The roses, the nights of clear stars, the rocks the shepherds throw at goats while my wife makes love to me in bright sun. Lord, you have given me your Earth.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Deep Sand
Deep Sand
The light of the moon
appears in the sand
of the deep desert during
the night. Even the
horses sleep in its shade.
Even water hiding in barrels
for the wash of sheep skin
or butchered cattle
covers itself from a light
that brightens darkness,
never making darkness
complete, total, or at rest.
In the morning there
is sun but little talk of
the moon. What happens
during the night? Why can't
we sleep? What is outside
hovering next to our
effort to fall asleep in the
sand, rocks, and dry scrub?
I can't say the moon is not
a wild horse. His breath visits
you for a slight moment in
the night, and the night, the
night is not the sun's death,
it is the patient pleading of
one star which awakens horses
in the North in dry Argentina.
The light of the moon
appears in the sand
of the deep desert during
the night. Even the
horses sleep in its shade.
Even water hiding in barrels
for the wash of sheep skin
or butchered cattle
covers itself from a light
that brightens darkness,
never making darkness
complete, total, or at rest.
In the morning there
is sun but little talk of
the moon. What happens
during the night? Why can't
we sleep? What is outside
hovering next to our
effort to fall asleep in the
sand, rocks, and dry scrub?
I can't say the moon is not
a wild horse. His breath visits
you for a slight moment in
the night, and the night, the
night is not the sun's death,
it is the patient pleading of
one star which awakens horses
in the North in dry Argentina.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Ring of Truth
Roger Scruton's Ring of Truth can be read in place of just about anything. I would implore Moraline and Chrome to get this on Kindle and read it. Its subject matter is so relevant to Moraline's struggle with his gods that it was almost written *in response*.Chrome will liken the work to goodtimecognac. I cannot speak more highly of the work.
Friday, July 29, 2016
Doing and Having: Freedom
"In addition it is necessary to point out to "common sense" that the formula "to be free" does not mean "to obtain what one has wished" but rather"by oneself to determine oneself to wish" (in the broad sense of choosing). In other words success is not important to freedom. The discussion which opposes common sense to philosophers stems here from a misunderstanding: the empirical and popular concept of "freedom" which has been produced by historical, political, and moral circumstances is equivalent to "the ability to obtain the ends chosen." The technical and philosophical concept of freedom, the only one which we are considering here, means only the autonomy of choice. It is necessary, however, to note that the choice, being identical with acting, supposed a commencement of realization in order that the choice may be distinguished from the dream and the wish. Thus we shall not say that the prisoner is always free to go out of prison, which would be absurd, nor that he is always free to long for release, which would be an irrelevant truism, but that he is always free to try to escape (or get himself liberated); that is, that whatever his condition may be, he can project his escape and learn the value of his project by undertaking some action."
Sartre, Being and Nothingness, pps. 483-484
Sartre, Being and Nothingness, pps. 483-484
Sunday, February 14, 2016
By the city, then the stream
"You're no explorer," she said. "You're a boy scout."
"Back in the day that would be a fine compliment," I said. "Take me back 100 years and I'll take boy scout."
"You're a spy and a sneak and a fake," she said.
"Madame, perhaps we've met, but I thought you were long gone," I said.
"You think you went your away for yourself. You think you had your 'experience.' All you did was uncover what should have been left alone. What's the matter with you?", she asked.
"I didn't try to write anything. I just wrote my war diaries and my captain's log. I kept it simple. I'm not famous. I didn't write any guide book. To do it, you still have to have your own motivation and drive. So don't call me a spy. Go ahead and follow in my footsteps," I said.
The old woman got up, fell backwards, and turned into dust.
I put in three quarters and began to shoot. I thought of hot days and lonely days. I remembered Santa Claus when it was hot and sunny in November. I remembered the white sand of Minas Gerais. If I was a boy scout, I had left my troop. But Sam Houston left his troop, too. He picked up several letters of marque. Then he beat Santa Anna, then he went into seclusion because the war between the states was shit.
