The Holographic Universe
“Classical science has always viewed the state of a system as a whole as merely the result of interaction of its parts. However, the quantum potential stood this view on its ear and indicated that the behavior of parts is actually organized by the whole.”
–Michael Talbot (American Writer, Intellectual and Proponent of the Holographic Model of Reality, 1953-1992)
“The Holographic Universe: The Revolutionary Theory of Reality” (Michael Talbot)
Beyond the Borderline
“That there is something beyond the borderline, beyond the frontiers of knowledge, is shown by the archetypes and most clearly of all, by numbers, which this side of the border are quantities but on the other side are autonomous psychic entities, capable of making qualitative statements which manifest themselves in a priori patterns of order.”
–Carl G. Jung (Swiss Psychologist and Psychiatrist, 1875-1961″
“Flying Saucers : A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Skies” (C. G. Jung)
A Tale Worth Thinking About!
I first heard an old version of this tale in an old Sufi teaching story, on the perils of mindless conformity.
Here is a new re-telling by a truly great writer who sees more deeply into the world than most.
“Once upon a time, powerful wizard, who wanted to destroy an entire kingdom, placed a magic potion in the well from which the inhabitants drank. Whoever drank that water would go mad.
The following morning, the whole population drank from the well and they all went mad, apart from the king and his family, who had a well set aside for them alone, which the magician had not managed to poison. The king was worried and tried to control the population by issuing a series of edicts governing security and public health.
The policemen and the inspectors, however, had also drunk the poisoned water, and they thought the king’s decisions were absurd and resolved to take no notice of them. When the inhabitants of the kingdom heard these decrees, they became convinced that the king had gone mad and was now giving nonsensical orders. They marched on the castle and called for his abdication. In despair the king prepared to step down from the throne, but the queen stopped him, saying: ‘Let us go and drink from the communal well. Then we will be the same as them.’
And that was what they did: The king and queen drank the water of madness and immediately began talking nonsense. Their subjects repented at once; now that the king was displaying such ‘wisdom’, why not allow him to rule the country? The country continued to live in peace, although its inhabitants behaved very differently from those of its neighbors. And the king was able to govern until the end of his days.”
–Paulo Coelho (Brazilian Writer, 1947-)
Even Now, Medicine Remains Both Science and Art
“Medicine is not only a science; it is also an art. It does not consist of compounding pills and plasters; it deals with the very processes of life, which must be understood before they may be guided.”
–Paracelsus (a.k.a. Theophrastus Phillippus Aureolus Bombastus von Hohenheim, Swiss Physician and Alchemist, 1493-1541)
Conversation
“The secret of pleasing in conversation is not to explain too much everything; to say them half and leave a little for divination is a mark of the good opinion we have of others, and nothing flatters their self-love more.”
–François, Duc de La Rochefoucauld (French Writer and Moralist, 1613-1680)
Faith in Meaning and Necessity
“We had within us something stronger than reality or probability and that was faith in the meaning and necessity of our action.”
–Hermann Hesse (German-born Swiss Novelist, Poet and, in 1946, Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, 1877-1962)
Practice
I’m sure that you’ve heard the answer to the question,”How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”
“Practice, practice, practice”
However brilliant and gifted any of us might be, there is always a need to keep our gifts in fine form.
There are few things sadder than wasting our potential.
“Johann Sebastian Bach’s reply to someone praising his extraordinary keyboard prowess;
“There is nothing remarkable about it. All you have to do is hit the right key at the right time and the instrument plays itself. Remember, just practice diligently, and it will go very well. You have five fingers on each hand, just as healthy as mine”.
Without goals, we never make the journey.I’ve generally found more pleasure in the journey than in the arrival.”
–Dan Millman (American Writer, Philosopher and Former World Class Trampolinist, 1947-)
What’s NOT the Answer?
“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
–Jim Carrey (Canadian Actor and Comedian, 1962-)
The Tao That Can Be Spoken Is Not the Eternal Tao
I’ve been studying the Tao de Ching, a.k.a.”Tao Te Ching,” a.k.a. Dao De Ching” since my early teens, and I’ve recently been spending some time with a translation by Derek Lin. (You can find it at: www.Taoism.net and Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006)
See what you think of this version of the famous first chapter:
The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named is not the eternal name
The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth
The named is the mother of myriad things
Thus, constantly without desire, one observes its essence
Constantly with desire, one observes its manifestations
These two emerge together but differ in name
The unity is said to be the mystery
Mystery of mysteries, the door to all wonders
–Lao-Tzu (Obscure Chinese Philosopher, Founder of Taoism and Alleged Author of the Tao te Ching, c.604-c.531 B.C.)
Losing Connection
“When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world we lose connection with one another and ourselves.”
–Jack Kornfield (American Meditation Teacher in the Theravadan Buddhist Tradition, 1945-)
