Comments on: Die your potential http://sashen.com/blog/91/die-your-potential/ Investigations on the Psycho-Spiritual Life Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:32:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: ellen http://sashen.com/blog/91/die-your-potential/#comment-32121 ellen Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:02:07 +0000 http://sashen.com/blog/?p=91#comment-32121 I'll willingly forgo the award as you are probably right, I doubt if old U.G. believed in anything much after his calamity. I never met the man but have enjoyed reading his stuff--all free to read on his website (he refused to claim any kind of copyright on his words but had followers who collated books of his talks)---and guess that he was entertaining company. What strikes me about him is that for about 40 years he was consistently and pragmatically sane and rational in all his utterances with a startling simplicity that shows up how muddled and mad most so-called 'spiritual' thinking is. Hope you enjoy your breakfast. ellen I’ll willingly forgo the award as you are probably right, I doubt if old U.G. believed in anything much after his calamity. I never met the man but have enjoyed reading his stuff–all free to read on his website (he refused to claim any kind of copyright on his words but had followers who collated books of his talks)—and guess that he was entertaining company. What strikes me about him is that for about 40 years he was consistently and pragmatically sane and rational in all his utterances with a startling simplicity that shows up how muddled and mad most so-called ’spiritual’ thinking is.
Hope you enjoy your breakfast.
ellen

]]> By: sashen http://sashen.com/blog/91/die-your-potential/#comment-32105 sashen Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:49:51 +0000 http://sashen.com/blog/?p=91#comment-32105 Hi Ellen, Hmmm... I'm not sure if it counts if someone no longer believes in the idea of "potential" or a "me" who is doing anything ;-) But, I await the receipt of the printed or audio material before I release your award ;-) BTW, the "challenge" is tricky. I think if anyone examines their experience and their thoughts carefully, they'll notice something like: It's possible to imagine many things that one might do that one hasn't done yet (for me, I'll include having breakfast in a few minutes). But given how "potential" is just an idea (one that doesn't exist in some other cultures), the idea of "living up to" one's potential (or not), is meaningless. That said, I can't wait for my breakfast... eggs and a brownie left over from last night's dessert ;-) Hi Ellen,

Hmmm… I’m not sure if it counts if someone no longer believes in the idea of “potential” or a “me” who is doing anything ;-)

But, I await the receipt of the printed or audio material before I release your award ;-)

BTW, the “challenge” is tricky. I think if anyone examines their experience and their thoughts carefully, they’ll notice something like: It’s possible to imagine many things that one might do that one hasn’t done yet (for me, I’ll include having breakfast in a few minutes). But given how “potential” is just an idea (one that doesn’t exist in some other cultures), the idea of “living up to” one’s potential (or not), is meaningless.

That said, I can’t wait for my breakfast… eggs and a brownie left over from last night’s dessert ;-)

]]> By: ellen http://sashen.com/blog/91/die-your-potential/#comment-32102 ellen Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:02:43 +0000 http://sashen.com/blog/?p=91#comment-32102 Tongue firmly in cheek, I'm going to respond to your first challenge---a man who claimed to have completely fulfilled his potential was U.G. Krishnamurti, the virulent anti-guru, who's actual claim was that he was a 'finished man'. Having gone through an experience he labelled 'the calamity', some kind of neurological process that destroyed his ability to experience himself as a continuous Self, the sort of concrete entity most of us imagine 'ourselves' to be, he went on to refute all objects of thought as false and misleading. He refuted the 'experience' of enlightenment as once the imaginary mental construct of 'Self' was debunked there was no-one there to experience anything. What was interesting and unique about his conclusions was that he did not conclude as a result of this that he was God, spiritual or a part of anything whoo whoo cosmic, the phrase 'quantum physics' does not figure at any point, but rather that he and all of us are of no greater or lesser importance in the grand scheme of things than the mosquito currently sucking the blood on your arm. He pointed out that ALL our human manouverings without exception, stemming as they do from thought, (with the primary driving thought being 'how do I get what I want') were power plays. His claim of being a finished man rested on his refutation of thought itself as being anything other than a chimera. His collected answers to his many questioners are hilarious and refreshing, a bit like yours Steven. I love your blog. ellen Tongue firmly in cheek, I’m going to respond to your first challenge—a man who claimed to have completely fulfilled his potential was U.G. Krishnamurti, the virulent anti-guru, who’s actual claim was that he was a ‘finished man’. Having gone through an experience he labelled ‘the calamity’, some kind of neurological process that destroyed his ability to experience himself as a continuous Self, the sort of concrete entity most of us imagine ‘ourselves’ to be, he went on to refute all objects of thought as false and misleading. He refuted the ‘experience’ of enlightenment as once the imaginary mental construct of ‘Self’ was debunked there was no-one there to experience anything.
What was interesting and unique about his conclusions was that he did not conclude as a result of this that he was God, spiritual or a part of anything whoo whoo cosmic, the phrase ‘quantum physics’ does not figure at any point, but rather that he and all of us are of no greater or lesser importance in the grand scheme of things than the mosquito currently sucking the blood on your arm. He pointed out that ALL our human manouverings without exception, stemming as they do from thought, (with the primary driving thought being ‘how do I get what I want’) were power plays. His claim of being a finished man rested on his refutation of thought itself as being anything other than a chimera.
His collected answers to his many questioners are hilarious and refreshing, a bit like yours Steven.
I love your blog.
ellen

