Quote of The Day 12/31/12

Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.

-Henry David Thoreau

Today's quote comes from one of America's greatest writers, Henry David Thoreau.  I chose this succinct and humorous quote in attempt to provide some levity for this typically grand and over-appreciated evening for festivities.  It is indeed New Year's Eve and many will be dressing to the nines and attempting an elegant introduction to the year of 2013.  But as this quote suggests, perhaps we do not need such frills and bells and whistles.  Let us enjoy our family and friends without the superficiality of fancy clothes.  Happy New Year everyone!

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) is one of the most important figures in American history.  His writings and lectures have influenced countless many who have helped to shape our great nation's trajectory.  Thoreau was a lifelong abolitionist, his most famous works are the book Walden and his essay Civil Disobedience.  Considered by some to be an anarchist, Thoreau was a strong proponent for the improving of government.  He was also a very significant voice for early environmentalism.

Quote of The Day 12/30/12

Cherish that which is within you, and shut off that which is without.

-Chuang Tzu

Today's quote comes from Chinese philosopher Chuang Tzu, also known as Zhuangzi.  The quote itself is a simple message.  Essentially, Cuang Tzu's advice with this passage is to love oneself for what you are and deny your impulses to be something that you are not.  It is not an easy task for all to understand one's place in the world.  But with time, we must learn to recognize who we truly are and to embrace this identity with happiness and acceptance.  Simultaneously we must also recognize that which we are not.  Surely everyone must face desire and temptation to be something else for whatever superficial reason that invades the psyche.  And one should learn to stifle such urges.

Chuang Tzu (4th Century BC), aka Zhuangzi, was an ancient Chinese philosopher known for his writing of a work bearing the title of his namesake.  Living during the Warring States Period, embedded in the era of The Hundred Schools of Thought, Chuang Tzu is best known for his skeptical attitude.  He believed that life is limited while the potential knowledge to be absorbed is unlimited.  His philosophy is commonly considered an antecedent to Relativism.

Quote of The Day 12/29/12

 

When you can laugh at yourself, there is enlightenment.

-Shunryu Suzuki

 

Today's quote of the day is a creed that I believe can have a positive influence on anyone.  Especially those that have a tendency to take themselves too seriously.  We should all know at this point (if you happen to be older than eight) that we all make mistakes.  We all screw up here and there despite our best intentions.  Of course, there is fair reason to analyze our mishaps seriously and learn from them.  However, we need not be hung up forever on disappointments and to get beyond them we should laugh.  Ultimately, I paraphrase the quote as follows: When you can recognize the absurdity of your mistakes, you will understand that you are imperfect.  

 

Shunryu Suzuki (1904-1971) was a Japanese Soto Zen monk who is heavily responsible for the popularization of Zen Buddhism in the United States.  Suzuki founded the San Francisco Zen Center which is one of the most significant and influential Zen organizations in the States.  it was incorporated by Suzuki and a group of his followers in 1962 and today it remains the largest Zen organization in the Western world.  Suzuki also wrote the very popular book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.

Quote of The Day 12/28/12

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Freedom from the desire for an answer is essential to the understanding of a problem.

-Krishnamurti

I apologize for my failure to post a Quote of The Day for the past two days.  I was quite preoccupied with a lovely visit to upstate New York where there was a brief gathering of my relatives, many of whom I have not seen in years.  I promise to give you kind, dedicated readers some bonus Quotes of The Day in the very near future.

Anywho, today’s Quote of The Day is from Indian born “World Teacher”, Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986).  The quote is a bit esoteric and I find it slightly cryptic, for if one has a problem, surely one would naturally desire an answer to that problem.  It is only practical.  However, I believe the key words to this quote are “freedom from”.  It is our own selfishness that drives our desire for answers.  Whether the answer being searched for directly concerns the individual that desires said answer or relates to another, that desire is still spawned from one’s own psyche.  Thus, without desire for an answer, perhaps it is possible to see “problems” as they really are.  Not so much problems but experiences.

