To All God's Children,
-->One of my professors is an uncarved block. The “uncarved block” (because I know you’re wondering) is a Tao master or a person who is untainted by the modern order of the world. He is forty, but he acts like a five year old maintaining a sense of wonder, always asking questions, and in tune with his playful nature.
Money has little importance to him; he isn’t tainted by the need to feel important by making a lot of money (or more money than his wife for example). He loves to play basketball probably for the coordination, grace, and rhythm of the sport; basketball could be perceived as a “masculine” form of competitive dance when thought of in this way.
He’s calm and quiet although I feel it’s been misinterpreted by people as being cold, calculating and apathetic. He has passion and I think that’s why he liked my essays for class so much. He has compassion whether he realizes it or not; he told us once that he “hates people”, but it’s probably because the way people use and abuse each other is absurd. He’s an uncarved block and we share so many qualities in common. I consider him a very interesting and special friend.
Showing posts with label taoism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taoism. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Music is Living: Black People and the Music Stereotype
To All God's Children,
--> Schizophrenia is prevalent among African Americans and the textbooks say it’s because of some disorganized parenting styles and high stress lives. I think it’s also because people by nature, not just African Americans, want to enjoy life to the fullest. Like it states in Taoism, music, dancing, and singing is living and being in harmony with nature. Think of one culture that doesn’t have music or dance? The brilliant mind of some impoverished African Americans are being suppressed due to lack of environmental stimulation or resources to promote one’s natural talents and brilliance. In essence, I am saying that like the people of my family, this culture and lifestyle established by our White ancestors have literally driven African Americans crazy. And yes I claim Blacks and Whites in my ancestry because I am part African and Irish American.
It’s evaluated as somewhat condensing to Blacks that we are good dancers and musicians although it’s considered a positive stereotype, but it isn’t a bad thing. Music is life and people who are connected to music are living life to the fullest. They also have a problem with Black rappers because they feel they are undeserving of being in the upper class. Well, why does anyone deserve to be rich? It’s not about deserving it’s just something that happens to certain people. Most rich kids born into privilege are just going to keep right on trucking. They didn’t work for it. At least rappers have to say words in rhythm in order to get where they are – they do something it isn’t handed to them. If anyone should be yelled at for living off of handouts it’s the children of wealthy people.
-->
-->Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that for some, but can never say all, Blacks that being “smart” is being “uncool” and “White”. White man did not invent knowledge. To be intelligent does not mean being white or uncool. The Hip hop religion was born from rebellion against white men, but really it’s still a submission to their rules. Hooking any sort of negativity into music and dance is admitting that the Puritans were correct. Music and dance plus Satan worship is admitting that the Christian or Puritans are right and that there is a devil that opposes God. Music and dance can be positive. Holy hip hop is not the answer to breaking the negativity that stems from the hip hop religion or way of life. Let the children invent their own way of producing music. Why do we have to do it the “white man’s” way if you have a problem with it? Let the creativity of the children shine and allow a new way to find joy in life without self-degradation.
" 'Wouldn't you say Pooh?'
'Say what?' asked Pooh, opening his eyes.
'Music and Living.'
'The same thing," said Pooh"
From the Tao of Pooh
'Say what?' asked Pooh, opening his eyes.
'Music and Living.'
'The same thing," said Pooh"
From the Tao of Pooh
--> Schizophrenia is prevalent among African Americans and the textbooks say it’s because of some disorganized parenting styles and high stress lives. I think it’s also because people by nature, not just African Americans, want to enjoy life to the fullest. Like it states in Taoism, music, dancing, and singing is living and being in harmony with nature. Think of one culture that doesn’t have music or dance? The brilliant mind of some impoverished African Americans are being suppressed due to lack of environmental stimulation or resources to promote one’s natural talents and brilliance. In essence, I am saying that like the people of my family, this culture and lifestyle established by our White ancestors have literally driven African Americans crazy. And yes I claim Blacks and Whites in my ancestry because I am part African and Irish American.
It’s evaluated as somewhat condensing to Blacks that we are good dancers and musicians although it’s considered a positive stereotype, but it isn’t a bad thing. Music is life and people who are connected to music are living life to the fullest. They also have a problem with Black rappers because they feel they are undeserving of being in the upper class. Well, why does anyone deserve to be rich? It’s not about deserving it’s just something that happens to certain people. Most rich kids born into privilege are just going to keep right on trucking. They didn’t work for it. At least rappers have to say words in rhythm in order to get where they are – they do something it isn’t handed to them. If anyone should be yelled at for living off of handouts it’s the children of wealthy people.
