Our Thinking Reed Syndrome

There is no greater cause than Life since we do not know anything outside Nature.
If our intellect is no more refined than draw conclusions from our direct evidences we should not find it hard to believe Nature stands for something beyond anything that we may conjure up. Nature as manifestation of life: where a worm serves as prodigiously and as useful as man to create the earth a habitable planet. (ref: note below)
Cause of Life shall render man conserve his environment as judiciously as a worm or a scavenger bird. The worm we might say do it not under duress or do not put on some airs for its contribution. It is a service freely rendered. A raven cleans up offal it can lay hand on as a matter of feeding itself. It does not assume any moral superiority over its benefits to the environment. A field worm or raven exists unlike man: we are conscious of our worth in terms of beliefs or in terms of material possessions. Our haves and have-nots are a case in point.
Self of a raven or earthworm feeds on the universal consciousness of Life whereas man is driven by his own self. No wonder we must whitewash our selfishness with some cause or other.
A cause is something we fashion after our peculiar notions of standing in our own kind that is incomprehensible to every other. Nature knows it not. Does it matter to a dog or a horse whether its master is a crook or a fool? Its fidelty is rooted squarely on Life than on superficial reasons.
Tailpiece: Me-factor of man sets life forms as ‘us and them’.
* Note: Earthworms create macro pores, which positively affect water infiltration and root growth. Their castings improve microbial growth, nutrient content and soil structure. Earthworm casts contain nitrate, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium and calcium. Earthworms use a lot of water, since they produce 60 percent of their body weight in urine every day. Their urine is nitrogen-rich and provides an excellent fertilizer. Field worms easily produce about 50 lbs. of nitrogen/acre! (Ack: By Jodi De Jong-Hughes, University of Minnesota Extension Service)
benny

A Quote

"Autobiography is walking down the memory lane ten feet tall at places where you crawled."
benny

"Mirror, Mirror..."

Truth of Nature must hold a mirror to my own human nature.
A mirror tells no lies; but it is not same as what we read of it.
What does wisdom tell us? We are of the same weight as an earthworm or a coyote. But do we read it so?
We read from the mirror of Nature what our unbridled appetites tell us. " We are the privileged lot," so would an American redneck say," manifest destiny of our nation, and all that."
What the Christian Right would claim? " God has put the earth under our control". Naturally a theology tailor made to justify the greed of many would be found. Am I exaggerating? Look at all those preachers in the last four decades who were caught in the web of their own deceit, lust and sleaze. (If one crook prayerfully claims God will take his life if he cannot raise $80 m. what happens? Some 80 million fools would be there to put up the money for him. Religion will become a never ending circus.) We see here wisdom and power each working out of control.
Whence came all these wars and clash of 'civilizations'? Our hatred for beliefs of another is man- made. Our causes are rooted on Self and not on Life.
With such a skewed intellect we have only caused misery all around. That is how we have exercised power.
benny

On Equal Footing

After a spell of wet season the sun came up and it was very hot. A worm peeped out and quickly withdrew to its clammy shelter. The teacher of incomparable wisdom observed: “ a worm can use the whole earth against the sun.” He guided his disciples along the countryside and a storm suddenly raged and the sage safely guided his pupils into the hollow of a cave. “ The entire hill is at our disposal to deflect the fury of elements.” He summed up at the end of the day thus: ” wisdom of man merely works along the grain of his world. Peaceful coexistence allows creatures as lowly as man or worm to live and let live.”
Shortly thereafter they came across a scorched land in ruin. The entire town had been ravaged by war. The pupils expected the master to give an opinion. After a long silence he said, “ Here we see what is unique to us: power disengaged from wisdom.”
Power coupled with wisdom is discretion while power let on its own steam makes the wise conduct themselves as fools and we need not be surprised if fools are made to sit over the destinies of nations.
In order to prove my point I only need to cite the war on terror as waged by the US. When the law givers fall in with immoral course of action proposed by a bunch of ‘chicken hawks’ lest they be seen as weak aren’t they being foolish?
benny

A Quote:

"Sucking life to the bone is all right; only that one should see to that one is not taken for a sucker."