And now, imagine if problems existed without answers.  Imagine the concept of an answer had never been invented.  Well, obviously that would mean that problems would cease to be considered “problems” anymore.  And perhaps I have gone off the deep end on this one and my musing has become…. problematic? (Elbow to the ribs)

Jiddu Krishnamurti was born in colonial India to a Telegu Brahmin family.  The affairs with which Krishnamurti was most concerned were meditation, human relationships, the natural temperament of the mind, psychological transformation, and radical revision of society.  Krishnamurti was a consistent proponent of the evolution of the human psyche and believed that such action could not be brought on by any outward influence such as religion, politics, or societal pressure.

Quote of The Day 12/25/12

"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please."
-Mark Twain

Well, Happy Christmas to all that participate in such activities and of course Happy-Every-Holiday-Which-Falls-Around-The-Time-of-Christmas.  I'm feeling lazy today so I am going with something short and easy.  Today's quote is from Mark Twain (1835-1910), one of the most significant satirists to have graced humanity with his writing.  In this quote Twain explains, in reference to the sharing and dispersing of information, that one can alter facts to ones liking, but only after you have absorbed them properly.  The statement is undeniably cynical which keeps with Twain's affinity for dark humor.  

Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Hannibal, Missouri; you may know as the famous 19th century author responsible for contributing such classics as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to the canon of classic American literature.  Twain was intriguingly born when our Earth's sky was visited by Halley's Comet and subsequently passed away (at his own prediction) one day after its next appearance.  Freaky.

Quote of The Day 12/24/12

Descartes said, “I think, therefore I am.”   I say, “I do not think, that is why I exist.”

-Taisen Deshimaru

Today's quote comes from Japanese Soto Zen Buddhist monk Taisen Deshimaru (1914-1982).  The first portion of the statement references the famous Descartes line, "I think, therefore I am," and Deshimaru shifts the emphasis with his addition: "I do not think, that is why I exist."  To me, this refers to the fact that thinking is entirely inward.  And don't get me wrong, I like to think just as much as the next guy, maybe even more so.  But thinking is essentially make believe, it does not "exist" in the physical world we inhabit.  And obviously, our bodies do.  We have no choice but to live and interact with the palpable phenomena of this world.  So if one attempts to not think, would it not be natural then to consequentially "exist" in a stronger way?  I think their may be something to this one.

Taisen Deshimaru was born of a former Samurai father and a devout Buddhist mother.  At an early age Deshimaru dedicated himself to Christianity under a Protestant minister before ultimately deciding it was not right for him and returning to Buddhism.  Initially studying the Rinzai sect of Buddhism, he settled upon the Soto Zen ideals.  Because of near-sightedness Deshimaru was exempted from military service in World War II, during which he directed copper mines, and after the war was captured by Americans.  In the latter part of his life, Deshimaru brought the teachings of Soto Zen Buddhism to Europe upon the request of his mentor Kodo Sawaki.  He settled in France because of its rich philosophical history.  

Quote of The Day 12/23/12

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Today's quote is from Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Tich Nhat Hanh.  The quote is a nugget of advice pertaining to personal happiness.  We all know that when something occurs which brings us joy, we feel happiness in a very real and emotional way, regardless of how ridiculous the specific cause or the extremity of one's reaction.  It is a fact.  It just happens.  Cool shit happens and you smile.  Right?  Well, perhaps that arrangement can be reciprocated from inside yourself?  Perhaps, each individual has a happiness that is natural and when found, the source of your joy will have come from within you.

Thich Nhat Hanh (October 11, 1926) is a well known Buddhist monk.  He has taught, written books and poetry, and is a peace activist.  Nhat Hanh lives in the Dordogne region of South France though originally is from Vietnam.  Long exiled from his native country, Hanh was permitted to make his first trip home in 2005.  He travels internationally giving talks at retreats and has written over 100 books.  Nhat Hanh is also a leading proponent of non-violent resolution to conflicts.

Quote of The Day 12/22/12

Do not seek the truth.  Only cease to cherish opinions.

-Zen saying

Todays quote is deemed a Zen saying.  Keep in mind that I have compiled a long list of quotes that stems largely from a few years of page-a-day calendars with Zen quotes which I would keep the ones I liked. So.

Where this saying comes from I could not rightly tell you.  But I find it interesting.  It requests that one ceases to "cherish opinions".  I interpret this to mean that when we seek truth, we will inevitably encounter opinions to the nth degree.  What may be truth, may not present itself as such amidst the clutter of so many opinions.  And perhaps if one does stop cherishing opinions, perhaps the truth will then become evident.

