The Random Spiritual Thought Thread

[The Cat]

Not sure if this belongs here but I really enjoy reading eastern philosophy and history and also historical fable, I think something similar happened to the west's development of chivalry in an attempt to tame its knightly warrior class but there seems to have been more of an elegance and it seems to have been more preserved in the cultural consciousness over time until today. Or maybe its just commercial. If I'm being cynical about it.

I can see how ancient bushido resulted both in the horrors of the Axis Japanese but also how it helped them recover from utter decimation and atomic holocaust.

Anyway, I've got a couple of good sources but I was wondering if there's anyone who may be more acquainted with the sources could recommend me any reading? I'm interested in the phase in which the Samurai were evolving away from war to something other than war, not when they were repressed by modern tactics but more the election of a new peace time role for themselves.

Yo. what sources have you got and what kind are you looking for? (young Jack was way into this stuff growing up. Would have been very fun at parties if I'd gone rather than studying eastern philosophy for fun and creative writing.)

 

[Lark]

Yo. what sources have you got and what kind are you looking for? (young Jack was way into this stuff growing up. Would have been very fun at parties if I'd gone rather than studying eastern philosophy for fun and creative writing.)

My sources are mainly the business read variety, unfortunately, maybe, so not the original, original materials, plus everyone has read Bushido pretty much, I think, the best was one which I think was called Samurai Wisdom, it was a collection of essays from nobles about managing estates and the appropriate, suited pass time for nobility.

Also, there was a book by a physician which was about health and life, I cant remember the name of it just now but it was definitely from the time that the warrior class began to settle down and make less war, he complained that this should not have meant the adoption of a sedentary lifestyle and that it was killing people.

 

[The Cat]

My sources are mainly the business read variety, unfortunately, maybe, so not the original, original materials, plus everyone has read Bushido pretty much, I think, the best was one which I think was called Samurai Wisdom, it was a collection of essays from nobles about managing estates and the appropriate, suited pass time for nobility.

Also, there was a book by a physician which was about health and life, I cant remember the name of it just now but it was definitely from the time that the warrior class began to settle down and make less war, he complained that this should not have meant the adoption of a sedentary lifestyle and that it was killing people.

Hagakure - Wikipedia

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Hagakure - Wikipedia

Have you ever been to the Heaviside Layer?

 

[The Cat]

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips...

 

[Hermit of the Forest]

Hope deferred makes the heart sick...

 

[typologyenthusiast]

When I was working as an intern in a bank back in 2010, my former boss, head of department Loan and Treasury discussed about debt payment schedule of one of the debtors. He explained that this loan payment schedule was a long term one, that even until 2012 had passed, they would still be obliged to install the debt principal plus interest. He predicted that even after the apocalypse, their debt would still remain outstanding, and chuckled. I regarded he was just kidding, because of the chuckle. In 2010, there was indeed an apocalypse that was rumored to happen in 2012. But we are in 2020 now, apocalypse hasn’t yet happened.
I have forgotten the event until recently reappeared again in my memory.
A discussion with A friend about Prophecy
In 2016 or 2017, when I was working as a brokerage agency, I engaged in a discussion with one of co-associates that told me his religion is Christianity Protestantism. It was about prophecy. In the discussion, he raised the question whether I knew what prophecy means. After I went silent providing no response, he himself explained the definition of prophecy to me. He understands prophecy as news that foretell event that happens in the future. If I am not mistaken, he even raised the question:” what is the prophecy of Prophet Muhammad”. But again I didn’t give any response to it.
When I connect with the rumor of apocalypse that was stated was going to happen in 2012 that was told in 2010, back then, I think that one could be classified as prophecy that he meant, but a wrong one.
Prophecy that he meant as I understand is the exact opposite of news reporting, that I have experienced during my very short term career as a journalist. News reporting characterizes itself with the waiting until an event happen, only then the news can be reported while prophecy characteristics is before the prophesied event happen, the prophecy is foretold. Event precedes news in news reporting, while prophecy precedes the foretold event. In news reporting, the event comes first, then the news, but the prophecy comes first, then the prophesized event.

Prophecy, Forecasting, Prediction: Can You distinguish which is which?
A couple of weeks ago, I raised the question to my sister whether she had ever heard the word prophecy before? She confidently said yes, and told me that the word means a forecast.
If we looked up the word “prophecy” in google translate, a literal translation should appear that tells us a prophecy would mean a forecast but they are different technically. Both is about an occurrence of future event, but prediction and forecasting is about likelihood of an occurrence of future event, prophecy is about certainty that an event does happen in the future. A prediction and forecast can be excused when it turns out that in the future the event doesn’t happen as accurately as it was previously predicted or forecasted but prophecy can’t.

