Comments for The Duelist http://demian.wordpress.com The sword is the extension of the will Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:31:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU Comment on What is the Duelist? by demian http://demian.wordpress.com/about/#comment-384 demian Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:27:38 +0000 /about/#comment-384 I know. I forgot. I'm sorry. I know. I forgot. I’m sorry.

]]> Comment on What is the Duelist? by naimed http://demian.wordpress.com/about/#comment-383 naimed Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:32:43 +0000 /about/#comment-383 Its is a nice Metaphor but, in this case, absolutely pointless. I told you that this is not about right or wrong. Well, its also not about black or white, good or evil, brave or sheepish. Dualism is something our (human) mind likes to rely on because its an easy way of separating things, keeping a nice clean cut between two seemingly opposite sides. Instead of worrying about your state of mind you must realize that this is all about perspective. Instead of trying to sepatarate things you must bring them together. Moving forward might imply moving back. To ascend you might need to hit the bottom. If you want to take control you need to let go. It is all the same thing. We are all the same fucker. All we need to do is wake up and realize it. Its is a nice Metaphor but, in this case, absolutely pointless. I told you that this is not about right or wrong. Well, its also not about black or white, good or evil, brave or sheepish. Dualism is something our (human) mind likes to rely on because its an easy way of separating things, keeping a nice clean cut between two seemingly opposite sides.
Instead of worrying about your state of mind you must realize that this is all about perspective.
Instead of trying to sepatarate things you must bring them together.
Moving forward might imply moving back.
To ascend you might need to hit the bottom.
If you want to take control you need to let go.

It is all the same thing. We are all the same fucker.
All we need to do is wake up and realize it.

]]> Comment on What is the Duelist? by demian http://demian.wordpress.com/about/#comment-382 demian Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:06:55 +0000 /about/#comment-382 Well, I used to be sarcastic all the time, mostly because it's less scary than being open and vulnerable. But I'm not sarcastic now, and you got me pegged, all right. I'm afraid of the leap. To use an interesting metaphor I think I read from Antero Alli, to the Abyss the Master brought his two disciples, equal in skill and power, and there he told them about White and Black Magicians. He then told them to jump down the seemingly-bottomless abyss. One disciple, with no hesitation, backed up a little bit, and then took a running leap off the edge. The other one peered down cautiously, and then asked his master, what's the difference between a White and a Black Magician? His master replied, 'The White Magician jumped down.' The second disciple is like me. I wish it weren't the case. I wish I were braver. It's hard for me to admit that I'm afraid of the leap. But you're right. I don't see far or clear enough to trust the jump, to take the leap of faith. And I wish I did, or that I was brave enough not to have to see it all the way to the end before committing to the leap. You got me. Well, I used to be sarcastic all the time, mostly because it’s less scary than being open and vulnerable. But I’m not sarcastic now, and you got me pegged, all right. I’m afraid of the leap.

To use an interesting metaphor I think I read from Antero Alli, to the Abyss the Master brought his two disciples, equal in skill and power, and there he told them about White and Black Magicians. He then told them to jump down the seemingly-bottomless abyss.

One disciple, with no hesitation, backed up a little bit, and then took a running leap off the edge. The other one peered down cautiously, and then asked his master, what’s the difference between a White and a Black Magician?

His master replied, ‘The White Magician jumped down.’

The second disciple is like me. I wish it weren’t the case. I wish I were braver. It’s hard for me to admit that I’m afraid of the leap.

But you’re right. I don’t see far or clear enough to trust the jump, to take the leap of faith. And I wish I did, or that I was brave enough not to have to see it all the way to the end before committing to the leap. You got me.

]]> Comment on What is the Duelist? by naimed http://demian.wordpress.com/about/#comment-381 naimed Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:36:25 +0000 /about/#comment-381 If i wouldnt consider it out of your style, i'd think that you are beeing sarcastic. But anyway, you kind of figured me out. Except for one detail. I didnt try to snapp you out of your catma. There is nothing wrong with the way you see things. You just dont see far enough. Or clear enough. Lets just say that there is an abyss in front of you and unlike most people you actually had the courage to take a peek. But you know that there is something left to do. The leap. If i wouldnt consider it out of your style, i’d think that you are beeing sarcastic. But anyway, you kind of figured me out.
Except for one detail. I didnt try to snapp you out of your catma. There is nothing wrong with the way you see things. You just dont see far enough. Or clear enough.
Lets just say that there is an abyss in front of you and unlike most people you actually had the courage to take a peek.
But you know that there is something left to do.
The leap.

