Should I or shouldn't I ?

[liminal_luke]

The world will be saved one motorbike at a time. Some might choose to live without motorized transport, traveling about exclusively by way of village footpath.  This is a fine and environmentally-friendly choice.  Still, the earth is not dying merely from an overabundance of carbon dioxide emissions, but also from an underabundance of soul.  When a person loves a motorbike -- the beauty of it´s form and the precision of it´s function -- that´s an expression of soul.  The world needs more soul. 

Edited September 28, 2019 by liminal_luke

[Nungali]

9 hours ago, steve said:

 

I would offer that the rate of extinction of species, the loss of 30% of North America's birds in the past 50 years, and related occurrences are ample evidence that the Earth (which I take as organism-environment) is dying. It's more than simply rendering the Earth uninhabitable, we are killing her with far more rapidity than the normal background extinction rate. It's been estimate it's happening ~1,000 times more rapidly than the background rate currently. Granted this is a challenging thing to measure or predict but I feel humanity has become a cancer on this Earth. Looking at us from a medical perspective, our activities and the consequences are eerily similar to the behavior and effects of a malignant tumor. 

 

I am glad you added the 2nd bit .   Obviously my question was a baited hook 

 

The 'Earth' will not die  like that.  The earth before life was teeming on earth , when it was a  lava ball and being bombarded by meteors .... BEFORE ITS VIRAL INFECTION ... was also alive .  When  the infection is gone .... Earth will still be alive .   We have had massive life extinctions before ... it comes back .... the earth lives through all of it .

 

What the current ecological disaster  is - it is that we are ruining the ecological set up to which we have become accustomed to and thrive in .

 

I am an Australian and well aware of how we fuck things over and your terrible extinction rates in this country , I personally do not like it and do understand the damage ... but that will not kill the EARTH .   We might infect it but when that reaches a crisis point , we will be made extinct ourselves  ... or the earth may be amused by us and wipe most of us ut and keep a few remaining as  curiosity or pets .

 

save the earth !  Pshaw !  ... more like save our lives and the environment in the way WE want it to be .  But thats fair enough .  That is why I admire the Asutralian Aboriginals for so long  ; regardless of climate change (naturally), glaciation, droughts, flooding rains great variation in sea levels, massive storms ( sou nding familiar 0  they where able to keep their environment that supported them going and working for over 50,000 years .     Our modern attempts show failure after about 200 .

 

Personally , I want to keep these little guys around though , even though thats just for my 'piece of mind ' ,  its the season when they start running around and chattering on the huge  fire wheel tree that I have cultivated for their food (as well as other  plants and food for a variety of animals and insects ) .. just outside my back door next to my bed ;

 

 

 

 

9 hours ago, steve said:

 

Don't get me wrong, buy the bike and enjoy the fuck out of it. Lord knows I'm contributing to the problem as are nearly all of us to some degree. A bike is far less toxic than a car (with the possible exception of all electric but even they have a considerable footprint). My only objection to bikes is that I used to deal with the consequences of the wrecks which can be horrific. I live in an area with very high traffic density so I wouldn't get near one in my neighborhood.

 

Here is  another thing about the Royal Enfield ;  It is an old retro sort of model, the Indians bought the brand and started making  them . Virtually the same bike, brand new every since 1955 ( modified due to safety and pollution requirements, but thats it  ) Kudos to them for 'recycling' !   Its always been an issue for me , why all this waste with everything and a new improved model every year ? Why cant we have a version (of anything )  that is standard, good enough and not  driven by the   chuck out the old and get the latest new 'improved' version.   Why get a bike or a car that can do 220 kph when the national limit is 110 ?   etc .

 

As fas as consequences go ... yup !  When I used to ride my triumph to work everyday, I also worked in a hospital emergence ward  .. and mortuary .... the things I have seen !   When I went to pick up the bike ( with trailor) they go 'Going to take it for a ride first ? "

 

Me; "No way ! "

 

Then; : Why Not ?"

 

" Around here ?  With all this traffic, cars and trucks, busy roads roundabouts, lights, starting and stopping every 100 metres  ???   Nah, I wait till I get home  ... I live 6 km from one of the best bike runs on the east coast . "

 

 

9 hours ago, steve said:

 

We need to enjoy the things that get the juices flowing, do so with some awareness and consideration for our Mother, and look inward at our own contributions to the problem and responsibility to help. I think it's rather presumptuous and useless point the finger at others, particularly when we know next to nothing about their lives.

 

 Yes,  I tend to point the finger at myself     

 

I am at a gathering with some   mixed folk and some Aboriginals (including my 'Shamanic Aboriginal   teacher'  -  who is smirking as he knows what I am about to 'deliver ') 

 

Some white guy is mouthing off about how he is an environmentalist and he cares for this and that and will not do this or that but does do this or that  so I go " Oh I am not ! "

 

Him ( and a few others ) surprised  " Oh ?   Why not ? "

 

"Oh , I am selfish bastard ! Couldnt give a fuck ... for example I drove up here in my car   ( mine was a  little small thing ... his a huge 4x4 gas guzzler , brand new looking and parked intrudingly  near the camp ), burning fuel, polluting the air, on a road blasted through the environment  ... fuck off outta my way nature !   Now, I come up here mostly for pleasure and to see my mates, of course I could stay at home instead .. maybe use some of my money, instaed of this to send to feed starving kids somewhere .... but I dont . Cause I am selfish ... if I wasnt I would live under a tent and eat gruel or at least home grown veg  and send most of my money to people suffering a whole heap more than I could ever imagine .   But nope ..... I am areal arse hole , I dont do none of that . "

 

Guy is looking at ground ... thinking  .  My teacher is trying his best to not laugh and looking very serious .

