On Oct 19, 2011, at 6:06 PM, Vaj wrote: > > On Oct 19, 2011, at 5:05 PM, curtisdeltablues wrote: > >> Ravi: >> Curtis, How can we judge something without understanding the time, place, >> context and the people that were being addressed to? >> >> ME: I do, it was an ancient system of medicine that was the best they could >> do then. Now we can do better. Not perfect. But better. They didn't >> understand the circulation of blood then. They thought the heart functioned >> as we now understand our brain functions. We straightened that out. That is >> progress in understanding. > > > The important thing IME is to not under-appreciate what these texts are > describing. So for example they may describe the solar eagle-Garuda in terms > much like a radiant sun (or phoenix) - and their opposite, the serpent Nagas, > as opposites. But until you realize that the Sanskrit word "naga" also means > lead, only when you realize they are very precisely describing > electromagnetic radiation and lead shielding, do you get that these ancients > are describing, from samadhic inquiry into reality, something only relatively > recently understood by science. There are many, many similar examples. For > example how would an ancient yogi know that to make zinc bioavailable, it > needs to be ingested in the presence of certain biochemicals? Well, somehow > they did. Same with coral calcium. It's a long list. Plastic surgeons still > pay homage to Sushruta as father of their art. Some say the oriental martial > arts and acupuncture originate from kalarippayattu. > > Like I said, it's a long list. > > While I think it's a good thing to be skeptical after being burned by a phony > guru, it's also important to remain open-minded enough to see the actual > viable wisdom in the systems of learning they talked about. It's humbling > when you realize: most of it's never been translated into western languages, > and the stilted Brahmin belief in brahman has relegated much of it to the > dust-bins of time.
Well, ain't it a shame That our short little memories Never seem to learn The message of history We keep makin' the same mistakes Over and over and over and over again And then we wonder why We're in the shape we're in Good ol' boys down at the bar Peanuts and politics They think they know it all They don't know much of nothing Even if one of them was to read the newspaper Cover-to-cover That ain't what's going on Journalism's dead and gone Frail grasp on the big picture Light fading and the fog is getting thicker It's a frail grasp on the big picture Dark ages You my love-drunk friend All that red wine and candlelight Soulful conversations That go on until the dawn How many times can you tell your story? How many hangovers can you endure Just to get some snuggling done? You're living in a hollow dream You don't have the slightest notion What long-term love is all about All your romantic liaisons Don't deal with eternal questions like Who left the cap off the freaking toothpaste? Whose turn to take the garbage out? Frail grasp on the big picture You keep on rubbin' that, you're gonna get a blister It's a frail grasp on the big picture I've seen it all before And we pray to our Lord Who we know is American He reigns from on high He speaks to us through middlemen And he shepherds his flock We sing out and we praise His name He supports us in war He presides over football games And the right will prevail All our troubles shall be resolved We have faith in the Lord Unless there's money or sex involved Frail grasp on the big picture Nobody's calling them for roughing up the pitcher It's a frail grasp on the big picture Heaven help us Frail grasp on the big picture All waiting for that miracle elixir Frail grasp on the big picture I don't wonder anymore Frail grasp on the big picture Somebody says, "You brought her here so go ahead and kiss her Frail grasp on the big picture Frail grasp on the big picture Light fading and the fog is getting thicker It's a frail grasp on the big picture Frail grasp on the big picture Frail grasp on the big picture -Frail grasp on the big picture The Eagles Long Road Out of Eden
