Knowledge as Labyrinth
I thought the video we watched was really intriguing. Where knowledge was associated with a Labyrinth. This implies that knowledge leads to other knowledge and you can get lost within it. Also that knowledge can be dangerous and needs to be kept secret.
The fact that knowledge leads to other knowledge seems logical- but what’s interesting about this fact is that learning one thing will bring up a question to another and branch off that one. Like a tree, if you start at the trunk as you go up you have many options to choose as to where you go next.
You can absolutely get lost in it. Like we talked about in class if you bring with a question and as you follow all the other branches you eventually forget your original question. Not to mention as a written society there is a lot less emphasis on memorization so as you move on in knowledge you forget a significant amount of the knowledge you learned as you began seeking so you have an ends but no means.
Finally, we see that knowledge could be dangerous and thus must be kept a secret. Like with the lemon juice in the movie, there have been many societies in history that keeps the majority at bay so as not to abuse the knowledge. What this does though is present a skewed view of wisdom because if there are only one or two wise people then the only way to interpret knowledge is through those few wise. But with many knowing knowledge then the wisdom becomes broad and in fact more wise because with more perspective one can see what seems most true. So, perhaps less knowledge is dangerous because the one wise can manipulated wisdom.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Chrissy Jaeger - personal reflection
Primal: Movie on Last Indian Man
I just want to make comments on the movie. It was really interesting in terms of the humanity of the Indian man. I think that his humanity was flaunted before others in respect to his culture and historical value of living in a place. But his humanity was largely neglected except for perhaps his closest friend the anthropologist.
His humanity should have been the most important thing. Without it they lose the very thing they sought: knowledge of his culture. Culture is defined by humanity. The fact that he should have been respected and honored and wasn’t enhances the loss of his culture. Not to mention he was thrown into another culture of complete opposition without any concern to his emotional and physical needs.
I cannot imagine how difficult his first three year away from his tribe was. I am sure he not only emotionally suffered from grief but from losing the surroundings that was familiar to him. Similarly he probably severely physically suffered. A change in climate, food, and exposure to disease was intense upon his first arrival into western society (I assume). Not to mention it was disease that killed him. His emotional and physical suffering was never considered even if he was ‘valued’ as a human in terms of his cultural value.
I just want to make comments on the movie. It was really interesting in terms of the humanity of the Indian man. I think that his humanity was flaunted before others in respect to his culture and historical value of living in a place. But his humanity was largely neglected except for perhaps his closest friend the anthropologist.
His humanity should have been the most important thing. Without it they lose the very thing they sought: knowledge of his culture. Culture is defined by humanity. The fact that he should have been respected and honored and wasn’t enhances the loss of his culture. Not to mention he was thrown into another culture of complete opposition without any concern to his emotional and physical needs.
I cannot imagine how difficult his first three year away from his tribe was. I am sure he not only emotionally suffered from grief but from losing the surroundings that was familiar to him. Similarly he probably severely physically suffered. A change in climate, food, and exposure to disease was intense upon his first arrival into western society (I assume). Not to mention it was disease that killed him. His emotional and physical suffering was never considered even if he was ‘valued’ as a human in terms of his cultural value.
Chrissy Jaeger- outside source
Primal Religion Motivation
There are many characteristics to primal religion. The problem of evil and suffering usually seems to motivate all other aspects of religion. I find this interesting on a holistic view of primal religion because evil is almost always present in some form. This may be because of the common understanding of the unity of the spiritual and physical realm, and or because of a lack of scientific explanation, this topic is inspired by The Triumph of Christ in African Religion.
The unity of the spiritual and physical realm, also understood as the invisible and visible world is very evident in primal culture. This concept feeds the belief of evil being the cause of suffering. If there is no distinction between the visible and invisible the invisible can have just as much influence on the visible world as the visible has on itself. Not only has that but the invisible/spiritual usually implied a power unknown to the visible/physical. So, because there is a belief in this unity there is a belief that the spiritual ‘power’ affects their everyday life either negatively or positively.
Also, the absence of scientific reasoning may be an explanation of why evil seems to be so apparent to primal religions. Today in a literate society, science explains suffering as disease through living entities that can be killed by medicine. In primal the suffering is only seen as suffering but must have a cause and if the spiritual is directly connected to the physical the spiritual is to blame. That being evil.
Therefore, it is perhaps the combination of a belief in the unity of the spiritual and physical realms and the lack of scientific explanation that causes primal religions to be motivated by evil and suffering.
There are many characteristics to primal religion. The problem of evil and suffering usually seems to motivate all other aspects of religion. I find this interesting on a holistic view of primal religion because evil is almost always present in some form. This may be because of the common understanding of the unity of the spiritual and physical realm, and or because of a lack of scientific explanation, this topic is inspired by The Triumph of Christ in African Religion.
The unity of the spiritual and physical realm, also understood as the invisible and visible world is very evident in primal culture. This concept feeds the belief of evil being the cause of suffering. If there is no distinction between the visible and invisible the invisible can have just as much influence on the visible world as the visible has on itself. Not only has that but the invisible/spiritual usually implied a power unknown to the visible/physical. So, because there is a belief in this unity there is a belief that the spiritual ‘power’ affects their everyday life either negatively or positively.
Also, the absence of scientific reasoning may be an explanation of why evil seems to be so apparent to primal religions. Today in a literate society, science explains suffering as disease through living entities that can be killed by medicine. In primal the suffering is only seen as suffering but must have a cause and if the spiritual is directly connected to the physical the spiritual is to blame. That being evil.
