I think it was Sartre who said that he never felt as free as in Nazi-occupied France, because being part of the French resistance gave him a purpose to live as he became aware of his own freedom. Because only a truly free person can lose his freedom. Great video!
She must be my neighbour...I live very close to Cambridge...We have SUN today btw...I've already been out for a bike ride..So I hope she is enjoying this beautiful day as much as I am!
If one where to study the yin/yang symbol, it is easy to find that within the light lies the mustard seed of the dark, likewise the dark the seed of the light. Study the mustard seed of each, finding that the seed contains both, again. There is a simple fractal equation derived from this. However, when related to a coin, head or tail, purchase a soda, does the machine care which side of the coin the purchase was intended with? Beautiful scenery by the way! Knocks ice off the 3-4 inch drive.
Thats an interesting parallel - seeding iteratively being the basis of fractals. Their inner simialrity as an iterative returning I haven't thought about in regard to the yin/yang symbol, and what it represents.
Regarding it in practice (slot machine) - I am undecided about whether the yin/yang is ontological (pertaining to reality), or epistemology (pertaining to our conceptions). Or maybe that's another duality in need of collapse ;)
Perhaps a little of both, a thought experiment, and mayhap fire up 3DStudio. Take the symbol, then rotate it about its axis. Simultaneously, imagine the symbol as viewed on its edge and spin it. One should end up with sufficient spin to perceive a ball, or sphere, with edge seed or node intersecting the other, tracking the seed through this 3d space the symbol of infinity should result. Another gimmick is that one is able to use a well-drawn yin/yang to solve RMS AC current problems. =D
Cracking video Graham, and good thoughts. I'm still a little resistant to the yin/yang idea applied to pleasure and suffering though. I know people who seem to have nothing but pleasure in their lives, and others who seem to know only pain and depression. How can these things be so out of balance if they truly are mutually arising?
Thanks Fred. I think yin yang (when not trivialised by newage Pollyannaists) as a good duality-busting heuristic, offers a revealing analytic approach which would invite us to reconsider lives that 'seem' happy or wretched. When looked at over time, the periods of difficulty are often the incubation period for the period of reward, & vice verse.
Yin-yang isn't a balanced 'state' but balanced 'process'.
The seeds of one can be found in its complement. That's the sense in which they are a unity.
I want to agree with you here, but am still hearing echoes of the christian promise of a blissful afterlife that somehow balances a deeply wretched existence.
I wouldn't want this hope to be characterised as christian promise. That is just the way that particular religion has appropriated as its own what is a universal - hardwired in all humans (and which is i suspect is a major source of our innate instinct for developing 'god' concepts).
I don't 'believe in' objective fairness or ontological balance - shit happens - good guys can finish last. We have to find or create what balance we can - not 'our heavenly father.'
.... for all that i think that as non-dual awareness develops we get greater access to experiencing our lives with more unity & less polarity - and this arises as our lives become more sense based and less language dominated.
Its because language is a 'dualisng' process in a way that direct experience is not - (unresolved imbalances & inequalities notwithstanding.)
Brilliant Response Graham, and Almafarag, nice video to generate the discussion...I too enjoyed the Berman piece and have some similar thoughts to those raised here....in fact I'm currently writing a short essay about this sort of thing....the dangers of one "Global Tradition" of thought and Being dominating/eradicating all others. This loss in "cultural biodiversity" could potentially be very dangerous. We need to get over our dualism of Self vs Other if we are to be at peace. Hmm...
Thank you Graham:) for walking us through the sunny botanical gardens and your interesting thoughts..it is frosty minus 10 degrees cold out here in Sweden.
Duality...understanding self to understand others. We are all traveling this path of awareness, using our tools and snapping our way out of it..to perceive duality as a outsider too. Finally after all the arguing ( atheist/non atheist as you mentioned) we will all get there I guess.
im sat here, in the uk, its 9.17am and the skies are black and the roads icy and snowy...that garden looks so much better!....oops am i thinking in dualistic terms! :-) 'ideologies enslave us without us even knowing' this is very true its almost scary.
what a beautiful environment and what an articulate extension of my proposition, thanks for this Graham, I deeply appreciate this, yes,
it is through a process of friction that grace evolves, I have another question, though:
would grace reach its completion or its regression when all ideology and preconception, projection, expectation, etc were jettisoned? I think we both agree that this is not a cogent question but the possibility remains that maybe the issue is to reach an equilibrium of ego
Yes - i think egolessness (where narration is silenced and embodiment is total) is for meditative absorption experience - a state that refreshes and 'equilibriates' one before returnig to the turmoil of conventional reality, with a self relatively free of the torments of wishing and fearing. As you say - equilibrium, and far from the usual state we exist in.
This suggests the boddhisatva - who halts this side of the doors of nirvana in order to work for the good for all sentient beings.
btw the vid seems broke...
scuzzulus 1 year ago
have you heard of the RAS, reticular activation system...evolutionary scanning mechanism.
scuzzulus 1 year ago
I think it was Sartre who said that he never felt as free as in Nazi-occupied France, because being part of the French resistance gave him a purpose to live as he became aware of his own freedom. Because only a truly free person can lose his freedom. Great video!
lralon 2 years ago
YOU EVIL MAN! I'm shivering in the UK as I watch this video...
Excellent points about what death truly is...
2bsirius 2 years ago
Yes - my daughter shivering in Cambridge has told me that too :)
soulfetcher 2 years ago
She must be my neighbour...I live very close to Cambridge...We have SUN today btw...I've already been out for a bike ride..So I hope she is enjoying this beautiful day as much as I am!
