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RRRR
Rapture Ready


Registered: 07/26/06
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The Impermanence of the Material
#5971438 - 08/16/06 10:41 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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I often find myself in total and utter awe how quickly we, as human beings, can be materially destroyed. We are fragile beings, yet we take on immense journeys. Academia, people spend years and thousands of dollars just to get a degree, just to start a new journey, your profession. Then perhaps another, family. Then the endless amount of hobbies you can partake in. Everything you've worked for can end, in the beginning, middle, or end.
I think the wise Carl puts it best:
"Ahh, physical fitness, whatever. You know, whatever. You do what you like to do, I do what I like to do, ok? 'Cause you're a sucker, you're being fed this line about how, like, you're going to live forever or whatever. You're going to die, someone will kill ya'. Someone will kill you with a knife. Make sure your abs are fricken ripped, you got some good guns. You wanna look good for when you get stabbed with a knife. Sorry, thats how it works." -Carl
-------------------- Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20-21 (New King James Version)
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DinahTheCat
Seeker of Truth


Registered: 11/19/05
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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: RRRR]
#5971460 - 08/16/06 10:46 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Yes, well man is greedy; for with wealth comes power, and power with wealth.
Actually i think that may only aply to a minority of the wealthy upper class capitialists. But for with the rest of us, with all the work we kill ourselves with, being a slave at work for the majority of us, materialism seems one of the many coats of paint that help mask up the chilling truth of one's own existence.
-------------------- "Sanity is not statistical."
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Newbie
User of semicolons.


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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: DinahTheCat]
#5971512 - 08/16/06 10:57 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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What else should we do but focus on advancement? I see what you mean though, it's like you're only living so long and then everything you did will just be a memory becuase you're no longer on this plane to continue.
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Deviate
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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: Newbie]
#5971546 - 08/16/06 11:06 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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i dont see what you mean. are you saying we shouldn't bother to take care of ourselves and strive for long term goals because we might not live to complete them?
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Silversoul
Rhizome


Registered: 01/01/05
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Loc: The Barricades
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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: RRRR]
#5971564 - 08/16/06 11:12 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Why does impermanence matter if you're living in the NOW?
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DinahTheCat
Seeker of Truth


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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: Newbie]
#5971573 - 08/16/06 11:15 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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I dont see the importance of advancement, since all this means is more oligarchies and tyrants. We should be more worried about how 204 years ago the world population stood at 1 billion, and now at 2006 we have hit 6 billion; with capitialists using surplus to fund their overgrowing capital and using land to primarly benefit themselves instead of feeding the starved, soon shall our existence take a final blow upon the hour of devastation.
-------------------- "Sanity is not statistical."
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Deviate
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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: DinahTheCat]
#5971582 - 08/16/06 11:16 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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seeing to it that everyone was fed would be advancement.
Edited by Deviate (08/16/06 11:17 PM)
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Fractalated
There's no onehome up there...

Registered: 07/22/06
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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: Silversoul]
#5971593 - 08/16/06 11:19 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Silversoul said: Why does impermanence matter if you're living in the NOW?
Even if you're living in the NOW, you can still become attached to various stimuli and averse to others. When you gain a deep understanding of impermanence, then you simply no longer have those sort of sensory strivings, and thus suffering is reduced if not eliminated.
Simply living in the NOW doesn't liberate you from suffering.
-------------------- "Now that the principalities and the powers stockpile weapons of mass destruction, contaminate the earth with their feverish industry, release floods of images to trigger insatiable desires, treat animals and humans as commodities and functions of a market, the devil must be grinning from ear to ear."
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DinahTheCat
Seeker of Truth


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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: Deviate]
#5971609 - 08/16/06 11:25 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Yes in socialism, i really dont mean to be rash, but really, the only way we can end starvation and terrible work and fragile wages would be giving capital to the people, yet it is impossible for this to be accomplished since the wealthy with power want to maintain their wealth and power, and they need the poor to be poor to be wealthy, they would rather there be an imbalance in distrubution. Only when a new age of mankind emerges where brethern are materialistically balanced and equal, and competition is ended by combination, shall man truly accomplish advancement, advancement in the human race by ending primitive instincts and social darwinism.
-------------------- "Sanity is not statistical."
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Newbie
User of semicolons.