Therefore, it is perhaps the combination of a belief in the unity of the spiritual and physical realms and the lack of scientific explanation that causes primal religions to be motivated by evil and suffering.
AO DAI = VIETNAMESE LONGDRESS - Mrs. LE
Dr. KIP REDICK
RSTD 337
LE, KIM-CHI
Date: September 27, 2007
AO DAI =VIETNAMESE LONGDRESS.
The Ao-Dai literally means “long dress” or “long tunic”. The Vietnamese long dress is the good tradition in Viet-Nam. In all of the festivals, men and women have to wear long dress.
Ao Dai is a long flowing gown with a slit on both side, often with a fitted collar of height 2 to 4cm, worn over black or white long silk pants. My mother always wore long dress when she got out of the house. Many people come to Viet-Nam to admire ao dai = Vietnamese long dress. My sister liked to wear long dress because she is very skinny and has good balance. She wears long dress that make her more pretty because her body looked more delicate with the flaps flied. In some ceremonies such as: Vietnamese New Year, wedding, and many occasions; men and women have to wear long dress to celebrate. At my age, all the women have to wear long dress to work and school. The people who wear long dress increase their quality and they look moreserious.
Nowadays some thing change; many people like to learn to wear dress like Americans because that is very comfortable. But the tradition in Viet-Nam still keeps ao dai for the special event. I like to wear ao dai in some special occasions.
.
RSTD 337
LE, KIM-CHI
Date: September 27, 2007
AO DAI =VIETNAMESE LONGDRESS.
The Ao-Dai literally means “long dress” or “long tunic”. The Vietnamese long dress is the good tradition in Viet-Nam. In all of the festivals, men and women have to wear long dress.
Ao Dai is a long flowing gown with a slit on both side, often with a fitted collar of height 2 to 4cm, worn over black or white long silk pants. My mother always wore long dress when she got out of the house. Many people come to Viet-Nam to admire ao dai = Vietnamese long dress. My sister liked to wear long dress because she is very skinny and has good balance. She wears long dress that make her more pretty because her body looked more delicate with the flaps flied. In some ceremonies such as: Vietnamese New Year, wedding, and many occasions; men and women have to wear long dress to celebrate. At my age, all the women have to wear long dress to work and school. The people who wear long dress increase their quality and they look moreserious.
Nowadays some thing change; many people like to learn to wear dress like Americans because that is very comfortable. But the tradition in Viet-Nam still keeps ao dai for the special event. I like to wear ao dai in some special occasions.
.
AO DAI = VIETNAMESE LONG DREDD.
Dr. KIP REDICK
RSTD 337
LE, KIM-CHI
Date: September 27, 2007
AO DAI =VIETNAMESE LONGDRESS.
The Ao-Dai literally means “long dress” or “long tunic”. The Vietnamese long dress is the good tradition in Viet-Nam. In all of the festivals, men and women have to wear long dress.
Ao Dai is a long flowing gown with a slit on both side, often with a fitted collar of height 2 to 4cm, worn over black or white long silk pants. My mother always wore long dress when she got out of the house. Many people come to Viet-Nam to admire ao dai = Vietnamese long dress. My sister liked to wear long dress because she is very skinny and has good balance. She wears long dress that make her more pretty because her body looked more delicate with the flaps flied. In some ceremonies such as: Vietnamese New Year, wedding, and many occasions; men and women have to wear long dress to celebrate. At my age, all the women have to wear long dress to work and school. The people who wear long dress increase their quality and they look moreserious.
Nowadays some thing change; many people like to learn to wear dress like Americans because that is very comfortable. But the tradition in Viet-Nam still keeps ao dai for the special event. I like to wear ao dai in some special occasions.
.
RSTD 337
LE, KIM-CHI
Date: September 27, 2007
AO DAI =VIETNAMESE LONGDRESS.
The Ao-Dai literally means “long dress” or “long tunic”. The Vietnamese long dress is the good tradition in Viet-Nam. In all of the festivals, men and women have to wear long dress.
Ao Dai is a long flowing gown with a slit on both side, often with a fitted collar of height 2 to 4cm, worn over black or white long silk pants. My mother always wore long dress when she got out of the house. Many people come to Viet-Nam to admire ao dai = Vietnamese long dress. My sister liked to wear long dress because she is very skinny and has good balance. She wears long dress that make her more pretty because her body looked more delicate with the flaps flied. In some ceremonies such as: Vietnamese New Year, wedding, and many occasions; men and women have to wear long dress to celebrate. At my age, all the women have to wear long dress to work and school. The people who wear long dress increase their quality and they look moreserious.
Nowadays some thing change; many people like to learn to wear dress like Americans because that is very comfortable. But the tradition in Viet-Nam still keeps ao dai for the special event. I like to wear ao dai in some special occasions.
.
VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR IN USA - Mrs. LE
Dr. KIP REDICK
RSTD 337
LE, KIM-CHI
Date: September 27, 2007
VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR IN USA.
(Ritual)
Vietnamese New year begins on December 30 (lunar calendar). At 12:00PM. to 1:00 AM on January 1st. Everyone awake and pray in front of the altar from 12: 00PM to 1:00AM. On the altar, we have many special to sample for New Year: cakes, flours, fruits etc…
Vietnamese New Year cannot count as a festival in USA. Because of this, adults have to go to work, and children have to go to school. The Vietnamese communities have found many events to celebrate on the weekend such as: The show we celebrate for new year, the lion dance, or watching the Vietnamese film. In that event, we sell and buy the lotto for fun. Everyone get together to discuss some things in the past. The children wear brand new dresses; the adults do not necessarily, but have to be cleaned and neat. Those are a good sample for the whole year. The adults need to prepare the new money to put in the red envelope to give to the children when they come to greet them. The tradition in Viet-Nam is that we celebrate New Year for eight days. The first day celebrates for the family and relative. The second day celebrates for the friends. The third day celebrate for all the teachers etc…
In USA the Vietnamese New Year is very simple because there are very few Vietnamese, Also they spread out around the USA so we don’t have opportunity to get together. I miss the Vietnamese New Year tradition in Viet-Nam a lot.
