Quote of The Day 2/27/13

"You are the music while the music lasts."

-T.S. Eliot

Okay.  I am back to it.

I stopped doing my quote of the day blog for a stretch because, for a lack of a more classy descriptive, I was feeling like a jagaloon.  Alas, a jagaloon I may be.  However, I enjoy writing and wish to improve upon my skills or lack there of.  Therefore, I will continue with my blog-tastic trek through the universe of quotes that I find inspiring/intriguing.  And mostly because I enjoy it.

Which brings us (royal or otherwise) to today's little gem.  Poet T.S. Eliot allegedly claims that "You" are indeed "the music" for the amount of time that it apparently "lasts".  In other words, you (the intended recipient of the aforementioned wisdom) contain the beauty and inspiration in your being that you and others enjoy in life.  Your muse is inside of your self.  And life surely does not go on endlessly for individuals.  So, what I believe Mr. Eliot is attempting to impart is that each individual is swimming through life, an integral portion of all that is beautiful and inspiring.  Music or other endearing, artistic products of humanity are not altogether separate entities from human nature.  And these wonderful manifestations and experiences, as life, last not forever.  So enjoy the music that is your life.

T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) is widely considered to be one of, if not the, most influential English language poet of the 20th century.  Born in America, Eliot moved to England in 1914 at the age of 25 and eventually became a British subject in 1927 at 39.  One of his most celebrated poems is The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock which is deemed a monument work of the Modernist movement.  Eliot is also well known for his seven plays and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948.

Quote of The Day 2/5/13

"I threw my cup away when I saw a child drinking from his hands at the trough."

-Diogenes

Love this.  Nothing like a nice swift kick in the head sometimes.  It seems to me most people I know (including myself) tend to equate niceties with necessities in one way or another.  Hey, we're American, it is only natural.  I think it is rare to find a person willing to set aside cultural norms and societal regularities, living in a manner immediately connected to present, natural surroundings and circumstances.  I mean, who really needs a cup?  Figuratively that is.  

And this can be learned from children.  Children may be dependent little brats, but they understand immediacy much more naturally than adults can.  It seems that with age, one can become entrenched in ideas and basic mannerisms that can potentially hinder one's ability to... live?  

Perhaps.  And perhaps I am a confounded moron.  Either way, I enjoy this quote.

Diogenes of Sinope (412/404-323 BC) was a Greek philosopher.  He is considered one of the founders of Cynic philosophy and is appropriately known as Diogenes the Cynic.  Perhaps that is why I like this guy.  He viewed society as corrupt and was exiled from Sinope for defacing currency which his father minted.  He begged for a living, apparently lived in a large ceramic jar at a marketplace, he badgered Plato by dissenting against his Socratic theories and disrupting his lectures, and is also known for mocking Alexander the Great in public.  Whoa.  This guy took it pretty far.  Ultimately his philosophy would have great influence on others and eventually trickle into the lasting Stoicism school of Greek thought.

Anarchy!

Quote of The Day 2/4/13

"You must accept the truth from whatever source it comes."

-Moses Ben Maimon

Truth.  It just keeps popping up.  And as it should.  Truth is what brings us closer to peace.  Peace amongst our neighbors and peace within ourselves.  We must be willing to accept truth no matter where and what direction it comes from.  Sometimes truth can correct us, swooping in and potentially causing embarrassment or shame.  But to overcome pride and learn and grow is one of humanity's most important traits.  So let truth in, even if it comes from a place one abhors.

Moses Ben Maimon, aka Moses Maimonides, (1135-1204) was a Jewish philosopher of the Middle Ages.  He practiced as a rabbi, physician, and philosopher throughout Morocco and Egypt.  Maimon is heralded as one of the most prominent followers of the Torah and his work is considered essential to Jewish scholarship.

Quote of The Day 2/3/13

"The more talking and thinking, the farther from the truth."

-Seng-ts’an

So.  Chose this one today as an exercise in why I like some of the possibly obvious and juvenile quotes that I choose for this sophomoric ramble of a blog.  The above statement could easily be shrugged aside as bullshit.  And rightfully so.  Without thinking and talking humanity would not exist as it does with such incredible advancements in technology which aid in the ease and flexibility of every function we take on which we believe to be necessary in this world.  And soon enough our smart phones will not only be capable of literally anything, including the manufacture of synthetic materials and performing transportation, but eventually will be implanted into our skulls and everyone will be walking fucking super heroes until we morph into heartless robots and our babies are born with microchips inside their brain.  

So.  Perhaps smart phones are not the truth.  

What am I trying to say?  (Not so sure myself)

But possibly that is the point.  One needs to approach this passage from the other way if it is to impart any wisdom.  Recognize that seemingly sensible facts and logic are possibly a hindrance to realizing one's own truth.  Whatever that means.

And that is why I enjoy Zen-based stuff.

Seng-ts'an, aka Jianzhi Sengcan, (died 606) was the Third Chinese Patriarch of Chan; i.e. the third patriarch after Bodhidharma, the transmitter of Chan and considered its first patriarch.  Developing during the 6th century, Chan became the dominant school of Buddhism throughout the Tang and Song dynasties.  Seng-ts'an is well known as being credited for authoring the famous poem Xinxin Ming.

Quote of The Day 2/1/13

“If I had to live my life again, I’d make the same mistakes, only sooner.”

-Tallulah Bankhead

This one is for anyone out there with dreams and has hit a road block in life.  I enjoy this quote because it emits confidence.  To say you would make the same mistakes all over again admits the inevitability of blunders.  And I believe this.  I don't think there is anything wrong with seeking perfection, but the seeking is the process.  It is the road of life that is traveled on, rife with rough terrain and unpredictable turns.  And to profess making the same mistakes in life only sooner is to believe that mistakes are necessary building blocks for life and that more will arise as time goes on.  And the shear confidence necessary to say you would make the same mistakes all over again shows true belief in oneself.  So bring it on, mistakes.

Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968) was an American stage actress and talk-show host.  She was known for her extravagant personality, deep voice, and endorsement of liberal causes. In 1981 she was inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame.