Saturday, March 24, 2012

ANOTHER GREAT OLD CASTENADA QUOTE

"The trick is in what one emphasizes...We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same."  —Don Juan (from JOURNEY TO IXTLAN)

10 comments:

-K- said...

Wow - a great quote to start the day with. (And something I wish I learned a long time ago.)

Lally said...

Well , I wrote it down back in the '60s or early '70s and just found it in a journal and thought the same thing, wish I'd learned it then, though I must have to some extent since I wrote it down and thought it was worth remembering.

Robert G. Zuckerman said...

In other words, it's a matter of choice. Herclitua says: "the way up and the way down are the same." And ikkyu says: "Pain and pleasure are equal in a clear heart: no mountain hides the mnoon."

Lally said...

Robert, I like that "mnoon"—sort of the same double meaning (moon implying night, noon implying day etc.) as in the previous quote, but I also love what that saying that "no mountain hides the moon" and a great reminder for us mere mortals.

Robert G. Zuckerman said...

woops,that was an "oopsie" as one friend calls it. ;-) but I like your take on it.

Castaneda remains perhaps the most influential and poignant of all my readings. As when he says: "the warrior's art is to balance the terror of existence with the wonder of existence."

Lally said...

wow. beautiful quote Robert, I didn't remember that one.

Robert G. Zuckerman said...

It's gotten me through a lot, just like when Lao-Tzu refers to darkness as "the gateway to understanding."

JIm said...

Your review on Hunger Games should be entertaining.

Robert G. Zuckerman said...

http://my.earthlink.net/article/us?guid=20120325/a94b73d9-d0ed-4cbc-b6c2-51a01df0e798

This is the kind of ignorance and hate that is counter to everything fought for and all ideals to which good people everywhere aspire. I'll bet any amount of money that whoever did this comes from mixed racial and ethnic lineage. As one born in America, I am ashamed of this and here express my heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of the victim of this senseless murder.

Lally said...

Horrendous story Robert. There'll always be haters and killers, it's the ones who deliberately fuel the hate and the violence that seem to increase when their wealthy overlords spend millions on their think tanks and election campaigns and rightwing media etc. who I want to see held accountable.