.
RSTD 337
LE, KIM-CHI
Date: September 27, 2007
VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR IN USA.
(Ritual)
Vietnamese New year begins on December 30 (lunar calendar). At 12:00PM. to 1:00 AM on January 1st. Everyone awake and pray in front of the altar from 12: 00PM to 1:00AM. On the altar, we have many special to sample for New Year: cakes, flours, fruits etc…
Vietnamese New Year cannot count as a festival in USA. Because of this, adults have to go to work, and children have to go to school. The Vietnamese communities have found many events to celebrate on the weekend such as: The show we celebrate for new year, the lion dance, or watching the Vietnamese film. In that event, we sell and buy the lotto for fun. Everyone get together to discuss some things in the past. The children wear brand new dresses; the adults do not necessarily, but have to be cleaned and neat. Those are a good sample for the whole year. The adults need to prepare the new money to put in the red envelope to give to the children when they come to greet them. The tradition in Viet-Nam is that we celebrate New Year for eight days. The first day celebrates for the family and relative. The second day celebrates for the friends. The third day celebrate for all the teachers etc…
In USA the Vietnamese New Year is very simple because there are very few Vietnamese, Also they spread out around the USA so we don’t have opportunity to get together. I miss the Vietnamese New Year tradition in Viet-Nam a lot.
.
THE TRIP TO WASHINGTON DC - Mrs. LE
Dr. KIP REDICK
RSTD 337
LE, KIM-CHI
Date: September 27, 2007
THE TRIP TO WASHINGTON DC
When Dr. Redick spoke about the field trip to Washington DC, I was very excited. I could not wait for it. Finally Dr. Redick decided we will go on September 22, 2007. The schedule is that we have to meet at 6:15 in front of Administration building.
That day I woke up at 4:00 AM. I took a shower and then I pray for an hour. I pray in the early morning daily.(I used to pray early morning every day). After that I had a breakfast. Now I am ready to go. I came to my car and drove to CNU. I parked the car in front of Administration building. I had not seen anyone yet. I waited, and then two young girls came. Dr. Redick came with his wife and two children. Then we introduced each other. We started around 6:30AM. We reached Washington DC around 9:00AM. This is a very good time. Dr. Redick parked close to the Capital Hill, and then we walked to the American Indian Museum. The building was built very strong. There are four stages. At the beginning we walked up each floor until the fourth and then we took the elevator down. On every floor we looked at many displays that were very beautiful and very unique such as the tradition clothes, the things that were made by beads etc…Besides the building, many people cooked food, displayed some art work at a very special event. Afterward we got inside to watch Indians dancing; because we have to follow their schedule.
Now is lunch time. We line up to buy the food. There were many sections to display the food. After we selected the food, we line up to pay. After eating we got out to watch a movie. They displayed the movie that was very interesting: one film on the ceiling, one film on the old fashion material, and one film on a rock glob on the floor.
Around 4:00 PM we got out of the museum, and then we went to National Cathedral. It was very fantastic church. I admired it. Inside the cathedral there are many chapels and a very big gift shop. We found many things very pretty, especially at the Buddhist section. Around 5:00PM we started to go home. Dr. Redick took us to the famous barbecue restaurant “The pig cooks barbecue” for dinner. After the dinner we drove to the famous ice cream for desert. Then we went back to CNU around 9:30 PM and then I drove my car home. Dr. Redick let two girls ride home.
This was a short trip, but it was a valuable trip. I could not imagine in one day we could do many important things like that. If next year Dr. Redick plans to make a trip likes this I will go again.
.
RSTD 337
LE, KIM-CHI
Date: September 27, 2007
THE TRIP TO WASHINGTON DC
When Dr. Redick spoke about the field trip to Washington DC, I was very excited. I could not wait for it. Finally Dr. Redick decided we will go on September 22, 2007. The schedule is that we have to meet at 6:15 in front of Administration building.
That day I woke up at 4:00 AM. I took a shower and then I pray for an hour. I pray in the early morning daily.(I used to pray early morning every day). After that I had a breakfast. Now I am ready to go. I came to my car and drove to CNU. I parked the car in front of Administration building. I had not seen anyone yet. I waited, and then two young girls came. Dr. Redick came with his wife and two children. Then we introduced each other. We started around 6:30AM. We reached Washington DC around 9:00AM. This is a very good time. Dr. Redick parked close to the Capital Hill, and then we walked to the American Indian Museum. The building was built very strong. There are four stages. At the beginning we walked up each floor until the fourth and then we took the elevator down. On every floor we looked at many displays that were very beautiful and very unique such as the tradition clothes, the things that were made by beads etc…Besides the building, many people cooked food, displayed some art work at a very special event. Afterward we got inside to watch Indians dancing; because we have to follow their schedule.
Now is lunch time. We line up to buy the food. There were many sections to display the food. After we selected the food, we line up to pay. After eating we got out to watch a movie. They displayed the movie that was very interesting: one film on the ceiling, one film on the old fashion material, and one film on a rock glob on the floor.
