SageTree

Thursday October 16 2008

“Man is engrossed in shaping the world, rather than being shaped by it.” – Loren Eisley

My first thought is, it is obvious we are shaping the earth, even if infinitely impermanent, but certainly in the present. My second thought is why aren’t we being shaped still? Even if a lot of our “progress” is getting ourselves out of our messes, it’s a mess no less entwined with mother nature, which has been found, after study , to reverse some of our changes we’ve caused. Perhaps floods, hurricanes, wildfires, being, on one hand “natural”, have occurred more so because of the changes we have caused, and the only natural part being the disrupted forces. On the other hand, maybe those disruptions are Mother Nature trying to wipe out the scourge and reset the balance. And that our “progress” is only fighting the inevitable, and in course hurling the forces into turmoil, thus letting us live out our karma, until it’s appearably altered state destroys us, or perhaps allows us to evolve into a more balance species, one harmonious with the Great Mother,” homo-non-parasitious”.

Understanding how and why in itself isn’t inherently evil and without warrant. However, understanding doesn’t always serve our base human needs to forage for food and obtain safe shelter. Dare I say, this manipulation through understanding, might itself be our natural order. Although understanding for greed and gross manipulation is what has brought us to the place of distortion and imbalance. Knowing why medicine works or coal burns isn’t necessary. If the coal was used sparingly as it rose to the earth’s surface would we need to understand what it does to our atmosphere? Nor would we need to study the adverse side effects of the chemical version of an isolated alkali from a plant had we just used the natural plant in the first place. Why study them? Had we stayed on our simple course we would need to “invent” and patent medicines with side effects such as lymphoma, seizures or nausea. Shamans can pick plants for benefit without the aid of modern scientific tools, how? On top of that these medicines won’t cause other disease and conditions that require MORE medicines with more side effects.

It seems to me that all of the other creatures on this earth bow to the changing forces, perfectly, without pride. I doubt that they “know”, I rather feel that they are merely SOULY engrossed in the process of living and not even considering the way the wheel turns and if they could somehow make the wheel turn better or only to serve the purposes of selfish greed. Their violence is for food or mating. And their hording is to carry their genes forward, needs in accordance with the laws. Their wanderings aren’t for pride or to control others. Pride certainly isn’t the feeling that I get from the pine or the cone. Animals do seem to experience the emotion of loss. Perhaps this loss is only gathered around the fact that something has changed and that there will need to be a new method for the survival of the heard or pack. Maybe it’s just the void of lost energy that they can no longer sense. Ultimately, nothing can be done to turn back the wheel of death, and they accept this as part and parcel of living.

Muktab, it is written. If we could somehow see the way atoms would gravitate into place over the eons, we too would understand that Muktab is true, and things come in their own time as Solomon says. A particle of snow is bound to wind up on a certain area of an avalanche coming down the snowy peaks. The mystery unfathomable is why the snow flake transpired and fell from high, to that exact spot. Does the actual snow flake understand my metaphor and does it even care to ponder it. The speck is here, now, what difference does it make what its place in line it is written to be swept away? Its individual beauty may never be seen, yet it still lawfully falls from the sky.

Saying this, I too must be open to the possibility that the world is, insane as it sounds, on track with its destiny. This time, however, we are seemingly our own comet of destruction. Does the bull frog ponder how hard life is in the shrinking wet lands? Apperably, it continues to feed and shelter itself with what is left, until it adapts, miraculously or is annihilated. Accepting that it’s out of its control, submitting to the rebirth in a niche’ with ample space for all the reborn frogs.

This doesn’t mean it’s not ‘my duty to be responsible for the slowing down or attempting to change the proverbial course of the comet, which may well be humans. Nor does this prospect make me want to stop aiding my fellow beings wants to eat regularly and sleep safely in this changing eco-system of society. The holy society of the wilds holds many lessons for the humble bowing to the forces. When and why the wheel is turned, we’ll not know until we still ourselves in the present and use our intellectual adaptations to walk in the path of those wheels of the universal vehicle, and not to build and drive a better vehicle. In the end our earthly fuel will run empty. We must fill our lives with spiritual cells for power instead. For present human life it seems less about evoltiution physically and more of using all our senses to guide our choices in engaging the universe. A re-awaking evolving our more primal self and blending it with intellect for meeting our true needs to be fed, sheltered, clothed, to have useful activity, self worth, love, to be heard, maybe even understood, to embrace all lives as our own to be part of something in simple words. Of which are all things perceivable and mysteries hidden and unfolding.

