Daniel

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Everything posted by Daniel

  1. @Nungali, Behold.... my daughter used to brush it out for fun... my wife, sneaky-sneaky snapped a photo while my eyes were closed.
  2. I love you so much right now. LOL.
  3. I totally understand. I've been elbows deep in those situations on more than one occasion. I'm the one they'd send to help people in the remote areas, or the big-wigs in the big offices, or anytime it was a complicated upgrade. Well, I was on the team that did that sort of stuff. If you're on, ubuntu, that's actually good. For that, my plan would be to install a different browser, not to delete or remove anything, making no changes at all to the existing browser. You can have multiple browsers installed side-by-side no problem. Ubuntu is linux, and it's really good at handling spotty internet connections. Also, linux is great for giving remote support. It was designed long long ago, when people were collaborating over text, in university settings when the internet was just a baby. But, there's some challenges there. Hopefully you're on the LTS version, which means that their apt-repositiory is maintained for much longer compared to the standard version. Ubuntu is great, I love it and used it for years and years. But if the operating system is not kept up to date then the apt-repository gets shut down for that version, and there's no easy way to install anything on it after that. It's a consequence of the rapid distribution cycle, they're always trying new stuff on ubuntu. Let's see.... the first step would be to see what version of ubuntu you have now. If you're feeling daring, "ctrl+alt+T" should open a terminal. Then "lsb_release -a" (no quotes) should return the version you're running.
  4. @Nungali, It's not super easy to see, but, the idea being represented here is a reflection which is being reduced. The reflective quality is strongly represented in the vocalization of the letter. It is 'silent'. It adopts what ever vowel sound attaches to it with absolutely no restriction which is contrasted to the other 'silent' letter ayin which is a traditionally pronounced a little differently. It's good, I think, to remember it's both pictoral and audible. The meaning of the letter is connected to both. It's easier to see in the aleph which has replaced the paleo-canaanite script. The meaning of the word "aleph' because of its reflective quality is its name both forward and reverse. Aleph is spelled with 3 letters: aleph-lamed-pei. The meaning of the letter aleph is "aleph-lamed-pei pei-lamed-alpeh". This is Aleph-pelah which means: "wonderous-teacher", or, "teacher-of-wonder". The mysterious reflection. "To create", as it is described in the first verse, in the beginning? B'reishis Bara. Bara... Bet-Reish-Aleph. The bet is flowing to the reish is flowing to the aleph, and that's how the magic happens. Through the reflection.
  5. That's paleo-canaanite.
  6. Have you, perhaps, tried a different browser? Something very very different? Not sure which one you're using, but, if you're using Windows 'opera' is very different on the back-end, also, 'duck-duck-go' is very different on the back-end. Although 'duck-duck-go' is rather popular, at least in the US, so maybe you're already using it. Chrome is very different than Edge. Etc. In the IT world, I have the opposite effect, not just me, but many IT-pros. It's called the proximity effect. Any time we come over to look at a problem, the problem is gone, and the client says: "How come it always works when you're watching??? "
  7. I don't want to argue because I think we agree on the most important things. Although, if YOU want to argue, I will happily argue. I can see it both ways, it could be annoying and pointless, or super-fun and fruitful. Your choice. Regarding Tzim-Tzum. Yes, of course. But, I don't see how that moves the convo forward. But... here's what I will do. I will see if my daughter can find any pictures of me with my fro. Because... you deserve to see it and Ihave no shame.
  8. Awesome. many-many-thanks. I have an online friend in india, maybe he can help with this. Not sure if he knows Pali, but, maybe he can help. Amen, amen.
  9. I'm the cook in the family. In high-school I worked at a pizza shop, and I was a line cook in college.
  10. Not a web-developer, but I've done some fun stuff with databases. That was 20 years ago. For the past 20 years, I've been a network admin at a small but very busy dental office. Although, I'm also the entire IT dept, and the facilities manager, so I do it all. Some fun stuff, and some messy stuff too. In general, THANKGOD, my systems just plain work, so I'm very part time, and 99% I'm working remotely. NICE!!!
  11. i disagree that friendships are suffering
  12. I would love to understand more of the mechanics of this. Any additional details from you or others would be greatly appreciated. Thank you,
  13. The question I'm asking myself is, what is buddha objecting to? The brahmin is asking consistently and repeatedly in future tense? about the future? buddha is saying, 'no, brahmin'. Then at the end of the passage, there is an exposition which equates the process leading to the goal with the present ( classic buddhism, right? ) But what's missing? The future! The future tense is completely missing from any of buddha's answer. Take it that I AM, present tense. This indicates to me, buddha's objection is ( forgive me, could be? ) the projection into the future. And then this can be perhaps interpretted / rephrased as "clinging to what could be." If so, discouraging it would be, again, classically buddhist? Stepping back from this, originally I was wondering about the meaning of the statement "take it that I am __________" because that is not clearly defined. Is it a name? a title/role? an attainement? an action? You brought "non-returner" as a meaning for the word buddha. I am playing with a different idea. If you recall, I was asking about the inclusion of the indefinite article "a". "Take it that I am A __________". This forces "buddha' to be a noun. Lacking the indefinite article opens up an interesting possibility that 'buddha' in this passage is a verb? So, linguistically, I am wondering if the Pali text includes the indefinte article or not. In ancient languages, I think they are often omitted. This would render the quote a little differently. Maybe the indefinite article is being added by a translator, but it is not actually in the text? If so, buddha is correcting the brahmin not just to clinging to what could be, but also to clinging to any of the rigid titles and roles being offered. The answer buddha gives? "Take it that I am awakened" verb, present tense. And, if you recall, I wondered about the distinction between "Buddha" and "buddha" in my reply? Pali? I cannot recall ever seeing captial letters. non-captial 'b' permits it being a verb. Anyways, I wonder what buddha gautama would say about capitalizing 'B' in buddha? I can't decide if he would shrug or correct it? Perhaps it would depend on whether the individual is clinging to it?
