, though. Eventually, like all air headed mutts, we tire of the game or actually catch the tail with a nip and feel the pain or we notice some other engrossing thing like a spot of fur on our rump to munch on. Either way, something else finally catches our myopic attention and we run off to go romp in the grass, bark at a sprinkler or sniff some passing by azz.

Again, don't quote me on this. I'm speculating...not stating any firm beliefs. The experience is in the journeys that we take through life. Some part of me would hope that there will be some final epiphany that would shatter my little chrysalis that is this life and I'd magically take a step up in consciousness (I'm not holding my breath and waiting on that...). In there being 'no more point in living' I'd refer to the concept of 'living' that we know of in this life. No even really physical death. Hell, who knows, I might have that one, long awaited epiphany and actually transcend leaving behind a physical shell fit for some mental hospital or life-support system in the local hospital.

I agree that there are answers. What's frustrating for me is that a boat load of those 'answers' are nothing that I have been successful in articulating to other people. Those 'answers' are privy only to myself and my direct connection with the experiences that brought them about.

I could pull a Buddah and drag someone back to that river under a fig tree and say, "See! Right here! Look! Can't you see it? Can't you feel it?" And that person might shrug and say, "No...what the F* are you on Gautama?" and then proceed to relieve themselves in the river.

I have to say that I've given quite a few blank stares to people completely excited about something that in no way or form invokes the same for me. I think of my boy for example. Without jinxing myself as a 'tired adult' there are just some things that he's thrilled about that I just shrug over. It's not all for waste, though, because I also revel in his 'discoveries' and growth. Sometimes in his 'answers' I find a nugget that brings us together. Maybe not under the same light but we take what we can get.

Naw..as much as this whole duality thing might 'suck', I think the greatest gift we could possible pull out of the whole thing is 'appreciation'. If we were all perfect human beings I'm not so sure we would feel the up's and down's that we experience. Perhaps this is what Keenan refers to as a 'holy gift' in Parabola. Perhaps not...

I agree...I'd re-word it for myself to read 'unite this polarity into a new perspective' or something like that. Either way, I think we're both going the same direction, here.

And, I believe, in due time this will happen. If we don't get atomized by passing cosmic debris, first = ) My best friend taught me a tough and tacit lesson..."You can't change someone who isn't willing to change." I of course didn't realize this for a good decade. I've faith, a sneaking suspicion, that with all the turmoil in the world that you'd made mention of...things will be just fine and we will progress.

Oh man, I agree. This dog is getting tired of chasing his tail. I'm glad that a few others decided to trot by and perform some synchronized tail chasing ; ) I always tell myself I need to think about this ego thing but for some reason...I find something else to do *evil grin*.

Damn Keenan for writing lyrics with a theme that can be found in all his songs.....I do agree that striving for that balance has benefits. Although I also respect some of the hard-core extreme personalities of people, too.

Yeah...some part of me still sticks with the idea of the event horizon. Perhaps because in all actuality one (a black hole) has never actually been 'seen' merely the effects it has on the space surrounding it. I don't honestly know if it is an impermeable border that threatens destruction. Even if it does...is that bad?

I agree and I raise my hand and offer myself up as the next 'poster child' = ) Damn I hate these little fricking cliché quotes but "Know what you have and not what you want" comes to mind. Either way, some things can't be rushed. Ya' gotta age it like a fine wine to get the best results.

Hey, we're all entitled to our 'little spirals' I'm just as guilty = ) I agree that perhaps this thread has been wrung for what it's worth. The best thing to do after all of this heady talk? Go out and live it a bit.

So this mutt is going to leave the tail alone for a bit and got chew on some grass. Actually, I need to go work on an old motorcycle and try and get it running. Good therapy in that.

*sigh* finally, now that the whole thread is hijacked from the one-mind concept (but...wait..couldn't all this discourse just be separate thoughts of one mind...) I wanted to veer back to another statement and another song...

"Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind".

I'll carry that thought on in the appropriate forum but I heard some people mention that this was a good thing. I don't think so ; ) If it was good than we could spend all our intellectual time chasing our tails and forget that there's trees to piss on and butterflies to chase.

With that....I must...pull ..myself ...away ...and ....go .....outside.....

-Tant