Dear Yuyutsu,

We define concepts, not objects or phenomena outside of us that the concepts are supposed to relate to. If I define the term “an Australian” as a person who can carry an Australian passport, I say practically nothing about the millions of Australians, each one a different personality, only about how I (and others) understand the concept of being “an Australian”.

In my opinion the “neti, neti principle” relates to what Christians call apophatic theology, and what I like to express by saying that God, whoever/whatever He is, is beyond the reach of scientific investigation.

So I think I understand what you mean. Neither Eastern nor Western mystics want to “define” - in order to communicate to others - their experience of God or the Spiritual, which is beyond rational analysis, where definitions have their place.

All I wanted to point out was that you can hardly make yourself understood by others when your recommendations sound like “you should worship your own delusions”.

.
 
Dear George,
 
.
 
You wrote : “ … in some context you would like to know whether a person is e.g. Australian or Chinese and to avoid confusion  …  whether citizenship or ethnicity (somebody could be an Australian citizen of Chinese ethnicity)”.

You hit the jackpot, George ! I am a third generation born Australian citizen, of 50% Chinese, 25% English and 25% Irish extraction. My wife, children and grandchildren were all born here in France, so I am the only foreigner in the family.

You also indicate: " Today the majority of atheists are still “cultural Christians” (to use Dawkins’ self-description) …".

I must admit I am not a great fan of Dawkins whom I see as a militant atheist and a somewhat obnoxious one at that. If you feel the need to identify me more precisely, may I suggest you think of me as a "godless Christian" which I feel is more to the point.

.

.

Dear One Under God,

.

Thank you for that link to what somebody considers to be my top 20 greatest poems.

As you know, I died when the Second World War broke out in 1941 at the age of 77, but as this internet anthology is there to demonstrate, a good poet never dies !

I love the bush and the Australian outback and admire the courage and skill of bush horsemen and the tough, honest virtues of bush life. I can think of nothing better than riding the ranges under the bright blue sky, boiling the billy out among the gum trees down by the river, watching the big white cockatoos circling high above, then rolling out my swag and dropping gently off to sleep under the twinkling stars in the quiet and peace on a warm summer night.

I am glad you like my ballads. I am very impressed by the manner in which you highlight certain words and phrases with your personal touch, accentuating them, giving them new meanings, evoking new contexts, new vigour, arousing sensibilities which even I had not imagined.

Though I am no more than an urn of ashes in these Memorial Gardens, I am in good company now with my good friend, Slim Dusty who came to join me a little more than a decade ago. We get along well together and share fond memories of times gone by.

But I am no longer in your world, the world of stockmen and drovers, of sheep and cattle and horses and the outback. I think of all those ballads I can no longer write and ... turn to you, Dear One Under God.

I have read your verse and I like your style. I would be deeply honoured if you would take up my pen and continue … where I left off. . Have no fear. I shall accompany you in your endeavour. I know you can do it. Don’t look now. I am standing close to you ... looking over your shoulder !

.

The eager..CUCKOLDED/stockhorse..pricks his ears
And..lifts..his head on high..In wild excitement..when he hears
The..Brumby mob..go by.

Old/Brumby..asks no price/TITHE....Nor fee
O’er all his wide..LIFE domains:..FREE.
The man..who yards..IT/ALL..This stock..is free..To keep them.[for his pains.

So,..off..to scour..the mountain-side
With eager eyes aglow,..WITH GREED[PRIDE?]
To..THE strongholds..where..the wild-mobs hide
THERE..The gully-rakers..WITH..THEIR SCAPE/HORSES GO..

NO/MORE..A rush..of horses..shimmering/through the trees,
A red shirt..WAVED..making play;
A sound of stockwhips..on the breeze,
THUS..They vanish..far away!

ENTER/THE JOC*KEY..
WHO..RODE/THE WILD BRUMBY

Ah,..me!
before our day..is done
We long..with..bitter pain..To ride
once more..on Brumby’s Run..Steady..the stallion there–..[canter him steadily,]..Don’t..let him gallop..so much as..a yard.’firm bit/hard hands/MAKE..HIM UNDER-STAND.

Fiercely..he fights..the futile end
while..the others..run wide of him,..yet..he follows/his masters orders..Reefs/at the bit..that..would hold him..bit-in..in thrall,

the..scape/goat/brumby..buck
Plunges and bucks..till the boy..[child/of god]..that’s astride of him
Goes..off..onto the ground..with a terrible fall.

‘Stop him..there!
Block him..there!..the scape/buck..[king]..[betrayer/COCONUT]..Drive him in carefully,..Lead him about..till he’s quiet..DOCILE/Tamed..and cool.

THE/MONEY/BUCK..Sound as a bell!..though he’s blown himself..off most fearfully,

Now..let us pick up..this poor..skinny/starved..little fool.

‘Stunned?..Oh,NO..by Jove,
I’m afraid..it’s a case/CLOSED..with him;
Ride for the doctor!..keep bathing his head!
Send for a cart..to go down..to our place with him’–

No use!
One..long sigh..and..the little chap’s..dead.