Quote of The Day 12/21/12

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.

-Confucius

Today's quote of the day is authored by the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC).  I interpret this quote literally for the most part.  It means what it means.  But the important nugget of wisdom is in the latter portion of the passage.  I associate the concept of stop with quitting and giving up.  And quit we must not as humans.  We are too strong of heart and swift of mind to give up on our dreams.

In addition to being a philosopher, Confucius was also a politician, an editor, and a teacher.  Historically, Confucius is credited with authoring or editing many classic Chinese texts, including what are considered The Five Classics.  Living during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history, many of Confucius' followers contested against other influential schools of thought, earning the name for the period of 770-221 BC, the Hundred Schools of Thought.  Ultimately Confucius' ideals of respecting elders, devotion to family, and ancestral worship were preserved shortly after the fall of the Qin Dynasty as they were officially sanctioned and became known as Confucianism.

Quote of The Day 12/20/12

Later never exists.

-Anonymous

It is simple and it is true.  And it is more than likely widely said by many persons every day.  And rightfully so.  For we are in the now whether you like it or not.  How you deal with it is up to you.  But remember that this fact will always remain true.

Quote of The Day 12/19/12

"May not one take muddy water and make it clear by keeping still?"

-Lao Tzu

Today's quote of the day is a message to those who may be overwhelmed in life.  Those who have too much on their plate.  Those with many worries and few solutions.  Those that...well everybody.  In life we struggle and face challenges.  At times those obstacles can seem insurmountable.  Yet they are surmountable.  And it can take a breath of fresh air, a change of scenery, a new voice, or just silence to bring the perspective of the entire picture of your life into order.  That is what I believe Lao Tzu is saying in this quote.

Lao Tzu, also known as Laozi, was an ancient Chinese philosopher.  It is debated whether he lived during the sixth, fifth, or fourth century BC and others argue that Lao Tzu is actually an amalgamation of several historical figures in ancient China.  Either way, Lao Tzu is the revered founder of Taoism and the author of the Tao Te Ching; an extremely important and central figure to Chinese culture.  Taoism is a philosophy which invites its practicers to live in harmony with the Tao, which translates directly to "way", "path", or "principle".  And in the context of Taoism the Tao is defined as the origin and the dynamic power that exists behind everything.  The Tao Te Ching is an ancient Chinese classic text which encompasses 81 brief sections containing verses of Taoist wisdom and thought.  Good stuff.

Quote of The Day 12/18/12

"Life without illusions is unbearable and life with illusions is unpardonable." 

-Eugene O'Neil

Today's quote comes from American playwright Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953).  I analyze the line bluntly as follows: we must hang on to our dreams for without them life is essentially pointless and any shortfall or mishap is inexcusable for it is our own illusions that have led us to such results.  

I believe this.  

It gives one cause to take responsibility for what one contributes to the world.  Of course as a musician I selfishly interpret the quote to apply to art and nonetheless it should.  Artists must take responsibility for their art and consequently give all that they can to ensure its quality.

Eugene O'Neill was a Nobel Laureate playwright.  He was known to compose plays with characters involved on the fringes of society, employ "American" vernacular in his dialogue, and use the techniques of realism.  Now, I do not profess to be an expert in the arena of plays nor do I claim to even read plays or attend them regularly.  I confess I've never read or seen anything that O'Neill has written (which I plan to amend).  But the featured quote seems to me to embody a very "realist" message despite its ambivalence.  And I mean, come on.  Look at the guys photo, tell me he is not a realist.  Google images for this dude, not one with a smile, I swear.

Quote of The Day 12/17/12

You only live twice

Once after you are born and

Once before you die

-Bashō

I enjoy the humor and the sarcasm in its redundancy.  Then once it is apparent that the passage is essentially a joke you realize the message is simple and rings true.  So get busy livin'!  As others might put it.

Today's quote of the day is from the world renowned poet Matsuo Basho (1644-1694).  Basho lived during the Edo period (1603-1868) in Japan and is considered the supreme master of the haiku.  This common poem consists three of lines with the respective syllable count: 5-7-5.  Though widely known for his haikus, Basho preferred the medium of renku which is a forum in which several persons perform collaboratively linked verses.  Sounds a bit like these guys may have been the first rap artists?