Tao Te Thursday

2/23/2012

The Tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named
is not the eternal name.

The unnamable is the eternally real.
Naming is the origin
of all particular things.

Free from desire, you realize the mystery.
Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.

Yet mystery and manifestations
arise from the same source.
This source is called darkness.

Darkness within darkness.
The gateway to all understanding. Verse One, Stephen Mitchell translation

To this I just want to add a little commentary from an author published in one of my favorite anthologies: The Best Buddhist Writing (2008). Author Lin Jensen writes: "Wei Wu Wei is not a kind, passive inaction, but rather a movement in concert with circumstance. Nondoing ultimately means trusting the wisdom of the universe to show the way rather than imposing one's arbitrary will upon it. As Lao-tzu puts it: 'The Tao never does anything, yet through it all things are done.'"

mistah charley, ph.d.

2/23/2012 02:59:07 am

Here is John Heider's rendering:

Tao means how: how things happen, how things work. Tao is the single principle underlying all creation. Tao is God.

Tao cannot be defined, because it applies to everything. You cannot define something in terms of itself.

If you can define a principle, it is not Tao.

Tao is a principle. Creation, on the other hand, is a process. That is all there is: principle and process, how and what.

All creation unfolds according to Tao. There is no other way.

Tao cannot be defined, but Tao can be known. The method is meditation, or being aware of what is happening. Being aware of what is happening, I begin to see how it is happening. I begin to sense Tao.

To become aware of what is happening, I must pay attention with an open mind. I must set aside my personal prejudices of bias. Prejudiced people see only what fits those prejudices.

The method of meditation works, because principle and process are inseparable. All process reveals the underlying principle. This means that I can know Tao. I can know God.

By knowing Tao, I know how things happen.

psp parts link

5/17/2012 05:24:37 pm

Hi your comments are very nice thank you for sharing.

Laura Novak

2/23/2012 03:34:48 am

Thank you again, MC!! Nice to see that God and the Tao are not mutually exclusive. Many people would take comfort in that!

Life, the Tao, & Everything - mistah charley, ph.d. link

2/24/2012 08:12:09 pm

Ursula K. Le Guin writes, "A satisfactory translation of this chapter is, I believe, perfectly impossible. It contains the book. I see it as the Aleph, in Borges' story: if you see it rightly, it contains everything."

I am reminded of Gustav Fechner, 19th century experimental psychophysicist and metaphysician, who said, "Of all miracles, the greatest is that anything exists at all."

The first translation of the Tao Te Ching I owned in book form was by Witter Bynner. His wording for this chapter was:

"Existence is beyond the power of words
To define:
Terms may be used
But are none of them absolute.
In the beginning of heaven and earth there were no words,
Words came out of the womb of matter;
And whether a man dispassionately
Sees to the core of life
Or passionately
Sees the surface,
The core and the surface
Are essentially the same,
Words making them seem different
Only to express appearance.
If name be needed, wonder names them both:
From wonder into wonder
Existence opens."

As I write this, my wife's mother is in the hospital and not responding to treatment. As Monty Python's Eric Idle put it, in his "look on the bright side" song that ends The Life of Brian - "You know, you come from nothing - you're going back to nothing. What have you lost? Nothing!"

And on the other hand, Idries Shah, in his book Wisdom of the Idiots, quotes this Dervish Song:

It may be SAID: “They came in vain”
Let it not BE that they came in vain.

We leave this, the bequest, to you;
We finished what we could, we left the rest to you.

Remember, this work is entrusted -
Remember, beloved, we shall meet again.

Laura Novak

2/25/2012 03:06:49 am

MC, I hold you in my thoughts. And I hope you do believe that you'll meet again. I do believe in that. Thank you for commenting so wisely all the time. Let us know what happens. laura

Ottoline

2/25/2012 06:17:15 am

Hi MC -- Thinking of you at your difficult time. Wishing you and yours well.

mistah charley, ph.d.

2/25/2012 07:24:46 pm

Thank you for your good wishes, cyberfriends.