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Pharm Girl

If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.


Loren Eiseley

SageTree

I've recently discovered him and really realate to his writings in many many ways. Thanks for the quote, what is it from.

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Pharm Girl

Like the herd animals we are, we sniff warily at the strange one among us.

Loren Eiseley


Loren Eiseley Quotes

AeDeAeMn0886

A familiar theme in many of Eiseley' essays/works is that animals understand their roles in the world while humans must continually search for a meaning. It brings up the idea of a catch 22. Man has the greatest idea manipulation capability, but also the greatest question to face in which he cant answer, and that is the purpose to why he is here.

Smaerd

Man has some sort of innate belief that we possess a greater purpose. Now because we don't know what purpose that is,we often end up taking things to try to build up this imaginary world for an answer. I often look at man-kind as a family of spiders with no food, spinning web after web only to catch nothing then be forced to eat one another.

As far as I am concerned every form of life is divine. It's so beautiful to even think that, holy shit out of all the time in the infinite universe; this exists right here. The conquering of non-existence, LIFE. Man-kind is lost, we've all been desensitized to what is most important. People often ask themselves "What should I do?", what if all the only retort is "You're doing it!" everything else is brownie points in the great experiance that life is.

As if I a young male can change the structure of the universe in a positive manner, as if my decisions on this planet will be remembered through-out the whole history of the universe, as if my role here right now is so crucial in the great scheme that we are all searching for. I'm not saying to underestimate yourself or your energy, I am only saying live well, love yourself and others, and maybe help make the terrarium full of human beings not look like scary snakes to an outside observer. No one gives gift's to the selfish bad pet's, in-fact they may just smack them. If there is something greater than us, how would it treat us do you think? If it had the same attitude as us, we would be enslaved, or farmed for food un-ethicly.

Without this man is never satisfied, we are stuck without a sense of progress, there is always something else we HAVE to do, or decide upon. When in reality, there is still a natural flow of life. It is harder to see, and a harder path to walk upon in these modern times, but, every-time I've trudged on it I have lost my sense of wonder and became justified as a being.

Great little passage yeah got there. Sorry for my rumble mumble.

SageTree

Thanks for reading, and no worries about the ramble I actually wrote this quote down in my journal with the intent to think about that, and this is the essay that I turned out. I only sat down to edit the spelling and spaces before I put it on here. Thanks again for reading and relating.

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SageTree

This was a journal entry of mine, and thought it was more appropiate in the Writer's Forum, but it was a quote in a book that brought out alot of reflection in my head. This one gets cynical at times. Upon reflecting on this entry over Dawali I had an other series of more positive changes over these earlier thoughts.

These were:

1. It is my suffering, my dream, my perception. Don't put my hurt on the world, it's not them putting it on me. I choose, nothing makes me. My suffering is me putting my judgement on their choices, in what I think is negativly effecting the planet. Don't Judge. Don't be cyclical.

2. Because I feel like a lone drop of water, some days, doesn't mean there aren't countless drops unseen altering the coarse of a river. Trying to carve an easier channel to the Inifinate Ocean

3. Maybe I find several other drops to be the ones to quench one person's thirst in the final swallow of a glass of water drank alittle too fast, the ones that bring them mindfullness to their hasty action.

4. My elements of the body may someday help a tree grow, or be the newly burst fruit of the vine that nourishes a person like myself when they are walking their groceries home. Being part of that relief or that peace of mind to trudge on and be happy with a simple life, as their teeth sink in to my body or to take a rest in the shade of the tree.

These are my reflections. Especially the first one started the turning the other cogs in my head. "Why don't I believe people will stop and help?" my wife asked.

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SageTree

I like telling my story to people. I want you all to know me well and I'd like to hear your thoughts and if you like my style of writing. The writing forum would be the place for it I suppose, however you all are the ones I want to read and discuss.

