[MD] Intellectual activity

[Heather Perella]

Hello Platt, and Ham (I comment on Essence later in
this post), 


     Platt said:  "I think Pirsig offers a better
alternative -- morality based on evolutionary
dominance, beginning with atoms and progressing to a
higher moral order at each subsequent evolutionary
level."

     Ok... here is quality.

     Platt went on to say:  "Thus jobs for loggers
trumps the spotted owl..."

     The owl is not a machine.  The owl has intellect.
 Though doesn't think like Platt or I, the owl is able
to change its' habits, but like the Zen master, the
owl is very, very ritualistic, probably to contain
that DQ where no-mind becomes everything.  Yet, this
argument about owls and jobs, life or $, or since $
means life to this culture then it becomes a pit where
life vs. life dukes it out in the boxing ring?  Or am
I missing something here and we'll just go so far off
track and never find agreement here.  So I let you
know right away.  To kill off a species of any animal
just for $ just seems so wrong.  We need wood.  So
take some, but don't take it all and annihilate the
earth while your doing it.  I wish I could see
cougar's, wolves, and moose in the area I live in, but
even though they were here, their not anymore - killed
off.  Deer, turkey, elk, and coyotes almost killed off
in this state of Pennsylvania for lumber, sport, and
such, but people went to other states to get more and
reintroduced them here.  They were dismally gone and
without them being in other places to put some back
here, the woods would be soooo empty and quiet, too
quiet for me.  I like these animals, for beauties sake
at the very least.

     Platt went on to say:  "...the life of an unborn
trumps a woman's decision to abort."  

     What do we do about stupid people who have
children and can't afford them so the rest of society
has to more and more take care of them, yet, these
stupid people could have wanted an abortion and this
would have saved a lot more heartache.  Remember
though, they are stupid so they probably still keep
having sex for the mere lower level of pleasure, not
thinking what a child might mean.

     Platt said:  "...limits on government seizure of
private property trumps funding for unspecified
"finest" public schools..."

     What happened?  Is there a specific example you
can give here?  Seriously... I am always for 'limits
on government'.

     Platt said:  "...protecting innocents from
slaughter trumps noninterference in other
countries..."

     Protecting innocents.  I'm for that.  You already
know I want peace over anything, but I have said that
if anybody came after my wife, child,  or even dog -
like any kin, even the hemlock tree in my yard, I
would punch them right in the face especially if
calling the cops first would not be an option due the
time I would have to prevent anything happening to
these loved ones of mine.

     Platt:  "...a better life for the poor trumps
nonthreatening environmental concerns..."

     Why does the environment and population have to
be in such conflict?  I think it's because the
population of people is too large, but I can't really
do anything about that other than have two children on
our own and adopt another that needs a home.

     Platt says:  "...taxpayer standards of propriety
trump an artist's wish to display pornography at
taxpayer expense, etc."

     This one's easy.  I agree with you.



     Ham said  on another post:  "...Essence "divides
itself" into proprietary awareness and the objects of
that awareness.  To do this -- that is, to "actualize"
existence -- Essence negates nothingness as an other. 
The "mystery" behind the incomprehensibility of this
paradox has a logical solution:  If we define Essence
as "all that is", it encompasses nothingness; but, if
Essence negates nothingness, it remains absolute
Is-ness (to use Eckhart's inspired term). 
Nothingness, then, is always excluded from Essence
but, at the same time, is not other than Essence."

     Hey, your making sense to me now.  Don't quote
me, but this is the 'connection' I said must exist but
at one time you denied.

     Ham continued:  "It's an other to you and me, but
not to Essence.  So, you see, everything is
essentially connected."

     Connected!

     Ham continued:  "There's no real "otherness". 
There's only an appearance of otherness.  Western
Philosophy -- we ourselves -- can go "beyond
otherness"."

     How do we "... go 'beyond otherness'?  What do
you mean?  Are you saying we can come to this
understanding of 'oneness' that Essence is?

     Ham said:  "You reclaim it for the integrity of
(i.e., "perfection" of) Essence."

     Perfection of Essence.  The practice I mention
continually leads to this perfection.  This practice I
mention is the practice of experiencing life.  The
cultivation of quality.  You've connected with me,
again, with the way your discussing this Ham.  :-) 
     This doesn't mean I might be able to have long
discussions on Essence... ha, ha, ha, I say this light
heartedly and with a sincere smile :-), but like
anything of quality the mood or attention can shift
depending on, like you say, the value I find in it.  

SA





 

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