Writing clearly and intelligently about representational art will always capture my attention. Rhett has achieved this. His interpretations of the two paintings are both reasonable and informative. It's his extrapolation of interpretation into the contemporary political/cultural situation that I find difficult to embrace.
Are we in a similar situation of defeat as the two soldiers seem to face? Well, no. Our enemy is internal. He's inside the gates. Was hidden in a Trojan Horse. Nor is there a signpost announcing the futility of resistance or even official acknowledgement that there's been a war at all. The emotional affect from loss hasn't registered with the designated warriors let alone with most of the working people. There's been a coup d'etat, but it's been gradual, at least a hundred years in the making. And it's ongoing. The takeover continues, solidifies.
Of course some are aware of our dire straits and the enemy's tactics. Hopefully all who read this are in that red pilled group. But 95% of our troubled population are in denial about the perps and their plans for us; so is pursuing the wu wei going to better the situation either personally or collectively. Will the bodies of our enemies float past our meditational stream? Only if we outlive them, which is not their intent to be sure.
I'm not denying the power of meditation. If either soldier had an upright spine, he'd be feeling much better, but only if he could sustain an energized posture under such conditions of abject defeat. Now we have a vague rampant depression but w/o a soldier's awareness of what's happening on the war front.
I maintain the front is in your mind: the war between bitter truth and convenient denial. Meditation could help some individuals. Heroic resistance from the aware seems more effective to me.
It is an important life skill to know when to act and when not to act. The only way of learning that skill is to make a lot of mistakes, hopefully none of them fatal.
Writing clearly and intelligently about representational art will always capture my attention. Rhett has achieved this. His interpretations of the two paintings are both reasonable and informative. It's his extrapolation of interpretation into the contemporary political/cultural situation that I find difficult to embrace.
Are we in a similar situation of defeat as the two soldiers seem to face? Well, no. Our enemy is internal. He's inside the gates. Was hidden in a Trojan Horse. Nor is there a signpost announcing the futility of resistance or even official acknowledgement that there's been a war at all. The emotional affect from loss hasn't registered with the designated warriors let alone with most of the working people. There's been a coup d'etat, but it's been gradual, at least a hundred years in the making. And it's ongoing. The takeover continues, solidifies.
Of course some are aware of our dire straits and the enemy's tactics. Hopefully all who read this are in that red pilled group. But 95% of our troubled population are in denial about the perps and their plans for us; so is pursuing the wu wei going to better the situation either personally or collectively. Will the bodies of our enemies float past our meditational stream? Only if we outlive them, which is not their intent to be sure.
I'm not denying the power of meditation. If either soldier had an upright spine, he'd be feeling much better, but only if he could sustain an energized posture under such conditions of abject defeat. Now we have a vague rampant depression but w/o a soldier's awareness of what's happening on the war front.
I maintain the front is in your mind: the war between bitter truth and convenient denial. Meditation could help some individuals. Heroic resistance from the aware seems more effective to me.
If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by.
I enjoyed reading this. The moment you mentioned the option of coming to stillness, is when I really felt captivated. Good job :)
It is an important life skill to know when to act and when not to act. The only way of learning that skill is to make a lot of mistakes, hopefully none of them fatal.