life and the knowledge of good and evil
There are two trees planted in my house. They grew to be big and strong. they two became the tallest structure around the area. Over time, they became the nesting place for birds, bees and other parasitic plants. Their branches interfered with the electrical and phone cabling.
The trees also shrouded the house and gave nice cool shades. It also created a private inner court to the house.
The trees symbolised strength, confidence, stablility and protection. Their presence made the surrounding strong.
Today, I see them being cut down, and what is being cut down are just the trees themselves. The symbol may be gone, but what they came to symbolise remained where they are, for I know they are not the symbols I previously thought them to be.
Humans need some representation to demonstrate, to show, and to convey what they want to tell others about themselves. Using either trees, animals, or imagination to create and substantiate this need. To think about it, why all these symbols when in reality, the true symbol is man himself.
Yet man cannot stand for himself as he does not represent the nature of forever. He cannot be the symbol of forever. Thus, he is not strength, confidence, stability and protection.
However, not all is lost. There is a true symbol out there that does more than being a symbol. It is actually the foundation of man. The only question is will the man acknowledge and accept it, or will he reject it.
I cannot see why anyone will ignore this, because one day he will have to face it.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
compliance and freedom
Resistance is futile
Obedience and anarchy, which way do we go? What law do we follow to be free? And based on what free mind do we lay down the law to follow? While we know that order is important to guarantee the future, we also want the freedom of choice, the freedom to change.
Wouldn't it be strange if the law of gravity wants the freedom to change? We would be floating one moment and stuck to the ground the next moment.
Equally strange is if we cannot walk backwards, only forward with a slight turn. There is no backward for us.
So, we go for in-between? Balance? Now that is conflicting for us. One moment we overly follow the law. The next moment, we are just lawless!
In fact, we are either resisting the given freedom to follow some wacko law, or, resisting the lawful rule to have a chaotic freedom.
I would pick the law that makes not only the most sense and follow it, but also the truth of the law that leads to the right freedom. I will have freedom within. I am free to choose so that the law is without the excessive freedom.
It is hopeless to resist one or the other. We yearn to follow something. How do we know what is the right one?
I would need to choose the law wisely. This wisdom of choice will lead to being in a lawful life living freely. I want this wisdom, this law, this freedom.
Obedience and anarchy, which way do we go? What law do we follow to be free? And based on what free mind do we lay down the law to follow? While we know that order is important to guarantee the future, we also want the freedom of choice, the freedom to change.
Wouldn't it be strange if the law of gravity wants the freedom to change? We would be floating one moment and stuck to the ground the next moment.
Equally strange is if we cannot walk backwards, only forward with a slight turn. There is no backward for us.
So, we go for in-between? Balance? Now that is conflicting for us. One moment we overly follow the law. The next moment, we are just lawless!
In fact, we are either resisting the given freedom to follow some wacko law, or, resisting the lawful rule to have a chaotic freedom.
I would pick the law that makes not only the most sense and follow it, but also the truth of the law that leads to the right freedom. I will have freedom within. I am free to choose so that the law is without the excessive freedom.
It is hopeless to resist one or the other. We yearn to follow something. How do we know what is the right one?
I would need to choose the law wisely. This wisdom of choice will lead to being in a lawful life living freely. I want this wisdom, this law, this freedom.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
next
whatever will be will be..
Do we know what is going to happen in the next few minutes? All of the time is no. This does not excuse us from the effort to plan for the future.
The problem is we are locked in the present. We are unable to retrieve the past to change the future.
All we are asking is how to guarantee a future? Apparently, we can't. No matter how much we planned, prepared or plot, we can't guarantee the future. There is no assurance. We can't even insure against this.
In oher words, we are destined to faced the unknown all the time. We are destined to work on the next steps, greying our hairs to make sure we can handle what is to come. However, all the hard work comes to nothing because we still cannot prevent the undesired outcome because we cannot control it.
Despite all these, there is a mysterious certainty I come to know, and that is destiny. This destiny is not what can be done about it, or what you can do. This destiny is simply what you believe, what I believe.
Find this destiny and I will find the certainty of what is going to happen next.
Do we know what is going to happen in the next few minutes? All of the time is no. This does not excuse us from the effort to plan for the future.
