On 11/29/2012 12:05 AM, Joe wrote:
RAF,
It's a dubious welcome, when it comes to demise. ;-)
Is your view... well... informed by WHAT?
As I mentioned in reference to 'vast emptiness', having already learned
of the scientific views of cosmology and astronomy (at least as then
promulgated) I was struck by the correspondence between science and this
ancient mystical view. Of course, as one indoctrinated in the scientific
method, I acknowledged that I might be projecting significance onto a
'co-incidence' ... but that didn't seem very satisfactory, so I began to
research other traditions for similar 'precognitions' which are now
revealed as mythopoetic descriptions of the 'reality' described by
science. I found that Indian rishis had described the cosmos as a "fiery
wheel" and decided that was 'close enough' to a spiral galaxy to be of
interest. I learned of other such myths, teachings, predictions, etc...,
which inclined me to the view that some old sages had gained mythopoetic
awareness of physical reality without the scientific apparatus (let
alone theory) to arrive at such conclusions by 'conventional' means.
"Thus have I heard" and was drawn to the Way as one might seek out a
school or dojo.
At that time I did not ascribe much importance to the Kali Yuga; the
fantastic tales, outlandish deities, and ridiculous time scales of
Hinduism repelled me, as I had (and retain) a primary grounding in
science. But I thought, if these old sages could go so far withOUT
science, laboring under religious delusion, what might one perceive
/with/ science /and /a Way, while eschewing the burden of religious
dogma? I chose the Way of Zen for numerous reasons, including
affiliation (I was already a student of martial arts that are imbued
with Zen spirit) and, more than anything else, because it was the least
encumbered with religious doctrine, dogma, and what I think of as mental
garbage.
Fast-forward four decades, and I have become aware, through science, of
convergent crises that loom on the time-horizon. I am prepared to argue
from scientific data (without reference to insights gathered along the
Way) that the earth can't sustain its current population, let alone
foreseeable increases. As the saying goes, 'that which can't go on
doesn't'; there WILL be a population crash. I have come to associate
these foreseeable events with the Kali Yuga, but I am well aware of that
being an idiosyncratic view, hence I do not press it upon you or anyone
else.
is that a nickname with you for some sort of melt-down of our
too-large planetary hominid population?
Yes, but I actually suspect that ancient sages had mythopoetic
visualizations of our imminent future, so my association of the Kali
Yuga with the population crash is more than just a 'nickname', and my
personal view goes beyond the /sufficient/ trends I can ascribe to
extant data.
Pls. let us know; the suspense is killing us.
I have overlooked your sarcasm and given you an honest answer to a snide
question; my obligation is discharged.
RAF