Only a..jockey-boy,..foul-mouthed..and bad..[you see/UNLIKE ME]
Ignorant,..heathenish,..gone to his rest...[you knew him best]
Parson..or Presbyter,..Pharisee,..Sadducee,..sandman African..or Cajun

so..What did you do..for him?–
bad was..the best...abo's jinn..Negroes..and foreigners,..all have a claim on you;..after govT MALFEASANCE EATS..ITS LAST BITTER FRUITS

Yearly..you send..US..OUT..IMAGERY..OF your well-advertised hoard,
But..the poor jockey-boy–shame..on you,..shame on you,
SISDT/THEE..‘Feed ye,..my..little ones’–

what said..the Lord?
..HE SENT..YOU HIS CHILD..Him..ye held/less than.the outer barbarian,
Left him to die ..in his ignorant/OBEDIENT/SERVILE sin;

Have you..DEAR READER..no principles,..ARE YOU..EVEN humanitarian?
Have you..no precept–Beyond..here lie..riches..lets..’go gather them in?’

Knew he..God’s name
Is..EMMANUEL/light sustaining life..via the logic..*within..?

In this..brutal profanity,
That sacred-name..was an oath–out..of many..but one.[WE CAN CALL GOOD]

What..did he get..from our..famed Christianity?
Where has..THYNE soul–if Ye had any–..

WHERE has it gone?

Fourteen years old,..and..what..was he taught of it?
What did he know..of God’s infinite grace..omnipresent mercy?

Draw..the dark curtain..of shame/BLAME/INSANE..o’er the thought of it,
Draw the shroud..over the jockey-boy’s face...TO HIDS OUR DIS-GRACE.

.

Dear Yuyutsu,

.

You recommended to me on page 10 of this thread: “ come to know that your human limitations are but an illusion”.

This has been trotting around in my mind and I find it a little worrying. My concern is not for my own well-being but for yours.

In my view, it is not reality but so-called mysticism which is an illusion. On the basis of my observations, I can imagine, though, to be honest, I have not practiced it myself, that deep, prolonged meditation or mysticism or whatever you like to call it, creates the illusion that the mind is transported beyond reality and acquires unlimited access to the inaccessible.

I consider this to be an illusion because to the best of my knowledge there is no evidence that the individual mind has access to any reality which has not been either perceived directly by the individual himself or the memory of which has not been transmitted to him biologically.

As for the possibility of the mind being transported beyond reality, this is what is generally known as imagination, a faculty shared by most, if not all, individuals and which does not usually require deep, prolonged meditation or mysticism in order to be activated.

I have the impression you have inversed the roles of mysticism and reality due, perhaps, to a misinterpretation or an incorrect application of the teachings of your gurus and/or mentors. I am concerned that you may fall victim to the illusion that human beings can fly or that you can cross the street without paying attention to oncoming traffic, for example.

I should hate to lose such a valuable and sympathetic correspondent here on OLO for this or any other perfectly avoidable accident.

.

bj/quoTe..<<>I am concerned..that you may fall victim..to the illusion..>>OR RATHER/SEEK TO HERE BY DISPELL..YU/OWN CONCLUSION..<<>.come to know that your human limitations..are but an illusion”.>>

ITS NOT CONFUSING..THE CONFUSION..IS IN OTHER
BUT NOT IN YO..BUT IN YOU.

<<>.This has been trotting around in my mind>>

yes correct

<<>>a little worrying...My concern..is not for my own well-being but for yours.>>

your getting there

<<In my view,..it is not reality..but so-called mysticism which is an illusion.>>

NAMES can mean anything..but mystics
practicing the mystery..isnt mysticism..UNLess your mystified.

<<>>On the basis of my observations,edited..creates the illusion that the mind is transported beyond reality and acquires unlimited access to the inaccessible.>>

AND YOUR EITHER INTO THE MYSTERY..OR MYSTIFIED
OR EVOLVING an illusion INTO A MYSTRY

<<>>I consider this to be an illusion..>>../LOL\..<<because to the best of my knowledge there is no evidence*...that the individual mind has access to any reality..which has not been either perceived directly..by the individual himself..or the memory of which has not been transmitted to him biologically.>>

or a movie or a book or a story told him..or that he experiences expected OR FEEL EXPLAINS...[your over complicating this..

WHAT DOES..BIOLOGICALLY 'TRANSMITTED REALLY MEAN:?
how about altered states..or strong EMOTION MODIFIERS ..OR DRUGS/Booze tiredness hunger..expectation trickery..ETC ETC

<<>>As for the possibility..of the mind being transported beyond reality,..this is what is generally known as imagination,..a faculty shared by most,..if not all,..individuals and which does not usually require deep,..prolonged meditation or mysticism..in order to be activated.>>

sure..LOVERS ATTRACT LOVE.
SOME//LOVE THINKING/ABOUT..IT..OTHERS..JUST CANT STOP DOING IT

<<.I have the impression.you have inversed..the roles of mysticism and reality due,..perhaps, to a misinterpretation or an incorrect application..of the teachings..of your gurus and/or mentors.that human beings..can fly or that you can cross the street..without paying attention to oncoming traffic,..for example.>>

TILL..it happens..to you/you will think as you do.
freewill is that sacred.