Half my life...

[River Gazer]

"When I was wandering through the desert, I was searching for the truth..."

-Iron Maiden, Rainmaker

 

I'm back, and I think the dust has finally given me enough answers.

Finally made sense of some things.

 

 

Understanding is one thing, explaining is another.

 

The life of contemplation is fraught with mists of confusion, and the sting of belief in the incomplete.

Heart, mind, body... There must be a satisfaction of all, or at least an understanding of the needs therein.

 

To progress we must regress...

What arrogance this world. An eon of instinct running hot through our blood, broken away from us, by fanatics broken by fanatics broken by fanatics.

 

To progress further, we must understand the ancient. The deepest truth that is manifest by nature.

The food you crave, the flesh you lust, the fear you feel, the outrage that burns.

A billion years has crafted this.

 

The ancient is meant to guide reason. Recover yourself, return to the forest, the beasts and the soils. This ancient soul is waiting for you.

Do you deny?

 

 

Within soil is sand, carbon, water and air...

Stone, Ember, Ice and Wind...

 

Wind and Ember make Fire, Stone and Ice make Coldstone

Wind and Ice make Snow, Ember and Stone made Magma.

 

To and fro, this human is of Snow... Intellect, overpopulation and fear.

The beast does not cry for himself.

 

We spend twenty years of our lives learning.

I refuse to stay weak.

 

Our lives are not good. Life is pain, life is fear, life is hiding from these, only partially succeeding.

The blade howls with the desert winds, blowing dry earths across red ochre stone.

 

"His mind is the glistening ocean night,

This heart is blowing earths,

His body is a sandstorm.

 

He is a wandering soul,

And has no home."

 

 

But how difficult leaving the many's world for this few.

So much is missed, so much to loose.

 

People won't talk to you, they'll hate you, and were you not a much beast as man, they would attack you.

 

If they love you only for you actions, for your appearances, they do not love you. There is no loss.

 

 

A new age with come. Magic, a comfortable population, and strength, by as much grace as the snow will ask.

 

 

A thousand questions, to be asked, so sip your coffee or tea. If you are wiser, teach me. If I am wiser, listen to me.

[Marblehead]

Hi River Gazer,

 

Understanding is one thing, explaining is another.

 

Yeah. Ain't that a bitch!

 

Have you been reading Neitzsche?

 

Happy Trails!

[River Gazer]

Didn't know Neitzsche said it.

[Marblehead]

Didn't know Neitzsche said it.

 

Hehehe. He probably didn't but your post was so Neitzschian that I just had to ask the question.

 

Happy Trails!

[findley]

'so nietzschean'? How so? ...please

 

 

 

 

 

coherence is a virtue

[Marblehead]

Hi Findley,

 

Hang on, I'll respond with something shortly.

 

Happy Trails!

[Marblehead]

[River Gazer]

It's nice to see someone understand my work so well...

 

Half of my 22 year life has poured, every waking minute, into this. 50,000 hours, finding myself and truth, as I slowly watch the people whom i used to call friends falling and never getting up. Perhaps, or not, a topic for another time, work is necessary, but so inflexible... Who's to say that a well-educated man can't simply work part time and make a comfortable living with free time rather that an extravagant living without the energy to enjoy it.

 

What a strange world this is.

 

Either I'm insane or the rest of the world is, and I know who I place my bets on.

 

[Mal]

Who's to say that a well-educated man can't simply work part time and make a comfortable living with free time rather that an extravagant living without the energy to enjoy it.

 

What a strange world this is.

 

Yes, I see that in my father. While not an extravagant living per say, he is now retired but with a body too old and injured to enjoy his free time as fully as he could have when younger but always working.

(The stock market crash didn't help his life savings either )

 

Strange world for sure

[Marblehead]

... Who's to say that a well-educated man can't simply work part time and make a comfortable living with free time rather that an extravagant living without the energy to enjoy it. ...

 

 

The last eight years of my working life were spent working part-time then I retired when I felt I had enough. Of course, I was fairly well established when I started working only part time. There was a time in my life when I worked a full-time job and two part-time jobs so I could get out of debt following a divorce.

 

We do what needs be done and that is all.

 

Happy Trails!

[River Gazer]

Life is difficult.

