| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
KimchiNinja
Joined: 01 May 2012
Location: Gangnam
|
 Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 9:24 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| Stain wrote: |
| That's wonderful. I was hoping someone still did. |
I think Lao Tsu was the top dog (2500 years ago Chinese philosopher). That guy nailed the nature of everything just lounging around philosophizing on shit. Even in my most brilliant philosophizing moments I can't touch that guy. The legend goes that Confucius came over for cookies and milk one day and Lau Tsu philosophically schooled his ass. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Stain
Joined: 08 Jan 2014
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 10:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| KimchiNinja wrote: |
| Stain wrote: |
| That's wonderful. I was hoping someone still did. |
I think Lao Tsu was the top dog (2500 years ago Chinese philosopher). That guy nailed the nature of everything just lounging around philosophizing on shit. Even in my most brilliant philosophizing moments I can't touch that guy. The legend goes that Confucius came over for cookies and milk one day and Lau Tsu philosophically schooled his ass. |
Well, like I always say, stop thinking and end your problems. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
KimchiNinja
Joined: 01 May 2012
Location: Gangnam
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 10:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Stain wrote: |
Well, like I always say, stop thinking and end your problems. |
No idea what that means. Is this philosophical speak for "problems are in your mind" and if you don't think you don't have problems? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Stain
Joined: 08 Jan 2014
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 10:56 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| KimchiNinja wrote: |
| Stain wrote: |
Well, like I always say, stop thinking and end your problems. |
No idea what that means. Is this philosophical speak for "problems are in your mind" and if you don't think you don't have problems? |
It's a quote from Lao Tsu. I don't know what it means, either. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
KimchiNinja
Joined: 01 May 2012
Location: Gangnam
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 11:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Stain wrote: |
| KimchiNinja wrote: |
| Stain wrote: |
Well, like I always say, stop thinking and end your problems. |
No idea what that means. Is this philosophical speak for "problems are in your mind" and if you don't think you don't have problems? |
It's a quote from Lao Tsu. I don't know what it means, either. |
Ah, now I know which verse you are talking about!
One of the problems with 2500 year old scrolls is translating that ancient language. There are many translations. Personally I like Red Pine's translation "get rid of learning and problems will vanish". Although getting rid of excess thinking fits too.
Lao Tsu wrote a lot about people in their natural state and compared them to an "uncarved block"; when people are simple they are whole and at peace. But when they venture into the world and get their heads filled with "knowledge" they become troubled. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Stain
Joined: 08 Jan 2014
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 12:32 am Post subject: |
|
|
| KimchiNinja wrote: |
| Stain wrote: |
| KimchiNinja wrote: |
| Stain wrote: |
Well, like I always say, stop thinking and end your problems. |
No idea what that means. Is this philosophical speak for "problems are in your mind" and if you don't think you don't have problems? |
It's a quote from Lao Tsu. I don't know what it means, either. |
Ah, now I know which verse you are talking about!
One of the problems with 2500 year old scrolls is translating that ancient language. There are many translations. Personally I like Red Pine's translation "get rid of learning and problems will vanish". Although getting rid of excess thinking fits too.
Lao Tsu wrote a lot about people in their natural state and compared them to an "uncarved block"; when people are simple they are whole and at peace. But when they venture into the world and get their heads filled with "knowledge" they become troubled. |
I like Red Pine's translation too. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rteacher
Joined: 23 May 2005
Location: Western MA, USA
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
KimchiNinja
Joined: 01 May 2012
Location: Gangnam
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 9:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Yeah, that basically sounds like a different way of saying the same thing...except Lao Tsu used less words.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rteacher
Joined: 23 May 2005
Location: Western MA, USA
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 9:48 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Not familiar with the teachings of Lao Tzu, I did a Google search and found that back in the 60's a Jewish comedian in the Catskills added Lao Tzu to his name (i.e. Larry Lao Tzu) in order to capitalize on the trendy popularity of Eastern philosophies/religions... http://www.indiadivine.org/content/topic/997825-larry-lao-tzu/ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
KimchiNinja
Joined: 01 May 2012
Location: Gangnam
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 9:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Rteacher wrote: |
| Not familiar with the teachings of Lao Tzu, I did a Google search and found that back in the 60's a Jewish comedian in the Catskills added Lao Tzu to his name (i.e. Larry Lao Tzu) in order to capitalize on the trendy popularity of Eastern philosophies/religions... |
He should have had plastic surgery too; half his face Asian. That would have been really funny... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rteacher
Joined: 23 May 2005
Location: Western MA, USA
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 5:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
Yeah, but he might have looked Lao Zee ...
Anyway, ancient Chinese culture is great - as is ancient Indian - but philosophies differ in terms of whether they are voidist (i.e. Buddhist, atheist...) impersonalist (i.e. monist, Mayavada...), or personalist (i.e. Vaishnava, believers in a Supreme Person that can be linked to via devotional service) in their conception of Absolute Truth (defined as the source of everything).
Although Buddhist philosophy is brilliant, it basically is a concoction that reduces Absolute Truth to zero. The Absolute Truth has both personal and impersonal aspects, but the voidist conception is ultimately worth nothing.
These matters are further briefly expounded on in this article:
http://www.yoga-philosophy.com/eng/mayaphilo.htm
(I'm not really familiar with the website, but the article seems OK...) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kimchi_pizza
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Location: "Get back on the bus! Here it comes!"
|
| Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 7:41 am Post subject: |
|
|
What a cool, fun thread...
Back to the O.P. of thinkers, I gotta pay homage to those that encourage
free thinking primarily Emerson to whom I was introduced straight out of
military enlistment and into uni and my mind was blown away by the
transcendentalist movement with Henry David Thoreau.
Then came Japanese Zen Buddhism and the idea of "mushin-no-shin" or
"mind with no mind" by Daietzu T. Suzuk and Nitobe Inazo. What a shame
those names be buried and lost...truly honorable men and such free thinkers
that Inazo had a foreign wife during a time as ANY society found it unthinkable.
Why there is limited mention of his equally free thinking wife is beyond me
and a travesty as any man knows...a great deal of accomplishment is due
to the women that support them. Anywho...
Let it go~~ Isn't that the popular song of late? Simply 'let it go'? I studied
Kyudo while in Japan under the wings of a kind master. My best shot was
as a novice and in a moment I let ALL thought go and let that arrow loose.
Best shot of my life. And I remember reading that the best shots are preformed
by novices and masters. Novices, unhindered by old, indoctrinated technique
and masters, equally unhindered by previous thought and technique. The letting go
of the old, no thought of the new and simply...let it go. BAM!
Creation of something new... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kimchi_pizza
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Location: "Get back on the bus! Here it comes!"
|
| Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 7:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
BTW,
Lotta veteran posters involved. Rteacher, Kimchininja, Stain, le-paul,
Shimokitazawa, etc., et al. If ever you guys wanna meet up and chat...
A regular, annual meet-up in some remote countryside villa... cool.
One Korean Prof. (now dept. head of a uni) and I would meet up over coffee or
(numerous) cups of mokkoli and share poetic and philosophical chats and
have a fantastic time... No reason we can't do the same. OR is there? Deep
thinkers! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rteacher
Joined: 23 May 2005
Location: Western MA, USA
|
| Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 4:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I'd love to visit Korea again and partake in some meet-ups - for now I have to take care of my mother who has bad dementia ... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
