truth

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Confliction & 2028

“Don’t worry about the situation of the world. You must be happy – very, very happy! Only through happiness and waves of bliss, you will be able to help your country and the entire world. You will remain ever invincible when you don’t allow anything to obscure your happiness.” ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

On a separate but related note I’ve been following the works and words of Thich Nhat Hanh for some time now. Sometimes I can even make it work, this in the now thing. At least for awhile. Sometimes I can even feel at peace–for awhile. I consider getting back to meditating and even have my own zafu and zabuton. But then I have also purchased a Yoga mat and hand weights. I’m sure I’ll get to them too.

This is all to say and finally speak to the cliched elephant in the room–Trump. The Trump world of Republicans and sycophants and followers. And I swore I would never bring him up. But like the huge festering boil of old, there it is. And the biggest scream factor that I have is my inability to understand the people who still see him in a good light, even a positive one. Those who still can see a green reflecting pool as blue. Or now as it turns out to admittedly be green, turned so by vandals.

Actually I do understand it. People don’t want truth, they want to feel safe. This sentiment is lodged in works by our pal Fyodor Dostoevsky, who wrote, “People don’t want truth; they want comfort dressed as truth” and in Kafka’s observation that people “rent illusions” to avoid the weight of reality. I understand it but I don’t. Feeling safe can kill you.

I mostly wonder what will happen to those who have to know, yet say the words and kiss the ass anyway. Marco Rubio, JD Vance, et.al. When I see them I want to cry. How could they betray us so for personal gain. Is there no integrity at all?

For God’s sake! Eating pets? Litter boxes for toilets in schools? A war!

It’s the weight of it, the sadness, the frustration. And the just plain exhaustion. As I try to picture the goodness in others, say the metta for all, and move the mala beads that were once rosary beads, I wait for the election of 2028. Will the revolution come then? Who can believe the ‘great he’ will leave peacefully. Will we be ready for the chaos this time or will we again be taken by surprise? Know this much: they will certainly be ready even if we are not.

In the new Zen, the Zen of Thich Nhat Hanh, there comes a time when the monks must not stay silent or inactive. It is an involved Zen. And the now of it will soon enough become 2028.

Copied from internet under photos of Thich Nhat Hanh.

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Daughters

And Poems of Truth

“When your little girl
asks you if she’s pretty
your heart will drop like a wineglass
on the hardwood floor
part of you will want to say
of course you are, don’t ever question it
and the other part
the part that is clawing at
you
will want to grab her by her shoulders
look straight into the wells of
her eyes until they echo back to you
and say
you do not have to be if you don’t want to
it is not your job
both will feel right
one will feel better
she will only understand the first
when she wants to cut her hair off
or wear her brother’s clothes
you will feel the words in your
mouth like marbles
you do not have to be pretty if you don’t want to
it is not your job.”

Caitlyn Siehl

Posted by Ravenous Butterflies


  • Henri Cartier-Bresson – Mexico (girl with braids), 1934.

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Truth & Happiness

Vintage Books & Anchor Books

Vintage Books and Anchor Books

“I don’t care about truth. I want some happiness.”― F. Scott Fitzgerald, THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAMNED

This is not always about the beautiful and rich. Here is the same thought problem today, is it not? From the people who don’t care if their leader and savior lies or not. It doesn’t bother them. It does not bother them as long as they get their happiness. If they don’t have it yet they’re willing to wait because they see enough of the ugliness and anger being acted out to give them hope. It’s what they want. And they don’t care about the truth.

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Some Latin

analytica grammar

posted by Analytical Grammar

Just for the heck of it…

Well, it might be difficult to work any of these into a conversation, though I believe many people know of the Carpe Diem. And some of these are easily translated, for example: In vino veritas. Although you must be drinking wine in order to use it, yes?

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And Then…

As I thought, and as I am so predictable:

quantWorldAwake

Quantum World: Awaken Your Mind

But then it was a rather enjoyable venture as I didn’t have any pressure on myself. You know, meeting expectations and all that! Which makes the contemplation of GUILT inevitable also, doesn’t it?

Of late thoughts turn to—why do we have guilt? What purpose that? For myself the origin is pre-Catholic as I recall being a tiny child and feeling guilty about something, not wanting to tell my mother. OK, so origin is with parents. And of course there are those childhood pals who gasp in horror or encouragement while clearly specifying the wrongness of something. (Society.) Then, for those of us with religious strictures, there is the Catholicism of life. Little chance then, to manage as an adult without the burden—very heavy burden—of a huge guilt container forever lurking in the back, or very foundation even, of the Mind. It seems to me that after a certain point, Guilt is no longer needed or required to direct a life. Direction is no longer needed. So why the very potential of something Wrong awakes the Monster Guilt, perched in waiting, is beyond me.

No, we don’t need Guilt to keep us on the path of Good when there are choices. No, we don’t need Religion in order to be moral beings.

And then and also, don’t we have something inside that slams the door on Guilt and guides us beyond those limits? That something that fires up Curiosity and Approval when we absolutely know that the Rules, Laws, Controls, are just plain Wrong?

Of course. Copernicus, Galileo, and me.