Cost Analysis on Life

The Secret Of A Successful Life

There lived a hermit from Hushan during the Han dynasty in China. Having discovered the source of elixir of immortality he wandered around the countryside looking for disciples. He did not find any since his visit was during the harvest; and all hands were too busy to hear his wondrous message. Thereupon he went to the cities; there his reception was very cold. You see the city folks also had to think of their bills and raising families.
After years of fruitless searching he decided that wisdom was the principal thing to look for. While his contemporaries became old and ancient he went on from strength to strength. His wisdom was of the most marvelous kind. He learnt to understand animals of the farm and birds of the air. He listened to lovers courting their loved ones and smiled at the inanities in expression; and he heard the pride and power of riches as well as the whining tone of poor and the despised. He saw how hollow were the promise of rulers who looked only their welfare than of the ruled. When his wisdom made him see how shallow his own kind were he dismissed wisdom as of a trifle. “Who will clean up all these selfishness and evil reigning in the hearts of my race?” He frowned. “No, how annoying is this! ”
He swore that he would make himself a man of action rather than a man of intellect.
He went about doing good works and avenging the hurts of poor and the dispossessed. Since he was immortal he went to the highest places, before judges, kings and even the emperor to establish the rule of the just. He succeeded in making the custodians of Law and Good Government receive his case as proper and good. But nothing came out of it. The poor became poorer and the dispossessed slid still further into misery.
“Why,” he wailed in desperation. He was mostly sorry that his life was a failure. “How long and how long should I endure this? He wanted to cry but could not. Thus he stood under a willow tree desolate and stone cold at the bitter prospects of having no end in sight. The wind said to him: “Immortality in one who expects no failings is no better than a few good successes and a moderate span of life.” The old man from Hushan stared on.
“My strength is such that I can throw you a furlong along,” said the wind to the old man, “yet not pluck your long beard out. You win some and lose many others. In knowing what would be my level is the success of my life.” The hermit was past hearing that good advice since he had become an immortal with his senses stone dead.
benny

On Happiness

Nature as manifestation of Life: abiogenesis, the question of the origin of life, is the study of how life on Earth might have emerged from non-life. Let us for a moment forget about various hypotheses that have been put forward. I am a layman seeking answers to the question: why am I here on the earth? What is the compelling reason that I said ‘yea’ to life though experience of living among the living show that I shall also die like my parents before me? Shouldn’t that be a downer for me?
The hold of life on each living creature is far stronger than fear. Happiness is what gives it extra strength to follow life through thick and thin. It is the very stuff of Life.
Death has been everpresent yet life triumphed every hour of my life. In my very bones I still know the slow contagion of death works. I also know it is natural.
Nature made me, young that I was, to say ‘yea’ to life. Having grown older I haven’t found any reason to go against natural processes of ageing or death. Nature as manifestation of Life has also given me a somewhat better understanding of my life: Life shall however remain unchanged no matter how I may negotiate with non-being over all that baggage I carry about me.
Happiness outwears life.
benny
Let me wish my readers wherever you are, happy Thanksgiving holidays.

A Never Ending Secret

What is a fossil? It is like a souvenir each of us has tucked away somewhere. It is a reminder. A secret.
The earth keeps the secret of everything: animate and inanimate objects; and the secret of earth in turn is worked into that of cosmos. Like the puzzle of Chinese boxes the secret of cosmos is worked into something else.
Every life form shall know something of the secret: survival of the life form depends on knowing that part which relates to his level of experience and wisdom. A wise man shall learn to accept his wisdom is derived from the total assembly of what other life forms bring to the common pool.
benny