  14. The simple truth is, this is one way of viewing the world, but not the only way of viewing the world. It's interesting that I am just now reading your reply, but it matches 1-to-1, a perfect fit, for what I described about the evangelical approach to 'non-dual'. As I said, the ideas are not repugnant, it's the projecting delusion ( you called it illusion ) on all others ( the ones who are not adherents, literally attached, to non-dual ). And the avoidance of rational discourse is there too. Denying that it can be understood, so, any discussion about it is moot. And the claim that 'thought' is some sort of enemy, a demon, which needs to be cast out. Demonizing it is absolutely dualist. **sigh** You said the mind cannot parse things how they really are, if so, then your mind cannot parse things as they really are, and this should cultivate humility which seems to be absent in what you're saying. Please note the distinction. Not who you are, not your behavior in any other aspect of your life. Just here, just now, in these words and ideas, which are posted on an internet forum, a venue which seems to illicit absolutes in rhetoric. There's so much more that I would like to say, but that would require typing many-many words to avoid absolute language, avoid becoming evangelical myself, and avoid the pitfalls I'm describing. Regardless of the accusation that I cannot understand, I understand quite a lot because I use mind-and-heart. I understand what happens when form is equated with emptiness and I have no desire to deny that. I understand what happens when family, self, and soul are considered illusion/delusion and I have no desire to deny that. I understand the root of buddha guatama's teaching, and how these ideas, for lack of a better word, of soul, form, and emptiness contribute to it. I have no desire to deny it because I understand the great benefit it brings to those who need it.
  15. Would you please help me understand the reasons for this?
  16. It appears that the forum is using 'invision' forum software, and the editor is a highly customizable plugin called CKeditor5. As such there is no manual because of the modular nature of the product. The link below is the top of the tree of the developer documentation in all its glory. https://ckeditor.com/docs/ckeditor5/latest/features/index.html
  17. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Now we just need to collaborate on some sort of exorcism for Nungali's internet-device. I can donate hyssop, cedar, and boat-loads of optimism
  18. sounds like something from a 'Monty Python' episode
  19. I could be wrong, but, I recall that the only absolute perfect vaccuum exists at the center of a black hole. Yes. Definitely. From my perspective "1" implies at least duality, because it always and forever includes "not-1". But it actually includes the entire uncountable infinite set of negations: not-0, not-1, not-2, not-3.... also all decimals not-1.1, not 1.11, not 1.111, not-1.1111, not-2.1, not-2.11, not-2.111, not-2.1111.... also all objects not-apple, not-orange, not-hammer, not-nail, not-lint, not-duck .... also all actions also all symbols also any conceivable concept that any human has, is, or will have. And all the concepts that no human has ever had, is having or will have. It get's very-very big very very fast, doesn't it? Just by claiming "1"? Unless proven otherwise, absolute nullification, oblivion, and void is the only non-dual concept which exists, because it goobles up anything and everything. It's a perfect vaccuum. I don't represent it as zero, but instead use the word NULL which is always and forever forced to be singular. But, I think I know what people mean when they use the zero symbol in this context. So I'm not intending to argue. I promise. I need to read more about it, but based on what you're saying, I absolutely love-it! It sounds like this is what I had in mind when I said "like the light in close proximity to the surface of the sun", but I felt like that would never be absolutely correct. I think your example is probably better and might be absolutely correct.
  20. ~bows in your general direction~ High praise.
  21. A perfect example of the reasons to reject this sort of stuff... "You will never..." HAH! You already ARE! Now let's go get some veggie-burritos, I'm buy'n. There's a great burrito cart just a few blocks down the road....
  22. very-super-duper-low-priority-question: are you possibly able to tell if the indefinite article is included in the original language? I know it may sound like a strange question, but, to me the following 3 quotes can have different meanings: take it that I am a Buddha take it that I am Buddha take it that I am buddha
  23. OK, thank you for sharing this tidbit. Naturally I'll want to look at it myself, but I'm adding this to my to-be-researched list. I sincerely appreciate it.
  24. Non-dual is like light which is in very close proximity to the surface of the sun or Non-dual = the absolute absence of anything and everything in the center of a black-hole
  25. Not two? Obviously three.