Thought for July

Subject: Thought for July
From: Amos
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 10:08 AM

Life has no other discipline to impose,
if we would but realize it,
than to accept life unquestioningly.
Everything we shut our eyes to,
everything we run away from,
everything we deny, denigrate or despise,
serves to defeat us in the end.
What seems nasty, painful, evil, can become
a source of beauty, joy and strength,
if faced with an open mind.
Every moment is a golden one for him
who has the vision to recognize it as such.

Henry Miller

Subject: RE: Thought for July
From: Fortunato
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 10:22 AM

Yes.

Subject: RE: Thought for July
From: GeorgeH
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 10:23 AM

I disagree, and suggest Dylan Thomas's "Do not go gently into that dark night ... rage, rage against the dying of the day".

There are far more positive reactions to life than to "accept unquestioningly, shut our eyes, run away from, deny, denigrate or despise" which H. Miller seems to fail to acknowledge.

Sorry, but to me his thoughts are "nasty, painful, evil" with no prospect of "beauty" or "joy" . . He doesn't offer vision but self-obsession.

"Did they teach you how to question
When you were at the school?"

George

Subject: RE: Thought for July
From: Amos
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 10:32 AM

Hot damn, George!!! Like your attitude. However I submit that a more positive approach is exactly what Miller is suggesting. I don't think he was trying to be pragmatic in the particulart context of this piece.

A

Subject: RE: Thought for July
From: Matt_R
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 10:37 AM

All that you touch
All that you see
All that you taste
All you feel
All that you love
All that you hate
All you distrust
All you save
All that you give
All that you deal
All that you buy,
Beg, borrow or steal
All you create
All you destroy
All that you do
All that you say
All that you eat
Everyone you meet
All that you slight
Everyone you fight
All that is now
All that is gone
All that's to come
And everything under the sun is in tune
But the sun is eclipsed by the moon...

Subject: RE: Thought for July
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 10:38 AM

Depends how you look at it...I think Dylan Thomas drank too much, and it made him morose.

Why "rage against the dying of the light" when passing on into a greater light?

Rage is not an intelligent response to transformation. There is no death, only transformation, which in this world has the appearance of death, but when one thing dies another is born.

Just as an old idea dies when a new idea supercedes it...

Life is not limited to the body. Life goes on and on.

- LH

Subject: RE: Thought for July
From: Auxiris
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 11:34 AM

Perhaps I should be looking forward to the root canal that I'm to have on Friday as a source of beauty, joy and strength??

Aux

Subject: RE: Thought for July
From: Charmion
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 12:44 PM

In July, I prefer to think about strawberry jam. Making it, that is; we have a church bazaar to support, and the smell of boiling strawberry jam may well be one of the most exquisite experiences the Ottawa Valley has to offer in summer. When the strawberries finally peter out, I like to think about blueberries, and raspberries, and then peaches.

In July, when I'm not thinking about fruit, I like to think about lolling on the balcony under the brolly with a book and, perhaps, a beer. I might stretch my imagination to consider the barbecue, and what to put on it at supper-time. In the long mid-summer evenings, I might hae to swat a mosquito or two, but I prefer not to think about them.

Summer is for concentrating on delights of life, not the imminence of the Grim Reaper. Time enough for that in November, when the leaves are fairly diving off the trees and a sleet storm always seems just around the corner.

Subject: RE: Thought for July
From: Ringer
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 01:05 PM

I'm with George H on this one. That must be quote of the century, Little Hawk: "I think Dylan Thomas drank too much".

Subject: RE: Thought for July
From: Mrrzy
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 01:10 PM

Rage is not an intelligent response to anything, actually, although I have to say that death is, indeed, death, and is respectable as such.

Subject: RE: Thought for July
From: GeorgeH
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 01:27 PM

Depends what you mean by Rage . . in Dylan's usage it's a hell of a lot preferable to passive submission . .

Folks, Amos posted a thought, I posted a personal reaction to it. Clearly the poem strikes us differently . . but life would be pretty dull if we all thought the same . .

And, Little Hawk - your faith may make you passive about the prospect of approaching death, but that passive acceptance doesn't match my reading of the scriptures. Much less does it allow the passivity in the face of evil which (I'm afraid) Miller's poem seems to me to be suggesting!

Cheers!

G.

Subject: RE: Thought for July
From: GUEST,SharonA
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 01:45 PM

"...everything we run away from...serves to defeat us in the end.

I can't help thinking about that 7-year-old in Texas, running away from his mother as she chased him through their house with the intent to drown him. Oh yeah, she defeated him in the end. During that nasty, painful, evil act, I'm guessing the boy was less concerned with unquestioning acceptance than with survival.

"Why 'rage against the dying of the light' when passing on into a greater light?"

Because we are not sure if there IS a greater light to pass on into. We can hope, pray, believe, convince ourselves that we "know"... but we won't be SURE till we die. I, for one, am in no hurry to find out, and you can bet your little knit booties that I'll be among the raging, kicking, screaming, etc. For all its faults, I LIKE it here.

Besides, what if that "greater light" is an oncoming train?

Subject: RE: Thought for July
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 04:32 PM

Here's another thought to add to the mix:

Sometimes due to misunderstanding the doctrine of karma one has a tendency to blame everything on karma and try to exonerate oneself from responsibility or from the need to take personal initiative. One could quite easily say, "This is due to my negative past karma. What can I do? I am helpless."

This is a totally wrong understanding of karma, because although one's experiences are a consequence of one's past deeds, that does not mean that one has no choice, nor that there is no room for initiative to bring about change. This is the same in all areas of life. One should not become passive and try to excuse oneself from having to take personal initiative on the grounds that everything is a result of karma. If we understand the concept of karma properly, we will understand that karma means "action," and is a very active process"--

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from "Healing Anger", published by Snow Lion Publications.