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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: Deviate]
#5971611 - 08/16/06 11:25 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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No, I'm arguing against that; saying that one would think we'd have that attitude but we have a natural will to enhance ourselves.
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Silversoul
Rhizome


Registered: 01/01/05
Posts: 23,576
Loc: The Barricades
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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: DinahTheCat]
#5971613 - 08/16/06 11:26 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
DinahTheCat said: I dont see the importance of advancement, since all this means is more oligarchies and tyrants. We should be more worried about how 204 years ago the world population stood at 1 billion, and now at 2006 we have hit 6 billion; with capitialists using surplus to fund their overgrowing capital and using land to primarly benefit themselves instead of feeding the starved, soon shall our existence take a final blow upon the hour of devastation.
There's no need to be so pessimistic about it. Capitalism was an improvement upon the feudal system that existed before it. The struggles that have come from it are growing pains that will take us to the next step in our cultural evolution. We can continue to move forward, but in order to get anywhere requires struggle. Evolution is based on the fact that some will not make it. It sucks, but in the end, we're all collectively better off. It's better that we endure the struggle for self-improvement than to rest on our laurels.
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DinahTheCat
Seeker of Truth


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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: Silversoul]
#5971633 - 08/16/06 11:36 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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So "capitalism" justifies feudalistic systems by being "less greedy" or "power hungry/wealthy"? I think not, but i do believe in your theory of having to go through capitalism as an inevitable event in history to level to one better, but id rather see through it and read between the lines before believing the hype of "how much better off you are than you were before" and the covering up of how many suffer from its existence, hmmmm reminds me kind of Imperialistic Russia being overthrown leading into the USSR, alota things just "covered up" or "unknown or ignored by the public". I think the struggle for self-improvement should apply to everyone, since it seems today the self-improvement benefits less than it really should.
-------------------- "Sanity is not statistical."
Edited by DinahTheCat (08/16/06 11:38 PM)
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RRRR
Rapture Ready


Registered: 07/26/06
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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: Silversoul]
#5971746 - 08/17/06 12:19 AM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Living NOW can be detrimental when taken to an extreme, just like anything else.
Would you not play Russian roulette for the thrill of NOW? Sure, there is a chance eventually you'll luck out, but who cares? You're living in the moment.
-------------------- Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20-21 (New King James Version)
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DinahTheCat
Seeker of Truth


Registered: 11/19/05
Posts: 686
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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: RRRR]
#5971761 - 08/17/06 12:25 AM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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And that is exactally how we all have been acting, since we already have too much to worry about to worry for things that will affect others in the "future" generations. How selfish can one be to hog the harvest and pollute the lands to be rich in one generation, but to directly effect negatively the living conditions and standards of the people of the next generations?
-------------------- "Sanity is not statistical."
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bobjones
...


Registered: 10/12/05
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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: RRRR]
#5971821 - 08/17/06 01:01 AM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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i love that quote
-------------------- "Outside of a dog a book is a man's friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read" -Groucho Marx
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DinahTheCat
Seeker of Truth


Registered: 11/19/05
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Loc: Virginia
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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: bobjones]
#5973143 - 08/17/06 02:45 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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hahah i like your grocho quote
-------------------- "Sanity is not statistical."
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vampirism
Stranger


Registered: 03/14/04
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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: RRRR]
#5973386 - 08/17/06 04:11 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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I think what you're basically saying is that our lives have no meaning because we will die. Our lives and struggles are important to us, but ultimately they become worthless.
well, you've stumbled upon a question that is very hard to resolve with any certainty.. "The Paradox of the Absurd"
Why do we continue living if our lives have a limited purpose and are ultimately meaningless? Why not just kill ourselves? Well.. you haven't killed yourself so there must be a reason.
Of course, absurdism sort of requires that you accept death as an inescapable fact.. ( actually it's amazing how few people will truly admit this ).
oh, i might just be ranting though, what do you think?
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RRRR
Rapture Ready


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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: vampirism]
#5974102 - 08/17/06 07:50 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Well, I haven't taken it to that extreme, yet at least. I just feel that the impermanent nature of life is a deterrent to long term, complex goals.
-------------------- Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20-21 (New King James Version)
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery


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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: Silversoul]
#5974124 - 08/17/06 07:59 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Silversoul said: Why does impermanence matter if you're living in the NOW?
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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RRRR
Rapture Ready


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Re: The Impermanence of the Material [Re: Icelander]
#5974129 - 08/17/06 08:01 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Perhaps you'd like to join him too in a game of Russian roulette then?
-------------------- Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20-21 (New King James Version)
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