I am nothing.

[Aaron]

I am nothing.

I am not a Buddhist.

I am not a Christian.

I am not white,

nor am I brown.

I am not American,

nor am I Chinese.

I am not a honorable man,

nor am I a sinner.

I am not a man that sees,

nor am I man that is blind.

I am nothing

and because I am nothing

I am able to be everything.

 

Aaron

[Protector]

Doesn't rhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyme

:lol:

[Informer]

That's pretty good.

 

Your not smart or dumb too !

[Informer]

And what about other's, are they those things?

Edited November 23, 2011 by Informer

[Marblehead]

Well, I like the last line. Okay, so we should add: within my capabilities and capacities. You can never be a humming bird, Aaron, until after this manifestation is finished. Then maybe.

 

But you can think you are a humming bird if you wish to do so.

[julianlaboy]

A "humming bird" is a finished product, a definition possible because of language and because of what we are. At a macro level, where you see what we call a humming bird, we do in fact see a humming bird. But that is because we have made that observation carry that definition. However, at the microscopic level, how can you differentiate between what we, in the macro level, call a humming bird and what we may call a human? So, we can be everything by being nothing- we are everything (remember how we cannot differentiate at some named observational levels) until we begin naming things (giving definitions)... Indeed, you are nothing and everything at the same time.

[Marblehead]

Indeed, you are nothing and everything at the same time.

 

In one of Chuang Tzu's stories an old man is talking about after death and says (paraphrase), "Why should I care if what I am becomes a wing of a rooster?" Ah!, the recycling process.

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

Hmmm what was it I posted... and where...?

 

Something longer, i'll reiterate:

 

I am not what my activities entitle me to call myself, but a Human Being, entitled to engage in all activities.

 

 

 

Human Beings are representitives of the nothingness... WHEN they are BEING human. We are always too busy being whatever our activities entitle us: Police, Soldier, Sports star, Fighter, Grocer, Teacher, Student, etc.

 

 

 

Mindful breath awareness meditation. YAY!

[dwai]

I am nothing.

I am not a Buddhist.

I am not a Christian.

I am not white,

nor am I brown.

I am not American,

nor am I Chinese.

I am not a honorable man,

nor am I a sinner.

I am not a man that sees,

nor am I man that is blind.

I am nothing

and because I am nothing

I am able to be everything.

 

Aaron

 

Who Am I?

[julianlaboy]

What is novelty? Taoist teachings support shared ideas, values and words. At least, that is what I interpreted from my reading of different texts, which also contained other people's interpretations.

 

And a friendly question: Do you care about this topic? I assume that at least unconsciously you do, since you keep reading it.

 

Sorry, I am replying to the one called "MarbleHead" that likes short skirts and bikinis...

Edited November 23, 2011 by julianlaboy

[Marblehead]

What is novelty? Taoist teachings support shared ideas, values and words. At least, that is what I interpreted from my reading of different texts, which also contained other people's interpretations.

 

And a friendly question: Do you care about this topic? I assume that at least unconsciously you do, since you keep reading it.

 

Sorry, I am replying to the one called "MarbleHead" that likes short skirts and bikinis...

 

Yeah, I am the only marble-headed one here.

 

Novelty is, in my understanding, any thing/activity that is not common practice.

 

Of course I care about the topic and the person who made the opening post.

 

To me, a statement such as "I am nothing" is quite negative. Now, true, the opening post was with a positive mentality. But I have said before and will say here again, we all are special in our own way and if we are not proud of what (the knid of person) we are then we need to make changes.

 

True, there is no formal dogma in Taoist Philosophy. But that doesn't mean that any and all beliefs can be incorporated into Taoism and justify it by saying that Taoism doesn't say you can't include it. There are many beliefs that are totally inconsistent with Taoist philosophy and I believe that these beliefs should not be considered Taoist.

 

 

PS I did read your posts in your introductionary first post and I am sure I will enjoy many discussions with you although your major is not one of my stronger capabilities.

[julianlaboy]

hey, please do not misinterpret me... I was not making fun of you for the MarbleHead thing. I appreciate all of your comments, really! It was just that I saw the first comment from a positive perspective. As it says in your signature, peace

 

I can and sometimes will be that kind of marbleheaded as you mentioned. Anyway, I will eat now.

[Informer]

after me...

 

What did I win?

[Marblehead]

hey, please do not misinterpret me... I was not making fun of you for the MarbleHead thing. I appreciate all of your comments, really! It was just that I saw the first comment from a positive perspective. As it says in your signature, peace

 

I can and sometimes will be that kind of marbleheaded as you mentioned. Anyway, I will eat now.

 

Hehehe. I'm just feeling you out. Gotta' know what kind of communications we are going to be having.

 

Oh!, I know I am hard-headed. It's not a problem for me.

