It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything.

As soon as you give it all up, you can have it all. As long as you want power you can't
have it. The minute you don't want power, you'll have more than you ever dreamed
possible.

Ram Dass

reply to post by infobrazil


As simple as that sounds, it rings true!

doh?
dats a little over me head.
dat one of dem zen poems?
prefer heidegger and kierkegaard meself

Only reason Im reading this is because of the "Fightclub" quote. haha. I find the title of the thread much more then your quote.

As soon as you label freedom, you have already lost it.


--------------------------------------

worker bees can leave
even drones can fly away
the queen is their slave


[edit on 30-8-2009 by epitaph.one]

After the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake, a young man found himself homeless, almost penniless, and having lost everything he owned. He was standing on a large San Francisco bridge and about to kill himself by jumping when he suddenly realized: "If I am willing to give up my life here and now, nothing matters. I can go anywhere, do anything, try anything. I can live totally without fear."

This young man set up a flimsy card table and loaned nickels and dimes out of an old, dog-eared cigar box to the wretched poor, the quake-devistated, and new immigrants that "real" banks wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. He carefuly noted their names and amounts owed, even if they were only a few cents and he couldn't afford to give that much. Almost all of his customers were grateful, and almost all of them paid him back in full with the proper interest. He listened carefully and considerately to tales of woe, and was willing to help people out in special situations. His reputation for honesty and compassion grew, and before long even the ragged poor were bringing their few pennies to open an account with the one banker they felt they could trust.

His operation grew rapidly and took on a new name: The Bank of America. Perhaps you've heard of it. Its become another tarnished mega-bank scam op these days, of course, but it saved the life of a man on the verge of suicide and made him wealthy beyond his widlest dreams by the time he died...as well as helping out many thousands of other hard-luck cases.

Originally posted by infobrazil
As soon as you give it all up, you can have it all. As long as you want power you can't
have it. The minute you don't want power, you'll have more than you ever dreamed
possible.

Ram Dass

"The most exquisite paradox..."

reply to post by infobrazil

Power is an illusion, one must give up that which is far more valuable in order to have power. Power is the ability to manipulate others and this mediates corruption, the only true power is having the ability not to use it.

Imagine having the power to do anything, be anywhere at any given time, absolute power to control the Universe. Now imagine also having the strength to choose not to use this power. If one can do that then there is nothing that one can not do.

The best part about this philosophy is that the power does not need to exist, just the belief that it does and then choose not to use it.

Originally posted by silent thunder

After the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake, a young man found himself homeless, almost penniless, and having lost everything he owned. He was standing on a large San Francisco bridge and about to kill himself by jumping when he suddenly realized: "If I am willing to give up my life here and now, nothing matters. I can go anywhere, do anything, try anything. I can live totally without fear."

Understanding that we are all going to die someday is good philosophy if we can overcome the fear. Once fear of death no longer is in control you can understand the truth and this will set us free.

I loved your story until I read the name Bank of America, a sweet story with a bitter end.

hah, love the fight club quote. its actually pretty interesting because it does ring true.

it isnt until you know what pain feels like, that you feel a little more alive.
it isnt until you have lost everything that you see whats really important in life. posessions are just that, posessions. true happiness comes in other forms.
it isnt until you have had 360 days of rain that you appreciate a perfectly sunny day.
it isnt until you have moved away from your friends and family and are completely alone that you learn to appreciate them

these are the things people need to realize. let something go... and see what it does for you.

i learned this a couple years ago. i got rid of most of my things, packed a couple suitcases, and moved to new places without knowing a single soul... without much money.. without really knowing anything about what could happen but i knew there was a world of possibilities waiting for me. it was that time in my life that my life was most exciting. not knowing whats next... its more fun to take a risk sometimes instead of always playing it safe.

try it out and you may be surprised how your life changes. before, i was an egotistical prick, really. i wanted money, money, money, posessions, the nicest things, the nicest place to live. thats how i was until i decided it wasnt making me happy. i had to change in order to see what really makes a person happy... and nothing you can buy will ever give you the happiness you are looking for.