Prediction that I am familiar with is usually based on analysis, interpretation of past data, and also reasoning.
The result of forecast is usually used for decision making at the present moment. For example, in weather forecast, suppose that we watched a TV broadcasting a weather forecast tells us that tomorrow will be raining. Based on that, people who is going out the next day is advised to bring umbrella or raincoat to be worn when it is raining already. Prediction has the same use also. I made a prediction when I was in brokerage that the price of property in the trade area we played at will be decreasing since in my former listings, after a rough calculation here, I found out that owner’s asking price is not worth the intrinsic value. The prediction is used for decision making advice for prospective investors who are going to purchase not to exercise their plan at least for now.
I am guessing prophecy is possible by a revelation only although it is actually unclear for me how prophecy is technically performed.

 

[typologyenthusiast]

Prophecy Seeking Type
Experience in a friend that like to discuss prophecy with me was rather rare; but I used to have a university friend that likes to talk about Nostradamus., Both of them, the co -brokerage associate and university friend, I type ENFJ. I identidy My former boss type is ISFJ. My sister, however, commented that she did not care about my explanation about prophecy, and further informed me that she did not need it. Possibly her type (ISTP) is not the type that looks for prophecy like ENFJ does. I think It is important for the prophecy seeker to get true prophecy in their search, but can they get true prophecy is still a mistery on their quest. They can get a false prophecy Like what my former boss informed me. They have a problem : how can they find true prophecy? and can they solve it?

Koran on Prophet

english translation
Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets. And ever is Allah, of all things, Knowing.

source
In Koran Surah Al-Ahzab:40, it is informed that Muhammad is the last prophet. If we understood it only in the sense of the last person who was able to perform prophecy , and with that in mind, prophecy seeker followed the Koran as a guide for prophecy seeking, they would look for prophecy to Muhammad's legacy or prophets' before him. I am informed that there is a bible called nevi'im herethat means prophets. So probably they can search to this book also, although I myself haven't really read more than the tittle.

But Prophet denotes another meaning. Prophet, in addition to, means, a person who prophecies, In Hebrew : נְבִיאִים‎ Nəḇî'îm, "Prophets" means literally "spokespersons".
source
So, I would interpret Al Ahzab 40:Muhammad .....the last prophets like this, Muhammad as the last spokesperson of Allah, so after his death, that has been 14 hundred years, Allah has decided not to use spokesperson anymore, since he was the latest. But the problem is, does "prophet" in Al-Ahzab: 40 mean in both sense or only in one sense.? If only one, which one?

 

[typologyenthusiast]

Prophecy seeker might buy some false prophecy which at the time the prophesied event is supposed to take place, but it turns out it doesn’t happen as it is previously prophesied e.g. 2012 apocalypse, if they carelessly picked random people who call themselves a prophet and also the following action taken based on the prophecy that turns out to be false eventually.
After remembering prophecy meaning initially learnt from my ex co associate brokerage, and remembering Al Ahzab:40, for a while, I judged that my old university friend who is enthusiastic in talking about Nostradamus and his works, which came after Muhammad, and My former boss, who bought the 2012 apocalypse rumor did not follow Koranic Guidance in prophecy seeking. But, not anymore after learning the other meaning of prophet that is a spokesperson, since they may have understood prophet in Al Ahzab:40 in that sense.

 

[Hermit of the Forest]

“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” — Isaiah 26:4

 

[The Cat]

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

If we exist as past, present, future states of self only as perceived in linear progressions of time as non-existence, existence, death. What if time is not linear and we are in this moment both existing and non-existing and will always be, have always been in this state? What if change in condition of life or death is viewing one fragment or another of the constant whole? What if it's casting a shadow from different sides of the same constant?

 

[The Cat]

If we exist as past, present, future states of self only as perceived in linear progressions of time as non-existence, existence, death. What if time is not linear and we are in this moment both existing and non-existing and will always be, have always been in this state? What if change in condition of life or death is viewing one fragment or another of the constant whole? What if it's casting a shadow from different sides of the same constant?

I just hope there's rest and understanding to be found

 

[Population: 1]

I find it extremely unlikely that we transcend to an endless afterlife of peace. If there is another stage after this there will be challenges to overcome and new lessons to learn. The caterpillar faces trials and tribulations and so too will the butterfly.

 

[The Cat]

 

[dunce]

I have not seen my reflection since the fallening.