The Happiness Factor

The teacher of Incomparable Wisdom showed his servant how the peasants around the countryside sowed and harvested their crops in season. The manservant said the grains knew what soil suited them best.
“See those rocks, master? Crops avoided them. Didn’t they?” The teacher asked his man to look closely. The manservant inspected the huge boulder and expressed his amazement. The surface was indeed mottled with lichens of many hues. “How come lichens knew what the crops didn’t know? He asked his master.
“Crops share a secret with soil; so would lichens with rocks,” observed the incomparable teacher.
At that time an eagle hovered above. It dropped a tortoise on the rock below. The force was such the tortoise broke apart and the eagle zoomed instantly to its supper.
A fox from one of the hidden crevices appeared to finish
off whatever was left of the supper. “ Here is a secret that draws eagle and a fox equally,” continued the master, “ those shells are not there by an accident. A secret.”
“What secret?”
“Every pebble and thorn in a rosebush thing has its place. Even this carapace shall find its own level in the scheme of things.”
Later they sat under an old cypress tree and the teacher drank the barley wine and said, “ The whole universe is singing as evening stars appear; isn’t that reason to join in their happiness?”
Happiness is a plumbline every living or non-living keeps with Life. It isn’t your mental or emotional state at any given hour of the day.
benny

The Parable Of An Union

The Spirit of What Went Before as usual met the Spirit from The South Kingdom. Her name was What Is To Follow.
The Wise Old Spirit from the North exchanged news of his kingdom and said his subjects were all of one voice and they had asked a question.
“What is That?”
What Is To Follow?” he replied.
Having met once in every thousand years they agreed to marry and set up their dominion over all in perfect harmony.
It was possible since the Spirit from North was Wisdom and the other, Power.
Out of their union came Time. Eons later their household became as numerous as stars of the night sky.One night one Hour went up to Time and asked: “Am I happy?” Ancient of the Days asked why such a question. The unhappy hour answered thus,” The hours that went before didn’t say what were to follow.”
Time explained that that was unnecessary since the hour like every other sibling came of a perfect union.
“Look about you and also look within. You shall know of what stock you come from.”
benny

Entry #17 A Matter Of Form

If happiness remains outside circumstances Life must be outside circumstances too. Life merges in a dimension where happiness has a form. You or I may fill it as easily as any other life form.
benny

Happiness

True Happiness has no facial features or bone- structure that you may say belong to so and so. Her face has no skin tone or color by which you may place her. She is least distinguishable as far as her physical appearances go. She bears no name except that of one who has made himself above his circumstances.
Happy is he who has made himself free from every physical want.
benny

A Parable of Three Sisters

Misery could not bear stay at home. So went she visiting. Wherever she went she announced herself thus,” I am Misery.”
She came home all the more miserable.
Her sister Joy thought she knew how to amuse herself. She sold everything she had and went visiting. She bought presents to give away. Wherever she went she said,” I am Joy!” She was wined and dined and she gave away all she had. At the end those who received her well, inquired, “What did you say your name was?”
Joy thought she had wasted her time.
Happiness, the eldest sister went visiting. Wherever she went she announced, “Will you let me stay with you? ”and the host asked every time, “Who are you?”
“ I am nobody.” At this many a door was slammed in her face.
benny

A Paradox

Life is indescribable. Having said that in my entry #1 what if I described Life as a matrix? Am I not contradictory?
When I qualify Life as an envelope I am merely using a symbol from direct evidences: nature as a manifestation of Life.
No other means have I to examine mysteries that are indescribable. My nature must be set off against Nature wherein both animate and inanimate hold certain clues. Truth of Nature must hold a mirror to my own human nature.
Paradox of Life is like silence, of which we shall have no understanding but for sounds.
benny

A Body of Distractions

Life is a matrix, a non-dimensional envelope for matter to express itself.
Life is one way we take measure of Life and we call it Truth.
It is like Columbus' venture: he set out to the Indies by sailing along the west on the assumption that the Earth was a sphere. Our search for Truth is somewhat similar. We get always distracted by the landmass we encounter on the way: truth of human condition.
benny

No Taste At All

The legendary Lawrence of Arabia in his Seven Pillars of Wisdom narrates the nature of the Bedouins of the desert from an incident. While visiting Syria he was shown some desolate desert palace of old at the outskirts of the plains of North Syria. It was a palace that a prince had built for his beloved. His Arab guides while moving through the old ruin could still smell precious perfumes that as the legends would have it, were used in the kneading of clay for bricks. Meanwhile one took a deep breath of the desert air rolling from somewhere beyond the distant Euphrates. He observed that it had the best smell of all, for ‘it has no taste’.
Life is like that. Like a breath none may discover from where Life comes or describe it satisfactorily its prime raison d’etre. Our dissertations merely give away our own partialities or prejudices.
benny

What Is Life?

