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Zero-Equals-Infinity

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More About Me

My Tagline:
Death is my constant companion, always waiting and reminding me of the importance of this moment.

My Interests:
Meditation, God, History, Music, Politics, Art, Environment, Fitness

Who Inspires Me:
Rumi, Hafiz, Kabir, Meister Eckhart, Gustav Mahler.

My favorite spiritual activities:
Meditation and listening with anticipation and longing

What is your current spiritual mood?:
Grateful

What's your spiritual type?:
Undefinable - These labels (and most labels) don't work for me.

About Me

My Basics

Location: Toronto, Ontario, CA

Gender: Male

Occupation: Systems Designer

Relationship Status: Married

Faiths: Spiritual but not religious
Faith Description: Rather not say - labels don't work for me anyway.

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Zero-Equals-Infinity's Friends

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My Groups

Sufi

Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

World Pantheism Movement (WPM)

Cultivating Creativity

SPIRITUALITY

Flower Mandalas Project

I Am

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Zero-Equals-Infinity

Finale of Mahler's Resurrection Symphony (#2) - July 13, 2008 - 08:44 PM

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=_HpWDQsNJ3k&mode=related&search= Sir Simon Rattle conducting the last movement of Mahler's incomparable Symphony #2 (Resurrection). Another extraordinarily moving piece of music for those who wish to experience a taste of ecstasy. Aldous Huxley had it so right: "Next to silence, music comes the closest to expressing the inexpressible."

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Zero-Equals-Infinity

Stunning - Stokowski, L'apres-midi d'une faune - July 13, 2008 - 08:40 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5A4CkUAazI&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1P85n9uPzE&feature=related These links take you to Maestro Stokowski conducting Claude Debussy's: L'apres-midi d'une faune. Ah, this is heavenly music, conducted beautifully, tenderly and passionately by one of the most memorable of conductors. And he is over 90 years old when conducting this piece. It is .... utterly magnificent. Treat yourself, plug in some good headphones and experience transcendent bliss.

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Zero-Equals-Infinity

The problem of instilling Environmental Ethics - July 12, 2008 - 11:43 AM

Collectives (governments being a prime example), and individuals are primarily motivated by self-interest, and on the most basic level by a desire for preservation of self. If, individuals and collectives can become viscerally aware of the dangers of human mono-culture, it is possible for there to be sufficient impetus to bring about change. Unfortunately, individuals are very good at justifying gain for themselves at the expense of others. This is socially encouraged and provides motivation for competition. We tend to see ourselves positionally in society and are encouraged to desire to increase our standing through the acquisition of status symbols. This is problematic because the cost of these symbols (large houses, vehicles, et cetera) to the environment is so high. What it really comes down to, is redefining social position by contribution and responsible behaviour, not ephemeral symbols of status and conspicuous consumption. People need to learn to trigger the various neurochemical reward and pleasure centres with actions that are beneficial. Likewise, as already alluded to, fear reactions to encroachments into vulnerable ecosystems and careless misuse and overuse of the environment, (of which we are an inseparable part), needs to be thoroughly instilled in people. And please remember people react most strongly to things that stimulate an instinctive response. Intellectual appeal and argument holds little weight without a corresponding hook into instinctive “programs”. To convince people in large numbers requires them to be more afraid of the affect of not changing behaviour, and hence lobbying government for that change, even at the risk of standard of living. Of course, such things as the increasingly high price of oil will help both to encourage the development of alternate forms of energy and to increase efficiencies. The intellectual in me would love nothing better than to see a new philosophy of environmental ethics, but without the hooks to instinctive fear that overrides greed, and without a new way of competing for social position which is not harmful, (and hopefully is even beneficial), to the environment, I am skeptical of it being realised.

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Zero-Equals-Infinity

What's Up? - July 12, 2008 - 11:01 AM

Up: 90 degrees to the tangent of a (roughly) spherical object, corresponding to the opposite direction of the gravitational force resulting from the mass of the spherical object in question. Pedant: Me, this morning. More significantly though, I found an article that you may find interesting on "Emergence and Consciousness". Actually, it is the doctoral thesis of a chap, and it is interesting. (See www.rpi.edu/heuveb/professional/thesis.pdf) for details. Other than that, I am having a quiet weekend, (my favourite sort), and will be doing nothing more exciting than going for a bicycle ride, read a bit, and have some good food and wine. Ah yes, summertime and I am lazy! (One must take a break from the chaos and relax in the beauty of the day.)

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Hazy

A question before I sink into perfect silence - July 11, 2008 - 10:43 PM

Whassup, Philosopher N?

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