 

I never know for sure where I am going to be coming from in any of the discussions I participate in. Aaron knows me pretty well and I am sure he wasn't surprised by my post.

 

Anyhow, yes, nice to have you here. I am sure your knowledge will be of benefit of many of the members here. Some really need a lot of help. Hehehe.

[Marblehead]

after me...

 

What did I win?

 

 

You win nothing. There was nothing to win, nothing to lose.

 

Ah!, to have nothing to lose is the truest form of freedom.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

You win nothing. There was nothing to win, nothing to lose.

 

Ah!, to have nothing to lose is the truest form of freedom.

 

Marblehead, I think the Buddhists are getting to you man!

[julianlaboy]

Hehehe. I'm just feeling you out. Gotta' know what kind of communications we are going to be having.

 

Oh!, I know I am hard-headed. It's not a problem for me.

 

I never know for sure where I am going to be coming from in any of the discussions I participate in. Aaron knows me pretty well and I am sure he wasn't surprised by my post.

 

Anyhow, yes, nice to have you here. I am sure your knowledge will be of benefit of many of the members here. Some really need a lot of help. Hehehe.

 

I really do not like Psychology that much, after all. At least Clinical Psychology. It is probably the "tell me your problems and I will tell you what to do" kind of thing that sets me off. So, I will not be beneficial in helping some of the members, as you said. Haha.

 

By the way, this is a challenge to me because I am not used to writing in English! If the first guy said that he was nothing, I am less than that in here!

[Everything]

Doesn't rhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyme

:lol:

We don't need to pass this on generation after generation trough mouth. Unless you think thats necessary.

 

Having no wing.

Making no swing.

Being no single thing...

 

To the dragon I cling!

A description of every thing!

 

These are the borders of our earthly minds. One step at a time, we explore the unknown. Do not associate too hastily with the encounters you make outside of your borders! Head in there without the self. Cutting the dragon in half will lead you nowhere. Especially if you associated with one part of the dragon and assume that the other part will grow back after you've cut it. It wont grow back, no matter how persistently you assume it.

Edited November 24, 2011 by Everything

[Marblehead]

I really do not like Psychology that much, after all. At least Clinical Psychology. It is probably the "tell me your problems and I will tell you what to do" kind of thing that sets me off. So, I will not be beneficial in helping some of the members, as you said. Haha.

 

By the way, this is a challenge to me because I am not used to writing in English! If the first guy said that he was nothing, I am less than that in here!

 

Well, your English is quite well, IMO.

 

Yes, I am sure Clinical Psychology could easily become rather boring, and even depressing if one involves themself too deeply with the patients. Could become very self-indulgent as well. But then, if we can help someone then I think we should.

 

Hehehe. I sure wish you folks would stop belittling yourself. We are all special. It is just that we oftentimes have difficulty finding where we are supposed to be in this life and how to go about doing what we can do best. And regretfully, it is becoming harder now-a-days what with everyone telling us what we should do but yet no doors are left unlocked so that we might enter and find a place to call 'ours'.

[Marblehead]

Do not associate too hastily with the encounters you make outside of your borders!

 

Great advice!!!

[minkus]

[julianlaboy]

Well, your English is quite well, IMO.

 

Yes, I am sure Clinical Psychology could easily become rather boring, and even depressing if one involves themself too deeply with the patients. Could become very self-indulgent as well. But then, if we can help someone then I think we should.

 

Hehehe. I sure wish you folks would stop belittling yourself. We are all special. It is just that we oftentimes have difficulty finding where we are supposed to be in this life and how to go about doing what we can do best. And regretfully, it is becoming harder now-a-days what with everyone telling us what we should do but yet no doors are left unlocked so that we might enter and find a place to call 'ours'.

 

See? I had to look for "IMO" in the urban dictionary. Hehe.

 

And yeah, cheers to helping anyone!

[Marblehead]

See? I had to look for "IMO" in the urban dictionary. Hehe.

 

And yeah, cheers to helping anyone!

 

Hehehe. Yep, I had to do the same the first time I encountered it.

 

When thing get really funny we are LMFAO.

[Aaron]

Hello Marblehead,

 

I'm not sure what you mean by belittling yourself? I didn't want to comment on the poem, because I think that's tacky, but I did want to respond to the idea of being nothing being somehow belittling. In my eyes it's the exact opposite, you belittle yourself when you begin to identify yourself with how others view you, true freedom is only gained when one can be nothing, empty, from this emptiness there springs an infinite number of possibilities.

 

Aaron

 

edit- I should also note that I understand it's not an extraordinary poem. I wrote it while I was thinking of how to express my ideas about how we perceive ourselves (i.e. right then and there). Call it spontaneous free-verse. In that light, expect it to about the same quality as most free-verse.

Edited November 24, 2011 by Twinner

[Aaron]