Look what China was doing 12,000 years ago. Why did language occur? Did 'we' do it? Was there a prompt from the 'outside?' If there is no outside, no inside, no noumena, no phenomena, then the old woman blows hot air for no good reason. "Get up that mountain," I tell her.
"Back in the day that would be a fine compliment," I said. "Take me back 100 years and I'll take boy scout."
"You're a spy and a sneak and a fake," she said.
"Madame, perhaps we've met, but I thought you were long gone," I said.
"You think you went your away for yourself. You think you had your 'experience.' All you did was uncover what should have been left alone. What's the matter with you?", she asked.
"I didn't try to write anything. I just wrote my war diaries and my captain's log. I kept it simple. I'm not famous. I didn't write any guide book. To do it, you still have to have your own motivation and drive. So don't call me a spy. Go ahead and follow in my footsteps," I said.
The old woman got up, fell backwards, and turned into dust.
I put in three quarters and began to shoot. I thought of hot days and lonely days. I remembered Santa Claus when it was hot and sunny in November. I remembered the white sand of Minas Gerais. If I was a boy scout, I had left my troop. But Sam Houston left his troop, too. He picked up several letters of marque. Then he beat Santa Anna, then he went into seclusion because the war between the states was shit.
Look what China was doing 12,000 years ago. Why did language occur? Did 'we' do it? Was there a prompt from the 'outside?' If there is no outside, no inside, no noumena, no phenomena, then the old woman blows hot air for no good reason. "Get up that mountain," I tell her.
Monday, February 1, 2016
On the Several Yuga
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuga
Characteristics of each Yuga
- Satya Yuga: The first and best Yuga. It is the age of truth and perfection. Caste system is very flexible. Brahmanas are capable of achieving miracles by mere fiat of will. Kshatriyas are endued with superhuman physical prowess. Humans are gigantic, powerfully built, handsome, honest, youthful, vigorous, erudite and virtuous. The Vedas are one. There is no agriculture nor mining as the earth yields those riches on its own. Weather is pleasant and everyone is happy. There is no religious sect. In the earlier part of the Yuga, all humans were Brahmanas and lived as siblings. There was no disease, decreptitude or fear of anything. There was no music, song, dance, buying or selling. There was no caste system. No animals were slain in sacrifices. There was no city, town or nation. In the later part of the Yuga, civilization is established and the Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras perform their duties well. Human lifespan is 100,000 years and humans tend to have hundreds or thousands of sons or daughters. People must perform penances for thousands of years to acquire Samadhi and die. Significant people born in this age include Prithu, Ikshwaku, Nahusha, Yayati, Pururavas, Vishwamitra, Hiranyakshipu, Ravana etc.
- Treta Yuga: Treta means third. In this age, virtue diminishes slightly. At the beginning of the age, many emperors rise to dominance and conquer the world. Wars become frequent and weather begins to change to extremeties. Oceans and deserts are formed. Majority Brahmanas become slightly less powerful. People are divided into various cultures and people of mixed classes are born. People become slightly diminished compared to their predecessors. Agriculture, labour and mining become existent. Significant people born in this age include Rama, Lakshmana, Hanuman, Dasharatha, Raghu, Aja etc. Average age of humans is around 1000-10,000.
- Dwapara Yuga: Dwapara means second. In this age, people become tainted with Tamasic qualities and aren't as strong as their ancestors. Diseases become rampant. Humans are discontent and fight each other. Vedas are divided into four parts. People still possess characteristics of youth in old age. Significant people born in this age are Krishna, Balarama, the Pandavas, the Kauravas, Shantanu, Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Draupadi and Abhimanyu. Average age is around a few centuries.
- Kali Yuga: The final age. It is the age of darkness and ignorance. People become sinners and lack virtue. They become slaves to their passions and are barely as powerful as their earliest ancestors in the Satya Yuga. Society falls into disuse and people become liars and hypocrites. Knowledge is lost and scriptures are diminished. Humans eat forbidden and dirty food and engage in unrestrained sinful sexual practices. The environment is polluted, water and food become scarce. Wealth is heavily diminished. Brahmanas become ignorant, Kshatriyas become weak, Vaishyas employ questionable business tactics and Shudras treacherously acquire power. Families become non existent. Average age of people is barely 100 years though by the end of the Yuga, it will be upto 20 years.