The problem is we are locked in the present. We are unable to retrieve the past to change the future.
All we are asking is how to guarantee a future? Apparently, we can't. No matter how much we planned, prepared or plot, we can't guarantee the future. There is no assurance. We can't even insure against this.
In oher words, we are destined to faced the unknown all the time. We are destined to work on the next steps, greying our hairs to make sure we can handle what is to come. However, all the hard work comes to nothing because we still cannot prevent the undesired outcome because we cannot control it.
Despite all these, there is a mysterious certainty I come to know, and that is destiny. This destiny is not what can be done about it, or what you can do. This destiny is simply what you believe, what I believe.
Find this destiny and I will find the certainty of what is going to happen next.
Monday, April 13, 2009
monkey's uncle
The vast abyss between the smartest ape and the densest human cannot be bridged by superficial similarities in the bony structure of their bodies. The most primitive beings ever found alive or in fossil form always bury their dead. No ape has ever done this.
People believe in a future life and therefore burial or cremate their dead, an exclusively human trait.
Even if chimps are 99% of human makeup, they lack not only this specific trait, but many others too. We can draw, record, make things do on its own, cut up a human and put it back together, make music and most important of all, give names to everything.
Scientist, including some of the brainest ever, cannot bridge the gap between the ape and the human gnome. How did the monkey become a man? For those who actually believe... are they mad?! Makes you wonder what is evolution.
Even if evolution does make sense, what is the next stage of evolution? Able to survive in a globally heated earth? Who ever came up with the idea of evolution is smart, but take it to the level that we were once swinging among the trees is ridiculous.
I don't need to be a scientist to know all these. Human cannot the evolution of man. However much we thinkk so, it is impossible.
I know I sometimes make a monkey's fool out of myself, but I am certainly not, and never came from the lineage of monkeys. Let other people believe they are the monkey's uncle.
People believe in a future life and therefore burial or cremate their dead, an exclusively human trait.
Even if chimps are 99% of human makeup, they lack not only this specific trait, but many others too. We can draw, record, make things do on its own, cut up a human and put it back together, make music and most important of all, give names to everything.
Scientist, including some of the brainest ever, cannot bridge the gap between the ape and the human gnome. How did the monkey become a man? For those who actually believe... are they mad?! Makes you wonder what is evolution.
Even if evolution does make sense, what is the next stage of evolution? Able to survive in a globally heated earth? Who ever came up with the idea of evolution is smart, but take it to the level that we were once swinging among the trees is ridiculous.
I don't need to be a scientist to know all these. Human cannot the evolution of man. However much we thinkk so, it is impossible.
I know I sometimes make a monkey's fool out of myself, but I am certainly not, and never came from the lineage of monkeys. Let other people believe they are the monkey's uncle.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
The day after Good Friday
"I am the ressurection.."
Easter is the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, which is the first moon whose 14th day (the ecclesiastic "full moon") is on or after March 21 (the ecclesiastic "vernal equinox"). What a mouthful and challenging to explain.
Looks like we have to be scientists or specifically astronomy scientist to calculate this day. Many other religious dates are also using some form of astronomical calculator to compute its calendar. However, unlike other religions, the calculation for Easter is to determine a date to calebrate Jesus coming up from the dead. Specifically, to live again after death.
Where men have died or disappeared, the two dates of Good Friday and Easter are relentlessly debated, computed and fixed to commemorate the death and ressurection anniversary for this man.
Since we have to constantly calculate the date for an event, I think the dates serve as a reminder for something that was done.
Easter is the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, which is the first moon whose 14th day (the ecclesiastic "full moon") is on or after March 21 (the ecclesiastic "vernal equinox"). What a mouthful and challenging to explain.
Looks like we have to be scientists or specifically astronomy scientist to calculate this day. Many other religious dates are also using some form of astronomical calculator to compute its calendar. However, unlike other religions, the calculation for Easter is to determine a date to calebrate Jesus coming up from the dead. Specifically, to live again after death.
Where men have died or disappeared, the two dates of Good Friday and Easter are relentlessly debated, computed and fixed to commemorate the death and ressurection anniversary for this man.
Since we have to constantly calculate the date for an event, I think the dates serve as a reminder for something that was done.