What is Life?
What can be described is not worth living. You paint me a picture and it is only a representation. You sweated over it. Didn’t you? It is work and not Life. Perhaps you point out to yourself but that doesn’t describe life. You are only a walking embodiment of Life: you see I am also a living representation by which what you describe as Life is less than what you make it out to be.
Life similarly defies all such symbols man may employ.
All that is outside your comprehension or description in words probably fall within Life. The indescribable Life suffuses your sensations that give mind its power to comprehend or describe the finite, must be as it is outside every thing that we may grasp or clothe with our imagination.
benny

Inversion Principle

Greater You Are, Harder You Fall
The Age of Dinosaurs ended roughly 65 million years ago with the K-T or Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event, which killed off all dinosaurs save those that became birds, as well as roughly half of all species on the planet, including pterosaurs. The prime suspect in this ancient murder mystery is an asteroid or comet impact, which left a vast crater at Chicxulub on the coast of Mexico.

A series of colossal volcanic eruptions occurred between 63 million to 67 million years ago. These created the gigantic Deccan Traps lava beds in India, whose original extent may have covered as much as 580,000 square miles (1.5 million square kilometers), or more than twice the area of Texas.
Research suggests the mass extinction happened at or just after the biggest phase of the Deccan eruptions, which spewed 80 percent of the lava found at the Deccan Traps.
Both an impact from space and volcanic eruptions would have injected vast clouds of dust and other emissions into the sky, dramatically altering global climate and triggering die-offs. Double Trouble one might say.
"It's the first time we can directly link the main phase of the Deccan Traps to the mass extinction," said Princeton University paleontologist Gerta Keller.
"Before the mass extinction, most of the foraminifera species were comparatively large, very flamboyant, very specialized, very ornate, with many chambers," Keller explained. These foraminifera were roughly 200 to 350 microns large, or a fifth to a third of a millimeter long.
These showy foraminifera were very specialized for particular ecological niches.
"When the environment changed, as it did around K-T, that prompted their extinction," she added. "The foraminifera that followed were extremely tiny, one-twentieth the size of the species before, with absolutely no ornamentation, just a few chambers." As such, these puny foraminifera serve as very distinct tags of when the K-T extinction event started. (ack: live science.com)
Where foraminifera could adapt heavy dinosaurs could not. Their strength was their undoing.
benny

Paradox Of Our Lives

There was a monk who lived the most austere life. Monk Theodosius fasted for days together and drank nothing but water. He ate indifferently and whenever he laid his hands on a scrap of black bread he would tell the brother who shared his cell thus: “Efraim, the devil has set this piece of bread to tempt me. What shall I do?”
Ephraim a scarecrow if there were one, would look at it and sigh,-he was starving but more was his curiosity to plumb the secret of the monk’s holiness that defied creature comforts. “If only I could tell you” he would inwardly groan, “ that piece of bread would have slid down my gullet as honey; and warmed my stomach that is cold with hunger.” He dared not show how he lusted after it. “That would be impious!” Efraim always snapped out of his temptation by reciting the prayer the old Patriarch of Kazan had taught him. The monk managed without eating bread and showed no apparent ill effects. But it was hell for Brother Efraim. He would go to his corner and stretch himself on straw and say a prayer : “Oh Jesu make me overcome this lust for bread or let me die.”
One night after an excruciationg spell he prayed thus. Suddenly he was struck by a fit and he fainted. One week he was laid out flat while the monk watched over him and interceded.
One morning Efraim got up and drew water from a well and he drank. The water had turned wine! It was a miracle that spread like wildfire among the serfs and nobility. Efraim was declared a miracle worker. He was on demand by all the great houses and he turned water into wine on demand. He founded a church and built up a large following.
Meanwhile Monk Theodosius was in his cell drinking water and the thought struck him. “I wish I could eat a piece of bread.” As soon as he said these words two persons came to his door and brought a piece of bread. One said it was a gift of the Most Holy Efraim.
“ Why me?”
The messenger replied, “ The Holy One cannot eat bread. He drinks nothing but wine. ”
The old Monk ate the piece of bread and said, “ Damn! Damn!” Never more he prayed and he cursed all the saints in heaven and stamped on the Holy Book. He shook his fists at heaven and said, “ I drank nothing but water but did you make it a pleasure for me? I lived so saintly while you blessed Efraim who could not look at a piece of bread without sinning ?”
In the very thing we lay our strength could work for our fall. How it shall come about is not yet written. It is left for each to work out his/her escape.
benny

