Showing posts with label Zen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zen. Show all posts
9/27/12
5/27/12
4/22/12
4/12/12
Zimbawe In The Sonoran Desert
Recessed in natural grotto...
Zimbabwean stone sculpture by Agnes Nyanhongo.
2002 Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, Arizona
Zimbabwean stone sculpture by Agnes Nyanhongo.
3/28/12
3/25/12
12/25/11
This Pilgrim's Progress
Now we see through a glass, darkly...
From this world to that which is to come.
The expression to see "through a glass" (or a mirror) "darkly" means having an opaque or limited vision of our existence in this world as we aware of it in this point in time. Our sense of what is real is obscured by what we know in the dimension of reality that we are limited to presently. Only through enlightenment in an extension outside of the one we exist in now will we see clearly the true meaning of life and a higher power greater than ourselves. It is rooted in the Biblical writings of Paul in the New Testament.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully as I also have been fully known. But now abide faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love. [1 Corinthians 13: 9-13 New American Standard 1977 edition]
Although the spiritual reference is paramount and overrides all else, on a practical level to see though a glass darkly should be a daily reminder on seemingly ordinary events. The point of discord you have with someone on something political or social, an event that prevented or enabled you to do something, a mood or attitude that has a hold on you should be reason to pause and reflect that you are not seeing everything from all angles. We are humans with a limited vision of what is really happening in totality.
Personally I know where my beliefs are and where they will lead me. Although my point of reference is what I have been taught combined with my spiritual experiences I do not limit the power of God and what He may see fit for other people and their view of enlightenment. This is antithetical to what many believe, those who believe in only one way. I only see in part and not yet face to face nor know fully therefore I reserve my judgment. I do believe that the overarching principle is love and to me that also means optimism for the future and thinking positively. Everyone is at different paths and points on the continuum of personal growth and I have faith in my hope that everyone will reach their own destination in peace, love and understanding.
From this world to that which is to come.
The expression to see "through a glass" (or a mirror) "darkly" means having an opaque or limited vision of our existence in this world as we aware of it in this point in time. Our sense of what is real is obscured by what we know in the dimension of reality that we are limited to presently. Only through enlightenment in an extension outside of the one we exist in now will we see clearly the true meaning of life and a higher power greater than ourselves. It is rooted in the Biblical writings of Paul in the New Testament.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully as I also have been fully known. But now abide faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love. [1 Corinthians 13: 9-13 New American Standard 1977 edition]
Personally I know where my beliefs are and where they will lead me. Although my point of reference is what I have been taught combined with my spiritual experiences I do not limit the power of God and what He may see fit for other people and their view of enlightenment. This is antithetical to what many believe, those who believe in only one way. I only see in part and not yet face to face nor know fully therefore I reserve my judgment. I do believe that the overarching principle is love and to me that also means optimism for the future and thinking positively. Everyone is at different paths and points on the continuum of personal growth and I have faith in my hope that everyone will reach their own destination in peace, love and understanding.
8/22/11
A Man and His Hog
He Rides Alone...
Americans like to characterize people and put them in categories of what they think they are and how they will act. If they don't think of bikers as having a bad reputation at the minimum they believe they're on the fringe of society. There are outlaw riders, motorcycle club riders, boomers out for the thrill of it, Harley riders, Kawasaki crotch rocket riders, people who ride them because they like to or it's their only means of transportation. Mostly my experience has been a lot of bikers who look scary to others are pretty much regular people. They choose to live life differently, out of the mainstream culture, just as a lot of people do who do not fit in.
There are many people who do not fit into everyday society nor do they want to. You can make of them what you want but they are integral to what America is really about. You don't have to conform if you don't want to although there are a lot of people who will argue that you do. In the sixties and seventies the common quip about those who had long hair and wore jeans and boots were not noncomformists at all but actually conforming to a different norm. They missed the point. They were refusing to follow the standard rules of society, go to school, wear the usual clothes, get a regular job, get married and have kids.
Zen and the Art of Maintaining Individuality.
