Desert Globemallow — Images by kenne
Balance
learning
new lessons
with learning
old lessons
again and
again to
become wise.
— kenne
Archive for the ‘Philosophy of life’ Tag
Desert Globemallow Leave a comment
The Miracle of Life Leave a comment
Female Phainopepla Photo-Artistry by kenne
It is necessary to run risks.
We only properly understand
the miracle of life when we
allow the unexpected to happen.
— Paulo Coelho
“What I Have Learned So Far” Leave a comment
Digital Image by kenne
Meditation is old and honorable, so why should I
not sit, every morning of my life, on the hillside,
looking into the shining world? Because, properly
attended to, delight, as well as havoc, is suggestion.
Can one be passionate about the just, the
ideal, the sublime, and the holy, and yet commit
to no labor in its cause? I don’t think so.
— from “What I Have Learned So Far” by Mary Oliver
Swimp Boats At The Rocky Point Port 2 comments
Swimp Boats At The Rocky Point (Puerto Peñasco) Port — Computer Painting by kenne
“The meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day, from hour to hour. What matters, therefore, is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person’s life at a given moment.
To put the question in general terms would be to the question posed to a chess champion: “Tell me, Master, what is the best move in the world?”
There simply is no such thing as the best or even a good move apart from a particular situation in a game and the particular personality of one’s opponent.
The same holds for human existence. One should not search for an abstract meaning of life. Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is as unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it.
As each situation in life represents a challenge to man and presents a problem for him to solve, the question of the meaning of life may actually be reversed. Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of life is, but rather he must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.”
–Viktor E. Frankl
Changing Direction Leave a comment
Graphic Pen Art by kenne
In the search for your destiny,
you will often find yourself obliged
to change direction.
— Paulo Coelho
Believing In The Importance Of The Struggle — Robert M. Pirsig, Dead At 88 1 comment
Source: William Morrow/HarperCollins
It’s just a little after midnight in Tucson, and I’m having trouble sleeping. It could be that Joy is having surgery later today. It could be that in this age of hand-held technology it was several hours ago I received news alert on the passage of Robert M. Pirsig at age 88.
In the 1970’s I was interested in motorcycles — own a couple. It was a time in which I loved reading about technology and philosophy. So, in 1974 when I read a review of a recently published book, “Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values,” I went out and bought a copy.
The inside cover jacket begins with a quote from the book:
“ The study of the art of motorcycle maintenance is really a miniature study of the art of rationality itself. Working on a motorcycle, working well, caring, is to become part of a process, to achieve an inner peace of mind. The motorcycle is primarily a mental phenomenon.”
What better way to write about the conflict between science and religion, and the nature of Quality in art than to have it as part of a motorcycle narrative of a trip Pirsig, his eleven-year-old son and two friends took from Minnesota to California? As it turns out, the real trip was not a motorcycle trip, but a philosophic trip that centers on an insane passion for truth.
In February of this year, I posted a blog entitled, The Zen of Visual Imagery – Balancing Passion and Obsession, in which I reference the novel I have worshiped over the years. Whether in my own teaching of educational philosophy or photography, I can’t talk about life without referencing Pirsig for the truth. It is time for a Chautauqua.
–kenne
Sunrise On Wildhorse Trail Leave a comment
Sunrise On Wildhorse Trail — Image by kenne
No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have
no capacity for living now.
— Alan Watts