Friday, April 10, 2009
do that thing you do
bored beyond belief
After a series of event and excitement has gone, ever wonder what to do next? The are a lot of other 'distractions' in these modern days. So, what does the folks in the olden days do?
There are those people who do a lot and yet feels bored, and others who seems to do hardly anything feels occupied.
I cannot understand either group. It is best that I just do the thing I do and mind my own business. Just some of my ramblings in between activities to occupy myself.
After a series of event and excitement has gone, ever wonder what to do next? The are a lot of other 'distractions' in these modern days. So, what does the folks in the olden days do?
There are those people who do a lot and yet feels bored, and others who seems to do hardly anything feels occupied.
I cannot understand either group. It is best that I just do the thing I do and mind my own business. Just some of my ramblings in between activities to occupy myself.
Good Friday
The crucifiction is the epitome of evil which man can exhibit toward man.
There are a lot of events to remember. Most of them commemorates some great triumph or birth of a great leader or marking a significant point of change. Most of them celebrates victory or key success. However, who would want to set aside a day to mark the death of a single person? Death marks the end of life and unlike birth, has no significance there after to the future.
Interestingly, Good Friday or Black Friday is also calculated based on the celestial clock, not just through mathametical means. The universe or the position of the universe, is involved in marking this date. This date marks the death of the person Jesus.
The form of death He died of is also known as one of the most cruel death known to man. It was slow, excruiatingly painful and was subjected to the elements of the earth while waiting to take the last breath. And many people were crucified during that time. Surely, it was not the form of death that is significant for remembrance? It has to be something else.
Unlike all other deaths, this death is so significant that at least a three quarter of the known world remember this date in one form or another. A number of countries set it as a national holiday.
We don't make effort to remember the death of any person to such celestial percision. Why do we remember this person dying of such atrocities?
The death of Jesus must have heralded in something far more important than all other events. Not only does this particular abominable death is remembered celestially, the death itself marks a significant change. So, this date becomes even more significant despite these contradicting reasons.
There are a lot of events to remember. Most of them commemorates some great triumph or birth of a great leader or marking a significant point of change. Most of them celebrates victory or key success. However, who would want to set aside a day to mark the death of a single person? Death marks the end of life and unlike birth, has no significance there after to the future.
Interestingly, Good Friday or Black Friday is also calculated based on the celestial clock, not just through mathametical means. The universe or the position of the universe, is involved in marking this date. This date marks the death of the person Jesus.
The form of death He died of is also known as one of the most cruel death known to man. It was slow, excruiatingly painful and was subjected to the elements of the earth while waiting to take the last breath. And many people were crucified during that time. Surely, it was not the form of death that is significant for remembrance? It has to be something else.
Unlike all other deaths, this death is so significant that at least a three quarter of the known world remember this date in one form or another. A number of countries set it as a national holiday.
We don't make effort to remember the death of any person to such celestial percision. Why do we remember this person dying of such atrocities?
The death of Jesus must have heralded in something far more important than all other events. Not only does this particular abominable death is remembered celestially, the death itself marks a significant change. So, this date becomes even more significant despite these contradicting reasons.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Evolving morality
Scientists who study morality are good at explaining how people make judgements about harm and fairness, but they still struggle to explain the feeling of awe, transcendence, patrotism, joy and self-sacrifice, which are not ancillary to most people's moral experiences, but central. The evolutionary approach also leads many scientists to neglect the concept of individual responsibility and makes it hard for them to appreciate that most people struggle towards goodness, not as a means, but as an end itself.
Can we understand how a person makes a decision? Is it possible for a person to make a decision that is always wrong? Or makes a decision that is always right? How do we achieve that consistency? To comfort ourselves, we always say, "you win some and you lose some." There seems to be no absolute right or absolute wrong. We needed relativity to explain ourselves in what we do.
Apparantly, by doing so, we explain away the fact that we do not have any deficiecy. In the evolutionary sense, changing to be the perfect being.
While riding on this evolutionary thinking, we also start to be clouded by understanding that may be wrong in the first place? If it were right, we would be evolving towards better humanity. Yet, we seemed to be moving away from the perfect right.
We are struggling not just to find the answer, but also to find the way that we should direct ourselves.