Some of us held on to an independent life for awhile and then tried the norm. In the vernacular: "Hated It!" It didn't take many of us long to realize that we would never fit in no matter what we tried. It's in the head, the personality type, the thinking brain and there's no changing it, so why fight it? I decided a long time ago that I was not cut out for a "career" and that I didn't need the stress or hassle not only of trying to meet the compliance a corporation demanded of me but that it also required me to work even harder at fitting ino being somebody I wasn't.
Far, far easier to be comfortable with myself, be who I am naturally with people that accept me for what I am and in turn I accept them for what they are. My friends and acquaintances run the gamut. I have friends in their seventies who are livelier than people who are in their forties. There are retailers in their twenties who are the best conversationalists I know and much more interesting than talking with lawyers I've worked with. I'm familiar with an architect who is the dullest person with a small imagination. On the other side of the coin is the handyman that does work around here and is probably one of the smartest guys I know, not just in craft work, but also in worldly topics.
Make your own noise. If you're happy being an accountant I'm happy for you, all I ask is that you be accepting of the rest of us who don't want to do that. If you want to travel cross-country in an RV go for it. What we all should remember is that America was built on people who were different and that is why they left where they were and came here. Don't characterize anyone who doesn't conform to what are considered societal norms because the most creative ideas and innovative products usually emerge from those that others consider unconventional. What is not in the mainstream culture very often later becomes accepted as the norm. Then the cycle begins again.
Americans like to characterize people and put them in categories of what they think they are and how they will act. If they don't think of bikers as having a bad reputation at the minimum they believe they're on the fringe of society. There are outlaw riders, motorcycle club riders, boomers out for the thrill of it, Harley riders, Kawasaki crotch rocket riders, people who ride them because they like to or it's their only means of transportation. Mostly my experience has been a lot of bikers who look scary to others are pretty much regular people. They choose to live life differently, out of the mainstream culture, just as a lot of people do who do not fit in.
There are many people who do not fit into everyday society nor do they want to. You can make of them what you want but they are integral to what America is really about. You don't have to conform if you don't want to although there are a lot of people who will argue that you do. In the sixties and seventies the common quip about those who had long hair and wore jeans and boots were not noncomformists at all but actually conforming to a different norm. They missed the point. They were refusing to follow the standard rules of society, go to school, wear the usual clothes, get a regular job, get married and have kids.
Zen and the Art of Maintaining Individuality.
Far, far easier to be comfortable with myself, be who I am naturally with people that accept me for what I am and in turn I accept them for what they are. My friends and acquaintances run the gamut. I have friends in their seventies who are livelier than people who are in their forties. There are retailers in their twenties who are the best conversationalists I know and much more interesting than talking with lawyers I've worked with. I'm familiar with an architect who is the dullest person with a small imagination. On the other side of the coin is the handyman that does work around here and is probably one of the smartest guys I know, not just in craft work, but also in worldly topics.
1/4/11
Quality
It's not what you do but how you do it...
It's peculiar to me how many people place classification judgments on individuals and their abilities, intelligence, vocabulary, education, opinions and perceptions by the particular work title they have, rather than their actual aptitude. Some medical doctors can be quite boorish and clumsy at figuring out a patient's problem while a good mechanic can finesse a difficult car problem far better than that doctor. Some lawyers can shine a beam of light on a topic like no one else, while a mortgage broker might befuddle you on the same simplest topic in twenty minutes. A smart manager leads their people to making their own decisions for everyone to succeed while a dictatorial floor supervisor intimidates the group into fearing for their jobs, making everyone unhappy and less productive. The lady at the front desk knows more about the locality than the professional tour guide and imparts it better. A know-it-all service rep can terrorize your service problem in an hour, while a good technical support trouble shooter can sectionalize, isolate and resolve a problem in minutes.
