Knowledge and half-knowledge

[lateral_v]

This a beautiful and very enlightning yet simple piece I've read in A Treasury of Wisdom by Kahlil Gibran's :o and I just thought I'd take the time to type this out for u guys as I feel that an understanding of this short piece would open a greater understanding even if it's a small fraction to greater exceptance and undestanding of our knowledge here in this 3d world we find ourselves in.....


Knowlede and half-knowledge - Kahlil Gibran

Four frogs sat on a log that lay floating on the edge of a river. Slowly the log was caught by the current and swept slowly down the stream. The frogs were delighted and absorbed, for never before had they sailed.
At first the first frog spoke, and said . "This is indeed a most marvellous log. It moves as if alive. No such log was ever known before."
The second frog spoke, and said, "Nay, my friend the log is like other logs, and does not move. It is the river, that is walking to the sea, and carries us and the log with it."
And the third frog spoke, and said, "It is neither the log nor the river that moves. The moving is our thinking. For without thinking nothing moves."
And three frogs began wrangle about what was really moving. The quarrel grewhotter and loader, but they could not agree.
Then they turned to the fourth frog, who up to this time had been listening attentively but holding his peace, and they asked his opinion.
And the fourth frog said, "Each of you is right, and none of you wrong. The moving is in the log and the water and in our thinking also"
And the three frogs became very angry, for none of them was willing to admit that his was not the whole truth, and that the other two were not wholly wrong.
Then the strange thing happened. The three frogs got together and pushed the fourth frog off the log into the river.

[drael]

Nice story :)

[lenejento]

Yes yes, very nice story :)

I like the story Adyashanti tells about his zen teacher:

"Zen teachers don't explain anything in an abstract way, which is both the beauty and the terror of it. My teacher's way of explaining this would be to hold up his staff and say, "This is Buddha." Then he would bang it on the ground, and everyone would think "Wow! That's really wild zen stuff. I wish I knew what he was talking about." Then he would go - bang, bang, bang, bang - and he would say, "This is Zen. This is it!" And everybody would react, "Oh wow!" People would wonder "What? Where?" but nobody would say that. "It couldn't be that because that's just beating a stick on the ground." Since it's not all One to the mind, the mind keeps looking for it, "Where is it? What state is it?" Because the me references everything to it's own emotional state, that's what it uses to decide what's true. It thinks that what is true is always a spiritually high emotional state, but this stick pounding is not a very spiritually high emotional state. Then to make it worse, to make it more horrifying, he would say, "This is a concrete description of the truth. This is Buddha. This is not abstract." Then we would really be defeated.

[lateral_v]

Yes yes, very nice story :)

I like the story Adyashanti tells about his zen teacher:

"Zen teachers don't explain anything in an abstract way, which is both the beauty and the terror of it. My teacher's way of explaining this would be to hold up his staff and say, "This is Buddha." Then he would bang it on the ground, and everyone would think "Wow! That's really wild zen stuff. I wish I knew what he was talking about." Then he would go - bang, bang, bang, bang - and he would say, "This is Zen. This is it!" And everybody would react, "Oh wow!" People would wonder "What? Where?" but nobody would say that. "It couldn't be that because that's just beating a stick on the ground." Since it's not all One to the mind, the mind keeps looking for it, "Where is it? What state is it?" Because the me references everything to it's own emotional state, that's what it uses to decide what's true. It thinks that what is true is always a spiritually high emotional state, but this stick pounding is not a very spiritually high emotional state. Then to make it worse, to make it more horrifying, he would say, "This is a concrete description of the truth. This is Buddha. This is not abstract." Then we would really be defeated.

Interresting story.....:p

Now that you've mentioned Zen and the stick I could not help recalling this religious points of view on the topic of Shit Happens....:D lol!!!