For a while I was living la vida académica, and at a meeting I went to I met a fellow named Bill who taught psychology at a Catholic college in the Washington, DC suburbs. We spoke of "transpersonal psychology", which is an attempt to use the contemporary vocabulary of that social science to speak of "mysticism", and he summarized for me the three basic foundational assertions of mysticism so clearly that I have never forgotten them (unlike his last name, which feels as if it's in my mouth someplace, if not quite on the tip of my tongue). These are

1. The universe is here on purpose

2. Human beings have, or could have, some connection with that purpose.

3. It is possible to develop one's ability to understand and consciously participate in furthering that purpose.

This is not so different from the central message of Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, which is both an entertaining film AND a work of applied philosophy. I discuss it at www.tinyurl.com/25wbddu

May peace be with us all.

mistah charley, ph.d.

2/26/2012 12:59:17 am

"Bill" is Bill Bruck.

Ottoline

2/26/2012 01:43:00 am

MC -- Your link's paragraph on bees reminds me of a similar description on bees that I entitled "Bees Like White Flowers Best," a tongue-in-cheek title to make it fit my collection of photos/articles on 50+ all-white gardens. I am also reminded of a colleague once lecturing me about "lenses" re our approach to published information, which I did not understand at the time. I think it meant "info-aggregators," with different lenses having different characteristics: the NYT, PBS, Nat'l Enquirer, and even blogs on the Palin Hoax (lenses through which I have viewed the larger political process and learned a lot more distressing stuff than I expected). Of course different eras offer different lenses, one's education makes one see differently than someone else through a given lens, etc. I don't fully grasp this concept, but I see my need to optimize my lenses as I struggle with web info (and other info) to cast as wide a net as I want, yet filter out the junk, and do it as fast as possible. Or just give up in exhaustion with it and go outside to do a little weeding. Hope the hospital ordeal is going as well as it possibly can, MC. It's very hard, I know.

Laura Novak

2/26/2012 03:34:02 am

MC, it's natural that your mind might not be retaining all these details right now. Anyone seen my car keys, by the way? I agree with Ottoline: I hope the ordeal goes as well as possible. And thank you for offering us more of your intelligence, humor and insight. Always look on the bright side of life, do do, dododododooo. Be well.

Ottoline

2/26/2012 04:19:03 am

MC and Laura -- I'm writing again because I think you MC might be at the hospital and a little mindless chat might help you get through a few minutes. Well actually, not that mindless. Two major developments in our Hoax research:

KAO on PoGates figured out who erikZipCode-of-Gusty-home-town is: Dan Carpenter, the man at the left on the 3 Amigos photo. KAO found a photo-share site, his, in which he captions the photo as "Me, SP, McAllister." Dan's middle name is Erik and he is from the same town as Gusty. Dan did not start working for SP until Aug. Remember we are noodling the idea that this photo op was set up in Aug as extra ammo (to use if needed) to show SP as heavily pregnant, with the possible help of the RNC team or at its direction. I posted the long-winded scenario I have always suspected, and it seems to fit. Esp since the boxes in the hallway could be from the end of the Aug 2008 session, and CheerioGirl noticed that the exif data on the pics shows 11:30pm, which fits with the dark windows a lot better than "live at 5" (sunset was 3 hrs later, at 8 pm that day).

Here is my scenario:

http://politicalgates.blogspot.com/2012/02/annoy-palin-watch-game-change-full.html#comment-448381233

I think we need just maybe a couple more data points to validate this scenario, but not sure from whom. Laura are you up for phoning the anchor on the video? As a colleague?

Matt Nordin -- mnordin *at* wmbfnews.com

http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/8547854/matthew-nordin

It's encouraging that he has moved to the East Coast. Even if he wants to stay out of it, I wonder if he would tell you in strict confidence whether this is a vector worth pursuing? Or not.

There's also been some hard-to-believe info re Floyd's "stench" issue:

http://tinyurl.com/7afwus8

Could this be false? I sure would like to see how the proof of the connection works (if it does). This kind of allegation, if true, does not change the facts of the Palin Hoax, but it sure makes it hard if not impossible to work with in the real world.