Around 4:00 PM we got out of the museum, and then we went to National Cathedral. It was very fantastic church. I admired it. Inside the cathedral there are many chapels and a very big gift shop. We found many things very pretty, especially at the Buddhist section. Around 5:00PM we started to go home. Dr. Redick took us to the famous barbecue restaurant “The pig cooks barbecue” for dinner. After the dinner we drove to the famous ice cream for desert. Then we went back to CNU around 9:30 PM and then I drove my car home. Dr. Redick let two girls ride home.
This was a short trip, but it was a valuable trip. I could not imagine in one day we could do many important things like that. If next year Dr. Redick plans to make a trip likes this I will go again.
.
THE TRIP TO WASHINGTON DC
Dr. KIP REDICK
RSTD 337
LE, KIM-CHI
Date: September 27, 2007
THE TRIP TO WASHINGTON DC
When Dr. Redick spoke about the field trip to Washington DC, I was very excited. I could not wait for it. Finally Dr. Redick decided we will go on September 22, 2007. The schedule is that we have to meet at 6:15 in front of Administration building.
That day I woke up at 4:00 AM. I took a shower and then I pray for an hour. I pray in the early morning daily.(I used to pray early morning every day). After that I had a breakfast. Now I am ready to go. I came to my car and drove to CNU. I parked the car in front of Administration building. I had not seen anyone yet. I waited, and then two young girls came. Dr. Redick came with his wife and two children. Then we introduced each other. We started around 6:30AM. We reached Washington DC around 9:00AM. This is a very good time. Dr. Redick parked close to the Capital Hill, and then we walked to the American Indian Museum. The building was built very strong. There are four stages. At the beginning we walked up each floor until the fourth and then we took the elevator down. On every floor we looked at many displays that were very beautiful and very unique such as the tradition clothes, the things that were made by beads etc…Besides the building, many people cooked food, displayed some art work at a very special event. Afterward we got inside to watch Indians dancing; because we have to follow their schedule.
Now is lunch time. We line up to buy the food. There were many sections to display the food. After we selected the food, we line up to pay. After eating we got out to watch a movie. They displayed the movie that was very interesting: one film on the ceiling, one film on the old fashion material, and one film on a rock glob on the floor.
Around 4:00 PM we got out of the museum, and then we went to National Cathedral. It was very fantastic church. I admired it. Inside the cathedral there are many chapels and a very big gift shop. We found many things very pretty, especially at the Buddhist section. Around 5:00PM we started to go home. Dr. Redick took us to the famous barbecue restaurant “The pig cooks barbecue” for dinner. After the dinner we drove to the famous ice cream for desert. Then we went back to CNU around 9:30 PM and then I drove my car home. Dr. Redick let two girls ride home.
This was a short trip, but it was a valuable trip. I could not imagine in one day we could do many important things like that. If next year Dr. Redick plans to make a trip likes this I will go again.
.
RSTD 337
LE, KIM-CHI
Date: September 27, 2007
THE TRIP TO WASHINGTON DC
When Dr. Redick spoke about the field trip to Washington DC, I was very excited. I could not wait for it. Finally Dr. Redick decided we will go on September 22, 2007. The schedule is that we have to meet at 6:15 in front of Administration building.
That day I woke up at 4:00 AM. I took a shower and then I pray for an hour. I pray in the early morning daily.(I used to pray early morning every day). After that I had a breakfast. Now I am ready to go. I came to my car and drove to CNU. I parked the car in front of Administration building. I had not seen anyone yet. I waited, and then two young girls came. Dr. Redick came with his wife and two children. Then we introduced each other. We started around 6:30AM. We reached Washington DC around 9:00AM. This is a very good time. Dr. Redick parked close to the Capital Hill, and then we walked to the American Indian Museum. The building was built very strong. There are four stages. At the beginning we walked up each floor until the fourth and then we took the elevator down. On every floor we looked at many displays that were very beautiful and very unique such as the tradition clothes, the things that were made by beads etc…Besides the building, many people cooked food, displayed some art work at a very special event. Afterward we got inside to watch Indians dancing; because we have to follow their schedule.
Now is lunch time. We line up to buy the food. There were many sections to display the food. After we selected the food, we line up to pay. After eating we got out to watch a movie. They displayed the movie that was very interesting: one film on the ceiling, one film on the old fashion material, and one film on a rock glob on the floor.
Around 4:00 PM we got out of the museum, and then we went to National Cathedral. It was very fantastic church. I admired it. Inside the cathedral there are many chapels and a very big gift shop. We found many things very pretty, especially at the Buddhist section. Around 5:00PM we started to go home. Dr. Redick took us to the famous barbecue restaurant “The pig cooks barbecue” for dinner. After the dinner we drove to the famous ice cream for desert. Then we went back to CNU around 9:30 PM and then I drove my car home. Dr. Redick let two girls ride home.
This was a short trip, but it was a valuable trip. I could not imagine in one day we could do many important things like that. If next year Dr. Redick plans to make a trip likes this I will go again.