The Ages of Man
From Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_Man
Hesiod's Five Ages
Lucas Cranach the Elder, The Silver Age
Virgil Solis, The Iron Age
- Golden Age – The Golden Age is the only age that falls within the rule of Cronus. Created by the immortals who live on Olympus, these humans were said to live among the gods, and freely mingled with them. Peace and harmony prevailed during this age. Humans did not have to work to feed themselves, for the earth provided food in abundance. They lived to a very old age but with a youthful appearance and eventually died peacefully. Their spirits live on as "guardians". Plato in Cratylus (397e) recounts the golden race of men who came first. He clarifies that Hesiod did not mean men literally made of gold, but good and noble. He describes these men as daemons upon the earth. Since δαίμονες (daimones) is derived from δαήμονες (daēmones, meaning knowing or wise), they are beneficent, preventing ills, and guardians of mortals.
- Silver Age – The Silver Age and every age that follows fall within the rule of Cronus' successor and son, Zeus. Men in the Silver age lived for one hundred years under the dominion of their mothers. They lived only a short time as grown adults, and spent that time in strife with one another. During this Age men refused to worship the gods and Zeus destroyed them for their impiety. After death, humans of this age became "blessed spirits" of the underworld.
- Bronze Age – Men of the Bronze Age were hardened and tough, as war was their purpose and passion. Zeus created these humans out of the ash tree. Their armor was forged of bronze, as were their homes, and tools. The men of this Age were undone by their own violent ways and left no named spirits; instead, they dwell in the "dank house of Hades". This Age came to an end with the flood of Deucalion.
- Heroic Age – The Heroic Age is the one age that does not correspond with any metal. It is also the only age that improves upon the age it follows. It was the heroes of this Age who fought at Thebes and Troy. This race of humans died and went to Elysium.
- Iron Age – Hesiod finds himself in the Iron Age. During this age humans live an existence of toil and misery. Children dishonor their parents, brother fights with brother and the social contract between guest and host (xenia) is forgotten. During this age might makes right, and bad men use lies to be thought good. At the height of this age, humans no longer feel shame or indignation at wrongdoing; babies will be born with gray hair and the gods will have completely forsaken humanity: "there will be no help against evil."
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Who Were the Gods? Do You Wanna Be A Bird?
It was a tough homework assignment by Moraline: Who were the Gods? Because he wasn't asking a straight-forward question, and he knew it.
No, the question of "Who were the Gods for the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Hindus," is one thing.
Then, the question of "Who were the gods for the Inuit?"
Well, that was the trick question.
My guess is that Moraline was challenging the reader to re-arrange his vantage point. The Inuit had no gods. That term, "gods," isn't the word to use. No, better use "spirit," as does Carpenter.
If this is true, did Moraline ask the question to point out that the Inuit in fact had no gods? That the very structure and point of reference of "gods" had no relevance or meaning to the Inuit?
If so, Moraline's work points at a huge divide in human experience: those that had helping and hurting spirits, personal, changing things that were part of life and shared and understood as a community, something normal, sane, and adaptive; and then something bifurcating, estranging, and alienating: that of the omniscient, omnipotent, beyond time and space.
Moraline's initial reaction to my extra-terrestrial theory was: "Look, you don't even need to get there to get there." And that's true if you can point to helicopters in the Amazon today. We're there right now, is his point.
But I am going to be difficult and say: Yeah man, but what about, say, 8,000 years ago?
What's my point here? You have tales that Heidegger calls "orginary," coming out of ancient Ireland and Greece. Far-fetched, crazy-assed shit. Far before Homer, and across more than a few ancient cultures. You have a dark ages that lasted 2,000 years before Homer and Hesiod. It happened after a period of very advanced civilization on Earth (Sumerian, in particular). It happened after the Greeks already reached a level of state building. What followed afterwards was a loss of the ancient Greek language. Homer and Hesiod did not understand the Greek that had occurred 2,000 years before their time. But the Greek that was 2,000 years before their time was more complex.