2bsirius 2 years ago
If one where to study the yin/yang symbol, it is easy to find that within the light lies the mustard seed of the dark, likewise the dark the seed of the light. Study the mustard seed of each, finding that the seed contains both, again. There is a simple fractal equation derived from this. However, when related to a coin, head or tail, purchase a soda, does the machine care which side of the coin the purchase was intended with? Beautiful scenery by the way! Knocks ice off the 3-4 inch drive.
AhvousdiraijeMaman 2 years ago
Thats an interesting parallel - seeding iteratively being the basis of fractals. Their inner simialrity as an iterative returning I haven't thought about in regard to the yin/yang symbol, and what it represents.
Regarding it in practice (slot machine) - I am undecided about whether the yin/yang is ontological (pertaining to reality), or epistemology (pertaining to our conceptions). Or maybe that's another duality in need of collapse ;)
Im happy to seed the memory of summer.
soulfetcher 2 years ago
Perhaps a little of both, a thought experiment, and mayhap fire up 3DStudio. Take the symbol, then rotate it about its axis. Simultaneously, imagine the symbol as viewed on its edge and spin it. One should end up with sufficient spin to perceive a ball, or sphere, with edge seed or node intersecting the other, tracking the seed through this 3d space the symbol of infinity should result. Another gimmick is that one is able to use a well-drawn yin/yang to solve RMS AC current problems. =D
AhvousdiraijeMaman 2 years ago
so it does - nice one :)
soulfetcher 2 years ago
Should be able to do an image search of this this file on google.
ComplexSinInATimeAxe dot gif
Though, I see you follow what I am getting at! ;)
AhvousdiraijeMaman 2 years ago
Thanks so much for this!
Professoranton 2 years ago
Cracking video Graham, and good thoughts. I'm still a little resistant to the yin/yang idea applied to pleasure and suffering though. I know people who seem to have nothing but pleasure in their lives, and others who seem to know only pain and depression. How can these things be so out of balance if they truly are mutually arising?
conferencereport 2 years ago
Thanks Fred. I think yin yang (when not trivialised by newage Pollyannaists) as a good duality-busting heuristic, offers a revealing analytic approach which would invite us to reconsider lives that 'seem' happy or wretched. When looked at over time, the periods of difficulty are often the incubation period for the period of reward, & vice verse.
Yin-yang isn't a balanced 'state' but balanced 'process'.
The seeds of one can be found in its complement. That's the sense in which they are a unity.
soulfetcher 2 years ago
I want to agree with you here, but am still hearing echoes of the christian promise of a blissful afterlife that somehow balances a deeply wretched existence.
conferencereport 2 years ago
I wouldn't want this hope to be characterised as christian promise. That is just the way that particular religion has appropriated as its own what is a universal - hardwired in all humans (and which is i suspect is a major source of our innate instinct for developing 'god' concepts).
I don't 'believe in' objective fairness or ontological balance - shit happens - good guys can finish last. We have to find or create what balance we can - not 'our heavenly father.'
soulfetcher 2 years ago
.... for all that i think that as non-dual awareness develops we get greater access to experiencing our lives with more unity & less polarity - and this arises as our lives become more sense based and less language dominated.
Its because language is a 'dualisng' process in a way that direct experience is not - (unresolved imbalances & inequalities notwithstanding.)
soulfetcher 2 years ago
What a wonderful insight. It compliments considerations I navigate about.
dospook 2 years ago
Yes - i have enjoyed your related vids.
soulfetcher 2 years ago
Brilliant Response Graham, and Almafarag, nice video to generate the discussion...I too enjoyed the Berman piece and have some similar thoughts to those raised here....in fact I'm currently writing a short essay about this sort of thing....the dangers of one "Global Tradition" of thought and Being dominating/eradicating all others. This loss in "cultural biodiversity" could potentially be very dangerous. We need to get over our dualism of Self vs Other if we are to be at peace. Hmm...
danielacheson 2 years ago
Thanks Dan, sounds interesting - I would love it read it if possible when you finish it!
soulfetcher 2 years ago
Thank you Graham:) for walking us through the sunny botanical gardens and your interesting thoughts..it is frosty minus 10 degrees cold out here in Sweden.
Duality...understanding self to understand others. We are all traveling this path of awareness, using our tools and snapping our way out of it..to perceive duality as a outsider too. Finally after all the arguing ( atheist/non atheist as you mentioned) we will all get there I guess.
Blessings
Tara
NamaSika 2 years ago
And lets hope so with as much peacefulness as possible.
I'm grateful to be able to remind you of the summer it will turn into - non-dualistically, of course Tara ;)
soulfetcher 2 years ago
im sat here, in the uk, its 9.17am and the skies are black and the roads icy and snowy...that garden looks so much better!....oops am i thinking in dualistic terms! :-) 'ideologies enslave us without us even knowing' this is very true its almost scary.
NoAddedAnything 2 years ago
the non-duality of climate, eh? - winter drifts into summer, summer into winter :-)
In 6 months we will shiver and you will shine!
soulfetcher 2 years ago
what a beautiful environment and what an articulate extension of my proposition, thanks for this Graham, I deeply appreciate this, yes,
it is through a process of friction that grace evolves, I have another question, though:
would grace reach its completion or its regression when all ideology and preconception, projection, expectation, etc were jettisoned? I think we both agree that this is not a cogent question but the possibility remains that maybe the issue is to reach an equilibrium of ego
almafarag 2 years ago
Yes - i think egolessness (where narration is silenced and embodiment is total) is for meditative absorption experience - a state that refreshes and 'equilibriates' one before returnig to the turmoil of conventional reality, with a self relatively free of the torments of wishing and fearing. As you say - equilibrium, and far from the usual state we exist in.
This suggests the boddhisatva - who halts this side of the doors of nirvana in order to work for the good for all sentient beings.
soulfetcher 2 years ago