2/26/2012 12:53:14 pm

Ottoline, in the comments to his last post, Floyd Orr stated he will disclose Fred's identity if it is confirmed that the Wild Ride will not be published.

http://niafs.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012.html

So many people claim to know things. Either the have amazing research skills or they are blowing smoke.

Lovely post, Laura.

Laura Novak

2/26/2012 07:25:12 am

Geeze, Ottoline, thank you! I had to go out and now am going to go back and devour the entire thing. Wow, just when things quiet down. I hope this DOES distract Mistah Charley for some fun. Thank you for alerting us!

Ottoline

2/26/2012 01:35:56 pm

Not really fun, once you see what it is, but definitely an unexpected turn of events.

Freckles

2/26/2012 11:20:42 am

Mistah Charley--wishing for the best possible outcomes for you and your family.

Ottoline, when I went to your tinyurl, the page was blank. Could you tell us what you're talking about?

Thanks.

Ottoline

2/26/2012 12:28:38 pm

Freckles -- just checked it and it works for me. But here is the long version:

http://sarahpalinhasaserpentsheart.blogspot.com/2012/02/freds-babygate-book.html?showComment=1330282931884#c7395859672248186884

2/26/2012 12:54:53 pm

MC, I will also keep your family in my thoughts.

grannyj

2/26/2012 01:03:48 pm

Mistah Charley- I am thinking of you and your family.

Ottoline

2/26/2012 01:39:12 pm

Up -- Fred is supposedly identified. See that last link I gave. But let's not jump to conclusions until we see that this is real. It could be a smear.

2/27/2012 09:00:42 am

agreed. There have been quite a few new comments on that thread since yesterday but the ones pointing fingers are anonymous. However the imdb photo of Bethany Burke looks just like I imagined Audrey. ;-)

2/28/2012 07:20:35 am

The imdb photo doesn't look anything like the Bethany Burke in a video someone at serpent's heart posted a link to (since removed). The video was about the making of a movie and likely was the BB said by some to be Audrey and Anne Briggs.

2/28/2012 10:54:49 am

My mistake. Link to Bethany Burke was not deleted:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqvCuHfZLMc

An aging hippie? Erotica, counterculture, labor and lactation helper, fighting circumcision, etc. could fit an aging hippie image.

1) where I'm at 2) where "Fred" is at --- mistah charley, ph.d. link

2/26/2012 09:13:24 pm

Thanks to all for the kind thoughts. To clarify the situation, missus charley is with her family of origin in her South American country of origin, while I remain here with our cat. I remain here because of my inability to speak her language of origin, which would make me a burden in practical terms, because of the expense of travel, and because I do not trust anyone else to care for the cat (she is not young, and hides from strangers). I hear from missus charley by phone, Skype, and email. Last night I heard her mother had rallied a bit and was now responding to her daughters. One of the prayers missus charley and I repeat each night is the one named after St.Francis - it begins "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace" and ends "it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life". Sometimes we also pray St. Fred Rogers' Prayer - "Thank you, God."

Turning our attention to the assertions re Fred, author of the unpublshed Babygate expose, we see some interesting things on the page of the fellow Floyd Orr has fingered - Frederick S. Lane, author of "Obscene Profits: The Entrepreneurs of Pornography in the Cyber Age". For example, his taking a serious interest in Palin could be explained by his professional interests overlapping the case of the unfortunate college student who guessed Palin's password, revealed some info about her, and got sent to prison for a year for his trouble. See Wikipedia article on "Sarah Palin email hack."

As to what is so scandalous in Fred's background that he dare not publish his book, as Floyd Orr asserts, I can only speculate. Perhaps he has been convicted of something or other, although this seems unlikely given his current position as Chair of the School Board in his town (asserted on the Amazon page of the Obscene Profits book). Or maybe his detailed knowledge of the big business of internet porn comes from a too-close perspective as a participant-observer of either him and/or his alleged Palinospheric co-author (Anonymous asserts a connection to Bethany's Woodshed, which features "spanking" stories).