 

 

To find truth is to love ourselves first.

Nations fueled by desires-that-will-never-be, belief in leaders that don't care, and fear for an enemy that was never there.

There is a vast difference between caring for another and caring for your nation.

Love yourself too much to love your country. Take care of the real, not the conceptual. This ancient shrine call the human body begs for care.

The food you desire, have you enough to afford it, is desired for a reason... Few people do not crave seafood. And there is a reason.

Shortly though.

 

 

I seek a solution. All ranges of solution, to be handed out appropriately. It may be a bit deceptive, but it's better than getting shot, to give lesser explanation when needed. I doubt even half of you don't think in ways that wouldn't get you shot in some parts. The Tao lives in the lowlands, where men hate.

 

I honestly believe that magic is possible, but I also honestly believe it is difficult. There is a reason the arcane, magic or mind, is seen as next akin to impossible.

This world is very steady. Such is the nature of Ice, and what this world is, Snow.

So many minds.

 

Magic is dangerous. Magic is chaotic. The nature of it is one slip could kill you. Can you imagine the list of dangerous that a shapeshifter evades?

Magic is of Ember, to counter, Ice.

The only way to be completely safe as a shapeshifter is to understand matters such as the GNOME and all that it results.

But as Taoists you should know that the world always takes the hard path, which though they call the easy.

My mind simply isn't ready for more, but I have skill in divination, hard won as it is.

 

Searching for an example, I found one. I looked at my moms car. I did not see it's every component, nor would my mind want to. That might actually give me brain damage... I saw that relative, it was well crafted, though I also saw that, as always, there was much to be desired. I hear more than rumor that much of what we buy here in the 'glorious' west is designed to break down, so we have to buy anew. Our so-called efforts of progress are almost entirely destroyed by our own greed.

So difficult it is to access such knowledge. I even use it on my path of learning, yet it aids me most when I have a deeper reason to learn.

 

Long this life. From making knives out of stone to... well, the only reason I haven't completed my knowledge on nuclear arms is because I am not comfortable. Turns out all it takes to set off a fission reaction is neutron-releasing radioactives struck to eachother at a specific velocity. What that velocity is, I do not wish to know. Fusion is simple, so, well. Maybe I don't trust myself quite that far.

Although it's not ironic in my world, I am nothing but a high school dropout.

My learning is assisted by divination. Were there not even knowledge on the velocity you need to strike U235 to U235, i could divine between a few minutes to a few hours.

How? That's a question I've been dancing around. I don't know.

 

But could you imagine the joy of a life with magic? Though I vaguely remember a time where I would have found it too easy. People simply lack imagination. Having the forest, beasts and soils taken from them, they manifest new, pained ways.

 

I suggest a meditation.

Imagine, and ponder, what your life had been, were everything was provided, food and shelter and company, but you were never raised.

Think back as far as you can.

If you think far enough back, it goes before a time where petty emotions where manifest.

 

To understand the world you must understand yourself.

 

 

Physical magic is found through will... Will can be found through depth of mind.

 

Anarchy isn't a state of chaos, but a state of voluntary organization. Let power be on small levels.

 

 

-------------

Edit:

Almost forgot to mention. The reason we crave seafood is because, like most, but not all, of the world, we gave up eating bone marrow a long time ago. Bone marrow is where the body stores it's surplus sulpher.

Sulpher is good for energy, good skin, long hair, good joints, and it may have play in the bones.

High sulpher foods are seafood, eggs and dairy, though if you know where to get it, marrow is always the best.

There are also supher supplements, which I found at a health food store, called MSM, methyl sulphonyl methane, C2H6SO2. Watch out if you start taking them... some peoples body, to say the least, aren't accustomed to that much dietary sulpher... Take em on a weekend

Edited August 31, 2009 by River Gazer

[Sloppy Zhang]

Our so-called efforts of progress are almost entirely destroyed by our own greed.

 

I agree with this.

 

Auto and oil companies killed the electric car when it first started gaining popularity because they hadn't finished milking the public, either getting them to buy oil or buy their cars. Now there are cars everywhere, some people have too many cars, people are taking a harder stance on oil consumption (especially foreign oil consumption), and they are looking into "new technology" (that was around a decade ago) to "lead the world into the future."

