Quotes

Philip K. Dick:

There will come a time when it isn't 'They're spying on me through my phone' anymore. Eventually, it will be 'My phone is spying on me.'
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The true measure of a man is not his intelligence or how high he rises in this freak establishment. No, the true measure of a man is this: how quickly can he respond to the needs of others and how much of himself he can give.
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Truth, she thought. As terrible as death. But harder to find.
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Wendell Berry

(B)y this time, the era of cut-and-run economics ought to be finished. Such an economy cannot be rationally defended or even apologized for. The proofs of its immense folly, heartlessness, and destructiveness are everywhere. Its failure as a way of dealing with the natural world and human society can no longer be sanely denied. That this economic system persists and grows larger and stronger in spite of its evident failure has nothing to do with rationality or, for that matter, with evidence. It persists because, embodied now in multinational corporations, it has discovered a terrifying truth: If you can control a people’s economy, you don’t need to worry about its politics; its politics have become irrelevant. If you control people’s choices as to whether or not they will work, and where they will work, and what they will do, and how well they will do it, and what they will eat and wear, and the genetic makeup of their crops and animals, and what they will do for amusement, then why should you worry about freedom of speech? In a totalitarian economy, any "political liberties" that the people might retain would simply cease to matter. If, as is often the case already, nobody can be elected who is not wealthy, and if nobody can be wealthy without dependence on the corporate economy, then what is your vote worth? The citizen thus becomes an economic subject.

In a modern war, fought with modern weapons and on the modern scale, neither side can limit to “the enemy” the damage that it does. These wars damage the world. We know enough by now to know that you cannot damage a part of the world without damaging all of it. Modern war has not only made it impossible to kill “combatants” without killing “noncombatants,” it has made it impossible to damage your enemy without damaging yourself.


* It is useless to try to adjudicate a long-standing animosity by asking who started it or who is the most wrong. The only sufficient answer is to give up the animosity and try forgiveness, to try to love our enemies and to talk to them and (if we pray) to pray for them. If we can't do any of that, then we must begin again by trying to imagine our enemies' children who, like our children, are in mortal danger because of enmity that they did not cause.

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wendell_Berry ...I couldn't find any quotes on this page I disagreed with....I was watching a book TV discussion by Chris Hedges, and he mentioned this man...whom I'd never heard of...BTW you guys turned me on to Hedges...Thank you, thank you, thank you
 
I like these:

"Sometimes the only reward you get for doing the right thing is knowing that you did."

and

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
 
"One had best be active and in error than not doing anything at all. May each individual be active in principle, in purpose, being sincere, being direct. Thus may the individual gain the greater working knowledge of that which is righteous, versus that which is sin. Then, let each be not slothful, not putting off, not unmindful that ye must be up and doing; working, BUSY at that which is to thee, NOW, TODAY, that as thy conscience directs thee to do; in sincere, direct manner." (262-126)
 
Hi,

My favourites are:

“Kindness is a boomerang that will come back to you” Unknown
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“ Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see” Mark Twain
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“The meaning of life : No one really knows ,but it makes little sense to be the richest man in the cemetery.” Peter Alexander Ustinov.
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“The point of living, and of beeing an optimist, is to be foolish enough to believe the
best is yet to come” Peter Alexander Ustinov.
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“If the world should blow itself up, the last audible voice would be that of an expert saying it can't be done.” Peter Alexander Ustinov.
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Certainty of death, small chance of success, what are we waiting for ? Gimli LOTR
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A day ago i ran into a friend i had not seen in a long time, (3month's). I asked how she was doing, and she explained that she was worried about a friend whom had become very ill. She was so troubled about i suppose of feeling of helpless, of not really being able to do much, but comfort him by visiting him often, to show her support which i can understand, and appreciate as the act can have positive affects, for any one suffering under these conditions.

She was going to the local church as she also explained, and doing a lot of praying for her friend, as means to continue the support, what ever it took that would help her firend. She was also having issues with sleeping due to the worrying about the situation, and understandably so.