In any case, the wires are heating up over at Politicalgates with new info re the details of Babygate and the suppression of the inquiry of the Anchorage Daily News, from the recent release of redacted emails, which I am not following.

One last note - Frederick Lane is scheduled to appear in Anchorage TONIGHT - Alaska Society for Education in Technology, Anchorage, AK, 27 February 2012. Keynote address on the issues discussed in Cybertraps for the Young.

http://www.fredericklane.com/

mistah charley, ph.d.

2/27/2012 11:18:02 pm

Floyd Orr denies he was the Anonymous that fingered Fred at Serpent's Heart. In my opinion, Floyd's explanation of what he, Floyd, did and didn't do in terms of sharing information is convincing.

anon

3/11/2012 09:26:01 am

he was disbarred for misuse of clients funds in 2002 and re-instated in 2008. Plus real nice article on him (eyeroll), here:
http://frontpagemag.com/2010/03/15/vermont-schools-to-celebrate-islamic-feast/

that's all i could find.

Ottoline

2/27/2012 12:14:32 am

MC: Good to know your dear cat is taking care of you. I know mine (and the dog) take good care of me in my worst times.

2/27/2012 09:28:41 am

There may be something to this, if Robt Stacy McCain is to be believed that his commenter Annieb393 is Audrey.

http://rsmccain.blogspot.com/search/label/Trig%20Truther

Read his post "Who is Annieb393" to see the link between Audrey & Annie.

This is what I found googling annieb393 + Charlottesville .

http://va.bizdirlib.com/category/city/Charlottesville?page=226

Ottoline

2/27/2012 02:48:38 pm

Hi Up:

"If RSMcC" is to be believed"? That's a bad way to start anything! Esp because he repeats two errors that many others have also made:
-- The Apr 19 birth of Trig and the end-Dec birthday of Tripp make it impossible for both babies to be Bristol's. Any woman can tell you that fudging birth dates to make things fit better is a time-tested trick that usually fools at least the men. And we have other reasons to think those dates are off.
-- JSMcC says it's more likely that SP (vs anyone younger) gave birth to a DS child, which reveals no understanding of the fact that more DS babies are born to the young than to the old: the far greater numbers of the former way exceed the effect of the higher probability of DS for older mothers. And that probabilities are interesting for prediction but less so for retrospect, because low-probability things DO happen, and then the 2% probability has turned into a 100% reality.

So he starts his post with two spurious arguments. Already i am ready to click away. However . . .

-- I see that annieb393 is associated with ABCD Webmasters
-- So we know that Bethany = annieb393
-- The self-descriptions and quotes of annieb393 and Audrey are almost identical but that alone does not prove they are; annieb appears first. I guess it's possible that Audrey could have copied her online persona from annieb.
-- The page that is supposed to connect Anne Briggs and annieb393 is either missing or I'm not searching right. (Order info for the Briggs book is supposed to show annieb393.) That's a big missing link for me.

Am I not seeing something obvious? How do we know Anne Briggs is Audrey? I guess if RSM blackmailed Anne and Audrey quit blogging, that's pretty clear.

Yes I am being picky because it would not be fair to be wrong with something like this.

Ottoline

2/27/2012 03:29:42 pm

Okay I found it: a web page that shows AB, annieb393, ABCD Graphics and Design and the address that matches. So it all connects I am very sad to say.

So now we must focus on the facts of the hoax, not on the personal characteristics of those who have clarified those facts.

2/28/2012 10:29:18 am

Exactly.

Audrey was probably as surprised as the rest of us that her website wasn't a few months at most in existence, just long enough for the media to see the overwhelming evidence that a sitting governor faked her pregnancy. She wasn't planning yet another internet writing business. I'm grateful she left Palin Deception as reference material.

Audrey and Fred have too much to lose in attacks of the Palinites if they publish their book. Someone else--Brad, Patrick, another one of us--could pick up the project. But the books so far that have revealed more of the dangers of Palin actually haven't made a big, permanent dent in her national presence.

So where do we stand?

We need to think of ways other than or in addition to a book or a blog to carry our Babygate message to the masses.

