Reverse Introductory Thread

[wyrdsister]

I am a vegetarian and I'm not sure if god exists or not, but I hope there is life after death and we all have an awesome partay.
I like sleeping and sundays. Rain on the window sounds good. I love films.
I couldn't do without coffee and chocolate.
Red wine is delicious.
Quantum Mechanics and especially String Theory are my hobbies.

Hello.



I have read The Tibetan Book of the Dead too, but my favorite is The Tao Te Ching.

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

I actually stopped being a buddhist a while ago. I'm still halfway interrested in it though, as I am in most religions (except satanism. They can go to hell for all I care )

I think that's rather thoughtful of you.

... Some thoughts contained in the 'Tibettan Book of the Dead' still influence my thoughts to a certain extent, but a lot of things contained in buddhism aren't all that in line with my current thoughts anymore. Nowadays, I'm more inclined towards taoism and shaivism, though I still have a lot of respect for buddhism and the lifestyle it advocates. I'm just not as compassionate as buddhism would like me have; as a taoist, I'm more inclined to let the world and other people just go along their chosen paths, maybe helping them in walking their path, but not actually trying to enlighten people from my perspective... And as a follower of Lord Shiva, I have no problems with people following their own path (chosen deity, the deity wich most resonates with an individual). Not that I'm apathic to others though, it's more a kind of equanimity, wich guides my actions. Besides, I'm quitte happy to 'play in my own mudpool and do as I please' (Chuang tzu).

Cool. I don't really see that big a difference between Taoism and Buddhism. What, to you, is the biggest difference? I'd really like to know.

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

I am a vegetarian and I'm not sure if god exists or not, but I hope there is life after death and we all have an awesome partay.

I hope it's not a potluck. I never ever know what to bring for those. I'm too lazy to make an entre (and I'm very picky about nutrition, so most of my stuff is tasteless) and I always fear someone else will make a better salad than I will.

I like sleeping and sundays. Rain on the window sounds good. I love films.
I couldn't do without coffee and chocolate.
Red wine is delicious.
Quantum Mechanics and especially String Theory are my hobbies.

This sounds like my biography. Welcome Sis'!

[Beyonder]

Cool. I don't really see that big a difference between Taoism and Buddhism. What, to you, is the biggest difference? I'd really like to know.

Although there are a lot of similarities, taoism is much more... How should I put it... Inactive. One of my favorite quotes by Zhuangzi (Zhou Tsu, master Zhou. I don't get why most people don't call him by his actual name):

"Begone: Defile me not! I would rather disport myself to my own enjoyment in the mire than be slave to the ruler of a State. I will never take office. Thus I shall remain free to follow my own inclinations."

Not that buddhists are more inclined to take up office, but this quote does examplify a more egoistic notion about life than helping everyone out (enlightenment of all), as professed by buddhist doctrine. Even in the Hua Hu Ching, wich focuses more on virtue than other taoist trains of thought, the master still is more inclined to 'sit by the road, while pointing and laughing at people wasting their energy' (or something like that)... Buddhism isn't nearly as bad as confucianism, though (digressing, yeah I know)...

Also, the notions about 'suffering' differ greatly. Whereas in buddhism, suffering is posited as a a major property of being, in taoism, it's just one added transistory period, one of many.

[Wolf]

I am half Chinese. Luckily, my grandmother taught me Chinese (Cantonese) when I was little, and so I can speak the language. Most mixed kids can't speak their Asian language. This is extremely useful, since I can listen in on people's conversations while looking Caucasian and having everyone being completely oblivious to my 3Xtr4 pwn4g3 sk1llz0rs. Also, since where I live Asians are the visible majority of the population (and white people are the visible minority), NOT knowing how to speak Chinese means you're handicapped - you're practically retarded. Actually, most Asian people can tell that I'm mixed, but Caucasian people can never tell. Never.

My genes are 100% European, and I could tell instantly that you were half Chinese, half Caucasian from your first picture. Of course, I grew up in a place where there was a wide variety of races and mixes. Curiously, I cannot figure out what my coworker is, I *think* he has at least Japanese and Mexican, but I may be missing a component or two.

Sometimes I wonder why people take racism so seriously. They shouldn't even take skin colour into consideration.

I do, too. It's silly.

They should be able to fully acknowledge another person's race. People should be able to say, "That man is black, and I am white," without themselves and others cringing secretly in their minds. I know everyone does it.

I suppose, I just don't care.

They are just jokes after all - no worse than the "yo mama" jokes.

Actually, those are some of the most racist jokes there are, because they are based on cultural differences. You and I don't understand how offensive these jokes are because our culture is different.

Thank you for reading my thoughts. I am 13 years old, and I am afraid that you will be prejudiced towards me. I hope that you will find me as interesting as you probably are.

I hate age discrimination.

Welcome!

[kuranes]

Alan Watts eh ? He once said that he thought people meant "shapes" when they said "colors" ( it was a book describing his thoughts while tripping ) and I always think that I am right on the edge of understanding that statement, but I never quite get there. I'd think "Well, colors always come in a shape because there has to be a definition of where a patch begins and ends" but still.....I guess it would mean more if I had synesthesia. Once, when I was high myself, I had this vague feeling of what shape "luck" took.

[Beyonder]

Alan Watts eh ? He once said that he thought people meant "shapes" when they said "colors" ( it was a book describing his thoughts while tripping ) and I always think that I am right on the edge of understanding that statement, but I never quite get there. I'd think "Well, colors always come in a shape because there has to be a definition of where a patch begins and ends" but still.....I guess it would mean more if I had synesthesia. Once, when I was high myself, I had this vague feeling of what shape "luck" took.

Maybe he was talking about gestalt theory? I wouldn't know, though... I'm not that familiar with Alan Watts works, so couldn't possibly 'Herder' that statement (Herder wrote some stuff about a theory of interpretation wich relies on knowing biographical info and other texts, to interpret the meaning of writers)...

Gestalt psychology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Varelse]

I have no clue what's going on, and have a suspicion that I reformatted my brain along with my hard drive.

[Wolf]

I have no clue what's going on, and have a suspicion that I reformatted my brain along with my hard drive.

I'm surprised by this.

[Varelse]

I'm surprised by this.

Maybe I need to stop the multi-tasking.....