Yin And Yang Of Modern Life

[Taeguk]

"Food for Thought"

by Anonymous

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings,
but shorter tempers;
wider freeways,
but narrower viewpoints;
we spend more,
but have less;
we buy more,
but enjoy it less.

We have bigger houses
and smaller families;
more conveniences,
but less time;
we have more knowledge,
but less sense.
There are more experts,
but more problems;
more medicine,
but less wellness.

We talk too much,
love too seldom,
and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living,
but not a life;
we've added years to life,
not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street
to meet the new neighbor.

We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; We've split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We have higher incomes, but lower morals;
We have multiplied our possessions,
but reduced our values.
We've become long on quantity,
but short on quality.
These are the times of tall men,
and short character;
steep profits,
and shallow relationships.

These are the times of world peace,
but domestic warfare;
more leisure, but less fun;
more abundance of food, but less nutrition.
These are days of fancier houses,
but broken homes.
It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom;
a time when technology can bring this letter to you,
and a time when you can choose either to make a difference...
or just hit delete.

[Noway2Zero]

as always, thank you for this post Taeguk

whered you find this if i might ask?

[Winfried]

Wonderful post. Especially this part:

more conveniences,
but less time;

Do you also notice how we seem to have less time to spend, even with all those time-saving inventions like the washing machine, the mobile phone and the computer? Or is it because of them, because everyone seems to think everybody else has those things, so they could do a lot more in the same period of time?

[Taeguk]

Hi!

Noway2Zero, you asked:

as always, thank you for this post Taeguk

whered you find this if i might ask?

Glad you enjoyed it! :thumbsup: I'm not sure where it's from originally; I received it as an email from an old friend. I think I may have seen it before, since it seemed vagually familiar when I read it.

Winfried, you said:

Do you also notice how we seem to have less time to spend, even with all those time-saving inventions like the washing machine, the mobile phone and the computer? Or is it because of them, because everyone seems to think everybody else has those things, so they could do a lot more in the same period of time?

I think you're definitely on to something there, Winfried! :)

You'd think that more efficient machines would make for more leisure time and less work, right? Actually, I think that the more efficient machines are, the more work we are expected to do!

A project might have taken a week before the age of information. Now, with the benefit of modern technology, that same project takes only a day. But we don't get the rest of the week off! No, instead of just being assigned one project per week, we're assigned seven! Work is like a gas, expanding to fill the available space! :o

Perhaps efficiency is the true enemy of leisure! :lol:

[Gelatinous Pope]

We have great language and great miscommunication.

We have women who have made themselves great beauties with make-up, but there are those who have lost appreciation for the true beauty under the make-up.

[sahyo]

if wasn't for thinking "great beauties with make-up" most women wouldn't make-up

[Gelatinous Pope]

Good point Sahyo. Its all just made-up.

[Starry_Canopy]

Taeguk, thanks... very beautiful, the whole post...

The following lines remind me of a story...


We talk too much,
love too seldom,



Lao Tsu was a very ordinary man.... his profundity was his extreme ordinariness....

He used to rise early every morning, before the sun rose, and go for a walk. On his path lived a man, who also used to wake up very early, get ready and wait for Lao Tsu, then silently fall in step with him and they both walked together in silence and returned and parted in silence upon reaching the man's house.

One day, a distant relative came and visited the man. He was very eager to know about Lao Tsu, about whom he had heard great things. "Do you know him?" he asked, "Have you seen him?"

The man replied that, in fact, every morning he went for a walk with him. The relative saw stars! He begged the man to allow him too to accompany the man and Lao Tsu on their walk the next morning. The man was peturbed, not knowing whether Lao Tsu would like that. But his guest kept pleading and he hadn't the heart to refuse something that meant so much. So he said, ok, "but please remember, Lao Tsu and I have always been silent... so you should also just be silent... you can come, if you promise me that you won't disturb his walk in any way."

The relative was overwhelmed at this great blessing - to walk in step with the great Lao Tsu! He promised sincerely that he would be absolutely silent.