[Nungali]

9 hours ago, ilumairen said:

 

Hi Cloudwalking Owl, you're fairly new here, and don't share much history with @Nungali - the individual who bought an "expensive toy." Perhaps he would be kind enough to find one of the threads where he shares about his home and how he lives? Or perhaps you could take a slight step back and search it out yourself? It's actually rather inspiring imo.

 

 

Awwww .....   

 

( that one got straight through   my 'defences'  )

 

Edit ; Oh yeah, considering 'expensive'  its one of the cheapest motorcycles around  eg ; the  new 650  Enfield 'Interceptor', is HALF THE PRICE  of a  Triumph   .... and is getting great reviews !

Edited September 29, 2019 by Nungali

[Nungali]

9 hours ago, silent thunder said:

Our Great Mother is the Void Beyond void.

Some call it Dao, others Brahman... many names.

Regardless of how local awareness labels to interact with the concept...

 

We all Spring from her Gateless Gate and return our form  there when our little blink shifts.

 

All we love and all we despise, arise from one source and to it, return.

We are one flowing ocean of waves that seem independent in our localized tinyness.

 

The one true impossibility to me, is to ever be separated from Dao, for one half moment, by even a hair's width... ever.

 

 

 

That ... my friend  .... is inspirational !

[Nungali]

3 hours ago, Starjumper said:

 

I mostly had Triumphs, topping it off with a Triumph Hurricane 750, fastest bike in the world when it was first produced in the early 70s.  It was really a BSA (Bastard Stopped Again) after BSA closed their doors, and was given a Triumph name plate.   It had bigger carbs than the standard 750 triple, and got around 22 mpg.    They were limited production and I never should have sold mine, they are worth a mint now.

 

 

 

My Favorite was a BSA 650, it was said by road testers to be the most stable motorcycle ever made, and I do believe it.  Once it was going 5mph or more it felt weightless, and it was so responsive it reacted as if reading your mind and would do anything you wanted with no effort.  In strong side gusts it would automatically lean into the wind and keep the same track.  I could make fast S curves, while staying within my lane, so fast that the front tire would hop off the ground each time.  It was even good on ice.  You really did feel like one with the machine, like you were flying.

 

Compared to that, the Jap bikes always feel remote, like you can never trust it, like you're sitting high up on top of this plastic fake unstable 'thing' that could bite you any second.  Of course anyone who never rode an English bike wouldn't know the difference.  Italian bikes handle really well too.

 

The reson I bought my first triumph as a lad ... I took an old 2nd hand one for a test drive . I lived down in a river valley that had a tight series of curves running down into the valley and backup out , so i took a run home and back . The bike seemed to effortlessly take the corners and double the speed I was used to . Just near the shop on the way back, I approached a T and braked, looking both ways (and not seeing the gravel patch on the intersection ) and seeing no cars, I accelerated, then saw the patch, too late, as was turning the corner and leaning into it, the front tyre slipped out .... "Oh nooooo , here I go ! "  I thought  ( having that happen before ... nasty ! ) , but the T had these huge clunky bolt on   non folding up steel footpegs , the bike went down on to the foot peg, and I slid through the gravel at 45 degrees, both feet still up, came through the gravel, righted itself and continued on the line  and lean around the corner .

 

me ; " I didnt go down ! "  .. or smash the shops bike  .  Rode back to shop  " I'll take it ! "

[doc benway]

4 hours ago, liminal_luke said:

 The world needs more soul. 

 

And more heart.

Edited September 29, 2019 by steve

[Michael Sternbach]

You should! 

[Earl Grey]

9 hours ago, liminal_luke said:

The world will be saved one motorbike at a time. Some might choose to live without motorized transport, traveling about exclusively by way of village footpath.  This is a fine and environmentally-friendly choice.  Still, the earth is not dying merely from an overabundance of carbon dioxide emissions, but also from an underabundance of soul.  When a person loves a motorbike -- the beauty of it´s form and the precision of it´s function -- that´s an expression of soul.  The world needs more soul. 

 

That line belongs in “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance 2” written by Liminal Luke and illustrated by his partner. Make it happen.

[Nungali]

[Nungali]

or, in my situation ;

 

 

[Nungali]

 

 

 

Dont forget to wear a helmet ! 

 

 

 

 

 

(They only cost  a dollar  )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[moment]

On 9/28/2019 at 1:04 AM, Nungali said:

 

Thats right .

 

 

... you think ,   not  . 

 

 We already went through that side of things pages back .   Hence the thread title .  You should have weighed in back then , berfore I got convinced otherwise . 

 

Now great sage ... make a list of the things in YOUR life buddy that you have yet could do without .

 

Come on, cough it up .

 

 

- and what makes you say the Earth is dying ?  That is such bull shit !

You seem to be getting more sarcastic lately.  Is everything all right?

[Nungali]

 

 

 

Its just a hobby