From: agno429@acs.bu.edu
Message-Id: <199607181703.NAA443532@acs.bu.edu>
Subject: Re: Is this a repeat, or just a software abberation?
To: twc-l@halmarax.demon.co.uk
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 13:03:29 -0400 (EDT)
In-Reply-To: <19960706.202445.89@halmarax.demon.co.uk> from "Tony Halmarack" at Jul 6, 96 08:24:45 pm
>
> In message <19960706.173620.73@halmarax.demon.co.uk> several people
> including agno249 and Kevin Jones wrote:
>
> > > agno429@acs.bu.edu said:
> > >
> > > >your message sounds like 'the spirit medium preparing his death.'
> > >
> > > Well, you may as well do a good job of it. I have no plans myself
> > > to die just yet. Then again, I may well have to help a friend
> > > with it in the future. We have similar views. Then again, she
> > > keeps putting it off - she's got far too much to do at the
> > > moment! ;-)
>
> I think many of us do and will need all the help we can get.
> Some of us may have time to progress to a state of enlightenment,
> or at least a state of equanimity in the face of death, through the
> practice of one of a wide variety of disciplines. I believe that for
> many people this would be the most beneficial option.
> However, there will be many an individual facing death with fear and
> trepidation, sans an appropriate state of consciousness, due either to
> lack of time, ability or awareness of such options.
what helped me with my person view of death was the line:
'death is like a flower petal falling to the ground.'
it's a zen buddhist view.
> One of the main reasons that I and some other people I know might miss
> the boat when it comes to esoteric or plain faith based routes to
> a peaceful death, is that our lives have been a relentless journey
> through the all consuming materialism encouraged by our culture.
> Some of us know of nothing else, until suddenly faced by materialism's
> ultimate contradiction.
an enjoyment of poetry helps the mind towards the esoteric,
or the koan of zen. a willingness to pause the worries, and
enjoy a phrase or two ... entertaining the imagination even
for a short while.
> > > >i haven't been on an astral journey of my mindscape in a long
> > > >time,but thinking about them hasn't helped my self esteem much.
> > >
> > > What's the problem?
i haven't happened on the right time.
> > > >i am just reminded that my destiny is to die and to go from
> > > >there. whether i must carry on, who is to say?
> > >
> > > It probably depends if you want to go on or if you've had enough.
> > > Then again it may also depend on whether there's anything left
> > > to do. Unfortunately life (and death) doesn't come with a user's
> > > manual. It would be helpful. You could just turn to page 253 for
> > > the answers instead of trying to sort them out as you go along.
i enjoy driving a car. just the drive. the destination isn't what
puts a smile on my face when i shut the door and do what i got to
do. i enjoy the drive. i now understand the metaphor of:
enjoying the journey more so than the answers.
"questions are like a ring of keys ..." to what they open...
note: i don't enjoy driving all the time. i'm more of a country-road
kinda guy. highway driving usually gets me tense.
i enjoy just driving within town. i live in the 'burbs.
> > > Anyway, death is certain for everything - including stars and
> > > universes. All you can do is put it off. That's the absolute
> > > best you can do. In traditional martial arts this is something
> > > you learn early - that you could die at any time; maybe even
> > > in the next second (in combat that's true). So you consider
> > > yourself already dead. The fear goes when you accept it and,
> > > oddly enough, life becomes sharper. You see things you
> > > otherwise missed or took for granted and you leave very little
> > > undone. Most of the reasons why people are upset at funerals
> > > are down to what my father calls 'unfinished business'. Things
> > > were left unsaid that should have been said, undone that should
> > > have been done or said and were never unsaid. Now it's too late
> > > and you never get the chance to put things right.
i get sad, 'cause all that's left are memories.
images of who the person was. the band toad the wet sprocket
has a neet song, "walk on the ocean" off of 'fear'
a couple lines are:
we don't even have pictures
just memories to hold
that grow sweeter each season
as we slowly grow old
i've never been too good with goodbyes.
> > > Me, I've been to a lot of funerals. I very nearly know all the
> > > funeral services by heart. I don't leave unfinished business
> > > behind - especially when I get the feeling that it's the last
> > > time I'm going to see someone.
> > >
> > > >i'm not into hallucinagens, because my personal delusion is
> > > >goodly messed up as it is.
>
>
>
> Do you think this will right itself in the normal course of events?
the way things are, who is to say?
i need to let the normal course flow. i have to step back onto
my path. i've got to stop this internal hatred. i've just got
to let the insides heal up some more.
> Do you think that a dying person in this state could be led to
> a more acceptable reality by the use of hallucinogens and the
> sympathetic help of experienced guides?
if you find a good angle on the person.
for me. it's music and sing song prose.
stuff by a techno/world music band by the name of Deep Forest.
i dig them a lot. you'd get me tranced out -- and ready to
fly by my astral wings -- in no time. with Deep Forest.
or just good music. i'm fickle.
another person's angle might be visual stimuli, good friends.
a comfy lazy boy chair. what have you.
anthony.
eebi.