The next morning, the man and his relative waited for Lao Tsu, who presently came along. They fell in step and the three of them walked on silently, ascending a hill. Slowly, as they walked, the stars began to dim and the darkness began to lift. A faint cool breeze began to blow in gentle zephyrs, a faint orange began to tinge the horizon in the east while the stars were still faintly visible in the west... birds began to rustle in their nests and chirp... the dew began to glisten on the grass and there was the awakening of life beginning all around.

By the time the three men had reached the top of the hill, the sun began to emerge as a glorious red ball from behind the hills on the horizon... its shafts of light lit up the clouds from below imbuing them with various shades of orange, red and white... the sky, between the clouds revealed a pure blue... swallows and other birds flew in joyous formations, the plants and trees swayed with the stronger breeze and bowed as if in homage... flowers bloomed... all insects, animals, birds and plants woke up fresh and happy with life...

The relative was overwhelmed by so much beauty... "Ah!" he said, "What a beautiful sunrise!"

Nothing more was said.

The three returned as silently as they had gone.

At the man's gate, Lao Tsu stopped for the first time that he had ever done so. He addressed the man and said, "Next time, please don't bring your friend; he talks too much", and turning to his path, went on.

[sahyo]

pope


Its all just made-up.



:)

[Gelatinous Pope]

Taeguk, I give thanks to you for posting this most inspiring writing.

I've writen this down on paper and recited it to a good friend of mine and his first response was, "Wow, enlightening." :lol: And just showing him that ignited a most enjoyable discussion about the world and everything else that lasted a good fraction of Sunday. I found the discussion to me most enlightening myself, let alone, the writing.

Thank you again for posting this. That action of yours manifested to be an immense spiritual growth for me and another.

Peace be with you...

[Gelatinous Pope]

Progress is regress.

[Zoid]

Taeguk... :)

[Taeguk]

Hi!

Starry Canopy, Gelatinous Pope, and Zoid, I'm glad you all enjoyed these poetic observations as much as I have :)

I'm especially glad if this proved to be the catalyst for growth, discussion, and joy amonst friends, Gelatinous Pope. :)

That's a great story by the way, Starry! How can we express the inexpressible?

[Zoid]

How can we express the inexpressible?

Like this...

:mellow: :huh: ^_^ :o ;) ...etc

...?

[sahyo]

:thumbsup:

[Noway2Zero]

no need to express..

Is .. Being .. Done

:)

[Starry_Canopy]

Taeguk,

That's a great story by the way, Starry! How can we express the inexpressible?

I saw it in a slightly different way. That man's friend 'talked too much' because he talked when there was no need to talk. All of them were in that beautiful sunrise, a part of it, there was no need to say, "Ah! What a beautiful sunrise!". Also, his 'talking too much' was inimical because he immediately created a schism between them and the sunrise, killing them both, themselves and the sunrise, by reducing them to the mental concepts of 'sunrise' and 'enjoyers of sunrise'.

[Starry_Canopy]

sunrising... enjoying... silencing... happinessing...

not talking/ labeling/ putting in a boxing...

:)

[Noway2Zero]

! :)

[sahyo]

n2z

starry_

[sahyo]

Like this...

:mellow: :huh: :) :o ;) ...etc

...?

[sahyo]

sunrising... enjoying... silencing... happinessing...

not talking/ labeling/ putting in a boxing...

:)

[sahyo]

Is...Being...Done

:)

[sahyo]

... :D

[Zoid]

Does verbalising burst the bubble of pure joyful experience?

[sahyo]

what difference?

[bito]

sunrising... enjoying... silencing... happinessing...

not talking/ labeling/ putting in a boxing...

:)

A box being made right here, right now!

A love box.

:thumbsup: to love boxes!

[sahyo]

what box are thinking?

[bito]

what box are thinking?

the same what box are thinking as questioning 'what box are thinking'?

:rofl: :love:

[sahyo]

:lol:

nope

[bito]

nope

hello nope box!