.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Ecosystem Intelligence in the Back Country
By Kelly Moody
We hiked 5 miles into backcountry wilderness. Though it was an Indian Summer, the leaves were turning anyway. Firstly, the outer geometric rims of the leaves changed and the centers, the veins--stayed green. It was supposed to be a short weekend trip to fall into Fall, to get away from lines and the advertising chaotic fast paced world of civilization. It worked mostly. School wasn't on anyone's mind. The one thing that reminded us in our Trip that we were still on this planet was the occasional plane flying overhead. Seeing blue sky breaks in the fingertips of the trees, one could notice that the same sky here in this chaotic linear 'civilized' world is the same sky that hovers over miles of open (almost) untouched wilderness. There was a lack of water out there, so dry and void of that element, the drought had sucked it all up. The trees and low plants had devoured all they could to survive the unusual heat of this time of year. The trail crossed over many dry rocky riverbeds, all of us signing at the image of stagnet pools of water rather than flowing fresh life-filled water wonder. We finally got to a place that we all found pretty sufficient. it was directly inbetween the trail and the almost dry riverbed. It provided us two different paths to journey back up river to different spots we remembered, to different portions of the trail. You really realize HOW you oriente yourself when you are thrown into a place like that, you orient by plasiticity, by technological creations and additives. we dont often enough look at the lay of the land to understand where we are in a setting like newport news. We look at the streets, the lines. When your in the wilderness you understand that you are in a chaotic world, simply because your civilization has put their own 'order' on the earth in the form of a urban world and you have adapted to that. Its good to be put back in place, to reanalyzed how you constitute location and reality. The next day we lost our minds. Our maybe we found them. Either way, we journeyed into another sense of this brain of an ecosystem, The flowing and intertwining, and we were merely prancing ants fighting between our bodies and the bigger thing around us. In terms of ecosystem intelligence, we generally think of the vertical distance and space between things. But do we ever stop and notice how one branch of one tree will intelligibly flow around or under, over or inbetween the neighbooring branches, tocreate a linear balance as well. there are layers up and down as well as across. In this state, you can tell the difference between one trees limbs and another, they flow into one another, they coexist, both surviving, yet competing. In time they make more 'decisions' to grow this way, or that way, or to produce this portion of themselves or reduce this portion of themselves according to the decisions made by all of the other living organisms around them. Were crazy human beings for thinking we are the most intelligible living things on earth. We just refuse to think outside of our frame of reference or perspective, to consider other realities as being just as real as the next.
We hiked 5 miles into backcountry wilderness. Though it was an Indian Summer, the leaves were turning anyway. Firstly, the outer geometric rims of the leaves changed and the centers, the veins--stayed green. It was supposed to be a short weekend trip to fall into Fall, to get away from lines and the advertising chaotic fast paced world of civilization. It worked mostly. School wasn't on anyone's mind. The one thing that reminded us in our Trip that we were still on this planet was the occasional plane flying overhead. Seeing blue sky breaks in the fingertips of the trees, one could notice that the same sky here in this chaotic linear 'civilized' world is the same sky that hovers over miles of open (almost) untouched wilderness. There was a lack of water out there, so dry and void of that element, the drought had sucked it all up. The trees and low plants had devoured all they could to survive the unusual heat of this time of year. The trail crossed over many dry rocky riverbeds, all of us signing at the image of stagnet pools of water rather than flowing fresh life-filled water wonder. We finally got to a place that we all found pretty sufficient. it was directly inbetween the trail and the almost dry riverbed. It provided us two different paths to journey back up river to different spots we remembered, to different portions of the trail. You really realize HOW you oriente yourself when you are thrown into a place like that, you orient by plasiticity, by technological creations and additives. we dont often enough look at the lay of the land to understand where we are in a setting like newport news. We look at the streets, the lines. When your in the wilderness you understand that you are in a chaotic world, simply because your civilization has put their own 'order' on the earth in the form of a urban world and you have adapted to that. Its good to be put back in place, to reanalyzed how you constitute location and reality. The next day we lost our minds. Our maybe we found them. Either way, we journeyed into another sense of this brain of an ecosystem, The flowing and intertwining, and we were merely prancing ants fighting between our bodies and the bigger thing around us. In terms of ecosystem intelligence, we generally think of the vertical distance and space between things. But do we ever stop and notice how one branch of one tree will intelligibly flow around or under, over or inbetween the neighbooring branches, tocreate a linear balance as well. there are layers up and down as well as across. In this state, you can tell the difference between one trees limbs and another, they flow into one another, they coexist, both surviving, yet competing. In time they make more 'decisions' to grow this way, or that way, or to produce this portion of themselves or reduce this portion of themselves according to the decisions made by all of the other living organisms around them. Were crazy human beings for thinking we are the most intelligible living things on earth. We just refuse to think outside of our frame of reference or perspective, to consider other realities as being just as real as the next.
Drum Circle Nondualism
By Kelly Moody
It was dark, yet the sky was trying to be bright. It has just rained(finally) and the system of clouds that trailed the storm were finally withering away into the distance, marching out into nothingness, far away from this reality. You couldn't see many stars, partially because of the clouds, partially because of the tremendous light pollution which regretfully can sometimes allude a sense of technological beauty, that orangeyred that it reflects on the vastness above some nights more than others. The moon was bright even behind the clouds, but not bright enough from keeping it dark. You could still watch the water though, the ripples and rhythms of the faint reflection paired with the voice-giving wind trailing behind the storm as the clouds do.
There was an anxious excited energy in the air. Everyone prepared their spirits. The slow trickle of pilgrims made their way to the bright centerness of the fire pit, making their journey from their tents and campsites, with drums and divination tools in hand. With tambourines, didgeridoos, walking sticks/staffs also in possession. It was if slowly we journeyed into another world. Through the darkness, from one kind of light, one kind of energy-- to another kind. We began a quiet beat, with the 1st hand slap touching the animal skin, it was mechanical, but after that---the mechanics dissipated. Those who had journeyed 1st, and had initiated the genesis of the organism, were the ones to create the foundation of what was happening around them. Rather, they were the mediation between the magic of the circle already in existence on another plane, and bringing it down to earth, to this material realm. Yet, sometimes we wonder if in these moments of spiritual bliss if we are even in the same world at all. Such brightness in the center, with dancers freeing their limbs in a synchronized way rotating around the inner brightness, and the light gets dimmer as it reaches the outskirts--the drummers, the mediators of the supernatural and the material. The intuitive and the analytic. Mind and Body. Spirit and Matter. The darkness that pervaded the water, sky and land, cushioned up to this world, this transcendent ball of energy and made it even more so, it set the outlines in place.
