AsAboveSoBelow Posted December 19, 2009 Hey! First off, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sean, I currently reside in Texas, in between San Antonio and Austin. I am new to this whole way of being. Actually I know little about it, but I am really interested. I just have no clue where to start. I have been lurking for a little while, just reading some topics. And I am still clueless. I would greatly appreciate some insight, and some direction to follow. I have been doing my own research for a few weeks now, and I ultimately have ended up here. To be honest I knew nothing of Taoism before stumbling across this webpage. And still I know very, very, very little. I came across this site, by watching videos about Lucid Dreaming on youtube. Again, if anyone would be grateful enough to point me in some direction. I know that this would probably be frowned upon, but honestly I have no idea where to begin. I understand that everyones path must be their own, or so I think. Allow me to thank you in advance for anyone who offers some insight. -Sean Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aetherous Posted December 19, 2009 Cool screen name. Welcome! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AsAboveSoBelow Posted December 19, 2009 Cool screen name. Welcome! Thank you. To be honest I got it from a Tool song a while ago. The song "Lateralus". But then I actually did some more research into it, and it is really intriguing. Thank you. To be honest I got it from a Tool song a while ago. The song "Lateralus". But then I actually did some more research into it, and it is really intriguing. And wow, I just realized. I got it backwards. It should be As Below, So Above. Oops! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aetherous Posted December 19, 2009 Ah yes, I have been into Tool since like 1997. Good band. "As above, so below" is an Egyptian alchemical saying. Funny how it's turned backwards in the Tool song. There is another example of turning a famous phrase backwards, in the song Pushit: "There is no love in fear", turning around the 1 John 4:18 Bible verse, "there is no fear in love." Interesting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AsAboveSoBelow Posted December 19, 2009 Ah yes, I have been into Tool since like 1997. Good band. "As above, so below" is an Egyptian alchemical saying. Funny how it's turned backwards in the Tool song. There is another example of turning a famous phrase backwards, in the song Pushit: "There is no love in fear", turning around the 1 John 4:18 Bible verse, "there is no fear in love." Interesting. Oh wow, So I actually have it correct. That is interesting, and I did it unintentionally. Odd. Yet it makes me think. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarnyn Posted December 19, 2009 Oh wow, So I actually have it correct. That is interesting, and I did it unintentionally. Odd. Yet it makes me think. The reversal of the quote from John and the reversal of the hermetic law of correspondence (i.e. as above so below) are interesting because they do not change meaning when reversed. For instance, if one were to say "as above so below" or "as below so above" the ultimate meaning of the phrases is the same, yet it leaves you with a different feeling, like a clock that goes counter clockwise but all the numbers are reversed as well, and so it tells correct time. I think that to say that the material realm is as the divine or spiritual realm is to elevate the material, but strangely, to say the opposite, that the divine realm is as the material seems to lower the spiritual to the material in our psychology. but that is due only to the discrimination of the mind. This is how we are able to gleam real insight from the problem of paradox, nothing has changed but our mind, and so we find the minds differentiation in the paradox. In John we see the phrase, "There is no fear in love" actually creates the same syntactical meaning as the phrase, "there is no love in fear." In both phrases we find fear and love, two separate states of emotion, and the one is defined by the other. Love is where there is no fear, and fear is where there is no love. Its becomes a binary, 1 is not 0, and 0 is not 1. The statements, mathematically are the same. Yet the mind, the emotion reads these differently, with different feelings. One seems to be a positive statement, and the other negative. But where does that positive or negative association come from, if the equation is the same in both cases? It comes from the attachment of the mind. In fact, even to reduce it to a binary seems like a mistake. After all, "one" is more than "zero." What kind of mental weight does that carry? Maybe I should have said, "& is not %, and % is not &" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AsAboveSoBelow Posted December 19, 2009 The reversal of the quote from John and the reversal of the hermetic law of correspondence (i.e. as above so below) are interesting because they do not change meaning when reversed. For instance, if one were to say "as above so below" or "as below so above" the ultimate meaning of the phrases is the same, yet it leaves you with a different feeling, like a clock that goes counter clockwise but all the numbers are reversed as well, and so it tells correct time. I think that to say that the material realm is as the divine or spiritual realm is to elevate the material, but strangely, to say the opposite, that the divine realm is as the material seems to lower the spiritual to the material in our psychology. but that is due only to the discrimination of the mind. This is how we are able to gleam real insight from the problem of paradox, nothing has changed but our mind, and so we find the minds differentiation in the paradox. In John we see the phrase, "There is no fear in love" actually creates the same syntactical meaning as the phrase, "there is no love in fear." In both phrases we find fear and love, two separate states of emotion, and the one is defined by the other. Love is where there is no fear, and fear is where there is no love. Its becomes a binary, 1 is not 0, and 0 is not 1. The statements, mathematically are the same. Yet the mind, the emotion reads these differently, with different feelings. One seems to be a positive statement, and the other negative. But where does that positive or negative association come from, if the equation is the same in both cases? It comes from the attachment of the mind. In fact, even to reduce it to a binary seems like a mistake. After all, "one" is more than "zero." What kind of mental weight does that carry? Maybe I should have said, "& is not %, and % is not &" very interesting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted December 19, 2009 Hi Sean, Welcome! My only suggestion is that you read the Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tzu. From there, talk with people, consider their responses, then find your own path. There are many here who are willing to talk about 'philosophy of life' but it is up to you to select your path and by doing that you will be making your own journey. Best Wishes. Peace & Love! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AsAboveSoBelow Posted December 19, 2009 Hi Sean, Welcome! My only suggestion is that you read the Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tzu. From there, talk with people, consider their responses, then find your own path. There are many here who are willing to talk about 'philosophy of life' but it is up to you to select your path and by doing that you will be making your own journey. Best Wishes. Peace & Love! Thank you for your input! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
