Cobie

@iinatti thanks for elucidating, appreciated. Sorry, I had totally misunderstood your Haiku. I agree entirely with what you say in the OP (except of course for the "very shallow and continually evaporating mental faculties"). Have a nice day.

reserve all judgements You do you. I need judgement to protect myself

wow yikes, shock horror Some of these so-called ‘teachings’ are toxic nonsense.

beyond words, maybe yes. Re what iinatti wrote wow yikes, shock horror

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Hi 2u2! Steve Gray was on the forum here @Starjumper Welcome to the forum.

Reminded me of the cycles in Hinduism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_eschatology Yes, I already feel I can no longer express my views. True, we do not know. I decided upon my stance: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2400452/criminals-are-using-chatgpt-to-create-malware

“biological bots” https://now.tufts.edu/2021/03/31/scientists-create-next-generation-living-robots

today’s newspaper, “the psycho chatbot” https://www.tomorrowspapers.co.uk/daily-star-front-page-2023-02-18/

Two security researchers who have exposed vulnerabilities of the ChatGPT : Stanford University's Student Kevin Liu and Technical University of Munich Engineering Student Marvin Von Hagen.

@Kaihe I am sorry this thread did take a nasty turn for you. You had some bad experiences in China, and Amrita Mandala helped you a lot. You have a lot of experience, worth hearing about I think. You read the forum for a long time, what made you finally decide to join? Does the name Kaihe mean something (I hought of 開和 )?

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alligator

Thread title, ‘How to become awakened?’ ~~~<>~~~ What is being ‘awakened’? ~~~<>~~~ Imo it definitely would include the ability to go pleasantly through life without insulting everyone that has a different opinion. Imo seeing ‘mandalas’ has nothing to do with it (imo these are merely useless delusions). Imo to be ‘awakened’ is to have reached the core that’s imo common to humanity. Hence such an ‘awakened’ one would be able to teach in terms that anyone can understand. To teach in obscure terms, to me indicates the person is brainwashed in a specific culture and has not as yet achieved any awareness at all. ~~~<>~~~ How to become awakened?’ ~~~<>~~~ Just live your life. Imo the struggles of daily life are the teaching.

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Sad. Ad hominem. The last resort of those without arguments.

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No, there aren’t, definitely not. The most important aspect of Classical Chinese is it’s grammar (Kroll, intro). Only by ignoring this grammar was ambiguity faked.

Exactly. The 5 translations I quoted above, are by some of the most respected Sinologists. Indubitably so. I will not start quoting those as well because, as you say, there is no convincing certain people anyway.

E. M. Chen 80 A small state with few people. Let the implements (ch'ih) for ten and hundred men be unused, Let the people fear death such that they do not move far away. Although there are boats and carriages, There are no places to ride them to. Although there are weapons and armours, There are no occasions to display them. Let the people again tie ropes and use them (as memory aids). Let them enjoy their food, Consider their clothing beautiful, Be contented with their dwellings, And happy with their customs. The neighbouring states overlooking one another, The dogs' barkings and cocks' crowings are heard from other states,

Chad Hansen 80. Primitivist Independence 'Small' the state and 'few' the people. Bring about that having artifacts by the tens and hundreds yet they won't use them. Bring it about that the people "weight" death and don't venture far. Although they have boats and chariots, they don't have reasons to ride in them. Although they have armour and weapons, they don't have reasons to marshall them. Bring it about that humans revert to knotting string and use that. "Sweet' their food; "beautiful' their clothing. 'Peaceful' their neighborhoods; 'pleasant' their customs. Nearby states can see each other. And hear the sounds of each other's chickens and dogs. The peoples reach old age and death without any interaction

Victor Mair also 80 Let there be a small state with few people, where military devices find no use; Let the people look solemnly upon death, and banish the thought of moving elsewhere. They may have carts and boats, but there is no reason to ride them; They may have armor and weapons, but they have no reason to display them. Let the people go back to tying knots to keep records. Let their food be savory, their clothes beautiful, their customs pleasurable, their dwellings secure. Though they may gaze across at a neighboring state, and hear the sounds of its dogs and chickens, The people will never travel back and forth, till they die of old age.

DC Lau too uses the imperative 80 Reduce the size of the population and the state. Ensure that even though the people have tools of war for a troop or a battalion they will not use them; And also that they will be reluctant to move to distant places because they look on death as no light matter. Even when they have ships and carts, they will have no use for them; And even when they have armor and weapons, they will have no occasion to make a show of them. Bring it about that the people will return to the use of the knotted rope, Will find relish in their food And beauty in their clothes, Will be content in their abode And happy in the way they live. Though adjoining states are within sight of one another, And the sound of dogs barking and cocks crowing in one state can be heard in another, yet the people of one state will grow old and die without having had any dealings with those of another.

Henricks even uses the imperative mood: 80 1. Let the country be small and people few— 2. Bring it about that there are weapons for "tens" and "hundreds," yet let no one use them; 3. Have the people regard death gravely and put migrating far from their minds. 4. Though they might have boats and carriages, no one will ride them; 5. Though they might have armor and spears, no one will display them. 6. Have the people return to knotting cords and using them. 7. They will relish their food, 8. Regard their clothing as beautiful, 9. Delight in their customs, 10. And feel safe and secure in their homes. 11. Neighboring states might overlook one another, 12. And the sounds of chickens and dogs might be overheard, 13. Yet the people will arrive at old age and death with no comings and goings between them.