In a sense this drum circle was a form of nondualism. We all began mechanically, but suddenly lost ourselves, lost our SELF, we flowed into the organism of the sound and the wavelength, we all became one working thing, we didn't think about our drumming, we just drummed, We didn't think about the weather, or our bodies, pain or pleasure, hot or cold, anxieties or worried, we just submitted to the greater being that is all of us combined. It was so perfectly in sync from beginning to end. It was if all of us were meant to come together, as if It were a baby waiting to be conceived and born, the Cosmo's preconceiving of it, waiting for the math to fit right to create this temporary existence. the circle from beginning to end was like birth and death of one being that we were all cells of, all aspects of. individualism dissipates and you merge with the sound, the thing takes on a life of its own. Either as a drummer or a dancer you witness both worlds, the one and the many, you become aware of your unawareness, you hands moving but not knowing how or why, you body shaking and prancing--being here and now, but beyond body, beyond place.
After its over, the clouds are gone. the moon is bright. The wind is still sporadic, giving life and voice to leaves and water, making sounds that flow together in a drum circle of their own. Orion is bright and saying hello out to the left of the inlet that we were on. Suddenly we fall back into this world, the pieces break apart again, and now we are left to reflect on what was once one. And how everything can seemingly become reordered in an instant. How is the world different now that you are an individual again? But shouldn't you just realize that you were connected all along?
It was dark, yet the sky was trying to be bright. It has just rained(finally) and the system of clouds that trailed the storm were finally withering away into the distance, marching out into nothingness, far away from this reality. You couldn't see many stars, partially because of the clouds, partially because of the tremendous light pollution which regretfully can sometimes allude a sense of technological beauty, that orangeyred that it reflects on the vastness above some nights more than others. The moon was bright even behind the clouds, but not bright enough from keeping it dark. You could still watch the water though, the ripples and rhythms of the faint reflection paired with the voice-giving wind trailing behind the storm as the clouds do.
There was an anxious excited energy in the air. Everyone prepared their spirits. The slow trickle of pilgrims made their way to the bright centerness of the fire pit, making their journey from their tents and campsites, with drums and divination tools in hand. With tambourines, didgeridoos, walking sticks/staffs also in possession. It was if slowly we journeyed into another world. Through the darkness, from one kind of light, one kind of energy-- to another kind. We began a quiet beat, with the 1st hand slap touching the animal skin, it was mechanical, but after that---the mechanics dissipated. Those who had journeyed 1st, and had initiated the genesis of the organism, were the ones to create the foundation of what was happening around them. Rather, they were the mediation between the magic of the circle already in existence on another plane, and bringing it down to earth, to this material realm. Yet, sometimes we wonder if in these moments of spiritual bliss if we are even in the same world at all. Such brightness in the center, with dancers freeing their limbs in a synchronized way rotating around the inner brightness, and the light gets dimmer as it reaches the outskirts--the drummers, the mediators of the supernatural and the material. The intuitive and the analytic. Mind and Body. Spirit and Matter. The darkness that pervaded the water, sky and land, cushioned up to this world, this transcendent ball of energy and made it even more so, it set the outlines in place.
In a sense this drum circle was a form of nondualism. We all began mechanically, but suddenly lost ourselves, lost our SELF, we flowed into the organism of the sound and the wavelength, we all became one working thing, we didn't think about our drumming, we just drummed, We didn't think about the weather, or our bodies, pain or pleasure, hot or cold, anxieties or worried, we just submitted to the greater being that is all of us combined. It was so perfectly in sync from beginning to end. It was if all of us were meant to come together, as if It were a baby waiting to be conceived and born, the Cosmo's preconceiving of it, waiting for the math to fit right to create this temporary existence. the circle from beginning to end was like birth and death of one being that we were all cells of, all aspects of. individualism dissipates and you merge with the sound, the thing takes on a life of its own. Either as a drummer or a dancer you witness both worlds, the one and the many, you become aware of your unawareness, you hands moving but not knowing how or why, you body shaking and prancing--being here and now, but beyond body, beyond place.
After its over, the clouds are gone. the moon is bright. The wind is still sporadic, giving life and voice to leaves and water, making sounds that flow together in a drum circle of their own. Orion is bright and saying hello out to the left of the inlet that we were on. Suddenly we fall back into this world, the pieces break apart again, and now we are left to reflect on what was once one. And how everything can seemingly become reordered in an instant. How is the world different now that you are an individual again? But shouldn't you just realize that you were connected all along?
