William! Talk about laying landmines...
I ASSUME by the phrase 'ending the War with Japan' you're referring to the atomic bombs dropped there; and I also ASSUME you're relating these war-ending bombs back to Einstein's theories. If I've read this wrong please let me know. The reason I accuse you of burying this landmine is that (as I'm sure you know) Einstein was vehemently opposed to using any of his work as the basis for building weapons - especially the atomic bomb; so the 'credit' should not go to other scientists (mathematicians and physicists) and engineers of that era - like Oppenheimer maybe? That said I will answer your question but I'll rephrase it just a little bit: It is more in line with my zen practice (not more important) to be a good parent (not raise a good child) than it is to develop weaponry (not end the war). I've made previous reference to a circa 1945 essay by Arthur Koestler entitled THE YOGI AND THE COMMISSAR. It explores the two different approaches to 'changing the world'. The commissar attempts to change people by changing society through governmental laws and acts. The yogi attempts to change people by first changing himself, and then one other person, and then one other, etc... The commissar works from the top down whereas the yogi from the bottom up. I suppose in this case you could substitute 'scientist' for 'commissar'. The zen I've been taught and practice is definitively a 'bottom up' approach. So is being a good parent. I'M STILL ANXIOUS TO READ EDGAR'S RESPONSE TO MERLE'S ORIGINAL QUESTION: "...and the point to make here is: what is the greater task: raising the good child or figuring out relativity?" ...Bill! --- In [email protected], William Rintala <brintala@...> wrote: > > I'd like to weigh in here. The question is way too nebulous to answer and > is > fraught with many linguistic landmines. I am certain that Adolph and Osama > and > Jeffrey Dahmer's mothers all raised good children. Einstein's greatest > achievement wasn't his work on Relativity where he postulated that events > viewed > from different planes of reference appeared to obey different laws of > physics. > His greatest acheivement was his mathematical proof that matter and energy > were > the same. E=MC^2. He also did work on the photovoltaic effect and I think > that > it was what one hime his Nobel Prize. He devoted his later life to working > on a > Unified Field Theorem which I believe he never finished. So which is the > greater task raising Jeffry Dahmer or ending the War with Japan? > > > > > ________________________________ > From: Bill! <BillSmart@...> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Sun, May 5, 2013 7:53:37 PM > Subject: [Zen] Re: blame game > >  > Edgar, > > Merle asked a brilliant question in her post below. I'd like to hear your > answer. The question was: > > "...and the point to make here is: what is the greater task: raising the good > child or figuring out relativity?" > > What say you? > > ...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote: > > > > > > > > àjoe and edgar.. > > > > he was too busy inside his head..and some circles say he was with autism > >spectrum.. > > > > leave the everyday work to wifey...who by the way was a scientist in her > > own > >right till she met up with einstein.. > > > > as all wifey's they ended up carrying the baby, tending to baby, tending to > > the > >everyday whist the smart hubby does his thingi...à> > > > not so with madame curie though...à> > > > you have to be a strong woman to stand up to the male chauvinist pig..and > > that > >was einstein. > > > > àand the point to make here is: what is the greater task: raising the > > good > >child or figuring out relativity? > > > > àthe point we can make here is einstein need not have married...made > > misery > >for the wifey.. > > > > did he think before he leapt and began breeding? > > > > > > merle.... à> > à> > > > > > à> > Edgar, > > > > Poor slob didn't or couldn't take care of himself. True statement. > > > > --Joe > > > > > Edgar Owen <edgarowen@> wrote: > > > > > > Merle, > > > > > > Joe said Einstein was a jerk because he didn't comb his hair! > > > > > > Is that Zen? > > > > > > Edgar > > > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