A Finite Factor

What is Evil?
Adam was the Son of God according to the genealogy in the gospels ( St.Lu 3: 38). Through Adam we have the material make-up that expresses our kinship to the highest Ideal- we can be as seraphs and cherubs. But there is a muddy road that we are called to walk on, - The vale of tears.
Is there a way of reconciling the two?
We are terrestrial creatures. We call ourselves homo sapiens , the wise ones. How wise can any one be, who fouls up the place and lives in it, money grubbing all day long?
Evil in its essence is that where we have peeked into a higher realm of existence
(and we know for certain it is in our reality) we would rather stoop to dirt in order to be like every one else. This is what finite factor would mean.
Our compromise is not something we will ever admit. That would be too
painful! That would be like a slap on our face of respectability. So we excuse for catering to our lower nature and its appetites, as being relevant to our time and place.
Benny

Change of Uses

The dream of flight is fueled by our observation of the birds, and is illustrated in myths across the world (e.g. Daedalus and Icarus in Greek mythology, or the Pushpaka Vimana of the Ramayana). The first attempts to fly also often drew on the idea of imitating birds, as in Daedalus' building his wings out of feathers and wax. Attempts to build wings of various materials and jump off high towers continued well until the seventeenth century. ( aviation history-ack:wikipedia). Thus man in trying to imitate truth of experience does so after his fashion: from nature- a pushpak vimana; or a composite type- wings made of wax in imitation of birds’ wings. Man adds something of his own invention to what is already existing. No wonder, inventive mind of man shall not rest with a single success. If he would learn to be airborne he would put it to refine to such degree that shall keep with his ever changing requirements. Hot air balloons shall be replaced with gliding, biplanes and so on.

In course of time we find airplanes are not merely for flying but for military purposes. Planes that could destroy towns, cities thoroughly are natural extensions of man’s striving for excellence. In short man who raises himself ever a notch higher into higher realms finds a drag that makes his angel, a monster. Can there be evil in the very perfection that we strive for?
Devil is in the details, sir. In the very essence of Good resides resident Evil like the serpent in the Garden of Eden. This is inevitable: since every progress of man is necessarily a cooperative effort. Each man in trying to be relevant according to his time and place changes the original intent ever so little that mankind will never catch on till the whole enterprise turns thoroughly irredeemable.
Benny

