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Author Topic:   True Freedom
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 170 of 300 (345548)
08-31-2006 8:55 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by joshua221
08-26-2006 8:42 PM


good essay
but I think the discussion has strayed from the topic a bit: it certainly has generated a discussion - good topics are like that.
I just got in from kayaking along Narragansett Bay and I was thinking about your essay while I was out there, close to freedom, one with the waves.
There was a dock with a {No Trespassing} sign: what is trespassing? A wall erected to keep the "owner" inside, a prisoner of his possesion?
The amer-indians, like most hunting\gathering societies, had no such need for ownership of property, and while they were over-run by the possesion possessed europeans, they also left some philosophical nuggets for others to pick up ... some of them contributing to the philosophical foundations of this country. Forgotten Founders if you will.
I'm a bit of a Thoreau back when it comes to things like this.
Two years ago (has it really been that long?) I packed my kayak on top of my van, my mountain bike inside, and a bunch of camping gear ... and went looking for work in the New England states. I was between jobs and decided to look where I wanted to live rather than where I was.
My van became my cabin in the woods, and like Thoreau I kept in contact with friends and family and bits of society (I know where a lot of free wifi spots are in 4 states too ... yes I took my laptop)
I found places I could camp free, places to clean up, places to enjoy just being in.
It was great.
... but I feel that true freedom only exists outside what we see in the physical world, and is only present within our minds. Freedom is in transcending what is real, as did Siddhartha, and Christ.
... and Gandhi and Thoreau and others. This is the teaching of buddhism yes?
People are owned by their possessions ...
Message 93
My philosophy teacher made a list of philosophical questions on the board. These "life" questions included who to vote for in an election, and which products to buy. They weren't about anything important.
True, nobody ever became famous or even well known by who they voted for or what they bought.
But everything is also a choice: I used to teach kids to canoe, and one of the lessons\concepts I used was that everytime the paddle was in the water they were steering the canoe.
It didn't matter if they were in the bow or the stern, whether they were consciously trying to steer or not, just by being in the canoe with a blade in the water they were affecting the course of the canoe.
Enjoy.

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This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by joshua221, posted 08-26-2006 8:42 PM joshua221 has replied

Replies to this message:
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RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 199 of 300 (345868)
09-01-2006 9:57 PM
Reply to: Message 187 by kuresu
09-01-2006 6:53 PM


Re: more lyrics, more freedom
another take on freedom, ...
my personal favorite is as sung by the goddess of gravel, janis the 'junked up' joplin:
Busted flat in baton rouge, waiting for a train
And i's feeling nearly as faded as my jeans.
Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained,
It rode us all the way to new orleans.
I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandanna,
I was playing soft while bobby sang the blues.
Windshield wipers slapping time, I was holding bobby's hand in mine,
We sang every song that driver knew.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose,
Nothing don't mean nothing honey if it ain't free, now now.
And feeling good was easy, lord, when he sang the blues,
You know feeling good was good enough for me,
Good enough for me and my bobby mcgee.
From the kentucky coal mines to the california sun,
Hey, bobby shared the secrets of my soul.
Through all kinds of weather, through everything that we done,
Hey bobby baby kept me from the cold.
One day up near salinas, lord, I let him slip away,
He's looking for that home and I hope he finds it,
But I'd trade all of my tomorrows for one single yesterday
To be holding bobby's body next to mine.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose,
Nothing, that's all that bobby left me, yeah,
But feeling good was easy, lord, when he sang the blues,
Hey, feeling good was good enough for me, hmm hmm,
Good enough for me and my bobby mcgee.
La la la, la la la la, la la la, la la la la
La la la la la bobby mcgee.
La la la la la, la la la la la
La la la la la, bobby mcgee, la.
La la la, la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la la la, hey now bobby now bobby mcgee yeah.
Na na na na na na na na, na na na na na na na na na na na
Hey now bobby now, bobby mcgee, yeah.
Lord, I'm calling my lover, calling my man,
I said I'm calling my lover just the best I can,
C'mon, where is bobby now, where is bobby mcgee, yeah,
Lordy lordy lordy lordy lordy lordy lordy lord
Hey, hey, hey, bobby mcgee, lord!
Yeah! whew!
Lordy lordy lordy lordy lordy lordy lordy lord
Hey, hey, hey, bobby mcgee.
Saw her in concert, shortly before she lost everything.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 187 by kuresu, posted 09-01-2006 6:53 PM kuresu has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 200 by kuresu, posted 09-01-2006 10:04 PM RAZD has not replied
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RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 208 of 300 (345891)
09-01-2006 10:54 PM
Reply to: Message 204 by kuresu
09-01-2006 10:34 PM


Re: more lyrics, more freedom
old? who's old? you're only as old as you think you are. the question is
have you ever been experienced?

Join the effort to unravel {AIDS/HIV} {Protenes} and {Cancer} with Team EvC! (click)

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
RebelAAmericanOZen[Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 204 by kuresu, posted 09-01-2006 10:34 PM kuresu has not replied

RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 240 of 300 (346109)
09-02-2006 6:24 PM
Reply to: Message 226 by joshua221
09-02-2006 4:23 PM


Yeah, it went south when people were more interested in comparing notes on what they knew about {philosophy\philosophers} rather than talking about the topic of the thread.
But I guess they had the freedom to do that ...
... old fogey huh? you wait you young whippersnapper!

Join the effort to unravel {AIDS/HIV} {Protenes} and {Cancer} with Team EvC! (click)

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
RebelAAmericanOZen[Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 226 by joshua221, posted 09-02-2006 4:23 PM joshua221 has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 249 by joshua221, posted 09-02-2006 8:40 PM RAZD has not replied

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