Oh I forgot. Contrary to some opinions here: I now sleep only 5 or 6 hours a day. Less than I ever did before. And it seems fine.
On Wed, May 21, 2014 at 12:58 PM, Srini RamaKrishnan <che...@gmail.com>wrote: > On May 19, 2014 4:50 PM, "Udhay Shankar N" <ud...@pobox.com> wrote: > > > - 8 hours of sleep is not just one of life's great pleasures, it's a > > necessity for which I am willing to give up job offers, and many other > > things. > > > > - The only true evil is boredom. > > Human needs are merely two, physical and psychological. The purpose of > life is to _provide_ for the former and _eliminate_ the latter. > > Physical needs are sleep, food, water, shelter from the elements and > so on. This was largely solved a few centuries ago - people have since > had the choice to live healthy. This is the fruit of civilization. In > fact, this is the only reason for civilization. > > Psychological needs are everything else. Growing our psychological > needs makes us perennially hungry, we yearn for filling that empty > space within without knowing how. > > Civilization is supposed to help us eliminate such needs. Yet does it? > Civilization as it exists today is a travesty because it does the > opposite. > > Not only does it grow our psychological needs immeasurably > (loneliness, boredom, addictions, ambition, greed, and nonsense > afflictions like road rage abound), it is undermining its raison d' > être by preventing the satisfaction of physical needs like sleep, > shelter, clean water and air. > > Reject such a civilization that makes a person homeless, that chokes > the third world, that renders the poor obese, that starves the > beautiful, that sleep deprives the brightest, and enrages the tired. > Humans don't need thinner TVs, faster broadband and mars rockets at > the expense of being human, they need to be free. > > Do not tolerate sleep depravation, it cuts at the meaning of existence. > > Do not tolerate boredom, cure it. It is a craving like any addiction. > Don't strengthen it with distraction and activity. Cure it with > mindful abiding. > > Living in the present moment, and an active observation of the self > will cure every psychological affliction. Be aware of your body and > mind. Meditate. > >
