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Uncle Joe

(62,382 posts) Sat Jul 12, 2025, 03:36 PM Jul 12

It Will Give You Goosebumps - Alan Watts On Existence

12 replies

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It Will Give You Goosebumps - Alan Watts On Existence (Original Post) Uncle Joe Jul 12 OP

We are even for an infinite amount of time. markodochartaigh Jul 12 #1

We are ALWAYS odd, but sometimes we are also even. To be only even is to be dead. To be even AND odd is desirable Bernardo de La Paz Jul 12 #9

IOW... buzzycrumbhunger Jul 12 #2

A little wave bobbed happily in the vast ocean, enjoying the sun and the breeze. LudwigPastorius Jul 12 #3

Waves are actually cycles, and all the particles in the universe are waves ("wave-particle duality"). We are the ocean.n Bernardo de La Paz Jul 12 #5

I think people turn to philosophy or religious dogma if they havent had a meaningful Karadeniz Jul 12 #4

No. People turn with and without. People always want to know "What's goin' on?" Bernardo de La Paz Jul 12 #8

Profound malaise Jul 12 #6

About 2:35 poses the question "a class of all classes" Bernardo de La Paz Jul 12 #7

This is a bit off topic but Bertie was so disturbed by the Soviet Union's getting The Bomb RVN VET71 Jul 15 #12

Man, that is one of his very best. Worth thinking about every word. . . . nt Bernardo de La Paz Jul 12 #10

I was prepared to not like this - not into metaphysics, etc. But it's well worth the watch. erronis Jul 12 #11

markodochartaigh

(3,378 posts)

1. We are even for an infinite amount of time.

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Sat Jul 12, 2025, 04:09 PM

Jul 12

Then we become odd for an instant. Then we become even again for an infinite amount of time.

Bernardo de La Paz

(57,199 posts)

9. We are ALWAYS odd, but sometimes we are also even. To be only even is to be dead. To be even AND odd is desirable

Reply to markodochartaigh (Reply #1)

Sat Jul 12, 2025, 04:55 PM

Jul 12

... but only as much as desire is inescapable.

buzzycrumbhunger

(1,227 posts)

2. IOW...

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Sat Jul 12, 2025, 04:18 PM

Jul 12

Be here now.

Always loved this guy.

LudwigPastorius

(12,973 posts)

3. A little wave bobbed happily in the vast ocean, enjoying the sun and the breeze.

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Sat Jul 12, 2025, 04:24 PM

Jul 12

Suddenly, it noticed the waves in front of it crashing against the shore, disappearing in a burst of foam.

"Oh no!" the little wave cried, trembling. "Look what's going to happen to me! We're all going to crash and be nothing!"

A larger, older wave nearby overheard the little wave's distress and asked, "Why are you so sad?" The little wave explained his fear of crashing and becoming nothing.

The big wave replied with a gentle rumble, "No, you don't understand, little wave. You're not really a wave; you are the ocean."

Bernardo de La Paz

(57,199 posts)

5. Waves are actually cycles, and all the particles in the universe are waves ("wave-particle duality"). We are the ocean.n

Reply to LudwigPastorius (Reply #3)

Sat Jul 12, 2025, 04:43 PM

Jul 12

Karadeniz

(24,559 posts)

4. I think people turn to philosophy or religious dogma if they havent had a meaningful

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Sat Jul 12, 2025, 04:38 PM

Jul 12

NDE or soul experience to open their minds to ultimate truths and systems.

Bernardo de La Paz

(57,199 posts)

8. No. People turn with and without. People always want to know "What's goin' on?"

Reply to Karadeniz (Reply #4)

Sat Jul 12, 2025, 04:51 PM

Jul 12

Look up "gradualism" vs "sudden" zen enlightenment ( "satori" ). Rinzai vs Soto zen. Of course, OF COURSE, there is no actual separation between Rinzai and Soto.

malaise

(286,844 posts)

6. Profound

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Sat Jul 12, 2025, 04:48 PM

Jul 12

Thanks for this

Rec

Bernardo de La Paz

(57,199 posts)

7. About 2:35 poses the question "a class of all classes"

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Sat Jul 12, 2025, 04:50 PM

Jul 12

Reference Bertrand Russell's Principia Mathematica. He was a very powerful philosopher who also wrote a history of western philosophy, and was an outspoken pacificst and non-violent person.

RVN VET71

(2,941 posts)

12. This is a bit off topic but Bertie was so disturbed by the Soviet Union's getting The Bomb

Reply to Bernardo de La Paz (Reply #7)

Tue Jul 15, 2025, 08:17 AM

Jul 15

that he endorsed the notion of a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the USSR. I think this was at a time when the Soviet nuclear arms program was still in its infancy and the idea of pre-emptive strike did not same as horribly outrageous as it later did. The idea was to kill the infant (the Soviet nuclear arms program) before it could grow into a monster.

Bernardo de La Paz

(57,199 posts)

10. Man, that is one of his very best. Worth thinking about every word. . . . nt

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Sat Jul 12, 2025, 05:04 PM

Jul 12

erronis

(20,664 posts)

11. I was prepared to not like this - not into metaphysics, etc. But it's well worth the watch.