The argument goes on and on. It makes us wonder if it were possible for a guide, instruction manual written to guide the human conscience?
Given the size of the world, we could have already arrived at the answer. The problem could be denying it rather than to embrace it. Those who deny, will need to search further and may just lead themselves off. Or they could make a big circle in searching and be faced with the same answer they denied in the first place.
Strange. If we found the answer, why do we reject it and suffer?
I don't think morality is evolving towards any direction. It is just circling itself trying to avoid facing the answer that is already there.
Can we understand how a person makes a decision? Is it possible for a person to make a decision that is always wrong? Or makes a decision that is always right? How do we achieve that consistency? To comfort ourselves, we always say, "you win some and you lose some." There seems to be no absolute right or absolute wrong. We needed relativity to explain ourselves in what we do.
Apparantly, by doing so, we explain away the fact that we do not have any deficiecy. In the evolutionary sense, changing to be the perfect being.
While riding on this evolutionary thinking, we also start to be clouded by understanding that may be wrong in the first place? If it were right, we would be evolving towards better humanity. Yet, we seemed to be moving away from the perfect right.
We are struggling not just to find the answer, but also to find the way that we should direct ourselves.
The argument goes on and on. It makes us wonder if it were possible for a guide, instruction manual written to guide the human conscience?
Given the size of the world, we could have already arrived at the answer. The problem could be denying it rather than to embrace it. Those who deny, will need to search further and may just lead themselves off. Or they could make a big circle in searching and be faced with the same answer they denied in the first place.
Strange. If we found the answer, why do we reject it and suffer?
I don't think morality is evolving towards any direction. It is just circling itself trying to avoid facing the answer that is already there.
Plagiarism
What is an original idea?
The greatest imitator of life is life itself. It makes a copy of itself for preseverance. It makes no mistake of its copy. Although it takes a bit of time to make the copy, its copy is sustainable for a while before another copy is made.
We try to find originality in our work. In fact, there is none. It is just a copied version of something, be it art, music, painting, sculpture, spoken words or written works and more...
It is just a question of how much more interesting we make out of the copied work. How sustainable itself is.
However, there is an original author who created these things. The creator of life itself. There is no way for the creator to imitate another work from someplace else.
I know I am a copy of another life. All I have done is not original. I am merely imitating something. Is there any chance of me doing something original? Since I am not original, nothing I do is.
The one thing I could do is I should learn to behave and act like the original. Just follow the original version.
The greatest imitator of life is life itself. It makes a copy of itself for preseverance. It makes no mistake of its copy. Although it takes a bit of time to make the copy, its copy is sustainable for a while before another copy is made.
We try to find originality in our work. In fact, there is none. It is just a copied version of something, be it art, music, painting, sculpture, spoken words or written works and more...
It is just a question of how much more interesting we make out of the copied work. How sustainable itself is.
However, there is an original author who created these things. The creator of life itself. There is no way for the creator to imitate another work from someplace else.
I know I am a copy of another life. All I have done is not original. I am merely imitating something. Is there any chance of me doing something original? Since I am not original, nothing I do is.
The one thing I could do is I should learn to behave and act like the original. Just follow the original version.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Life Letters
Each letters sent has an envelope, a stamp and an adventure inside..
Letters are like photographs. They capture the mind of the person at the point that is written. So does a blog in today's context.
Letters are, however, different. It has an adventure, a learning point or an instruction. It is the mind of the person to another person. Unlike the spoken word, it communicates the thoughts that are permanently recorded. You could pick them up and read it again to know what was happenning at that point in time.
A well written letter conveys the thoughts and emotions accurately. It does not mis-construed the reader such that the reader picks up the thought in the letter and know what is intended for him/her.
Letters lasts a lifetime. It is proven that they change a person and even the history of humanity.
I have written letters and for many of them, not out of proper thinking. It is irresponsible of me not to take care to pen down my thoughts to someone.
If letters are permanent records of my thoughts, then I should write them with the right intent to tell of my adventure or my learning point. I have to take great care in writing letters since they are my permanent love to the person.
Letters are like photographs. They capture the mind of the person at the point that is written. So does a blog in today's context.