]]> By: sashen http://sashen.com/blog/91/die-your-potential/#comment-32010 sashen Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:34:00 +0000 http://sashen.com/blog/?p=91#comment-32010 I think, Stever, that you're not living up to your potential in detailing how well you're not living up to your potential! If you are in fact, as many New Age and neo-Advaita teachers will say, God... and, in fact, you cannot do those things that God is supposed to be able to do (say, make a universe), then the gap between where you are and your full potential is practically infinite! Which, though, STILL makes you the winner ;-) I think, Stever, that you’re not living up to your potential in detailing how well you’re not living up to your potential!

If you are in fact, as many New Age and neo-Advaita teachers will say, God… and, in fact, you cannot do those things that God is supposed to be able to do (say, make a universe), then the gap between where you are and your full potential is practically infinite!

Which, though, STILL makes you the winner ;-)

]]> By: Stever Robbins http://sashen.com/blog/91/die-your-potential/#comment-32009 Stever Robbins Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:27:11 +0000 http://sashen.com/blog/?p=91#comment-32009 Oh, Steven, I *know* I'm not living up to my full potential. My consolation? I *win* the "biggest gap between where you are and your full potential" contest. I learned to program computers in Albuquerque, New Mexico just as a teenager down the block named Bill was founding Microsoft. We definitely started from the same beginnings, and now HE'S the 2nd richest man in the world, and I'm the 2nd poorest man on my block. The despair of it all! On the other hand... Bill looks kinda like a potato, and he *is* Microsoft's chief architect. Both of those facts speak for themselves, don't you think? - Stever Oh, Steven,

I *know* I’m not living up to my full potential. My consolation? I *win* the “biggest gap between where you are and your full potential” contest. I learned to program computers in Albuquerque, New Mexico just as a teenager down the block named Bill was founding Microsoft. We definitely started from the same beginnings, and now HE’S the 2nd richest man in the world, and I’m the 2nd poorest man on my block.

The despair of it all!

On the other hand… Bill looks kinda like a potato, and he *is* Microsoft’s chief architect. Both of those facts speak for themselves, don’t you think?

- Stever

]]> By: sashen http://sashen.com/blog/91/die-your-potential/#comment-31947 sashen Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:44:26 +0000 http://sashen.com/blog/?p=91#comment-31947 While I *thought* I knew them, I did Google to confirm which unhappy-looking dead white guy was on each bill (I tend to forget Hamilton). While I *thought* I knew them, I did Google to confirm which unhappy-looking dead white guy was on each bill (I tend to forget Hamilton).

]]> By: Ann O'Johnson http://sashen.com/blog/91/die-your-potential/#comment-31946 Ann O'Johnson Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:33:13 +0000 http://sashen.com/blog/?p=91#comment-31946 Well-written. LMAO. Did you have to look up who was on the various denominations of bills or do you already know that? My bet is on the latter. Love, Ann Well-written. LMAO.

Did you have to look up who was on the various denominations of bills or do you already know that? My bet is on the latter.

Love, Ann

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