She was on her way to local cafe, to relax, so offered to join her, sensing that maybe my company would help her, or just listen, if she wanted to talk. When we arrived, i ordered a couple of glasses of wine. Hers was white, (very small glasses) and mine was the la maison rouge, or the house red, i drank only just about half of the glass.

Over the glasses of wine i told her a couple stories, (trivial but funny). The stories seemed to bring out a tremendous change in her deposition. The smile, that she shared with me, and the laughter proved to be the pill that no pharmacy could ever provide, or any pharmaceutical could ever make. Her smile was also infectious and brought back a glow with an evident change in her disposition, by her smiling which had me smile as well. It was almost like bug that jumped from her too me, in that her spirits lifeted, a change took place in her deposition.

I don't feel like i did anything that was not beyond what anyone else would have done the same given the circumstances, that are part this forum whom, in seeing some one that was under duress. It was just being at the right place, in the right monument and seeing and be part of a what some would be see a small passing in some ones life.

I believe there is a lot power in smiling, and laughter, (as well as the prayer). It's like there's something that is expressed in laughter that only come from a leap in faith when faith is at momentary low. :)
“If you see a friend without a smile; give him one of yours.”
unknown

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
Leo F. Buscaglia

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”
Mother Teresa of Calcutta

“One who smiles rather than rages is always the stronger”
Japanese Proverb

“The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions - the little, soon-forgotten charities of a kiss or smile, a kind look, a heart-felt compliment, and the countless infinitesimals of pleasurable and genial feeling”
Samuel Taylor Coleridge


“A smile will gain you ten more years of life”
Chinese Proverb

A smile can brighten the darkest day.
~Author Unknown
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An inspiring part of a speech by Gurdjieff:

Gurdjieff said:
[...] "In order to do, it is necessary to know; but in order to know, it is necessary to know how to know."
[...]

Every seeker dreams of a guide who knows, dreams about him but seldom asks himself objectively and sincerely - is he worthy of being guided? Is he ready to follow the way?

Go out one clear starlit night to some open space and look up at the sky, at those millions of worlds over your head. Remember that perhaps on each of them swarm billions of beings, similar to you or perhaps superior to you in their organization. Look at the Milky Way. The earth cannot even be called a grain of sand in this infinity. It dissolves and vanishes, and with it, you. Where are you? And is what you want simply madness?

Before all these worlds ask yourself what are your aims and hopes, your intentions and means of fulfilling them, the demands that may be made upon you and your preparedness to meet them.

A long and difficult journey is before you; you are preparing for a strange and unknown land. The way is infinitely long. You do not know if rest will be possible on the way nor where it will be possible. You should be prepared for the worst. Take all the necessities for the journey with you.

[...] Bear in mind that your sight has the property of presenting distant objects as though they were near. Beguiled by the nearness of the aim toward which you strive, blinded by its beauty and ignorant of the measure of your own strength, you will not see the numerous ditches across the path. In a green meadow covered with luxuriant flowers, in the thick grass, a deep precipice is hidden. It is very easy to stumble and fall over it if your eyes are not concentrated on the step you are taking.

Do not forget to concentrate all your attention on the nearest sector of the way - do not concern yourself about far aims if you do not wish to fall over the precipice.

Yet do not forget your aim. Remember it the whole time and keep up in yourself an active endeavor toward it, so as not to lose the right direction. And once you have started, be observant; what you have passed through remains behind and will not appear again; so if you fail to notice it at the time, you will never notice it.

Do not be overcurious nor waste time on things that attract your attention but are not worth it. Time is precious and should not be wasted on things which have no direct relation to your aim.

Remember where you are and why you are there.

Do not protect yourselves and remember that no effort is made in vain.
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I'm looking for a certain quote. I think laura has quoted it on this forum before. It is from a sufi text I think.

It says something to the effect that, desiring to be god, to rival god, is the ultimate evil. but there is more to it...anyways I hope I can find it.
 
wetroof said:
I'm looking for a certain quote. I think laura has quoted it on this forum before. It is from a sufi text I think.