 

Pssh, that will last as long until they find some new product to milk, they will halt all progress, wait until the market is over saturated with whatever it is they are selling, and the world is on the brink of collapse AGAIN, then they will invest in "new technology" (that again was around for decades) for the next new thing......

 

Anyway...

[findley]

hahahahhahahahahhaa

 

marblehead !! Are you serious?? what-the-fuck-ever, dude !!!!!

 

No, No, beecause you can stretch some shallow 'similiarities' between river gazers 'poetry' and living biography of the character, zarathustra, does not at all make river-gazers post 'nietzschean'. (I mean, are you serious??)

 

When your apply the term 'neitzschean', you're implying that theactual philosophical connotations are, at least, compatible.

 

 

lol

 

I, guess, to be more clear:

 

the philosophical connotations of nietzsche's work, as a whole-- if I wasnt too clear above

[Marblehead]

hahahahhahahahahhaa

 

marblehead !! Are you serious?? what-the-fuck-ever, dude !!!!!

 

No, No, beecause you can stretch some shallow 'similiarities' between river gazers 'poetry' and living biography of the character, zarathustra, does not at all make river-gazers post 'nietzschean'. (I mean, are you serious??)

 

When your apply the term 'neitzschean', you're implying that theactual philosophical connotations are, at least, compatible.

lol

 

I, guess, to be more clear:

 

the philosophical connotations of nietzsche's work, as a whole-- if I wasnt too clear above

 

Yep. I was serious. (I am not always serious though and I never tell anyone whether I am being serious or not. Anyone who reads my words has to decide for themself what to think of my words.)

 

Those similarities were not shallow. They are real. Any time we agree with someone else's understanding of a concept we can say we are like-minded concerning that concept.

 

To further demonstrate what I said above look at River Gazer's post in the new thread on "Anarchy". Neitzsche was an anarchist. Again they are like-minded concerning a concept.

 

Before I ever read my first Tao Te Ching translation I was very Taoist in my pnilosophy. This is why the TCC felt so real to me - because Lao Tzu and I are like-minded concerning many concepts.

 

It may be possible that River Gazer has never read anything by Neitzsche. That doesn't matter. There is a like-mindedness between the two.

 

Yes, when I use the word "Neitzschian" I am referring to the general (but not specific) philosophy of Friedrich Neitzsche. Back many years ago when I read Neitzsche I felt like-minded with most of the concepts he presented. I am sure you have noticed that I have used the label "Neitzschian-Taoist" to label myself. This is because much of my understanding of the Manifest world is consistent with his philosophy.

 

As for Findley, I have figured him out yet because he is still too confused. He still does not have his roots in any soil - just living off the mist in the air - being blown around hither and tither. But he is doing just fine considering where he is at the moment. (Hey! I had to add that, you know.)

 

Happy Trails to you Findley!

[River Gazer]

Well, I am vaguely aware of Neitzsche's work. I understand what he's saying, but I don't like the attention... It's not bad here, but go around in some parts saying 'God's dead', and you'll get f#$%ing shot. Most philosophers just see him as a troublemaker.

 

For reference, I haven't read any of his work. I've only read the Tao Te Ching in full... I don't care for anything longer-wind than that

Edited September 1, 2009 by River Gazer

[Marblehead]

Well, I am vaguely aware of Neitzsche's work. I understand what he's saying, but I don't like the attention... It's not bad here, but go around in some parts saying 'God's dead', and you'll get f#$%ing shot. Most philosophers just see him as a troublemaker.

 

For reference, I haven't read any of his work. I've only read the Tao Te Ching in full... I don't care for anything longer-wind than that

 

Ah! My dear friend, you have the same misunderstanding of Neitzsche that most people have.

 

Neitzsche still believed in the Jewish God. The essence of his arguement was that Paul killed Jesus' concept of God. The only thing most people looked at was the words "God is dead" and formed an opinion without trying to understand what he was saying. And most other philosophers fall into that category of not understanding what Neitzsche said.

 

This is the same thing I always speak to when I suggest reading the Tao Te Ching, then reading the Chuang Tzu, and then going back and re-reading the Tao Te Ching. Everything that Lao Tzu said (well, almost everything) falls right into its proper place after one had read Chuang Tzu.