-->
-->Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that for some, but can never say all, Blacks that being “smart” is being “uncool” and “White”. White man did not invent knowledge. To be intelligent does not mean being white or uncool. The Hip hop religion was born from rebellion against white men, but really it’s still a submission to their rules. Hooking any sort of negativity into music and dance is admitting that the Puritans were correct. Music and dance plus Satan worship is admitting that the Christian or Puritans are right and that there is a devil that opposes God. Music and dance can be positive. Holy hip hop is not the answer to breaking the negativity that stems from the hip hop religion or way of life. Let the children invent their own way of producing music. Why do we have to do it the “white man’s” way if you have a problem with it? Let the creativity of the children shine and allow a new way to find joy in life without self-degradation.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The Taoists, Pooh Bear and I
To All God's Children,
-->I’ve come to the conclusion that I am a Taoist by nature and I can’t wait for the next person to ask me what religion I am. I’ll do anything to avoid being the scientific-minded-I’m-so-smart agnostic. Then again, Taoism is more like a way of life than a religion. I’ve also come to the conclusion that I am in fact Winnie the Pooh who apparently also is a Tao master. Each character in the Pooh universe had their own distinct personality that’s what made each character loveable. I had always enjoyed the complexity of Winnie the Pooh, but had never realized that I identified with him.
Like Pooh, I have clumsy moments where I get myself into trouble like he did with the too-much-honey-rump-stuck-in-the-door trick. He has untold wisdom spouts that are few and far between like when he used logic to walk himself and Piglet out of the forest Rabbit helped them get lost in. He cherishes the simple pleasures in life like honey. My simple pleasures are chocolate, poppy seeds on muffins, turkey meat, but also honey; no drugs for me thanks I’ll just have a big hulking cup of cocoa. Also, like Pooh the process of preparing and eating the food is as good as the food itself; I’ve been known to stare into my empty cup that once held lemonade wishing there were more. Effortlessly calm, I usually never blow my top; you have to sink pretty low to do so. I love sitting and pondering with a “Think, Think, Think…”
My family is a combination of these characters from the 100 acre woods. My mother frets like Eeyore, my brother is long-winded and knowledgeable like Owl, and my father is the "Bisy Backson" drifting in and out of the story long enough to call us all silly like Christopher Robin.
-->I’ve come to the conclusion that I am a Taoist by nature and I can’t wait for the next person to ask me what religion I am. I’ll do anything to avoid being the scientific-minded-I’m-so-smart agnostic. Then again, Taoism is more like a way of life than a religion. I’ve also come to the conclusion that I am in fact Winnie the Pooh who apparently also is a Tao master. Each character in the Pooh universe had their own distinct personality that’s what made each character loveable. I had always enjoyed the complexity of Winnie the Pooh, but had never realized that I identified with him.
Like Pooh, I have clumsy moments where I get myself into trouble like he did with the too-much-honey-rump-stuck-in-the-door trick. He has untold wisdom spouts that are few and far between like when he used logic to walk himself and Piglet out of the forest Rabbit helped them get lost in. He cherishes the simple pleasures in life like honey. My simple pleasures are chocolate, poppy seeds on muffins, turkey meat, but also honey; no drugs for me thanks I’ll just have a big hulking cup of cocoa. Also, like Pooh the process of preparing and eating the food is as good as the food itself; I’ve been known to stare into my empty cup that once held lemonade wishing there were more. Effortlessly calm, I usually never blow my top; you have to sink pretty low to do so. I love sitting and pondering with a “Think, Think, Think…”
My family is a combination of these characters from the 100 acre woods. My mother frets like Eeyore, my brother is long-winded and knowledgeable like Owl, and my father is the "Bisy Backson" drifting in and out of the story long enough to call us all silly like Christopher Robin.
Where to Draw the Line
To All God's Children,
--> -->My beliefs are similar to the Taoists also that the forces of evil and good are conflicting. To this end, they conflict so prevalently that it’s difficult to separate the two. Like Spinoza's monism, there is no separation between the sacred and secular. And contrary to what many believe I don’t think there’s a separation between what we perceive as male or female.
There are too many exceptions to the rules or “on conditions” for there to be a distinct dichotomy between these concepts. To have good we must have evil because in order to define an act as evil you must have a good act of which to relate. But does either one exist? What’s seen as good for one person may be evil for another. This means that what is evil is relative to the perceiver. There is no good or evil just the choices we make from our limited free will.
However, our choices are influenced by our lifestyle and where and who we were born to and as. So once we are let loose into the world we have a limited amount of freedom influenced by our experiences. In many ways we are trapped, so an “evil man” may have just been born with an anti-social personality developed in a bad neighborhood or abusive family. Is he really evil, or is it just circumstance?