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Reflection on "Myth Became Fact"- Calvin Griffith
(Reflection on assigned reading material: "Myth Became Fact" by C.S. Lewis)
After reading C.S. Lewis's essay "Myth Became Fact" I found myself very intrigued with the idea of myth as an extremely central apsect of the Christian religion. I had not previously considered the tale of Jesus' death and resurrection as a "myth," probably because in my interpretation, the word "myth" was something commonly considered to be false. However, applying it to simply describe a story expands my understanding of the word. Lewis' essay focused on the centrality of myth not only in Christianity, but in humans' lives as a whole. According to Lewis, humans are faced with the dilemma of not being able to experience life and understand it or analyse it at the same time. For example, while experiencing an emotion like pain, pleasure, anger, or grief we are fully caught up in the moment and equally unable to analyse the emotione we are experiencing. Additionally, when we begin to think abstractly about such emotions, we are no longer experiencing them in their essence. In Lewis's mind, myth provides us with a partial solution. As we delve into the story, we can both experience it and the "principle" that it is attempting to portray. Take one of Lewis' own myths for example. He wrote the "Narnia" books based largely on Christianity or Christian themes. Through these books, readers can sympathize with characters and the story, all the while relating it back to the theme of Christianity.
In the next section of Lewis' essay, he goes on to discuss how the central myth found in Christianity binds all Christians together despite differences on other issues, because it "becomes fact." This myth of course is the story of Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection thereafter. His description of the myth "becoming fact" means that the myth has historical backing, or can be considered true, while still retaining its mythical qualities. According to Lewis, you need to embrace both the factual and mythical aspects of the story to be a Christian.
So, following along with Lewis' reasoning, this myth that is fact allows us to both experience and analyse the concepts that make up Christianity and to accept them as truth. This is a very interesting way of summarizing the Christian religion. In my own experience with Christianity, I have found that the existence of both historical fact and fantastical stories together in the Bible has sparked a wide variety of thoughts and emotions in me. I think that Lewis's breakdown of myth is largley accurate in that it helps us to perceive things more clearly and experience them at the same time. The Bible is filled with stories that contain truth while at the same time producing awe and amazement in the reader. Perhaps Lewis is right in his assumption that the myth central to Christianity is a unique one, being both true and mythical at the same time.
After reading C.S. Lewis's essay "Myth Became Fact" I found myself very intrigued with the idea of myth as an extremely central apsect of the Christian religion. I had not previously considered the tale of Jesus' death and resurrection as a "myth," probably because in my interpretation, the word "myth" was something commonly considered to be false. However, applying it to simply describe a story expands my understanding of the word. Lewis' essay focused on the centrality of myth not only in Christianity, but in humans' lives as a whole. According to Lewis, humans are faced with the dilemma of not being able to experience life and understand it or analyse it at the same time. For example, while experiencing an emotion like pain, pleasure, anger, or grief we are fully caught up in the moment and equally unable to analyse the emotione we are experiencing. Additionally, when we begin to think abstractly about such emotions, we are no longer experiencing them in their essence. In Lewis's mind, myth provides us with a partial solution. As we delve into the story, we can both experience it and the "principle" that it is attempting to portray. Take one of Lewis' own myths for example. He wrote the "Narnia" books based largely on Christianity or Christian themes. Through these books, readers can sympathize with characters and the story, all the while relating it back to the theme of Christianity.
In the next section of Lewis' essay, he goes on to discuss how the central myth found in Christianity binds all Christians together despite differences on other issues, because it "becomes fact." This myth of course is the story of Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection thereafter. His description of the myth "becoming fact" means that the myth has historical backing, or can be considered true, while still retaining its mythical qualities. According to Lewis, you need to embrace both the factual and mythical aspects of the story to be a Christian.
So, following along with Lewis' reasoning, this myth that is fact allows us to both experience and analyse the concepts that make up Christianity and to accept them as truth. This is a very interesting way of summarizing the Christian religion. In my own experience with Christianity, I have found that the existence of both historical fact and fantastical stories together in the Bible has sparked a wide variety of thoughts and emotions in me. I think that Lewis's breakdown of myth is largley accurate in that it helps us to perceive things more clearly and experience them at the same time. The Bible is filled with stories that contain truth while at the same time producing awe and amazement in the reader. Perhaps Lewis is right in his assumption that the myth central to Christianity is a unique one, being both true and mythical at the same time.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Mistaking Knowledge for Understanding - Susan Watkins
(Reflection on Assigned Reading Material)
In the book Original Visions, this phrase jumped out at me:
"In one interpretation of the ancient oral mentality... the wind moving through the corn could be spirits singing..." (p. 8)
My friend Nicole considers herself a "shamanic Christian." When I asked her exactly what that meant, she said that she believes in the basic tenants of Christianity but also believes that God uses nature in a much more direct, ordered way than mainstream Christianity acknowledges. She believes that various animals, weather phenomena, and circumstances can be structured into a relatively consistent symbolic language of God. She loosely terms this point of view "shamanic" because it reminds her of Native American vision-seekers and their interpretations of the natural world around them.
Nicole's explanation and then this passage in Original Visions have challenged me to consider my own tendencies to dismiss the same circumstances Nicole considers so important. My whole life, animal behavior, weather phenomena, dreams, and all kinds of life occurrences have been explained to me in perfectly logical terms, usually through the medium of science. Once fit into these neat little packets of information, I was taught to deal with and then discard them as no longer relevant.
Thinking about it now, I'm not so sure anymore. I think that humans in general and our society in particular tends to mistake "knowing" with "understanding." By this I mean that we love to figure out HOW things work without necessarily caring WHY. We have very neat, structured methods for analyzing nature, our mental processes, our emotions... but analyzing their processes doesn't necessarily mean we understand their ends. If we find an old machine that some unknown person made, it's entirely possible we would be able to reconstruct it and get it working without having a clue what it was meant to do. So, who cares if we know WHAT makes these things happen if we don't know WHY?
I'm not sure.
