This'd be my first rant and indeed my first "inspiration" or whatever the hell you guys call it.
So I was walking down the street, looking for a job, and was about to cross the road when I looked up at the little crosswalk lights (hand and the walking guy) when I saw the hand sign, but the lights had fuckered up or something because it was done in white lights. I'm not sure what the hell happened but I saw the white light and nearly walked out into open traffic. The fact that it was the color of the light and not my own damned observation that controlled my movements infuriated me, but it also got me thinking. So the "system" (argh, I hate that terminology) set up the lights and the automatic responses. If I actually had walked out into traffic and gotten terribly hurt, the system has its own way of punishing itself (me suing the city or some shit like that) by taking money out of its gigantic pile and giving it to me. I'll then use this money to filter it back into the system which will eventually trickle back into the city's fund to pay for the next bloke who walks into traffic. Basically, I get fucked up, the system gives me money and then I give it right back.
There have been people trying to stop this, but as far as I've seen, the majority do it the wrong way. The hippies who drop away completely aren't really doing anything to help because they've lost contact entirely. It's like if someone was punching the hell out of you and your revenge is running away and writing them an angry letter you've written on tree bark. It just doesn't do anything. On the other hand, if you try to get inside the system, you just get ground up in its massive gears. You're so close you can't throw any damn punches. The best thing I've seen so far is the OM stuff that you guys have been doing, but it feels like more people are needed for this thing to really work. Hundreds of millions of people is a lot to convince to buck this thing
It's like if someone was punching the hell out of you and your revenge is running away and writing them an angry letter you've written on tree bark.
:lol:
On a side note, how the hell is my first rant my 23rd post...
I'll shut up now...
I thought it was interesting, and really a pretty good rant, you know... but no, really it was perfectly good.
Quote from: Zenpeanut on November 25, 2008, 10:26:13 PM
This'd be my first rant and indeed my first "inspiration" or whatever the hell you guys call it.
So I was walking down the street, looking for a job, and was about to cross the road when I looked up at the little crosswalk lights (hand and the walking guy) when I saw the hand sign, but the lights had fuckered up or something because it was done in white lights. I'm not sure what the hell happened but I saw the white light and nearly walked out into open traffic. The fact that it was the color of the light and not my own damned observation that controlled my movements infuriated me, but it also got me thinking. So the "system" (argh, I hate that terminology) set up the lights and the automatic responses. If I actually had walked out into traffic and gotten terribly hurt, the system has its own way of punishing itself (me suing the city or some shit like that) by taking money out of its gigantic pile and giving it to me. I'll then use this money to filter it back into the system which will eventually trickle back into the city's fund to pay for the next bloke who walks into traffic. Basically, I get fucked up, the system gives me money and then I give it right back.
There have been people trying to stop this, but as far as I've seen, the majority do it the wrong way. The hippies who drop away completely aren't really doing anything to help because they've lost contact entirely. It's like if someone was punching the hell out of you and your revenge is running away and writing them an angry letter you've written on tree bark. It just doesn't do anything. On the other hand, if you try to get inside the system, you just get ground up in its massive gears. You're so close you can't throw any damn punches. The best thing I've seen so far is the OM stuff that you guys have been doing, but it feels like more people are needed for this thing to really work. Hundreds of millions of people is a lot to convince to buck this thing
Are you Canadian?
Also, I agree, I've always said that monks are cheating. It's easy to be zen when you're living off by yourself meditating all day. Try to be zen on the fucking subway at ten to nine in the morning, motherfucker.
And for me personally, I'm not interested in mindfucking hundreds of millions of people, they can go get bent... I am interested in mindfucking those who have been waiting for it without knowing it. Elitist? Hell yes.
Quote from: Zenpeanut on November 25, 2008, 10:26:13 PM
It's like if someone was punching the hell out of you and your revenge is running away and writing them an angry letter you've written on tree bark. It just doesn't do anything. On the other hand, if you try to get inside the system, you just get ground up in its massive gears. You're so close you can't throw any damn punches.
This is really good, Zen. It reminds me of one of my favorite Xtian passages that I remember from back in my fundie days, the one about being "in the world, but not of it."
If you get too close to the fire, you'll get burned. Too far away and you lose all heat and light, and end up just screwing yourself. In the middle, though, you get heat, light, and the chance to piss on the flames and hear your urine sizzle.
Nice rant!
Like you touched on, and Bawheed / Hoopla said, it's not too productive to sequester yourself off from the system you find offensive, and getting inside of it to the point of becoming part of it won't work either.
I don't like thinking about it in such dualistic terms (Nagging feeling all duality is suspect), but it's a line you kind of have to toe. constantly.
Quote from: BAWHEED on November 26, 2008, 01:12:03 PM
Also, I agree, I've always said that monks are cheating. It's easy to be zen when you're living off by yourself meditating all day. Try to be zen on the fucking subway at ten to nine in the morning, motherfucker.
YESSSSSS
Or when your kids are bored and fighting with each other, and can't agree on what to have for lunch, and you have 40 loads of laundry to wash, and the mortgage is past due.
Sometimes I fantasize about joining a convent. Those motherfuckers have to INVENT hardships to make serenity challenging. I'd like to see them remain serene living a normal, non-cloistered life.
Compare monastic Nun / Monks to the ones that teach in schools.
Peace? Serenity? They'll hand your ass to you if you step out of line.
On the otherhand, if you can remain calm and centered through all this shit outside the monestary, thats pretty damn good.
Quote from: Kai on November 26, 2008, 04:36:55 PM
On the otherhand, if you can remain calm and centered through all this shit outside the monestary, thats pretty damn good.
That's what I was trying to say.
Yep.
Quote from: Zenpeanut on November 25, 2008, 10:26:13 PM
This'd be my first rant and indeed my first "inspiration" or whatever the hell you guys call it.
So I was walking down the street, looking for a job, and was about to cross the road when I looked up at the little crosswalk lights (hand and the walking guy) when I saw the hand sign, but the lights had fuckered up or something because it was done in white lights. I'm not sure what the hell happened but I saw the white light and nearly walked out into open traffic. The fact that it was the color of the light and not my own damned observation that controlled my movements infuriated me, but it also got me thinking. So the "system" (argh, I hate that terminology) set up the lights and the automatic responses. If I actually had walked out into traffic and gotten terribly hurt, the system has its own way of punishing itself (me suing the city or some shit like that) by taking money out of its gigantic pile and giving it to me. I'll then use this money to filter it back into the system which will eventually trickle back into the city's fund to pay for the next bloke who walks into traffic. Basically, I get fucked up, the system gives me money and then I give it right back.
There have been people trying to stop this, but as far as I've seen, the majority do it the wrong way. The hippies who drop away completely aren't really doing anything to help because they've lost contact entirely. It's like if someone was punching the hell out of you and your revenge is running away and writing them an angry letter you've written on tree bark. It just doesn't do anything. On the other hand, if you try to get inside the system, you just get ground up in its massive gears. You're so close you can't throw any damn punches. The best thing I've seen so far is the OM stuff that you guys have been doing, but it feels like more people are needed for this thing to really work. Hundreds of millions of people is a lot to convince to buck this thing
Good rant. Though I'm not sure where your conclusions is headed.
Why would those hundreds of millions of people want to buck the System?
it seems to me that we could call them the System... the cogs and gears and screws and frame and power converters. Can they buck themselves, would they want to?
Next question, if they buck the System, what do they replace it with, if not just another System?
Excellent rant, but it made me think of those questions. :)