Just to make it very clear, this is an argument against what is considered evil, not whether a criminal should be punished for his crimes or not. I believe that a person who has done wrong by another should be held accountable and held from doing the act to another.
--> -->My beliefs are similar to the Taoists also that the forces of evil and good are conflicting. To this end, they conflict so prevalently that it’s difficult to separate the two. Like Spinoza's monism, there is no separation between the sacred and secular. And contrary to what many believe I don’t think there’s a separation between what we perceive as male or female.
There are too many exceptions to the rules or “on conditions” for there to be a distinct dichotomy between these concepts. To have good we must have evil because in order to define an act as evil you must have a good act of which to relate. But does either one exist? What’s seen as good for one person may be evil for another. This means that what is evil is relative to the perceiver. There is no good or evil just the choices we make from our limited free will.
However, our choices are influenced by our lifestyle and where and who we were born to and as. So once we are let loose into the world we have a limited amount of freedom influenced by our experiences. In many ways we are trapped, so an “evil man” may have just been born with an anti-social personality developed in a bad neighborhood or abusive family. Is he really evil, or is it just circumstance?
Just to make it very clear, this is an argument against what is considered evil, not whether a criminal should be punished for his crimes or not. I believe that a person who has done wrong by another should be held accountable and held from doing the act to another.
Friday, March 5, 2010
The Definition of God
To All God's Children,
-->I’m convinced that many philosophers are wrong. Just because the definition of a certain being is not true in all cases doesn’t mean that being doesn’t exist. However, what it might mean is that the definition of the being is wrong. God is all good, but because there is evil in the world God does not exist according to a Frenchman named Sartre. Well that’s just stupid; I can understand the idea that the Christian God is “all good” and that it’s logical for an omnipresent being to allow evil in its being. There’s so much that lies beyond what humans know there’s no way anyone can prove that God does not exist from such a simple statement.
Maybe God should not be defined as an “all good” being. The Taoists believe that there is a balance of good and bad like in the yin yang. Good vs. evil is all relative to your perspective of whether the action helps or harms you. If you label something as good then you must have something as evil. It makes the most sense to just not label it either way. But I guess calling God the all-powerful “neutral” would just sound lame.
Whatever, I’m getting off track, but essentially what I’m trying to say is that our definition of God might be wrong because; for one, God lies outside our understanding and therefore nearly impossible to limit him to a particular definition. I believe God should be defined as a spirit that lies beyond us, but within us – a disembodied current of life force thriving at the very core of existence. God is everywhere because the spirit is all matter thus we are included into its being; for we are nothing, but conscious matter ourselves.
-->I’m convinced that many philosophers are wrong. Just because the definition of a certain being is not true in all cases doesn’t mean that being doesn’t exist. However, what it might mean is that the definition of the being is wrong. God is all good, but because there is evil in the world God does not exist according to a Frenchman named Sartre. Well that’s just stupid; I can understand the idea that the Christian God is “all good” and that it’s logical for an omnipresent being to allow evil in its being. There’s so much that lies beyond what humans know there’s no way anyone can prove that God does not exist from such a simple statement.
Maybe God should not be defined as an “all good” being. The Taoists believe that there is a balance of good and bad like in the yin yang. Good vs. evil is all relative to your perspective of whether the action helps or harms you. If you label something as good then you must have something as evil. It makes the most sense to just not label it either way. But I guess calling God the all-powerful “neutral” would just sound lame.
Whatever, I’m getting off track, but essentially what I’m trying to say is that our definition of God might be wrong because; for one, God lies outside our understanding and therefore nearly impossible to limit him to a particular definition. I believe God should be defined as a spirit that lies beyond us, but within us – a disembodied current of life force thriving at the very core of existence. God is everywhere because the spirit is all matter thus we are included into its being; for we are nothing, but conscious matter ourselves.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Is there a right and a wrong?
To All God's Children,
Here's a poem I wrote a long time ago during college. It's a Taoist belief that there is no such thing as right and wrong; I would assume it depends on perspective.
Here's a poem I wrote a long time ago during college. It's a Taoist belief that there is no such thing as right and wrong; I would assume it depends on perspective.
There is no good or bad
There is only the decisions we make
And the consequences of those choices
Some decisions have negative outcomes
Others have positive resolutions
The good are the ones who make decisions to help
The bad are the ones who make choices that harm
There is only the decisions we make
And the consequences of those choices
Some decisions have negative outcomes
Others have positive resolutions
The good are the ones who make decisions to help
The bad are the ones who make choices that harm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)