Letters are, however, different. It has an adventure, a learning point or an instruction. It is the mind of the person to another person. Unlike the spoken word, it communicates the thoughts that are permanently recorded. You could pick them up and read it again to know what was happenning at that point in time.
A well written letter conveys the thoughts and emotions accurately. It does not mis-construed the reader such that the reader picks up the thought in the letter and know what is intended for him/her.
Letters lasts a lifetime. It is proven that they change a person and even the history of humanity.
I have written letters and for many of them, not out of proper thinking. It is irresponsible of me not to take care to pen down my thoughts to someone.
If letters are permanent records of my thoughts, then I should write them with the right intent to tell of my adventure or my learning point. I have to take great care in writing letters since they are my permanent love to the person.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Having
Do you know what you want?
Sometimes, we just go on with lives trying to achieve the next stage. However, we have been following a scheme of plan set by a few individuals so much so that we lost the sense of what to do after we have achieved the next stage. If we don't achieve the next stage, we either try or follow an alternative set of scheme.
Being led so much by existing schemes or made up rules ultimately cause the mind to focus on achieving the next planned step and missed out on what really is the next chapter of life.
Yes, targets set in life are important. However, targets set in life independent of pre-defined influence is even more important. People who achieves great things often defies these pre-defined rules and scale multiple stages at a go. They do not let the defecto norm cloud their creativity and judgement. They cause those who set the pre-defined rules to re-think and re-work the rules.
I had the chance to meet just as many people who do not follow the pre-defined rules and have made some success in life. Makes me wonder if I should have done something different.
What else do I need to do to scale mlultiple stages at a go? Interesting. I will have to figure out how this is possible.
Sometimes, we just go on with lives trying to achieve the next stage. However, we have been following a scheme of plan set by a few individuals so much so that we lost the sense of what to do after we have achieved the next stage. If we don't achieve the next stage, we either try or follow an alternative set of scheme.
Being led so much by existing schemes or made up rules ultimately cause the mind to focus on achieving the next planned step and missed out on what really is the next chapter of life.
Yes, targets set in life are important. However, targets set in life independent of pre-defined influence is even more important. People who achieves great things often defies these pre-defined rules and scale multiple stages at a go. They do not let the defecto norm cloud their creativity and judgement. They cause those who set the pre-defined rules to re-think and re-work the rules.
I had the chance to meet just as many people who do not follow the pre-defined rules and have made some success in life. Makes me wonder if I should have done something different.
What else do I need to do to scale mlultiple stages at a go? Interesting. I will have to figure out how this is possible.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Everyone
A message powerful enough for everyone.
We live in a very diverse culture. In fact, globalisation is causing the world to be more multi-racial. This phenomenon is slowly overtaking even the fastest computer and has a reachable capability far beyond our understanding. It trescent beyond the social, political, religious and economic realm.
However, there is no way to unify the expanding diversity. While the world becomes one, it is unable to unify itself.
The world needs a common message to bring people together.
Such message exists and you cannot go wrong to bring this message to all people.
What am I going to do about it?
We live in a very diverse culture. In fact, globalisation is causing the world to be more multi-racial. This phenomenon is slowly overtaking even the fastest computer and has a reachable capability far beyond our understanding. It trescent beyond the social, political, religious and economic realm.
However, there is no way to unify the expanding diversity. While the world becomes one, it is unable to unify itself.
The world needs a common message to bring people together.
Such message exists and you cannot go wrong to bring this message to all people.
What am I going to do about it?
Saturday, April 4, 2009
veil
people see what they want to see.
What is the truth? How do we convince someone the obvious? A closed mind cannot accept the difference in opinion. What does it mean by an open mind?
While we cannot go without a believe system, we also cannot deal with conflicting thoughts. What makes it difficult is how do we isolate the truth? If we have absolute truth, we can claim to hold the ultimate knowledge. However, who can discern the truth absolutely?
The good thing is not all truths are hidden. There are those revealed to various people.
With the right truth, we are set free and not be imprisoned in speculation.
I know some truths, very important truths, and therefore I am free. Yes, I am free.
What is the truth? How do we convince someone the obvious? A closed mind cannot accept the difference in opinion. What does it mean by an open mind?