:rofl:

:loveyou:

[sahyo]

the same what box



that game won't work, bito

[sahyo]

:loveyou:



:loveyou:

[Zoid]

:think:

[sahyo]

http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/71.gif

[Noway2Zero]

human beings make something and enter the ocean of suffering -anonymous zen wisdom

[Noway2Zero]

Starry holds the light up for everyone to see..

putting in a boxing...

this made me smile

..thanking..

:)

[bito]

that game won't work, bito

remember relaxing?

:)

[sahyo]

:lol:

[Starry_Canopy]

Sahyo, I was just joking when I wrote in that manner :), but you're correct, I think, in what difference could verbalizing do for Lao Tsu...? It must have made a difference to the narator of this story...

You're welcome, Noway :) I had a smile too when writing that

[sahyo]

starry_



gassho

[Noway2Zero]

:unsure:

[sahyo]

:)

[Starry_Canopy]

Sahyo,

What's gassho?

[Taeguk]

Hi!

Starry Canopy, you asked:

what's gassho?

Gassho (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gassho#G) is a gesture of respect used amongst Buddhists :)

[sahyo]

could any ing gasshoing not, starrying ? ;)

[Starry_Canopy]

Sahyo,

could any ing gasshoing not, starrying ? ;)

:)

Do you wish to enliven the lifeless? :)

[Starry_Canopy]

Thank you, Taeguk

[Eidelweis]

Do you wish to enliven the lifeless?

Starry is from the sky

I am from the earth :)

That which is lifeless for Starry is life for me...

I wish to join you all in your discussions and learn whether to leave the earth and enter the sky or to leave both or leave neither.... or to just be happy :)

[sahyo]

starry

what "enliven'?

what "lifeless"?

:)

[sahyo]

hi eidleweis :)


learn whether to leave the earth and enter the sky or to leave both or leave neither

"leave"?

[Noway2Zero]

or to just be happy

this one is good :)

welcome to tbv ;)

[Eidelweis]

Hi Sahyo and thank you Noway2Zero. :)

"leave"?

unleave?

[sahyo]

"unleave"?

[Starry_Canopy]

sahyo,

what "enliven'?

what "lifeless"?

:)


"lifeless" = ego

"enliven" = could any ing gasshoing not, starrying ? ;)

:)

[Starry_Canopy]

Welcome Eidelweis, thanks for joining us :)

Starry is from the sky

I am from the earth

That which is lifeless for Starry is life for me...


both are perpetual and both are nuts, like all the other nuts here :lol:

Purusha/ Atma : "Never has it come into being nor will it ever cease being, there has ever been a time that it has been, it is everything, it is wonderful"

Prakriti/ Maya : "Never has it not come into being nor will it ever cease not being, there has never been a time that it has not been, it is nothing, it is wonderful"

Purusha and Prakriti, sound and silence or silence and sound, day and night or night and day, who can answer that, Eidelweis? I can't.

[sahyo]

:)

ah...ok...thanking explaining definitioning


Do you wish to enliven the lifeless? :)



can't

[Starry_Canopy]

sahyo,

:)

ah...ok...thanking explaining definitioning



Do you wish to enliven the lifeless? :)




can't

bowing

[Eidelweis]

Thank you, Starry.

Purusha and Prakriti, sound and silence or silence and sound, day and night or night and day, who can answer that, Eidelweis? I can't.

Why should anyone answer that, Starry? I won't . :)

[sahyo]

Why should anyone answer that, Starry? I won't .

"I won't" wasn't answering? ;)

[sahyo]

:love: sta :love: rry :love:

[Starry_Canopy]

:love: :love: :love:

[Noway2Zero]

:holy:

[Eidelweis]

Sahyo

Why should anyone answer that, Starry? I won't .

"I won't" wasn't answering? ;)


"I won't was answering Starry, not his 'question' which he said he can't answer ;)

[sahyo]

"I won't" wasn't answering?



was referring answering starry

:)

[Eidelweis]

I never said I won't answer Starry

[sahyo]

wasn't saying that

[Eidelweis]

great