That means that so much time had gone by in Greece that by the time Homer and Hesiod were literate, their ancestors were mythical and nearly unintelligible to them. Yet their ancestors had huge civilizations, huge governments, huge surpluses.2,000 years of primitive darkness had passed in the interim.
Hesiod comes out of nowhere and writes about basic ways human can survive. He says he hates the sea, and says how to gain independence by farming and storing. He warns of government and disputes.
This is some crazy talk of gods. It's a phenomenology of man's reaction to a radically different other, what I think is ancient man's reaction to super-modern technology. I understand the human protest against even paying attention to some high tech visit 8,000 years ago or even further back. Because the phenomenology of the matter would ax most of it to the epoche. You'd still point to the cabin in the wilderness, to the traditional family in the wilderness, and point out, correctly, a fucking space ship, a fucking so-called 'dominant' class, really can be tossed in the trash can with the tossers, with the sitters.
You ever hear a bull frog in the dark?
No, the question of "Who were the Gods for the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Hindus," is one thing.
Then, the question of "Who were the gods for the Inuit?"
Well, that was the trick question.
My guess is that Moraline was challenging the reader to re-arrange his vantage point. The Inuit had no gods. That term, "gods," isn't the word to use. No, better use "spirit," as does Carpenter.
If this is true, did Moraline ask the question to point out that the Inuit in fact had no gods? That the very structure and point of reference of "gods" had no relevance or meaning to the Inuit?
If so, Moraline's work points at a huge divide in human experience: those that had helping and hurting spirits, personal, changing things that were part of life and shared and understood as a community, something normal, sane, and adaptive; and then something bifurcating, estranging, and alienating: that of the omniscient, omnipotent, beyond time and space.
Moraline's initial reaction to my extra-terrestrial theory was: "Look, you don't even need to get there to get there." And that's true if you can point to helicopters in the Amazon today. We're there right now, is his point.
But I am going to be difficult and say: Yeah man, but what about, say, 8,000 years ago?
What's my point here? You have tales that Heidegger calls "orginary," coming out of ancient Ireland and Greece. Far-fetched, crazy-assed shit. Far before Homer, and across more than a few ancient cultures. You have a dark ages that lasted 2,000 years before Homer and Hesiod. It happened after a period of very advanced civilization on Earth (Sumerian, in particular). It happened after the Greeks already reached a level of state building. What followed afterwards was a loss of the ancient Greek language. Homer and Hesiod did not understand the Greek that had occurred 2,000 years before their time. But the Greek that was 2,000 years before their time was more complex.
That means that so much time had gone by in Greece that by the time Homer and Hesiod were literate, their ancestors were mythical and nearly unintelligible to them. Yet their ancestors had huge civilizations, huge governments, huge surpluses.2,000 years of primitive darkness had passed in the interim.
Hesiod comes out of nowhere and writes about basic ways human can survive. He says he hates the sea, and says how to gain independence by farming and storing. He warns of government and disputes.
This is some crazy talk of gods. It's a phenomenology of man's reaction to a radically different other, what I think is ancient man's reaction to super-modern technology. I understand the human protest against even paying attention to some high tech visit 8,000 years ago or even further back. Because the phenomenology of the matter would ax most of it to the epoche. You'd still point to the cabin in the wilderness, to the traditional family in the wilderness, and point out, correctly, a fucking space ship, a fucking so-called 'dominant' class, really can be tossed in the trash can with the tossers, with the sitters.
You ever hear a bull frog in the dark?
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Who Were the Gods?
Moraline's contribution to the answer was more significant than he realized. Because he took a phenomenological approach; Husserl would have been happy.
The natural attitude gives a blunt answer that makes impotent and meaningless man. The phenomenological attitude (of which I consider Moraline) liberates man.