While we cannot go without a believe system, we also cannot deal with conflicting thoughts. What makes it difficult is how do we isolate the truth? If we have absolute truth, we can claim to hold the ultimate knowledge. However, who can discern the truth absolutely?
The good thing is not all truths are hidden. There are those revealed to various people.
With the right truth, we are set free and not be imprisoned in speculation.
I know some truths, very important truths, and therefore I am free. Yes, I am free.
Friday, April 3, 2009
idiosyncrasy
"I knew you'll do that."
We are all different. The most we are shades of one another, but never same. While the difference tears us apart, it is what is common to us that pull us together.
Is a predictable person boring? Or you can think ahead of time? The excitement is always something new, something refreshing. However, it is the uniqueness of a person that makes him or her a person than a duplicated robot.
I like predictability and the excitement of somethings different. Above all, I always look to the person. Meaning, take him or her as a person with immaterial differences. That is interesting.
We are all different. The most we are shades of one another, but never same. While the difference tears us apart, it is what is common to us that pull us together.
Is a predictable person boring? Or you can think ahead of time? The excitement is always something new, something refreshing. However, it is the uniqueness of a person that makes him or her a person than a duplicated robot.
I like predictability and the excitement of somethings different. Above all, I always look to the person. Meaning, take him or her as a person with immaterial differences. That is interesting.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Feel
Why is the sky so high?
My eyes look up and see the blues. Sometimes a shade of white covers it, sometimes a shade of dark grey. On special ocassion, it is in different shades of orange, red and yellow.
I wonder what put it there? I mean the blues. Apparently no science could explain it except to explain that it exists. The worst thing about it is I cannot touch it.
A world without pain is a world that has lost its bearing. I will not be able to know the direction I'm going. The pain directs the path and forces me to move in a different direction.
I am grateful that I know pain. It is how much of it I want to take on.
The most puzzling thing is if every direction is of equal pain, which direction do I take?
My eyes see the blues and I reach out to it. It is the most painless option because it can never be touched. But it is the choice that I can never touch the blues.
Why do I still want it? I want to feel.
My eyes look up and see the blues. Sometimes a shade of white covers it, sometimes a shade of dark grey. On special ocassion, it is in different shades of orange, red and yellow.
I wonder what put it there? I mean the blues. Apparently no science could explain it except to explain that it exists. The worst thing about it is I cannot touch it.
A world without pain is a world that has lost its bearing. I will not be able to know the direction I'm going. The pain directs the path and forces me to move in a different direction.
I am grateful that I know pain. It is how much of it I want to take on.
The most puzzling thing is if every direction is of equal pain, which direction do I take?
My eyes see the blues and I reach out to it. It is the most painless option because it can never be touched. But it is the choice that I can never touch the blues.
Why do I still want it? I want to feel.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
1st April
The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."
We wonder how many fools are there in this world. The paradox is probably none. Even if there is one, that fool will need to reckon with death and what comes after that. The fool will also need to reckon that once time has passed, it is gone. These are the two things we cannot escape from: death and time.
Since we are unable to escape from these two inevitable, we should ride on them. We are to make good use of time before it ends on ourselves.
Play a joke on someone without going overboard. Laugh at life. Make life laugh at itself. There is enough of the worsts.
Life is worth living, make every day April's fool day and joke about it. Never be the one to see a cup with water is either half-full or half-empty. Be the one to knock over the cup and spill the water. Stop contemplating on things that do not make life laugh at itself.
I try to find the fine humour in everyday even at its worst. No matter what is the outcome of the day, there is God.
We wonder how many fools are there in this world. The paradox is probably none. Even if there is one, that fool will need to reckon with death and what comes after that. The fool will also need to reckon that once time has passed, it is gone. These are the two things we cannot escape from: death and time.
Since we are unable to escape from these two inevitable, we should ride on them. We are to make good use of time before it ends on ourselves.
Play a joke on someone without going overboard. Laugh at life. Make life laugh at itself. There is enough of the worsts.
Life is worth living, make every day April's fool day and joke about it. Never be the one to see a cup with water is either half-full or half-empty. Be the one to knock over the cup and spill the water. Stop contemplating on things that do not make life laugh at itself.
I try to find the fine humour in everyday even at its worst. No matter what is the outcome of the day, there is God.
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