 

[dunce]

On the night when I ran out of the house screaming in my mother's robe, that night, what I did after, tumbling down the hill...grabbing...falling in the puddle then getting up.

That night so long ago. I confess.

 

[typologyenthusiast]

Con't from #268
#269
#270
I realize that The word prophet is rather ambiguous. People may understand it only as person who foretells future event but people may also understand it only as a spokesperson. While it is easy to find sermon where christian discuss prophecy on youtube this one,this one,this one I can hardly find the same for the muslim. Most of the video that appears seem to be christian's sermon. I translated the english word prophecy into Bahasa: "nubuat", and the result is the same, most of the sermon delivered by Christian. I don't think that most of Muslim in the country I live in understand prophet in the sense of person who foretell future event like the christian; they probably understand prophet in the sense of spokesperson instead or worse they may not even understand any definition of prophet at all. In addition, Since Muhammad's prophecy (if he was to be understood also as person who foretells a future event in addition to spokesperson) is rarely discussed among most sermons that I have attended, if you raise the question what is the prophecy in the sense of future event that foretold by Muhammad as prophet, probably many muslim in the country I live in can't give you the answer.


I was looking for verse where the word prophet can't be understood in the sense of a person who foretell future event;only in the sense of spokesperson. I have found two from Hebrew Bible and Koran.

And Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you roused me, to bring me up?" And Saul said, "I am greatly distressed, and the Philistines are battling against me, and God has turned away from me, and has not answered me anymore, neither through the prophets, nor through dreams. And I have called you to let me know what I shall do."

source

And their prophet said unto those elders: 237 "Behold, now God has raised up Saul to be your king." They said: "How can he have dominion over us when we have a better claim to dominion than he, and he has not [even] been endowed with abundant wealth?" [The prophet] replied: "Behold, God has exalted him above you, and endowed him abundantly with knowledge and bodily perfection. And God bestows His dominion 238 upon whom He wills: for God is infinite, all-knowing."

source

In this two verse, Prophet means Spokesperson. The word Prophet in these verses can't be understood as someone who foretells future event.

 

[Lark]

You see lots of content online of still functioning Shaolin monasteries and orphanages, armies of people training, its not just a circus act and as many are dedicated to meditation and mental training too.

Yet you see nothing, nothing at all, like it resembling the western monastic traditions, I know its not simply because of the martial arts training dimensions and differing spirituality.

I've made a serious study of some of the revelations that have emerged about western religious communities abuse scandals, financial scandals, other sorts of authoritarian corruptions and I can understand why some of them are experiencing aftershocks and being threatened with ruin, sometimes I think it would be entirely understandable if they disappeared altogether.

Although, that said, I think there is nothing which has emerged or is emerging that can rival those institutions and traditions purposes, I dont think that individual, private purposes can entirely answer the needs that they did or do. Like some sort of MMA or gym-kata combined with reading philosophy and riffing on therapy isnt going to do it, at least I dont think so.

Plus, ideology is a real bad substitute. A real bad one.

 

[Lark]

If we exist as past, present, future states of self only as perceived in linear progressions of time as non-existence, existence, death. What if time is not linear and we are in this moment both existing and non-existing and will always be, have always been in this state? What if change in condition of life or death is viewing one fragment or another of the constant whole? What if it's casting a shadow from different sides of the same constant?

That state that you are describing, kind of one outside of "time", is what I understand as the divinity and God, perhaps the "church ascendant", ie angels and saints too but I am not even sure about that myself.

I am a Christian/RC believer but in the main I believe in the idea of the Buddhist or Hindu "pure land" religions which have the majority of people experiencing a kind of "quantum immortality" and reincarnation perpetually, only I would call this state "purgatory". Its got to do with "sin" but not as most of its secular critics understand it but as Eckhart or the mystics did which has real parallels with buddhist ideas about attachment to worldliness.

The fear of death I dont think is entirely about fear of pain, fear of disembodiment, dissolution, nothingness, as all those things, in theory, are experienced during sleep, drunkenness, narcotic or anesthetic sedation, those "little deaths" or if you consider philosophically, the thousands of years of your "pre-birth existence" (to reference Schopenhauer).

I think it is to do with not being "satiated" with life, not having had enough of it, this is a kind of radical life affirming understanding of worldliness, since I do think that creation was/is a gift from God. The final judgements posited in allegory or story from the Jewish traditions in which recording angels or God asks the newly perished soul why they didnt bother with all the joys, rewards, good things in life make sense. I've read about near death experiences in which people approach death and someone or something asks them "what about..." someone or something of a worldly character and "zip" they're back like they just hit up "continue" on the "game over" screen.