Bill’s Musings
Quotes
The following quote from William Ellery Channing is profound, in that it says clearly WHY we have our Sunday Symposium (now entering its 16th year):
“It is chiefly through books that we enjoy intercourse with superior minds… in the best books… great men and women talk to us… give us their most precious thoughts… and pour their souls into ours.”
—William Ellery Channing
On patriotism:
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile…but is morally treasonable to the American people.”
—Theodore Roosevelt, 26th US President (1858-1919)
Here’s a lovely quote from Rumi, who was a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic jurist, theologian, and mystic. Although Rumi’s works were written in Persian, his importance transcends national and ethnic borders and translations of his works are very popular in other countries.
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing……..
there is a field……..I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass……….
the world is too full to talk about……..
Ideas….languge, even the phrase…’each other’
doesn’t make any sense……..”
—Rumi
Other Gems
The Hopi, Einstein and living in the present
As for the Hopi language….they are not linear…..but cyclic…in their language. Einstein said that a 12 year old Hopi child could understand his theory better than any math professor……why….? Because, he said the Hopi child is living his theory….no past or future….no masculine or feminine……only present neuter……. now…..running….eating…. playing, only the moment……wonderful…….
That is why I love the Hopi language….NO past and future…..only the present moment…as for the past….”when its over say good bye”….one of my best lectures…in all humility. ..and as for the future….it can really kill the present moment if you are living ”out there” waiting for more money….more security….more anything… waiting for retirement….for the kids to leave home…. worrying about what others think…about you….or about anything. As some giant thinker said…..there comes a time when you say…’this is me…. and the rest of the world can go to hell…” now…that is freedom…….
On reaching a certain age, and wisdom
One of the beautiful freedoms of age is that you reach a point where you just let it flow….as you feel….without worrying about everyone else and how they are going to react. Frank Waters said he reached that point early…where he did not care what people thought of his writings or even if they sold or even if he got no money from them. He just wanted to write and let it flow as his spirit moved him. As you may know, Sparky Schulz, who wrote Peanuts, was a good friend
of mine…..and my all time favorite is Snoopy lying on top of his dog house…..looking up at the sky…..and saying….. “all my life I’ve tried to figure out other people……..from now on….they are going to have to figure me out….”
….with age comes the beauty of freedom in writing and thought.