In my thinking our judgments about other people should have less to do with which college they went to or if they didn't go to at all, if they're a professional or a tradesman, an executive or an hourly wage earner and more about the quality of their competency and ability to communicate well. Whether a company vice president or laundry manager, the assessment should be on competency in how much knowledge and skill they have in their basic duties, how well they have priorities figured out, their ability to reason and deal with complications and how they interact with other people, both their peers and customers, in resolving them. Quality interaction is now a required component of any working environment and it's appropriate to make an appraisal of someone's skill at it on any level . Communicating well is of absolute importance since it involves listening to what someone is telling you, interpreting it correctly and what they really mean and being able to communicate back by reducing a complex issue to a simple explanation.
It's peculiar to me how many people place classification judgments on individuals and their abilities, intelligence, vocabulary, education, opinions and perceptions by the particular work title they have, rather than their actual aptitude. Some medical doctors can be quite boorish and clumsy at figuring out a patient's problem while a good mechanic can finesse a difficult car problem far better than that doctor. Some lawyers can shine a beam of light on a topic like no one else, while a mortgage broker might befuddle you on the same simplest topic in twenty minutes. A smart manager leads their people to making their own decisions for everyone to succeed while a dictatorial floor supervisor intimidates the group into fearing for their jobs, making everyone unhappy and less productive. The lady at the front desk knows more about the locality than the professional tour guide and imparts it better. A know-it-all service rep can terrorize your service problem in an hour, while a good technical support trouble shooter can sectionalize, isolate and resolve a problem in minutes.
In my thinking our judgments about other people should have less to do with which college they went to or if they didn't go to at all, if they're a professional or a tradesman, an executive or an hourly wage earner and more about the quality of their competency and ability to communicate well. Whether a company vice president or laundry manager, the assessment should be on competency in how much knowledge and skill they have in their basic duties, how well they have priorities figured out, their ability to reason and deal with complications and how they interact with other people, both their peers and customers, in resolving them. Quality interaction is now a required component of any working environment and it's appropriate to make an appraisal of someone's skill at it on any level . Communicating well is of absolute importance since it involves listening to what someone is telling you, interpreting it correctly and what they really mean and being able to communicate back by reducing a complex issue to a simple explanation.
8/10/10
Quote of the Day
Quality and care...
A person who sees Quality and feels it as he works is a person who cares. A person who cares about what he sees and does is a person who's bound to have some characteristics of Quality.
from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
Part III, Chapter 24
copyright 1974, 1999
A person who sees Quality and feels it as he works is a person who cares. A person who cares about what he sees and does is a person who's bound to have some characteristics of Quality.
from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
Part III, Chapter 24
copyright 1974, 1999
8/2/10
Zen and the Art of Writing
Quality cannot be defined but you know what it is...
"Another thing that depressed him was prescriptive rhetoric, which supposedly had been done away with but was still around. This was the old slap-on-the-fingers-if your-modifiers-were-caught-dangling stuff. Correct spelling, correct punctuation, correct grammar. Hundreds of itsy-bitsy rules for itsy-bitsy people. No one could remember all that stuff and concentrate on what he was trying to write about. It was all table manners, not derived from any sense of kindness or decency or humanity, but originally from an egotistic desire to look like gentlemen and ladies. Gentlemen and ladies had good table manners and spoke and wrote grammatically. It was what identified on with the upper classes.
In Montana, however, it didn't have this effect at all. It identified one, instead, as a stuck-up Eastern ass."
"Another thing that depressed him was prescriptive rhetoric, which supposedly had been done away with but was still around. This was the old slap-on-the-fingers-if your-modifiers-were-caught-dangling stuff. Correct spelling, correct punctuation, correct grammar. Hundreds of itsy-bitsy rules for itsy-bitsy people. No one could remember all that stuff and concentrate on what he was trying to write about. It was all table manners, not derived from any sense of kindness or decency or humanity, but originally from an egotistic desire to look like gentlemen and ladies. Gentlemen and ladies had good table manners and spoke and wrote grammatically. It was what identified on with the upper classes.
In Montana, however, it didn't have this effect at all. It identified one, instead, as a stuck-up Eastern ass."
from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
Part II, Chapter 15
copyright 1974, 1999
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