There was a dominant class that arrived a long, long time ago. Whether they influenced or created man isn't clear. Hesiod says they were the great race--but he doesn't say they were the great race of men, as they weren't men, but Gods. And this leads one to recognize: the term 'god' means drastically different things.
You have the same story, at the same time, on other parts of Earth. You also have incredible and sudden advances in mathematics, language, 'government,' engineering, etc. Of course, all of this 3000 B.C--India, South America, China, Middle East, Ireland. Yes, the Irish. Once cave men, suddenly building landing strips 5000 years ago.
It then vanished and reappeared.'It,' what was 'it.' Why did Hesiod's voice, coming from the 'dark ages,' so dark that humans didn't even have crude oil lamps, much less language? Why did an illiterate refugee suddenly write epic poetry? Why was Homer a contemporary of Hesiod? What were these men writing about, how did these men learn to write when the advanced language and culture of the Greeks was decimated? Note that the Greek of Homer and Hesiod was new. Language itself had been dead for 2000 years. How did it somehow come back?
Perhaps what Moraline uncovers is the hidden transcript of the individual. The Inuit, for example. They either were unlucky to wander to such a cold and hellish place, or for them the independence was worth the cold. My take is that the Inuit were not idiotic, aimless wanderers. They got there and survived there because they did not want what they left. Scott speaks of the hill peoples of Asia, running from legibility.
Independent from what? It doesn't matter. Yes, they (the Inuit) are a community. But not dominated so easily by some force, perhaps what is called a force of legibility.
Yet to understand that the bully might have not been from Earth is something either new or ancient. Hesiod's account of the Gods agrees with the Irish, the Indians, the Hebrews, the Mayans, and Sumerians, the Egyptians, the Chinese. These are systemic tales, these are tales of sophisticated, organized violence. Being and Time suddenly is a clear account of the matter.
Who were the Gods? It depends on who you ask. Is your god your guiding spirit? Or is does your god strike you down with fire? Why is the aquifer of the Dead Sea radioactive?
The natural attitude gives a blunt answer that makes impotent and meaningless man. The phenomenological attitude (of which I consider Moraline) liberates man.
There was a dominant class that arrived a long, long time ago. Whether they influenced or created man isn't clear. Hesiod says they were the great race--but he doesn't say they were the great race of men, as they weren't men, but Gods. And this leads one to recognize: the term 'god' means drastically different things.
You have the same story, at the same time, on other parts of Earth. You also have incredible and sudden advances in mathematics, language, 'government,' engineering, etc. Of course, all of this 3000 B.C--India, South America, China, Middle East, Ireland. Yes, the Irish. Once cave men, suddenly building landing strips 5000 years ago.
It then vanished and reappeared.'It,' what was 'it.' Why did Hesiod's voice, coming from the 'dark ages,' so dark that humans didn't even have crude oil lamps, much less language? Why did an illiterate refugee suddenly write epic poetry? Why was Homer a contemporary of Hesiod? What were these men writing about, how did these men learn to write when the advanced language and culture of the Greeks was decimated? Note that the Greek of Homer and Hesiod was new. Language itself had been dead for 2000 years. How did it somehow come back?
Perhaps what Moraline uncovers is the hidden transcript of the individual. The Inuit, for example. They either were unlucky to wander to such a cold and hellish place, or for them the independence was worth the cold. My take is that the Inuit were not idiotic, aimless wanderers. They got there and survived there because they did not want what they left. Scott speaks of the hill peoples of Asia, running from legibility.
Independent from what? It doesn't matter. Yes, they (the Inuit) are a community. But not dominated so easily by some force, perhaps what is called a force of legibility.
Yet to understand that the bully might have not been from Earth is something either new or ancient. Hesiod's account of the Gods agrees with the Irish, the Indians, the Hebrews, the Mayans, and Sumerians, the Egyptians, the Chinese. These are systemic tales, these are tales of sophisticated, organized violence. Being and Time suddenly is a clear account of the matter.
Who were the Gods? It depends on who you ask. Is your god your guiding spirit? Or is does your god strike you down with fire? Why is the aquifer of the Dead Sea radioactive?
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