Month: June 2015

Vignettes

1.6.15

– Intellectual virtues
Vs.
Moral virtues

– When it comes to survival, the material is the basis of the spiritual.
But when it comes to transformation, the spiritual is the basis of the material.
But ultimately (in the long-term), an exclusive focus on (immediate) survival can lead only to extinction!

– Distinguish:
The physiological
&
The material
&
The economic
&
The commercial
&
The financial

– Peak summer (May & June) – No exercise?

– Spirit ~ virus?

– Nature – how could GOD have created such a brutal universe?
Culture – how could man have created such an inhuman world?

– If you had to choose between your parents & your spouse, who would you prioritize?
It depends…
On what?

– Do you (personally) know any ‘evil people’?
Is there anyone you hate with all your heart?
If so, could you smile & greet that person?
(Is being shallow, selfish & lazy an evil thing?)

– Try to visualize the creatures described in Revelation 4!

– Hebrews 8:5 – Platonic heaven?
Heaven (eternal ideas) –> mountain (the pattern) –> earth (temporal things).
Is the abstract as real as the concrete?

– Shelve it!
What?

– Spirituality/faith + tradition/culture = religion.
Right?

2.6.15

– Was Shakespeare a stoic?
How can one endure without consolation?!

– 2 types of satisfaction – mastery & pleasure

– Unrealistic, illogical & self-defeating thoughts

– CBT/REBT as spiritual warfare – flesh Vs. spirit, rebuking the Devil!

– lucrative

– “Where there is a fire, someone’s gonna get burnt,
But just because you’re burnt doesn’t mean you’re gonna die,
You gotta get up & try, try, try!”
Proverbs 6:27-28  😉
If something is a matter of life & death, how can it (also) be a game??
E.g. Capon on theology

– The joy of innocence
Vs.
The wisdom of maturity

3.6.15

– Distinguish:
Affluence
&
Influence

– What does ‘survival’ mean for the powerful??

– When is external interference in internal affairs necessary or justified?

– The underdog always wins!
WOW  🙂

– Restitution > pacification

– Supporter > well-wisher

– How about a (straight) all-male slut-walk?!

– No exercise, fasting, watching, sleeping apart during peak summer (May-June)…?

4.6.15

– Out of kilter

– In the encounter between Joseph & Potiphar’s wife, who is the (more) powerful?

– Movies:
“Chronicle”
Out of the 3, who do you resemble the most?
Me – Andrew!?

5.6.15

– Umpire’s mentoring!

– Who are the Rohingyas?

– Muslim chaplains

– Moving from selflessness/altruism to unselfishness/compassion!
Self-sacrifice, as an expression of love, can only be a particular act & not a settled disposition…
We must focus on (wisely) disciplining & focusing the self, instead of (foolishly) sacrificing & burying it!

– We must all find a way to make a living, while also doing work that is ethical…
In this world, that is NOT easy!

– “Relationships that focus on fitting the categorical cultural prescriptions are often impersonal. In personal relationships, we respond freely to each other, in ways that the presence of the other calls forth, rather than by following the dictates of societal roles.”

– Maybe Pentecost is the Parousia!

– I need to read at least the TOP & Introduction in all these awesome books!

– Tripartite system (3-day cycle):
1. Systematic study
2. Random learning
3. Freak out

7.6.15

– Movies:
“Men, Women and Children”
Cosmic sex – “So why don’t you just tell me what you want for breakfast?!”
In the larger picture, maybe the little things actually matter much more than the big things!

8.6.15

– Booby prize

– dope

– Movies:
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”
Compare with” Grizzly Man”. Sometimes peaceful coexistence (with the other) only means maintaining a safe distance (between the 2 species)!
Caesar ~ Christ
Good Vs. Evil, not Us Vs. Them

– Indifference < rudeness < cruelty

– The sower, the reaper & the eater

– Relaxation/rest – the verb form of peace!

– Survival is all about coming to grips with what is, the way things are.
Transformation is all about the passion to reach where we ought to be, where we belong.

– “Cymbeline” – What a fucked up movie!
Did Shakespeare also write some bullshit??
Or am I the one who is blind & crass? Am I bold or foolish enough to criticize such a giant?
Should the author have made it more obvious or should the audience have dug deeper?

– Without GOD (faith/spirituality/supernatural/transcendent) man will succumb to the powerful brute forces (always already at work) within himself!

– When I say “You belong to me”, it is possessiveness.
When you say, “I belong to you”, it is togetherness.

9.6.15

– Understanding + discipline + creativity + cooperation = success!

– Self-activation method

– From short-term circumstances to long-term self-interest

– Is love nothing but enlightened self-interest?

– Motivation – shift the focus from conscience to desire!

– Positive fantasizing
Auto-suggestion

– Self-help assignments

– Bio-feedback

– Theology is not a panacea. It deals exclusively with the ultimate questions.
For other (smaller) issues, there is Biology, Psychology, etc.

– Spiritually promiscuous

– polymath
culturalist

– liminal
transitional

10.6.15

– The Protestant Reformation as sexual revolution!

– The vision/prophecy:
In your pursuit of intellectual sophistication, you have become a spiritual fool.
You are now nailed to a cross. But you will be delivered by God and anointed once again to serve Him powerfully…!

– Distinguish:
Excommunication
&
Personal hurt