Yin and Yang
The hardest part is doing. Not doing is difficult, but much easier.
Part of my attraction to Taoism is the intrinsic ideal of balance, everything that comes, goes; one leads to one other; in order to gain, you have to lose.
It's been a hectic year .. I've gained much but lost a great deal.
I've given up part of who I am in order to attain what I need ..
I've lost degrees of freedom in favor of more restrictive maturity ..
I've gained knowledge and opportunity, and lost possible experiences ..
I've loved in spite inevitable sacrifice ..
I find it interesting that people tend to focus on certain events, or potential events, and anticipate some sort of divine experience, providence, or importance. Only to watch time pass and realize that the definitive experience is yet to take place.
How does one honestly qualify and weight the balance, when limited by one's own perceptions (or the perceived insight or wisdom of other elements) .. assuming no delusion or hubris, how realistically can we characterize a loss, and what gain balanced it?
Every moment is an event .. the difficulty lies in both understanding its significance as well as weighing it accordingly. How can one honestly evaluate the risk and the reward?
We exist in a vast darkness, seeking out, encountering, or being sought out by remote lantern-bearers. In spying one from afar, do we pursue or abandon? Gain acceptance or denial?
The metaphor of the lantern-bearer has long assisted in my evaluations.
Each entity, be they events, experiences, or individuals; represented by lanterns of differing size, shape, color, magnitude, and direction. Guides and guideposts along innumerable paths in a vast dark plane.
The lantern-bearers, travelling along this plane while traversing their path, each with one's own light to direct, guide, and use for whatever purpose.
In my travels, I have encountered others. Shown paths leading toward perceived good or ill. Suffocated the light of myself and others, as well as encouraging growth. Left lanterns behind and obtained others. Created them to point the way. Eliminated them to obfuscate.
Ending the previous year in much darkness. Began anew with a new light. Focused it in new directions encountering more lanterns, and bearers of such; choosing to abandon some old. Attained great gains and many losses. Felt gratified and proud of decisions made.
The question lies in perception. What if the opposite is in fact true? Every step forwards was in reality a step backward? Each light bright enough to obfuscate the true darkness, each twist in the path leading to another destination entirely?
What instead of the question of delusion? Of self or others? Was the intent real or subliminal?
Truth is difficult to attain. Self-truth even moreso. How does one find the truth behind the self, and how can they ever be certain of its essence?
This posturing bullshit brought to you by a day of reckoning in the essense of truth. What was gained may be lost, or what was lost gained once more. The only thing worse that waiting is the question of the validity of the perceptions.
That's no damn help. Let us try an old standby:
Horoscope - August 16th, 2006
Communication is important, but sometimes actions speak louder than words. Put your money -- or your actions, as the case may be -- where your mouth is. Show that you truly care.
Yea .. that helps about the same amount. Damn metaphysical posturing.
Part of my attraction to Taoism is the intrinsic ideal of balance, everything that comes, goes; one leads to one other; in order to gain, you have to lose.
It's been a hectic year .. I've gained much but lost a great deal.
I've given up part of who I am in order to attain what I need ..
I've lost degrees of freedom in favor of more restrictive maturity ..
I've gained knowledge and opportunity, and lost possible experiences ..
I've loved in spite inevitable sacrifice ..
I find it interesting that people tend to focus on certain events, or potential events, and anticipate some sort of divine experience, providence, or importance. Only to watch time pass and realize that the definitive experience is yet to take place.
How does one honestly qualify and weight the balance, when limited by one's own perceptions (or the perceived insight or wisdom of other elements) .. assuming no delusion or hubris, how realistically can we characterize a loss, and what gain balanced it?
Every moment is an event .. the difficulty lies in both understanding its significance as well as weighing it accordingly. How can one honestly evaluate the risk and the reward?
We exist in a vast darkness, seeking out, encountering, or being sought out by remote lantern-bearers. In spying one from afar, do we pursue or abandon? Gain acceptance or denial?
The metaphor of the lantern-bearer has long assisted in my evaluations.
Each entity, be they events, experiences, or individuals; represented by lanterns of differing size, shape, color, magnitude, and direction. Guides and guideposts along innumerable paths in a vast dark plane.
The lantern-bearers, travelling along this plane while traversing their path, each with one's own light to direct, guide, and use for whatever purpose.
In my travels, I have encountered others. Shown paths leading toward perceived good or ill. Suffocated the light of myself and others, as well as encouraging growth. Left lanterns behind and obtained others. Created them to point the way. Eliminated them to obfuscate.
Ending the previous year in much darkness. Began anew with a new light. Focused it in new directions encountering more lanterns, and bearers of such; choosing to abandon some old. Attained great gains and many losses. Felt gratified and proud of decisions made.
The question lies in perception. What if the opposite is in fact true? Every step forwards was in reality a step backward? Each light bright enough to obfuscate the true darkness, each twist in the path leading to another destination entirely?
What instead of the question of delusion? Of self or others? Was the intent real or subliminal?
Truth is difficult to attain. Self-truth even moreso. How does one find the truth behind the self, and how can they ever be certain of its essence?
This posturing bullshit brought to you by a day of reckoning in the essense of truth. What was gained may be lost, or what was lost gained once more. The only thing worse that waiting is the question of the validity of the perceptions.
That's no damn help. Let us try an old standby:
Horoscope - August 16th, 2006
Communication is important, but sometimes actions speak louder than words. Put your money -- or your actions, as the case may be -- where your mouth is. Show that you truly care.
Yea .. that helps about the same amount. Damn metaphysical posturing.