And Gryphen needs to admit we're not going to see The Wild Ride and stop withholding from his blog the new evidence that is in the book (or that came from MeAgain). Someone else may be able to use it to put the puzzle pieces together or to convince the masses to pay attention.

mistah charley, ph.d.

2/27/2012 10:37:17 pm

Floyd Orr, at his own blog "Nonfiction in a Fictional Style", has denied that he is the "Anonymous" who outed Fred and Audrey in the Serpent's Heart comments, but also states this is something he has known for months and has a lot of confirmation for. I believe him on both counts.

In the course of following up the hints and links given by the nameless commenter (and perhaps there is even more, possibly even worse, that I did not see) I found enough skeletons in the closet to adequately explain why someone, and especially someone's wife and family, would not want to be publicly associated with the exposure of the Wild Ride, with what it says not only about a former governor, but the very highest circles of power in our country. Anyone associated with an attack on those circles should expect blowback, of course, and someone with one foot in the world of respectability could find that footing dislodged.

Who among us is in a position to cast the first stone at Fred and Audrey? Fred was very sloppy with funds entrusted to him, and when he was found out made a full confession and reimbursement and resigned his law license. It seems clear that both Fred and Audrey have derived income from participating in purveying sexually-oriented entertainment to consenting adults. How bad is that? Verizon, in my very own home, offers me pay-per-view ooportunities to see that kind of thing. A Supreme Court justice is well known to have rented many explicit videos in the days when one went to the store to get them on VHS.

If the Babygate manuscript were offered to me, to publish under my own name, I would probably decline because of my own history of crimes, misdemeanors, and embarrassing missteps, only some of which have come to the attention of the authorities and would show up in a Google search. It seems as if Palin's accuser, like Caesar's wife, must be above suspicion. Or else be like Shailey Tripp, who has just published her book about Todd - "when you ain't got nothin', you got nothin' to lose," in Dylan's memorable phrase.

Let us not talk falsely now. The hour's getting late.

2/28/2012 11:21:03 am

I did not follow all the ABCD links for AnnieB. The one I did check was no big deal. As long as no trafficking was involved what consenting adults do on their own time is their own business, even if it gives my inner 12year old boy a fit of giggles.

Babygate needs a Spokesmodel - mistah charley, ph.d.

2/28/2012 12:22:56 am

Since getting Verizon FIOS as my tv source early this year, I have not taken advantage of the opportunity they afford me to see porn on a pay per view basis. One thing I have done, however, is spend time watching a number of shows with reporting and commentary on current events - like those on CNN, MSNBC, and FoxNews. I think shows like this - and their radio counterparts - are probably THE major channel for influencing mass opinion these days - opinion leaders watch these, as well as appear on these, and those further from the center see these and then relay what they hear to members of their social networks who are less politically engaged.

If a Babygate book is published, it will have impact to the extent that the author can appear on these programs and talk with members of the commentariat, and get the members of the commentariat to talk among themselves, about the Wild Ride hoax and the other evidence.

Joe Friday would say (and now I can watch Dragnet reruns on my tv, as well as in my head) - "just the facts, ma'am". But obviously it's NOT just the facts. It's all done with people, and people respond to the whole package. Fred and/or Audrey are tainted.

Who can we turn to? In the words of the song from "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying", we need someone people can not only believe, but believe in.

"You have the cool, clear
Eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth;
Yet there's that upturned chin
And that grin of impetuous youth.
Oh, I believe in you.
I believe in you.

I hear the sound of good, solid judgment
Whenever you talk;
Yet there's the bold, brave spring of the tiger
That quickens your walk.
Oh, I believe in you.
I believe in you.

And when my faith in my fellow man
All but falls apart,
I've but to feel your hand grasping mine
And I take heart; I take heart

To see the cool, clear
Eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth;
Yet, with the slam-bang tang
Reminiscent of gin and vermouth.
Oh, I believe in you.
I believe in you." ---song by Frank Loesser

I am sorry that Fred and Audrey can't do this, but they can't, no matter how knowledgeable and sincere a presentation they can make (sincerity is important - Obama was elected President because he can appear to be sincere, and Romney might well have been his successor except he is NOT skilled at appearing to be sincere).