It says something to the effect that, desiring to be god, to rival god, is the ultimate evil. but there is more to it...anyways I hope I can find it.
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What comes to mind reading the above, is a quote from Illion's book, Darkness Over Tibet, which is not a Sufi text i am afraid. In any event, here it is, just in case, taken from here:

"Are you never attacked by animals?"

"Seldom, " I answered. "The animals which are on the rising branch of life are very kind to me. I do not think even a lion would attack me, although I never met one. I have had very pleasant experiences, though, with bears and some other so-called wild animals."

"I heard a story about a bear," said Dolma. "I will tell it to you. Perhaps you will be able to tell me whether such a thing can happen... A man who often broke the law which prohibits hunting had obtained a white man's death stick in the Lhasa district, and when he returned to his province he went out bear-hunting. He had shot several bears, but one day, just while he followed the track of an animal, a strong bear suddenly appeared just behind his back... [...] The hunter was so afraid when he saw the big bear just behind his back that he dropped his gun and stared aghast at the animal, who could have crushed him in a couple of seconds. [...] The bear looked at the frail creature who stood tremblingly before him, his gun lying at his feet, and calmly walked away."

"I can believe that, " I said, "for bears have a soul, although they are only at times individualized. By the way, it is easy to say whether the hunter in the story had a soul or not."

"How?"

"If the hunter had a soul, it was impossible for him to take up the gun to shoot after the bear. If he was soulless, he would have done so at once."

"Are there soulless animals too?"

"Oh yes. The animals on the descending branch of life are soulless. [...] Ravens, rats, mice - vermin, for instance."

"They behave like a soulless man?"

"Yes."

"Did these entities inhabit men before?"

"Perhaps, many thousand years ago. When they lost their soul they began to move downward."

"It is very strange. When I visited India I heard so much about progressive evolution - that life always passed upward, that the souls in minerals became souls in plants, then in animals, and after this in man, and that man finally must become an angel and that all this is only a question of time."

"Life would have no meaning if there was no alternative between light and darkness," I said. "There are two currents of life. One is moving upward and the other downward. The moment one loses one's soul one is precipitated into the downward current."

"How can one lose one's soul?"

"By sinning against one's soul."

"By a sensual life?"

"Oh no, in most cases that is a sin against one's body. You may suffer for it in this life or in some future incarnation."

"By treating other's badly, then?"

"No, as a rule, even this is no sin against your soul. You will get your punishment for treating others badly in this or some future incarnation, although wanton cruelty to defenceless creatures, ratlike ingratitude, or an innate tendency to spy on others already reveal a certain degree of soullessness which may be due to sins committed against one's soul in former incarnations."

"Well, then, what is a sin against one's soul?"

"Using spiritual things for selfish purposes. Dragging God down to earth. Trying to put oneself on a level with the Creator."

"Then many of us here sin like that!"

"Yes, but also people in other countries."
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I can't believe you knew what meant. That is it! ;D

I'm reading brothers karamazov for school, and I don't like analyzing fiction for the most part, but this book has really caught my attention.

There is the grand inquisitor who I see as rivaling god wanting to be god and I remembered this quote u found because it had been interesting to read. Anyways reading it over I think I have newer understanding. Anyways thanks alot. Maybe it will be incorporated into my essay lol.

Im going to have to find out more about the book "darkness in tibet". But I am on my phone at the moment.
 
Saying of Gurdjieff

Here is a link to different Gurdjieff quotes.

I have talked with some students (FOF) from a 4th way school at a center here in NY.

They recommened the book - The strange life of the strange life of ivan osokin

Also books about the studies of Gurdjieff's teaching by his students and this is how I came upon this website and I thought this one quote first in well here


"We are sheep kept to provide wool for our masters who feed us and keep us as slaves of illusion. But we have a chance of escape and our masters are anxious to help us, but we like being sheep. It is comfortable."
 
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