Live Now Die Later: A Book for the Sensitive Mind and Rugged IndividualistThe sensitive mind and the rugged individualist are portrayed in the literature of antiquity by two brothers, the first-born and the second-born. The mind is the father of two sons. One side of us is conservative, cautious; the other side is radical and adventurous. A part of us is content with the status quo; another part of us seeks change and improvement. The mind perceives first with the outer five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell. Those perceptions are recorded and processed for future use, and thus the mind has five inner senses, the second-born son. In the Old and New Testaments this concept is expressed through several pairs of brothers. Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, Joseph and Benjamin, Aaron and Moses, John and Jesus are all characters created to illustrate the mind's journey. The eastern Mediterranean became a marketplace for the exchange of ideas that had their provenance not just in Athens or Alexandria, but made their way westward from India and China well over 2,000 years ago. The lunar calendar and the appearance of the full moon was not just vital to agriculture in Mesopotamia; it spawned metaphors that illustrated the mind at its brightest. Abraham, for example, Hebrew for "father is high," was a moon god who symbolized the full moon, i. e., the moon straight up or high. "Father" is high because the mind is the father of two sons. Obviously, many concepts evolved independently, but migration and commerce exported and imported more than just figs and wine. Adam and Eve, the male and female of Genesis, are reflected in the yang and the yin of Taoism in ancient China. Elizabeth, Mary and Jesus are a variation of Demeter, Persephone and Dionysus. Thinkers over the ages have struggled to come to terms with the rough and tumble of daily life. Some have even suggested that life begins in some faraway place after death. Others have tried to find the way to live now and die later. |
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... give in to fear of the consequences or worry about what others might think of you when you know for certain that you are right . You have desires , ambitions , goals . There are many things in life that you want to do . " God " or good ...
... give it life . For whosoever will save his life shall lose it ; but whosoever will lose his life for my sake , the same shall save it.64 This is often the hardest thing for some people to do . They would rather be a know - it - all ...
... give me bread to eat , and raiment to put on . So that I come again to my father's house in peace ; then shall the Lord be my God.82 " My father's house " and " Lord thy God " are key words throughout the Old and New Testaments . The ...
... give it the best nutrients , cultivate a positive outlook . This takes work . You have to till the soil , keep your mind active if it is to produce growth . The twelve sons of Jacob were conceived near Harran , where moon - worship ...
... give Pharaoh an answer of peace.115 This is a mind that has regained its spontaneity . It gets right to the heart of the matter . It discerns immediately what lies in store and makes intelligent choices . This mind is very close to its ...
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Live Now Die Later: A Book for the Sensitive Mind and Rugged Individualist David Alan Kraul No preview available - 2004 |