 

So PLEASE!! don't base your opinion of Neitzsche on only that one statement "God is dead!". It is not fair to Neitzsche and it is not fair to yourself.

 

Happy Trails!

 

 

From what you said you probably wouldn't enjoy reading Neitzsche because he sure was long-winded. Hehehe.

[River Gazer]

I should have clarified...

 

It's not that I didn't know there was more to Nietzsche...

I believe it was Chuang Tsu that said that if the name of the Tao ever becomes something tossed around by intellectuals, abandon it and create a new name.

 

The human walks far from the natural way. He is arrogant. One wrong spice can ruin a whole stew. Hence, even though I'm sure his works are fine, I don't want the attention of associating with Nietzsche.

'but what the people are in awe of cannot be disregarded'

[Pax]

It's nice to see someone understand my work so well...

 

Half of my 22 year life has poured, every waking minute, into this. 50,000 hours, finding myself and truth, as I slowly watch the people whom i used to call friends falling and never getting up. Perhaps, or not, a topic for another time, work is necessary, but so inflexible... Who's to say that a well-educated man can't simply work part time and make a comfortable living with free time rather that an extravagant living without the energy to enjoy it.

 

What a strange world this is.

 

Either I'm insane or the rest of the world is, and I know who I place my bets on.

 

River Gazer, your thoughts about work sound much like the one my young coworker has. He is recently 24 and has begun planning a way to retire in ten years. We both work for a university and are decently compensated for our work, but he is an artist an finds the full time grind to be detrimental to his art. He has given up what others of his cohort consider essential; cable, internet, his car, all in order to make his vision for his future a reality.

 

Much respect,

 

Pax

[River Gazer]

I'm more the 'adventure' type, but yeah.

I also love blacksmithing, metallurgy, woodworking... or basically anything archaic.

If it still has a use in society, it's now hallowed.

 

I've tried to find ways to retire early... or hopefully never get a job in the first place. If i ever figure this out, ill let everyone know

[findley]

Yep. I was serious. (I am not always serious though and I never tell anyone whether I am being serious or not. Anyone who reads my words has to decide for themself what to think of my words.)

 

Those similarities were not shallow. They are real. Any time we agree with someone else's understanding of a concept we can say we are like-minded concerning that concept.

 

To further demonstrate what I said above look at River Gazer's post in the new thread on "Anarchy". Neitzsche was an anarchist. Again they are like-minded concerning a concept.

 

Before I ever read my first Tao Te Ching translation I was very Taoist in my pnilosophy. This is why the TCC felt so real to me - because Lao Tzu and I are like-minded concerning many concepts.

 

It may be possible that River Gazer has never read anything by Neitzsche. That doesn't matter. There is a like-mindedness between the two.

 

Yes, when I use the word "Neitzschian" I am referring to the general (but not specific) philosophy of Friedrich Neitzsche. Back many years ago when I read Neitzsche I felt like-minded with most of the concepts he presented. I am sure you have noticed that I have used the label "Neitzschian-Taoist" to label myself. This is because much of my understanding of the Manifest world is consistent with his philosophy.

 

As for Findley, I have figured him out yet because he is still too confused. He still does not have his roots in any soil - just living off the mist in the air - being blown around hither and tither. But he is doing just fine considering where he is at the moment. (Hey! I had to add that, you know.)

 

Happy Trails to you Findley!

 

 

 

YOU ARE SO STUPID DUDE !

Ok, Zarathustra was supposed to be the 'john the baptist' of the superman-- and we were supposed to learn much from him. But the fictional content of this fictional characters 'life', (ie. 'he came down from the cave to share his wisdom',) does not mean that anyone who comes down from caves to share their wisdom is 'nietzschean'.

 

Do you want to know how I know you're dumb? That you don't understand Nietzsche? HE WASNT AN ANARCHIST !!!! NO HE WASNT !!! IF YOU READ HIS BOOKS YOU WOULD SEE HOW HE CRITICIZES ANARCHY AND SO-CALLED 'FREEDOM-THINKERS'!!!!! IF YOU HAD ANY GRASP AT ALL ON NIETZSCHE'S PHILOSOPHY YOU WOULD PROBABLY REMEBER HE FAVORED HERO-WORSHIP ! FIGURE THAT OUT, POLITICALLY !

