Trodding through to Zion Inna dis Babylon

Kant is among the first philosophers to view conception of humility as “that meta-attitude which constitutes the moral agent’s proper perspective on himself as a dependent and corrupt but capable and dignified rational agent”.

Self-importance is man’s greatest enemy. What weakens him is the feeling of being offended by the deeds and misdeeds of his fellow men. Self-importance requires that one spend most of one’s life offended by something or someone

The capacity to be in awe of that which we cannot explain… That, I think, is what the greater part of humility is. The capacity to be open to something greater than oneself. False humility is the pretence that one is small. True humility is the consciousness of standing in the presence of the divine, which is why it is the virtue of prophets, those who feel most vividly the nearness of God.

It is not the urban distractions that disturb the hermit.

I spent a couple of days in an abandoned Paliwal village in the desert off of Jaisalmer. I was cooped up inside a small enclosure, which I guessed was used as an animal pen (pigs or chickens), to escape the roving Border Security Force.

Impossible to stand up straight in, just enough to lie down, light came in through a few spaces in the hay as narrow laser beams, but the whole experience was exhilarating and fascinating. The microcosm became immense, filled with miniature life and drama and significance and beauty. Because I was a part of the earth, like a creature in its burrow. There was no sign of the curse of the Paliwals, or goddesses or ghosts. Rarely had I felt such love for life as therein. For contour and texture, the bug and the microbe, the twig, straw, dust. Mere conveniences and security will never compare.

There is no delight in owning anything unshared ~ Seneca, Roman philosopher

To own something means both to have the ability to control it, and to be morally justified in excluding others from attempting to control it.

Property is abhorrent to me, even that of ideas and creativity, it is theft on numerous levels. I’ve have always had an allergic response, rejecting any possessiveness of any kind, though, needless to say, always respecting the property and possessiveness of others.

My general response to ownership, property or possesiveness has been to walk away.

In Hinduism, Dakshinamurti, manifestation of Shiva, sits facing south and transmits truth through silent teaching.

To begin at the beginning…there is the abstract silence, from which arises the ego, which in turn gives rise to thought, and thought to the spoken word.

Him : If you were to preach about something, what would you preach about?
Him : I would preach

• a Thoreau style civil disobediance on a personal level, and
• a find out for yourself attitude, Buddha style…

I like to do small things….inconspicuosly. All those small inconspicuous things add up to make me. Ubuntu is the latest.

What is Ubuntu? From the wiki

“Ubuntu is an ethic or humanist philosophy focusing on people’s allegiances and relations with each other. The word has its origin in the Bantu languages of Southern Africa.”

“Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.”

~ Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Now for a couple of pictures of Ubuntu in my daily life…

mmm maybe morality and the philosophy of choice as applied to technology in the next post… Take a tour of the Cathedral and the bazaar…

Many of you who might know of my fetish for camo gear and reggae music might not know of my urban art fetish! So now you know…

Had to share the latest Banksy offering Banksy Vs. Bristol, or just the visuals if you choose.