Michael Sternbach

How do you see the connection between Zoroastrianism and Hellenistic Hermeticism? The latter without a doubt being the primary source of the Harrans' understanding of natural philosophy. Though Zoroastrianism seems to have some link with Alchemy, in particular.

Both strict celibacy and marijuana use can mess with your mind and uproot you. Seek out activities that 'ground' you. For instance, spend time in the green; get some sun and fresh air; work in the garden; meet with family and (down-to-earth) friends; do physical exercises. And try to avoid smoking marijuana at least for the time being. Hope you will be feeling better soon.

There is indeed chaos inherent to order, as there is order hidden in chaos. Ultimately, both order (cosmos) and chaos are inseparable aspects of Dao, or the yang and the yin. Everything ('the ten thousand things') exists in the tension field created by these two opposites. Interestingly, the modern theory of Complexity treats what it calls 'emergence' in similar terms. In a manner of speaking, the ancient Daoists were conceptually way ahead of their time...

There is a misconception about the laws of nature predetermining everything that happens, with our seemingly free will being subject to them. However, this would only hold true in a Newtonian universe, conceptualized as some kind of big clockwork, in which any movement follows from another movement with necessity. Personally, I prefer living in what you might term a quantum mechanical universe, in which future events are in kind of a state of flux and, at best, only the probability of an occurrence can be foretold. This has been rigorously proven for the 'decisions' made by particles, but in my view applies to the ones made by higher beings in a related fashion. I actually like to visualize the centre of our individuality as some kind of point-like singularity. This symbolizes our innermost self, a transcendental bindu point not subject to any blind-acting 'forces of nature', while intimately linked to our decision-making faculty. Hence free will does exist in my book; options in a given situation may not be unlimited, but we are free to choose from those available, with some choices more probable (and more beneficient) than others. And BTW, the Dao that Laotzu and Chuangtzu talk about is much closer to quantum mechanics than to the Newtonian universe.

Nightsisters

Wisdom shows the limits of knowledge.

The way I look at it, Laotzu's principles of following the way of least resistance and acting in accordance with one's very nature (wu wei) are conceptually close to positions taken by Hedonism.

Awesome! I just wish people were more aware of the cosmos that surrounds them - they would be agonizing far less over trifles.

What about Sun tse? (Yes, Marbles, I am going to finish our treatment of the Art of War on that thread, I am just taking an awful lot of time. ) I just had a friendly disagreement (with a friend) if Sun tse was actually a Daoist. I say yes, for the AoW is fully based on Daoist principles. But I realize that Sun tse's meticulous strategic planning seems at odds with Chuang tse's spontaneous way of life. Then again, maybe Chuang tse was so attuned to the Dao that everything always fell in place for him and he just didn't need to do any planning?

I'm not sure what Gonzo would have to do with Zen, although he does have spiritual powers...

The Shobogenzo is the essence of Zen (as far as it can be expressed in words).

So what is it?

Rainbow (Seen from my hotel room's window)

How long does a Tao bum sleep? Until they are awakened!

A brand new discovery - just published in Nature - cocerns the confusing fact that the dwarf galaxy NGC 1052-DF2 does NOT contain any dark matter. It's the first of its kind ever found. This was discovered by measuring the velocity of ten globular clusters in this ultra-diffuse galaxy - they are moving just as would be expected solely based on Newton's laws! Whereas other galaxies appear to contain about 400 times more dark matter than visible matter.

Winnie The Pooh is a great Daoist sage. Other than that, look inside yourself...

Cause you are confuced?

Thanks! I might drop by on a whim.

"Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie, A fly can’t bird, but a bird can fly. Ask me a riddle and I reply: “Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie.” Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie, A fish can’t whistle and neither can I. Ask me a riddle and I reply: “Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie.” Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie, Why does a chicken, I don’t know why. Ask me a riddle and I reply: “Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie.” Winnie The Pooh

I like toast

I wonder, is this a reference to Melatonin? That's a hormone emitted by the pineal gland, and as of late, there is some evidence that it can slow down aging. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622064807.htm

When you let light fall into a dark room, the darkness is gone. But can you let darkness fall into a lit room?

Californian Giant Sloth.