 

I know it is nice to think you have a grasp on Niettzsche's work. The thing is, rivergazer, you kinda-sorta have to EARN it. havent figrued me out yet... what are you, 16? -think you understand Nietzsche because you read most of Zarathustra? pfft

Edited September 2, 2009 by findley

[Mal]

YOU ARE SO STUPID DUDE !

Well thats awesome. I thought you studied philosophy

 

Anyone who has declared someone else to be an idiot, a bad apple, is annoyed when it turns out in the end that he isn't - Nietzsche

 

PLEASE annoy me.....

[Marblehead]

YOU ARE SO STUPID DUDE !

Ok, Zarathustra was supposed to be the 'john the baptist' of the superman-- and we were supposed to learn much from him. But the fictional content of this fictional characters 'life', (ie. 'he came down from the cave to share his wisdom',) does not mean that anyone who comes down from caves to share their wisdom is 'nietzschean'.

 

Do you want to know how I know you're dumb? That you don't understand Nietzsche? HE WASNT AN ANARCHIST !!!! NO HE WASNT !!! IF YOU READ HIS BOOKS YOU WOULD SEE HOW HE CRITICIZES ANARCHY AND SO-CALLED 'FREEDOM-THINKERS'!!!!! IF YOU HAD ANY GRASP AT ALL ON NIETZSCHE'S PHILOSOPHY YOU WOULD PROBABLY REMEBER HE FAVORED HERO-WORSHIP ! FIGURE THAT OUT, POLITICALLY !

 

I know it is nice to think you have a grasp on Niettzsche's work. The thing is, rivergazer, you kinda-sorta have to EARN it. havent figrued me out yet... what are you, 16? -think you understand Nietzsche because you read most of Zarathustra? pfft

 

Hello Findley,

 

You have no idea! You think you know it all but you really know nothing. Just look at some of your past posts.

 

You have no Idea what Neitzsche said because all you have read is what others have said about him.

 

You have no idea how much of Neitzsche I have read or how many times I have read every one of his published works.

 

You have no idea what or who you are.

 

You even suggest that you are going to China and laugh in some Master's face! What shameful thoughts!

 

You cannot even properly judge yourself. What gives you the right to judge others?

 

Be ashamed!!!!!

 

And at this point I cannot even wish you "Happy Trails" because you do not even have a path to ride upon. You are but a "Lost Soul".

 

May you find a path that will allow you to find your "True Self" because the one you have now is naught but a delusion.

 

Best Wishes!

Edited September 3, 2009 by Marblehead

[findley]

hahahaha !! Did I hit a sweet spot, sucker ???

 

I know that if you did read the majority of his published work, with any serious degree of comprehension, you would relay a valid understanding of his philosophy ! You accuse me of reading only second-hand literature, and however completely ungrounded and un-true such an accusation is, it is I who has to correct your error !

 

hahaha 'be ashamed' ! Do you think you can prop up your imaginary understanding of Nietzsche's philosophy with a single implication of understanding?? one right doesnt right two, three, four wrongs !!!!

 

-You know, I think I might head over to Bai yun Guan this sunday and roll my eyes and some old dudes !!!! -just for fun !!! waaahahahaa !!!

 

 

Look how foolish you have become because I (just had to) take from you this crutch you use to support your ego ! If you want to support your intellect and self-image with nietzsche's philosophy, I suggest you do better to understand it !!

 

-Otherwise, I did the same thing when I was younger

[Marblehead]

Hi Findley,

 

You are truely a lost soul.

 

Talk with me again when you have a little logic in the presentations of your words.

 

Be well!

[River Gazer]

Relax everyone.

 

Maybe this will help:

 

There is truth and falsity within all things.

Nietzsche had many good points, but, at least, was flawed in that he was not careful about knowing the minds of others and compensating appropriately...

Let it be known that had he simply spent more time working on his wording, your reactions would be entirely different.

 

Wise men prepare themselves when they journey. It's unwise to be a Taoist it you cannot look reasonably at all things, without strong attachment.

 

I wont pick sides, so this goes for both of you.

 

The mind is a sanctum. A place of time and tide, which used right, can open worlds. If one understands that the only true way satisfies all, one can use it without arrogance or great error.