In the book Original Visions, this phrase jumped out at me:
"In one interpretation of the ancient oral mentality... the wind moving through the corn could be spirits singing..." (p. 8)
My friend Nicole considers herself a "shamanic Christian." When I asked her exactly what that meant, she said that she believes in the basic tenants of Christianity but also believes that God uses nature in a much more direct, ordered way than mainstream Christianity acknowledges. She believes that various animals, weather phenomena, and circumstances can be structured into a relatively consistent symbolic language of God. She loosely terms this point of view "shamanic" because it reminds her of Native American vision-seekers and their interpretations of the natural world around them.
Nicole's explanation and then this passage in Original Visions have challenged me to consider my own tendencies to dismiss the same circumstances Nicole considers so important. My whole life, animal behavior, weather phenomena, dreams, and all kinds of life occurrences have been explained to me in perfectly logical terms, usually through the medium of science. Once fit into these neat little packets of information, I was taught to deal with and then discard them as no longer relevant.
Thinking about it now, I'm not so sure anymore. I think that humans in general and our society in particular tends to mistake "knowing" with "understanding." By this I mean that we love to figure out HOW things work without necessarily caring WHY. We have very neat, structured methods for analyzing nature, our mental processes, our emotions... but analyzing their processes doesn't necessarily mean we understand their ends. If we find an old machine that some unknown person made, it's entirely possible we would be able to reconstruct it and get it working without having a clue what it was meant to do. So, who cares if we know WHAT makes these things happen if we don't know WHY?
I'm not sure.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
"World" by Ernie Stanley
Imagine your world being the vast forests, trees stretched to the sky, more cosmic than that which they almost touch. Nowhere is the sky untouched by green sprawl, and very rarely do you even see the tops of the giants which surround you. It is near impossible to have sight venture more than a few dozen yards, impeded by the massive trunks of the forest. Your ambiance is that of insects, frogs, colorful birds flying and flitting about and the occasional and irreverent mammal. Technology is confined to tools of survival and the written word is something unheard of. This is how the indigenous of the Albertine Rift live. These tribes are tucked away from the troubles that plague the “countries” which reside around it though not untouched by it.
Is it impossible to imagine the life or just hard to picture? Perhaps this can be the benchmark of your imaginative possibilities: Can you look down the road and see the telephone poles, the massive trunks of society as tiny objects dotting the tiny landscape or is it simply an optical illusion of something much more massive? We’ve certainly been taught the later, through written word and the ability to experience it as such. However, the native tribes of the Congo have not had the same indoctrination and their perception tells them that things so far away are actually simply small, and easily traveled to.
Vision of “far away” appears to be an alien concept to the indigenous of the thickly populated rainforest. Having spent many years wondering the forests of the Appalachians, I can easily picture where this concept was lost, even the rivers wind out of sight quickly. However, even within these large stretches of woodland, the foundation of perception and the optical illusion of height vs. distance were ingrained in my mentality. We as a literate society, with our maps and books have easily formed a conceptualized memory of just how large the world is, not only around us, but as a whole. We picture the globe when we think “world” rather than what is imminent and tangible, what is right in front of us.
This begs the question of whether or not the mass globalization that literacy is surely behind has destroyed, at least somewhat the value we place in the very community we live. We’ve been taught, and mostly by commercialization of human contact, that we can keep in touch with the world at large, and yet we’ve forgotten how to say hello to our very neighbors. How much effort do we expend in order to maintain this vision of a global world, leaving to dust the imminent in front of us? How often do we waste time and stress over long distance familial and romantic relationships simply because it is now possible to do so? And how often do we ignore the fact that such relations are stressed simply because they are so far, yet reachable through the written and technological pathways? How many things right in front us and easily dealt with are refused of attention in the name of the distant, intangible and largely unrewarding? And finally why do we continue to remove ourselves from our imminent situations?
Do we put up with a global "World" simply because we can or because we have been convinced we should?
Is it impossible to imagine the life or just hard to picture? Perhaps this can be the benchmark of your imaginative possibilities: Can you look down the road and see the telephone poles, the massive trunks of society as tiny objects dotting the tiny landscape or is it simply an optical illusion of something much more massive? We’ve certainly been taught the later, through written word and the ability to experience it as such. However, the native tribes of the Congo have not had the same indoctrination and their perception tells them that things so far away are actually simply small, and easily traveled to.
Vision of “far away” appears to be an alien concept to the indigenous of the thickly populated rainforest. Having spent many years wondering the forests of the Appalachians, I can easily picture where this concept was lost, even the rivers wind out of sight quickly. However, even within these large stretches of woodland, the foundation of perception and the optical illusion of height vs. distance were ingrained in my mentality. We as a literate society, with our maps and books have easily formed a conceptualized memory of just how large the world is, not only around us, but as a whole. We picture the globe when we think “world” rather than what is imminent and tangible, what is right in front of us.
This begs the question of whether or not the mass globalization that literacy is surely behind has destroyed, at least somewhat the value we place in the very community we live. We’ve been taught, and mostly by commercialization of human contact, that we can keep in touch with the world at large, and yet we’ve forgotten how to say hello to our very neighbors. How much effort do we expend in order to maintain this vision of a global world, leaving to dust the imminent in front of us? How often do we waste time and stress over long distance familial and romantic relationships simply because it is now possible to do so? And how often do we ignore the fact that such relations are stressed simply because they are so far, yet reachable through the written and technological pathways? How many things right in front us and easily dealt with are refused of attention in the name of the distant, intangible and largely unrewarding? And finally why do we continue to remove ourselves from our imminent situations?
Do we put up with a global "World" simply because we can or because we have been convinced we should?
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