]]> Comment on What is the Duelist? by demian http://demian.wordpress.com/about/#comment-380 demian Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:36:08 +0000 /about/#comment-380 Crap. You mean you've been intentionally insulting me and been acting obnoxious to see how defensive I would be about my own paradigm? Color me embarrassed. Basically, I've been trying to say my own clumsy way that the article is about me believing the science party line for too long, and that magic works mostly because I've somehow slipped into a worldview that allows it to work. I thought that you were a objective materialist trying to tell me I didn't have the right to my own catmas, and I couldn't even see the alternative -- that you were snapping ME out of my own rigid world view. So this is me, contrite and sheepish. Truce? Crap. You mean you’ve been intentionally insulting me and been acting obnoxious to see how defensive I would be about my own paradigm? Color me embarrassed.

Basically, I’ve been trying to say my own clumsy way that the article is about me believing the science party line for too long, and that magic works mostly because I’ve somehow slipped into a worldview that allows it to work. I thought that you were a objective materialist trying to tell me I didn’t have the right to my own catmas, and I couldn’t even see the alternative — that you were snapping ME out of my own rigid world view. So this is me, contrite and sheepish.

Truce?

]]> Comment on What is the Duelist? by naimed http://demian.wordpress.com/about/#comment-379 naimed Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:33:37 +0000 /about/#comment-379 Hm. It kind of suprises me that this discussion is going into that direction. I didnt expect you to recommend something from Mr. Wilson. The fact that you are a reader of such literature would make me think that you were a little more ... flexible concerning your opinion about me. But now that we're moving into an interesting direction it seems that we are stuck. I dont think that we can continue this conversation unless you open up a little. I thought that you would figure out much sooner that this is not about who is right. I never wanted you to convince me of something, i can do that on my own. Im just curios. Greetings from Bavaria... Hm. It kind of suprises me that this discussion is going into that direction. I didnt expect you to recommend something from Mr. Wilson. The fact that you are a reader of such literature would make me think that you were a little more … flexible concerning your opinion about me.
But now that we’re moving into an interesting direction it seems that we are stuck. I dont think that we can continue this conversation unless you open up a little.
I thought that you would figure out much sooner that this is not about who is right. I never wanted you to convince me of something, i can do that on my own. Im just curios.

Greetings from Bavaria…

]]> Comment on What is the Duelist? by demian http://demian.wordpress.com/about/#comment-378 demian Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:06:51 +0000 /about/#comment-378 I'd recommend Robert Anton Wilson's Cosmic Trigger, except that's just more stuff to put in your head to convince yourself that magic exists or aliens are contacting us telepathically or there really is an Illuminati. I can't convince you, Naimed, and I'm not responsible for the alleviation of your boredom. In fact, because you said that, and because you called me pathetic with your first comment, I don't actually believe that you want to know the truth. You just want everyone to see that you're right, and you're an expert at being right. Don't you see? I’d recommend Robert Anton Wilson’s Cosmic Trigger, except that’s just more stuff to put in your head to convince yourself that magic exists or aliens are contacting us telepathically or there really is an Illuminati. I can’t convince you, Naimed, and I’m not responsible for the alleviation of your boredom.

In fact, because you said that, and because you called me pathetic with your first comment, I don’t actually believe that you want to know the truth. You just want everyone to see that you’re right, and you’re an expert at being right.

Don’t you see?

]]> Comment on What is the Duelist? by naimed http://demian.wordpress.com/about/#comment-377 naimed Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:24:56 +0000 /about/#comment-377 There is always a truth that is beyond what we understand. But this other set of ideas doesnt have to be more exalted. It might just be very plain and simple. The greatest Zen Master, the wisest Philosopher, the most pious priest might just have a single thought while he's taking a dump, one that creates and idea that can overturn his entire structure of believe, knowlegde and wisdom. Like: "If god is allmighty, can he create a rock that even he cant lift?" But I'm drifting away from the topic. I have to say demian that i'm starting to get bored. The reason why i wrote a comment in the first place was because a lot of what you wrote actually made sence and i figured that maybe i could learn something from you. But you decided to keep on writing cryptic words, statements that can mean everything and nothing. So if you dont want to tell me anything about your magic practices at least give me the name of a book or a website. Something that you consider authentic so i can determin whether you are just a nut or if there might just be a jot of truth in what you're saying, that one can in fact do extraordinary things. That there is such a thing as ... magic. There is always a truth that is beyond what we understand. But this other set of ideas doesnt have to be more exalted. It might just be very plain and simple. The greatest Zen Master, the wisest Philosopher, the most pious priest might just have a single thought while he’s taking a dump, one that creates and idea that can overturn his entire structure of believe, knowlegde and wisdom. Like: “If god is allmighty, can he create a rock that even he cant lift?”