Truth Of Imagination

Ficus sycomorus grows to 20 m tall and 6 m wide with a dense round crown of spreading branches. The leaves are heart-shaped with a round apex, 14 cm long by 10 cm wide, and arranged spirally around the twig. (wikipedia)
Because the shadow cast by the tree is extensive any seed falling within the shade will not get enough sunlight to germinate. So it makes sense if the tree can send its seeds farther from its shade.
The incomparable Renaissance man, Leonardo daVinci observing the way seeds are cast out hit upon a flying machine that we know as helicopters. In his day technology being what it was his sketch remained merely a fantasy. A figment of man’s imagination. Come five centries man has learnt to design choppers and his drawing remains a milestone in the history of aviation.
What was the force of his imagination? His mind could assimilate the experience of the tree.
Imagination is that curious ability of the mind to crytallize experience from anywhere in Cosmos and set out new uses. He made the past serve the present and future. DaVinci in a manner of speaking compressed the age-old wisdom of a tree and turned it upside down. By his imagination he brought a time lapse of some five centuries to serve his needs.
Let me draw attention to another :
H. G Wells, along with Hugo Gernsback and Jules Verne, is sometimes referred to as "The Father of Science Fiction".
Truth of Imagination
“An Experiment in Prophecy" is considered his most explicitly futuristic work. Anticipating what the world would be like in the year 2000, the book is interesting both for its hits (trains and cars resulting in the dispersion of population from cities to suburbs; moral restrictions declining as men and women seek greater sexual freedom; the defeat of German militarism, and the existence of a European Union) and its misses (he did not expect successful aircraft before 1950, and averred that "my imagination refuses to see any sort of submarine doing anything but suffocate its crew and founder at sea").(ack: wikipedia)
Imagination is the quality of mind to compress time and space in real time of a life form to establish new framework for experience.
Thus Adam could design the priestly dress for Aaron though he intended it for himself. Weaving and materials needed for such a design to be reality would come later. ( According to scholars Moses lived somewhere around 1200 BC,. Whatever time lapsed from Adam till Moses was reconciled in his imgination.)
benny

After The Fall

Adam had a shock of his life to know he was naked. “It is something that I ate, I am sure.” He said and he quickly went over to his ‘helpmeet’ and to his amazement she was also naked!
“ Must you embarrass me?” he blurted out.
He bawled his head off telling Eve to be modest. She didn’t think she was immodest. He knew she was because he was always right since God created him first. “ I have the preeminence in all things.”
At that moment he was busy thinking up designing his wardrobe. Adam waxed eloquent at the whole array of dresses he could now design for himself. If he were first in all things his dress must show him to advantage. He quickly sketched a headpiece and robes complete with breastplate. Eve saw him so much lost in details and thought her man was fantastic. “ What imagination and what singleness of purpose!” She loved him all the more despite his odd habit of ‘’I-told-you-so’. When he was done she had one question: “ You made a breastplate and divided into 12 sections. “Why twelve?”
“ I could explain but it may not make sense to you.” Said he.
Of course he had conceived it all in his mind and sketched the dress down to its minutest detail.
Alas, he never got around to use.
Why? God thought Adam was better dressed in a lambskin that was simpler. All he needed if he ever was in want of a change of skins was a sheep. There were plenty of livestock around. He however left the final decision to Adam and Eve.
Eve insisted, “ Don’t be woollyheaded Adam. The dress you designed is too complex and you would need skills that do not exist.”
Adam was shocked and before he could snub her she said, “ Look around. Angels are clothed with fire and God Himself wraps about him with clouds.”
Adam had to agree, ‘If God could be dressed so simple so could I.’
But he muttered saying, “ I bet my design was faultless.”
Tailpiece: In the desert of Sinai God explained to Moses the dress he had in mind for the office of the High Priest. Uncannily the design was exactly the same as the one Adam had earlier conceived. So Adam had taken a pattern from the Mind of God. If he were the Son of God it was quiet natural. This is what Imagination would mean. More on this topic in my next post.
benny