Thanks Loves,
Sageji

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SageTree

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Kishar

i can't follow that cuz of the weed tho

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So, if a stranger walked up to you and poured pebble like seeds into your hand and then said, plant them and your harvest can be made into rope cloth or paper, it could help the sick or intoxicate. What would you say?

Would you keep the seeds or chuck them away?

RollREDRoll

SageTree

hehehh Frieday nite a bad nite to post this......

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Aurora

8====D~~~

:d

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tedkennedy

i like the quote and first few paragraphs but feel it went off track from what i believe was supposed to be the topic which is was to address human behavior and role in the environment.

i didnt analyze the writing too deeply but i like your attempt to try and get into the mindset of a non-human animal and compare it to driving forces for human behavior.

it is an opinion piece so i wont really disagree with you but i will say it certainly is a very interesting topic and there is alot of scientific or other research that questions why man is so different than animals. i would argue it has to do with elite killing force which led to non-kin interspecific cooperation followed by a rapid evolutionary expansion and development of the brain and complex social behaviors. unlike animals humans are able to pass on records and information to each other and pass them on to following generations so we are given this abundance of information that we can essentially conquer the planet with. animals have limited propensity for learning because they never conquered the hurdle of non-kin cooperation and therefore their behaviors are limited largely by their genetics.

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matthew munari

Bearsy

Too wasted. Will be back tomorrow.


Love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

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my_scatterheart

hahhaah bearsy you're my fav

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Be mindful even if your mind is full. -J. De La Vega

Sugar420

i have no idea what that was about. i didnt want to be all colin powell again so i tried to read that. beloved brother, let go and let God.

and also
Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. -KJB

SageTree

Thanks for taking the time to read 6 paragraphs. I appriciate the comments.

Ted I don't know if I had the point to solely write about only how human effect the world as much as it was a free thought that I tried to keep linier. I appriciate your comments and agree with what you are saying. I don't know that I felt the But really drew a line between what I was saying and what you stated. While it wasn't plainly said, I feel I touched on similiar points of passing it on.

I appriciate your comments.

Veda, I would agree about letting go and accepting. This was writen at a pretty frusterating point for me and this was a constructive way to burn off the energy. Muktab is the idea that I was pondering in regaurd to letting go, and kind of feel that is where the end of the paper went when I said, but maybe I need to consider.....

I had some stiring revalations that I chose to leave in this same writing in the thread I left in HT, Follow up thoughts . And I feel that this was really a serious turining point in my life, from half empty to half full. I just wanted to share that with you, as it seemed relevant to your advice.

My Gramas favourite scripture is "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy path" - Proverbs 3:5-6 With I don't have that same gendered picture, I took this to thought and decided that humans will no doubt find lots of great knowledge in the material worlds, but I highly doubt that that we'll see the origins. Call it what you will, be leading a mindfull and live of right living and I still think that things will are do progress to great places. It's like Muslims scholars in the golden era of the empire. These people chose to develope science and literature as a means to honour the intellect given them for understanding. Much of this science stood the test of time for centuries, how can we say that just because they leaned to Allah, that these still weren't advances? I think they were, and its beautiful to see knowledge tempted with time, patients and consciousness. Thanks for sharing.

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tedkennedy

whoa whoa whoa take your bible humpin out of here.

jk lol

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matthew munari

SageTree

Lots of interesting thoughts Kosh. It's pretty wild to see what I pulled from one line and what you pulled from 5-6 paragraphs to talk about. I appriciate listening to your thoughts. I was alittle confused however about where the last paragraphs spawned from? What that you finishing a thought from the two previous paragraphs above it? I didn't take offense to it or anything, I would make an addition and say that any follower of any idealogy, theology, philospophy is better to spend energy on actions rather than finding apt words. I think as a person heavily influenenced by Buddhism is important to recognize that practice of right action is part and parcel of a greater practice which is to simply minister love and compassion, which is the perennial heart of all worth while endevours in spirit/idealogy/living.

Thanks for sharing Kosh. I'd never give you the colin powell. It's an honour to see into one mind and read the map of their nueral path ways.

Metta,
SageTree

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