But I’m drifting away from the topic. I have to say demian that i’m starting to get bored. The reason why i wrote a comment in the first place was because a lot of what you wrote actually made sence and i figured that maybe i could learn something from you. But you decided to keep on writing cryptic words, statements that can mean everything and nothing. So if you dont want to tell me anything about your magic practices at least give me the name of a book or a website. Something that you consider authentic so i can determin whether you are just a nut or if there might just be a jot of truth in what you’re saying, that one can in fact do extraordinary things. That there is such a thing as … magic.

]]> Comment on What is the Duelist? by demian http://demian.wordpress.com/about/#comment-376 demian Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:58:10 +0000 /about/#comment-376 You've asked me that question twice now, Naimed: Don't you see? What don't I see? If I'm so smart that I've gotten one layer of truth, what is the layer of truth that you see that I don't that is an even more exalted layer of truth than the truth that I DO see? I do see, Naimed. But it isn't my physical eyes that do the seeing, any more than it's your physical eyes that do your seeing. The spoon isn't 'out there' for your eyes to be seen. They're in here, where these words echo with noiseless sound, where this arrangement of pixels is imbued with meaning and structure, in here where all spoons exist. Don't you see? You’ve asked me that question twice now, Naimed: Don’t you see?

What don’t I see? If I’m so smart that I’ve gotten one layer of truth, what is the layer of truth that you see that I don’t that is an even more exalted layer of truth than the truth that I DO see?

I do see, Naimed. But it isn’t my physical eyes that do the seeing, any more than it’s your physical eyes that do your seeing. The spoon isn’t ‘out there’ for your eyes to be seen.

They’re in here, where these words echo with noiseless sound, where this arrangement of pixels is imbued with meaning and structure, in here where all spoons exist.

Don’t you see?

]]> Comment on What is the Duelist? by naimed http://demian.wordpress.com/about/#comment-375 naimed Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:32:37 +0000 /about/#comment-375 I know what you're trying to say. If i want to do something extraordinary to my surroundings i have to do it to myself. Everything that exists exists only in my imagination thus if i want to alter reallity i have to change its picture in my head. I have to change myself. But if that is true then i have failed allready. Because the only way to do what you call magic is an easy one. I cant bend a spoon because trying to bend it implies it to be solid. Trying to change the flight of the birds is to assume that they dont fly by my demand allready. Trying to do something extraordinary is to think that it is in fact extraordinary and that exactly is what makes it so hard if not impossible. And it is why i dont believe you. You say that the sword is the extension of the will, that magic requires discipline and faith. But if it is possible to do what shouldnt be possible then it must be like breathing. The harder you try, the more you focus the more you are bound to fail. You are smart demian i give you that. You have unlocked a part of youre mind that only a few people even know the existence of. But what you dont see is that you only have penetrated one layer of the truth. Doesnt the denial of the spoons existence proof that i does in fact exist? Dont you see? I know what you’re trying to say. If i want to do something extraordinary to my surroundings i have to do it to myself. Everything that exists exists only in my imagination thus if i want to alter reallity i have to change its picture in my head. I have to change myself.
But if that is true then i have failed allready. Because the only way to do what you call magic is an easy one. I cant bend a spoon because trying to bend it implies it to be solid. Trying to change the flight of the birds is to assume that they dont fly by my demand allready. Trying to do something extraordinary is to think that it is in fact extraordinary and that exactly is what makes it so hard if not impossible. And it is why i dont believe you. You say that the sword is the extension of the will, that magic requires discipline and faith. But if it is possible to do what shouldnt be possible then it must be like breathing. The harder you try, the more you focus the more you are bound to fail.
You are smart demian i give you that. You have unlocked a part of youre mind that only a few people even know the existence of. But what you dont see is that you only have penetrated one layer of the truth.
Doesnt the denial of the spoons existence proof that i does in fact exist?
Dont you see?

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