Who else is there? Joe McGinniss didn't go there. I sense that Brad S. has fewer fans among antiPalinistas than he had several months ago. Floyd Orr might be a possibility. He would have to put out a smaller and more focused book - and talking on tv would require a very disciplined approach, to hit only the high points.

Ideally, though, the Spokesmodel would be a woman, preferably someone who has given birth. She would have a plausible back story for why she worked so hard to reveal Palin's falsehood - maybe she has had a child with medical issues herself. She would be familiar with the media jungle. Maybe she could strike a deal with those who have accumulated data and documents so a lot of the work that has already gone into this wouldn't have to be redone. Nevertheless, the book that emerged would have to be truly her own synthesis.

If only we could find a heroine like this.

2/28/2012 07:08:31 am

Maybe this heroine could be Finding Clarity on Babygate where the mainstream media has failed?

grannyj

2/28/2012 08:46:22 am

Yes. If only...

Margot Woodrough link

6/18/2012 02:16:35 am

Please get in touch with me. I have NOTHING to hide. Just Google me and see. Husband is Stephens B. Woodrough. I've been on this story since 3:00 pm on August 29 2008 and know it backwards and forwards. Also know how to get a book published. Let me know.

Margot

10/5/2012 08:44:11 am

I am she contact me no backgrou

Laura Novak

2/28/2012 12:31:44 am

Continued problems with our Intertubes. I will read up on all of these links now. And I know I owe one of you an email. Will try to get to that later today. Okay, now, I'll start reading. Thank you all!!

Laura Novak

2/28/2012 09:24:35 am

Ah, I am flattered. And it's truly an intriguing topic, one that might benefit from being brought into focus in one consolidated place. But I have my reasons for not wanting to be involved. So the baton must go to someone else, alas!

Light of the world, shine on me --- mistah charley, ph.d.

2/28/2012 09:23:34 pm

A comment on the situation of those near and dear to my heart, who are so far away in miles - la mama is declining, I hear. Thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers - the pastor of the church we attend says "prayer accomplishes more than we ever see" - and it might be true.

The same quirky genius whose most heard song is "I don't want to work, I want to bang on the drum all day" also wrote "Love is the Answer", recorded by England Dan and John Ford Coley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arQYdII7uDc

Name your price
A ticket to paradise
I can't stay here any more
And I've looked high and low
I've been from shore, to shore, to shore
If there's a short cut I'd have found it
But there is no easy way around it

Light of the world, shine on me
Love is the answer
Shine on us all
Set us free
Love is the answer

Who knows why
Someday we all must die
We're all homeless boys and girls
And we are never heard
It's such a lonely, lonely, lonely world
People turn their heads
And walk on by
Tell me is it worth just another try

Light of the world, shine on me
Love is the answer
Shine on us all
Set us free
Love is the answer

Tell me, are we alive
Or just a dying planet
(What are the chances)

Ask the man in your heart
For the answer

And when you feel afraid
(Love one another)
When you've lost your way
(Love one another)
And when you're all alone
(Love one another)
And when you're far from home
(Love one another)
And when you're down and out
(Love one another)
And when your hopes run out
(Love one another)
And when you need a friend
(Love one another)
And when you're near the end
(Love)
(We've got to love)
(We've got to love one another)

Light of the world, shine on me
Love is the answer
Shine on us all
Set us free
Love is the answer
------ words and music by Todd Rundgren

Laura Novak

2/29/2012 12:47:42 am

Thank you MC; I've always loved TR's songs and lyrics, no matter who sings them. You're in all our thoughts, I am sure. We have a friend who just moved into the next universe and I know he's at peace. I wish all of you that for now. Keep us posted. You sound like a good spouse.

Ottoline

2/29/2012 01:09:42 am

". . . AND a good writer," to borrow E.B. White's parting shot in "Charlotte's Web." I've always smiled at that line. (Didn't catch it the first 32 times I read the book aloud.)

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