Comments on: Is Zen is the opposite of life? http://blog.ferrouswheel.info/2008/07/is-zen-is-the-opposite-of-life/ Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:24:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Leteur Alix http://blog.ferrouswheel.info/2008/07/is-zen-is-the-opposite-of-life/#comment-10121 Leteur Alix Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:39:33 +0000 http://blog.ferrouswheel.info/2008/07/is-zen-is-the-opposite-of-life/#comment-10121 Since childhood i use to contemplate things , like you did with your fork, i guess most people do that when they're young , maybe that kind of perceptions are inherently part of us from the beginning? (i'm vague but i mean something esoterical) anyway, as a programmer, i still enjoy a lot to do that, very relaxing, liberating feelling, the mind stop, good thing sometimes , don't you think so ? Since childhood i use to contemplate things , like you did with your fork,
i guess most people do that when they’re young ,
maybe that kind of perceptions are inherently part of us from the beginning? (i’m vague but i mean something esoterical)

anyway, as a programmer, i still enjoy a lot to do that, very relaxing, liberating feelling, the mind stop, good thing sometimes , don’t you think so ?

]]> By: Jonathan El-Bizri http://blog.ferrouswheel.info/2008/07/is-zen-is-the-opposite-of-life/#comment-7912 Jonathan El-Bizri Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:41:10 +0000 http://blog.ferrouswheel.info/2008/07/is-zen-is-the-opposite-of-life/#comment-7912 I didn't - I just complained. :> And isn't focusing on the present as temporary illusion the exact opposite of zen? :> I understand Zen to be not so much the opposite of life as a recognition that we build our mindful existence on faith: faith in our sensations and cognitions and in logic: in other words, the most fragile of foundations, but all we have. In a time of many unknown unknowns and fewer known unknowns, this made more sense as a loci of thought. But today, with so many known unknowns on the horizon, the promise of enlightenment through striving for yet-to-be attained knowledge makes zen seem a less relevant, less attractive philosophy, IMO. Or maybe the potentialities are an illusion that distract us from mindfulness we are living and breathing already? Godel, Escher, Bach ought to be required reading for everyone. Though I've yet to get anyone I've tried to convince to pick up the damn thing :> I didn’t - I just complained. :> And isn’t focusing on the present as temporary illusion the exact opposite of zen? :>

I understand Zen to be not so much the opposite of life as a recognition that we build our mindful existence on faith: faith in our sensations and cognitions and in logic: in other words, the most fragile of foundations, but all we have.

In a time of many unknown unknowns and fewer known unknowns, this made more sense as a loci of thought. But today, with so many known unknowns on the horizon, the promise of enlightenment through striving for yet-to-be attained knowledge makes zen seem a less relevant, less attractive philosophy, IMO. Or maybe the potentialities are an illusion that distract us from mindfulness we are living and breathing already?

Godel, Escher, Bach ought to be required reading for everyone. Though I’ve yet to get anyone I’ve tried to convince to pick up the damn thing :>

]]> By: Zeren http://blog.ferrouswheel.info/2008/07/is-zen-is-the-opposite-of-life/#comment-7794 Zeren Sat, 02 Aug 2008 20:18:38 +0000 http://blog.ferrouswheel.info/2008/07/is-zen-is-the-opposite-of-life/#comment-7794 I did that, when I was little. I guess more in a bit somewhat different way too. I did that, when I was little. I guess more in a bit somewhat different way too.

]]> By: Jon http://blog.ferrouswheel.info/2008/07/is-zen-is-the-opposite-of-life/#comment-7738 Jon Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:23:43 +0000 http://blog.ferrouswheel.info/2008/07/is-zen-is-the-opposite-of-life/#comment-7738 Yeah I used to do that 'one day this will just be a bad memory' thing too when I was a kid, usually when being forced to do physical exercise. But of course remember that just because I did it too doesn't mean it's not weird... The bad thing about it was that whenever I was doing something enjoyable I found myself thinking 'one day this will just be a distant memory too'. Depressing! Yeah I used to do that ‘one day this will just be a bad memory’ thing too when I was a kid, usually when being forced to do physical exercise. But of course remember that just because I did it too doesn’t mean it’s not weird…

The bad thing about it was that whenever I was doing something enjoyable I found myself thinking ‘one day this will just be a distant memory too’. Depressing!

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