XPost: alt.dreams.castaneda   
   From: laura@nospam.me   
      
   "Harvey Wallbanger"  wrote in message   
   news:ch1kp0h9hd20o1aeuded4iclg825fn37fe@4ax.com...   
   >   
   > "Laura"  wrote:   
   >   
   >   
   > (I think I'm in love again.  But I'm always thinking that...)   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >"slider"  wrote in message   
   > >news:4198c39e$0$33601$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...   
   > >>   
   > >> Jeet wrote   
   > >> >   
   > >> > Why, Mr. Anderson, why? Why? Why do you do it? Why? Why get up?   
   > >> > Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something, for   
   > >> > more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even   
   know?   
   > >> > Is it freedom, or truth, perhaps peace? Could it be for love?   
   > >> > Illusions, Mr. Anderson,  vagaries of perception, temporary   
   constructs   
   > >> > of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an   
   existence   
   > >> > that is without meaning or purpose. And all of them as artificial as   
   > >> > the Matrix itself. Although... Only a human mind can invent something   
   > >> > as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson, you   
   must   
   > >> > know it by now. You can't win, it is pointless to keep fighting. Why,   
   > >> > Mr. Anderson, why, why you persist?   
   > >> >   
   > >> > -The Matrix Revolutions   
   > >>   
   > >> I think, I am not the only one who "believes" that we are living in   
   > >> lucid dream of God, the Matrix controlled by Him.   
   >   
   > I'm beginning to wonder if I may be one of the few who doesn't believe   
   > that.   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >> There was time, when I believed that happiness can not exist without   
   > >> sadness. Light-Darkness, positive-negative, this is law of nature.   
   > >> Opposite things must exists. This is like Newton's third law of   
   > >> motion: "For every action, there is equal and opposite reaction". Only   
   > >> action can not exist. There must be equal and opposite reaction.   
   > >> Likewise only happiness can not exist. There must be equal and   
   > >> opposite sadness in world.   
   > >   
   > >There must, or we wouldn't be able to tell the difference. In a world   
   with   
   > >only happiness, we would be totally unaware that we were happy.   
   >   
   > There may not be a lot to worry about here.   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >> I was 24 at that time. After 10 years, I am just wondering, if only   
   > >> Action can exist, then can only happiness exist in our universe?   
   > >   
   > >Reaction can, and does, exist in the universe. Plenty of it, too.   
   > >Actually, everything is a reaction to something else, with there being   
   > >ultimately only one true action - where everything began.   
   >   
   > Human action and reaction are best described "relatively", rather than   
   > absolutely (like pretty much everything human).   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >> If only Action does exist, God knew it in advance. He must know how   
   > >> only happiness can exist. But he is not telling the way, mechanism,   
   > >> how to live in happiness to we human beings.   
   > >>   
   > >> Question is, why?   
   > >   
   > >Ask God, but since God is unlikely to be reachable at the moment, we can   
   > >look at religions and belief systems.   
   > >They all agree that this universe must consist of both happiness and   
   > >suffering, some emphasizing the suffering more than others. The idea is   
   > >presented that it is a learning process, or a purifying process, to   
   prepare   
   > >us for the afterlife.   
   >   
   > And if it's a one-shot deal?   
      
   Some say it is, and some say you get as many shots as you need.   
      
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > > Some of them say that this universe is illusory, and   
   > >everything in it is of a temporary nature, including happiness.   
   > >Most think the afterlife consists of either pure happiness forever, or   
   pure   
   > >suffering forever - the Heaven/Hell idea, but there is also the concept   
   that   
   > >the best state of being is that of neither happy nor unhappy, yet   
   > >enlightened.   
   >   
   > There is also the concept of 'none of the above'.   
      
   Of course there is, but not in religions, and it was their ideas I was   
   outlining - not my own.   
      
   >   
   > Let me just ask you, do you ever have so much as a week that is either   
   > absolutely happy, or pure suffering?   Or a week where you believe you   
   > are never either happy or unhappy, yet always enlightened?   
      
   Of course not. It wouldn't be much of an ideal if I could live up to it, now   
   would it?   
      
   >   Would you   
   > like to?   
      
   I wouldn't mind a week of enlightenment :-)   
      
   >  Or would you rather have what's behind door number two?   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >Let's look for a moment at what would be involved in making the world a   
   > >place of constant happiness for all.   
   >   
   > As you wish.   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >The elimination of disease.   
   >   
   > Have you never been happy while you were sick?   
      
   Not while being critically ill.   
      
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >The elimination of hunger.   
   >   
   > Have you never been happy while you were hungry?   
      
   Not while starving.   
      
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >The elimination of pain.   
   >   
   > Etc. etc.   
   >   
   > Some people like a little pain, you know.  (wink)   
      
   Few like a lot of it.   
      
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >The elimination of injustice.   
   >   
   > Damn that injustice.  Damn it to hell, man.  (wink)   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >The elimination of death.   
   >   
   > Yah right.  Along with the introduction into society of vast numbers   
   > of wild unicorns, who will then bless mankind with their great beauty   
   > and wisdom.   
      
   Something like that.   
      
   >   
   > Then again, seriously considering the topic, I wonder just how far we   
   > CAN go with tissue regeneration and reconstruction.   
      
   Genetic engineering has the potential to eliminate several of the above, but   
   will present us with a new set of problems in exchange.   
      
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >The elimination of strife.   
   >   
   > Some would say that just as working out in some way is needed in order   
   > to build muscles, some degree of strife is needed to build character   
   > and internal strength.  Me, I'd rather watch tv.   
      
   Ah, but would we need those qualities in a world without any sort of strife?   
      
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >The elimination of inequality.   
   >   
   > In what sense?   It might be that if one could completely eliminate   
   > every facet of "inequality", one would simultaneously make life into a   
   > living nightmare.   
      
   To us if we were to visit this utopia, perhaps, but the residents would be   
   content with it, being in complete harmony and universally agreeing with   
   each other. They would be incapable of thinking otherwise.   
      
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >The elimination of fear.   
   >   
   > Ever enjoyed a good horror flick or hung out in a graveyard as a   
   > teenager?  Was fun, wasn't it?   
      
   The "safe" fear...   
   How about a dope-crazed mugger sticking a gun in your face?   
      
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >The elimination of farcical ideals and phony problems to eliminate.   
   >   
   > Ooops.  I added that one myself, also for fun.   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >Not an easy feat.   
   >   
   > Indeed.   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > >And, you can see by extension that this would bring about the need to   
   > >eliminate all bodily urges and needs, and you can't very well do that   
   > >without getting rid of the body entirely.   
   >   
   > You never enjoy BEING hungry or horny?   How peculiar.   
   >   
   > Henry Miller used to really enjoy having to take a piss really bad and   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)