We Are Cut From The Same Cloth

In antiquity one name that brought awe to any one on this side of Palestine was Job. O boy, was he rich? He was indeed. His wealth in cattle, sheep grains and precious metals was such even the kings of the neighboring lands gasped. They dared not touch him because they thought God had set a flaming fence around his all. Many rulers sent their trusted servants to assure the patriarch of their good will. Job kept a cordial relationship with the titled heads, neighbors, servants and strangers.
The nomads who crossed the desert could always count on him. The helpless would find succour at his gates. The weak and hungry always were satiated by the largesse of his table..
Job was a man. He was also a merchant who pressed a hard bargain and put away profits so he could live as he did.
His sons and daughters got their share and lived in awe of the patriarch.
They also were fabulously wealthy and lived as befitting their status. Job's firstborn had wife and many concubines. One day he took a Canaanite maid and made her pregnant. It wasn’t strange according to the mores of the times. But his wife knew he was so much smitten of her and knew her own status was at peril. So she did the best she could do.She sulked for days and denied him her bed and threw tantrum till he caved in to her demands. She demanded that the maid be sacked. Her husband for the sake of peace and domestic harmony promptly sent her off.
What they didn’t want to know was that the slip of a girl gone bad came to untimely end. Naturally Job didn’t get to hear of her unfortunate end.

Job was prospering all the while. He made a fantastic deal and all his cattle and sheep brought record prices. His middlemen took their cut and Job was onto many other deals. What he didn’t know was the cattle sold to others died mysteriously of anthrax while sheep fell victim to some other plague. Job didn’t lose a shekel but those who bought from him were completely wiped out.
Later it so happened that Satan tempted him. Job was thrown into the deepest pit of misery. He couldn’t figure out. Why him?
“ I am completely innocent!” said he. He was ready to take on even God as to his own righteousness.
How righteous was he?
Job was a cause and effect whether he knew it or not. This being the case anyone who pretends to be totally free from blame or beyond the pale of reproach talks through his hat.
Tailpiece:
Remember John Donne's famous ' no man is an Iland,'quote?
benny

A Golden Mean

No man born of woman can remain isolated from the events occurring anywhere in Cosmos.
Our body is made up of elements borrowed from anywhere: if we are star children do not be surprised if we father generations that shall people other galaxies. It is in the fitness of things to be so. If we are the effect of violent upheavals elsewhere in Cosmos we shall also be the Cause.
Duality of life places us as cause and effect: we are the cause as we are effect too. Only that we are not both at the same time. Consider hypothalamus which controls autonomous nervous system and central nervous system. Both do not work at the same time. We are a cause and an effect but not at the same time. Hence the concept of duality of my life: we have a visible life and inner life just as we have self and an identity, soul and spirit and so on. A Golden Mean explains working out these two phases in a way we will make sense to others and above all to ourselves.
benny

O Pioneer, Do Your Thing!

"What is the meaning of life?”, one asked Confucius. They were passing through a hill country. It was spring. As they climbed down the philosopher said," It is in the spirit of that old man down there, in his gaiety...see him on a spree, with the butterflies overhead and worms stirring about his feet.."
"I don't believe your eyesight is sharp enough to see all that from here." The man was skeptical.
"Perhaps you are right. But my spirit could move into that of the old man and know.” Confucius replied. "Still it doesn't explain the meaning.” The man murmured.
Next they moved through the plains. They came across a large crowd weeping about a dead body. The widow was almost a child and curiously enough the philosopher thought her smiling inwards as if death came as deliverance; later in the evening the man who was with the philosopher asked, “What is the meaning of life? We were among the dead today."
Confucius said," Life holds mysteries and death is merely letting the youth free from the yoke of the old.” The man again asked the master, "What is the meaning of life?"
Confucius pretended as if he didn’t hear him. He said," I have to go to the City on an urgent business. You may come if you want to." He nodded.
Before they entered the City they had to pass through a village, which was almost deserted except for the womenfolk and children. Upon enquiries they were told that a great prophet had come to the nearby village holding sermons about the life after death. Meanwhile a man came into view. When the philosopher was told that he was the only one who stayed back, he wanted to speak to him.
Confucius asked if he weren't interested in the life after death? The man said, “First things first. Being poor I must look after the needful things first, my family needs me. Who will look after them in this life if I were to run after a life which neither the prophet nor anyone else has seen, let alone lived it?"
Turning towards the man who was constantly pestering him as to the meaning of life, the philosopher said, "If you really want to know the meaning, here is the man for you." With these words he pressed on towards the City.
* There is no other clue to the riddle of life than living it. How we solve it makes us pioneers.

benny