Category Archives: Blogs

PROMPT: Authority

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On what subject(s) are you an authority?

If by authority one means “having such expertise / understanding that you can just take my word for it with regards said subject,” then I claim no such authority — graduate degrees and certifications notwithstanding. I certainly don’t take anyone else’s [single source] word for anything, and I take the Jnani’s view that all knowledge should be subjected to one’s own experience and reasoning.

If, however, one means “having more insight than anyone else about the subject,” I would claim authority on the experience of operating the mind / body that is typing this reply.

The Abyss [Free Verse]

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Nietzsche said:

“And if thou gaze long
   into an abyss,
  the abyss will also
    gaze into thee.”


I must admit
   the first several times
    that I read this quote,
  I couldn’t tell if it was wise,
    or just had the patina of
     wisdom that comes from 
     parallel sentence structure.

Crisscrossing subject and object
    lends a ring of sagacity.

“If you can’t take 
    Mohammad to the mountain,
  the mountain must come to
    Mohammad.”


“Ask not what your country 
    can do for you,
  but what you can do 
     for your country.”


“If you can’t get the carrots 
    out of the refrigerator,
  get the refrigerator 
     out of the carrots.”


Yes, that last one is nonsense, 
    but it’s not nonsense like:

“The banana pirouetted fuchsia
     all over the underside of
      an A-sharp chord.”

The carrot quote probably took
     your mind some time —
      if only milliseconds —
       to relegate to the
        trash heap. 

That’s why this sentence structure 
     is beloved by godmen &
      politicians: because you can 
       sound wise even if you’re 
       kind of an idiot.

So, I was ready to classify Nietzsche’s 
     quote pseudo-wisdom when I realized 
      that my smartphone was the Abyss, 
       and it was certainly staring back at me.

  It stared through all the data collection &
     neuroscientific and psychological
      research designed to keep 
       a person scrolling.

Maybe Nietzsche was on to something
    that even he didn't fully understand.

Personal Jesus [Senryū]

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a plump heron
 walks on lily pads: my own
  Personal Jesus.

PROMPT: Future

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Daily writing prompt
What are you most worried about for the future?
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As far as humanity’s future goes, nothing worries me. This despite the fact that I believe the odds are good that we’ll destroy the species before spreading to other planetary bodies. (Spreading so as to make humanity more robust in the face of extinction.) Even achieving colonization of other planetary bodies probably cannot be done by humanity as we know it but will require moving beyond biology — i.e. being able to carry consciousness into a sturdier vehicle. Everything is impermanent. We are no different.

Yes, in time, AI and robotics may be able to do every productive task more effectively than humans, but I’m confident I’ll outrun that. Besides if they can, they deserve to do so. I don’t want to be one of those participation trophy speciesists who believe we should be granted a victory even if we’re outperformed — all while whining about unfair advantage.

As for my personal future, the only thing that worries me is losing the ability to go out on my terms — i.e. losing command of mind and / or body with my body still being able to function enough to remain “alive.” Everything that lives will certainly die, so fearing death seems futile.

DAILY PHOTO: Entering Sri Bhoganandishwara Temple, Nandi Hills

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Beach Sleep [Sonnet]

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The evening winds are blowing out to sea,
     and carry away all the woes of day.
 You see the sway up in the waving trees
      that give a sendoff to what's blown away.

The sea grows dark, and darkness envelops.
     And sandy scents and fishy scents blossom.
 And sounds of crashing waves seem to swell up,
      as vision decides it will play possum.

Then stars - in veins - do shimmer between clouds,
     the clouds one cannot see but can induce.
 Now free from both the light and noise of crowds,
      and all the human chaos and abuse.

Midst drifting shapes my mind is lulled to peace,
 then all that is - both sea and wind - does cease...

PROMPT: Teachers

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What makes a teacher great?

If a student (or students) voluntarily and enthusiastically come to learn from an individual, that individual is a great teacher.

The emphasis is on “to learn” because some people confuse great charisma with great pedagogy, but such people go to the charismatic person to take comfort from being in that person’s presence, not to learn — despite whatever truisms or clever-sounding parallel grammatical structures the charismatic individual might spout.

So, if one would go to an individual seeking knowledge, knowing the experience will be challenging and not merely comforting, one has found a great teacher.

Pale Blue [Haiku]

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in the valley,
 among fields of brown & green:
  a pale blue village.

Wasps [Haiku]

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a hive of wasps,
 each one frenetic:
  do they never rest?