SHIT HAPPENS

Taoism: Shit happens.
Confucianism: Confucius say, "Shit happens."
Buddhism: If shit happens, it isn't really shit.
Zen Buddhism: Shit is, and is not.
Zen Buddhism #2: What is the sound of shit happening?
Hinduism: This shit has happened before.
Islam: If shit happens, it is the will of Allah.
Islam #2: If shit happens, kill the person responsible.
Islam #3: If shit happens, blame Israel.
Catholicism: If shit happens, you deserve it.
Protestantism: Let shit happen to someone else.
Presbyterian: This shit was bound to happen.
Episcopalian: It's not so bad if shit happens, as long as you serve the right wine with it.
Methodist: It's not so bad if shit happens, as long as you serve grape juice with it.
Congregationalist: Shit that happens to one person is just as good as shit that happens to another.
Unitarian: Shit that happens to one person is just as bad as shit that happens to another.
Lutheran: If shit happens, don't talk about it.
Fundamentalism: If shit happens, you will go to hell, unless you are born again. (Amen!)
Fundamentalism #2: If shit happens to a televangelist, it's okay.
Fundamentalism #3: Shit must be born again.
Judaism: Why does this shit always happen to us?
Calvinism: Shit happens because you don't work.
Seventh Day Adventism: No shit shall happen on Saturday.
Creationism: God made all shit.
Secular Humanism: Shit evolves.
Christian Science: When shit happens, don't call a doctor - pray!
Christian Science #2: Shit happening is all in your mind.
Unitarianism: Come let us reason together about this shit.
Quakers: Let us not fight over this shit.
Utopianism: This shit does not stink.
Darwinism: This shit was once food.
Capitalism: That's MY shit.
Communism: It's everybody's shit.
Feminism: Men are shit.
Chauvinism: We may be shit, but you can't live without us...
Commercialism: Let's package this shit.
Impressionism: From a distance, shit looks like a garden.
Idolism: Let's bronze this shit.
Existentialism: Shit doesn't happen; shit IS.
Existentialism #2: What is shit, anyway?
Stoicism: This shit is good for me.
Hedonism: There is nothing like a good shit happening!
Mormonism: God sent us this shit.
Mormonism #2: This shit is going to happen again.
Wiccan: An it harm none, let shit happen.
Scientology: If shit happens, see "Dianetics", p.157.
Jehovah's Witnesses: >Knock< >Knock< Shit happens.
Jehovah's Witnesses #2: May we have a moment of your time to show you some of our shit?
Jehovah's Witnesses #3: Shit has been prophesied and is imminent; only the righteous shall survive its happening.
Moonies: Only really happy shit happens.
Hare Krishna: Shit happens, rama rama.
Rastafarianism: Let's smoke this shit! And see what happens!
Zoroastrianism: Shit happens half on the time.
Church of SubGenius: BoB shits.
Practical: Deal with shit one day at a time.
Agnostic: Shit might have happened; then again, maybe not.
Agnostic #2: Did someone shit?
Agnostic #3: What is this shit?
Satanism: SNEPPAH TIHS.
Atheism: What shit?
Atheism #2: I can't believe this shit!
Nihilism: No shit.


And of course we must add...Alcoholics Anonymous: Shit happens-one day at a time!

Hw's that for knowledge on points of view...he he he :D

[cataleptik]

This a beautiful and very enlightning yet simple piece I've read in A Treasury of Wisdom by Kahlil Gibran's :o and I just thought I'd take the time to type this out for u guys as I feel that an understanding of this short piece would open a greater understanding even if it's a small fraction to greater exceptance and undestanding of our knowledge here in this 3d world we find ourselves in.....


Knowlede and half-knowledge - Kahlil Gibran

Four frogs sat on a log that lay floating on the edge of a river. Slowly the log was caught by the current and swept slowly down the stream. The frogs were delighted and absorbed, for never before had they sailed.
At first the first frog spoke, and said . "This is indeed a most marvellous log. It moves as if alive. No such log was ever known before."
The second frog spoke, and said, "Nay, my friend the log is like other logs, and does not move. It is the river, that is walking to the sea, and carries us and the log with it."
And the third frog spoke, and said, "It is neither the log nor the river that moves. The moving is our thinking. For without thinking nothing moves."
And three frogs began wrangle about what was really moving. The quarrel grewhotter and loader, but they could not agree.
Then they turned to the fourth frog, who up to this time had been listening attentively but holding his peace, and they asked his opinion.
And the fourth frog said, "Each of you is right, and none of you wrong. The moving is in the log and the water and in our thinking also"
And the three frogs became very angry, for none of them was willing to admit that his was not the whole truth, and that the other two were not wholly wrong.
Then the strange thing happened. The three frogs got together and pushed the fourth frog off the log into the river.



that is sort of
what the nascent Republik
did to Socrates.

they were really regretful when they realised that they had
been manipulated into butchering the only honest Democrat.
they sure did go on with what they were doing though.

Gibran was Lebanese. he wrote a great deal and that's

relevant, topical...

[cataleptik]

Yes yes, very nice story :)

I like the story Adyashanti tells about his zen teacher:

"Zen teachers don't explain anything in an abstract way, which is both the beauty and the terror of it. My teacher's way of explaining this would be to hold up his staff and say, "This is Buddha." Then he would bang it on the ground, and everyone would think "Wow! That's really wild zen stuff. I wish I knew what he was talking about." Then he would go - bang, bang, bang, bang - and he would say, "This is Zen. This is it!" And everybody would react, "Oh wow!" People would wonder "What? Where?" but nobody would say that. "It couldn't be that because that's just beating a stick on the ground." Since it's not all One to the mind, the mind keeps looking for it, "Where is it? What state is it?" Because the me references everything to it's own emotional state, that's what it uses to decide what's true. It thinks that what is true is always a spiritually high emotional state, but this stick pounding is not a very spiritually high emotional state. Then to make it worse, to make it more horrifying, he would say, "This is a concrete description of the truth. This is Buddha. This is not abstract." Then we would really be defeated.



zen masters often seek to employ triggers in hopes of stimulating left-right ("yin-yang") brain activity, higher cognition, enlightenment.

Rinzai, the school that influenced Discordianism and Robert A. Wilson's cadre the most in the late sixties, tended to do things that were absurd like "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" (slaps you)
Hail, Eris!

[deliciously_fresh]

Interresting story.....:p

Now that you've mentioned Zen and the stick I could not help recalling this religious points of view on the topic of Shit Happens....:D lol!!!

SHIT HAPPENS

Taoism: Shit happens.
Confucianism: Confucius say, "Shit happens."
Buddhism: If shit happens, it isn't really shit.
Zen Buddhism: Shit is, and is not.
Zen Buddhism #2: What is the sound of shit happening?
Hinduism: This shit has happened before.
Islam: If shit happens, it is the will of Allah.
Islam #2: If shit happens, kill the person responsible.
Islam #3: If shit happens, blame Israel.
Catholicism: If shit happens, you deserve it.
Protestantism: Let shit happen to someone else.
Presbyterian: This shit was bound to happen.
Episcopalian: It's not so bad if shit happens, as long as you serve the right wine with it.
Methodist: It's not so bad if shit happens, as long as you serve grape juice with it.
Congregationalist: Shit that happens to one person is just as good as shit that happens to another.
Unitarian: Shit that happens to one person is just as bad as shit that happens to another.
Lutheran: If shit happens, don't talk about it.
Fundamentalism: If shit happens, you will go to hell, unless you are born again. (Amen!)
Fundamentalism #2: If shit happens to a televangelist, it's okay.
Fundamentalism #3: Shit must be born again.
Judaism: Why does this shit always happen to us?
Calvinism: Shit happens because you don't work.
Seventh Day Adventism: No shit shall happen on Saturday.
Creationism: God made all shit.
Secular Humanism: Shit evolves.
Christian Science: When shit happens, don't call a doctor - pray!
Christian Science #2: Shit happening is all in your mind.
Unitarianism: Come let us reason together about this shit.
Quakers: Let us not fight over this shit.
Utopianism: This shit does not stink.
Darwinism: This shit was once food.
Capitalism: That's MY shit.
Communism: It's everybody's shit.
Feminism: Men are shit.
Chauvinism: We may be shit, but you can't live without us...
Commercialism: Let's package this shit.
Impressionism: From a distance, shit looks like a garden.
Idolism: Let's bronze this shit.
Existentialism: Shit doesn't happen; shit IS.
Existentialism #2: What is shit, anyway?
Stoicism: This shit is good for me.
Hedonism: There is nothing like a good shit happening!
Mormonism: God sent us this shit.
Mormonism #2: This shit is going to happen again.
Wiccan: An it harm none, let shit happen.
Scientology: If shit happens, see "Dianetics", p.157.
Jehovah's Witnesses: >Knock< >Knock< Shit happens.
Jehovah's Witnesses #2: May we have a moment of your time to show you some of our shit?
Jehovah's Witnesses #3: Shit has been prophesied and is imminent; only the righteous shall survive its happening.
Moonies: Only really happy shit happens.
Hare Krishna: Shit happens, rama rama.
Rastafarianism: Let's smoke this shit! And see what happens!
Zoroastrianism: Shit happens half on the time.
Church of SubGenius: BoB shits.
Practical: Deal with shit one day at a time.
Agnostic: Shit might have happened; then again, maybe not.
Agnostic #2: Did someone shit?
Agnostic #3: What is this shit?
Satanism: SNEPPAH TIHS.
Atheism: What shit?
Atheism #2: I can't believe this shit!
Nihilism: No shit.


And of course we must add...Alcoholics Anonymous: Shit happens-one day at a time!

Hw's that for knowledge on points of view...he he he :D

Great post! :D

[lateral_v]

Great post! :D

Thanx!