Dialogue

BUZZ!!!

Durwood Eldridge: Good morning.

Andrew: good morning

Durwood Eldridge: I thought you were on your way to Connecticut.

Andrew: no, that's next saturday

Durwood Eldridge: Oh, okay. My mistake.

Andrew: its ok

Durwood Eldridge: I very nearly went to play poker this morning

Andrew: your gambling addiction is heating up again ?

Durwood Eldridge: I don't really know if it's gambling addiction. It felt more like a desire to do
something fun. But then I changed my mind and came back home.

Andrew: now that you have a stream of money

Andrew: who's playing poker this early ?

Durwood Eldridge: At the bricks and mortar casinos they have poker rooms that are open 24 hours a day

Andrew: oh and that is not far from you ?

Durwood Eldridge: The one I was going to go to is two inter-city bus rides away. I thought of a different one attached to a local fair that I can reach in about half an hour, so I changed my mind about the farther away one.

Andrew: ok, will you go to the local fair ?

Durwood Eldridge: Maybe. I just have to check whether the whole grounds are nonsmoking this year. One sec

Andrew: ok

Durwood Eldridge: It doesn't say.

Andrew: do you feel like being with people ?

Durwood Eldridge: I feel like not sitting at my desk at home all day. The fair would be something fun to do. It's not just for the poker, but to see what the fair is like this year.

Andrew: the weather is not great here

Durwood Eldridge: One problem is sleep. I went to bed at about 9 yesterday hoping to sleep through the night but was wakened by the phone at a quarter to 11. I've been up all night and my mother says I look like I'm about to fall asleep, although I don't feel that way.

Andrew: do you feel up to the traveling you need to do ?

Andrew: hold on - you say you've been up all night ?

Durwood Eldridge: It's only a subway ride plus a short streetcar ride away. The walking is more of an issue. but you say the weather there is not great? it's already 70 degrees here at 9 am

Andrew: it is 70 here too but it is overcast and may rain later

Durwood Eldridge: Too bad. It rained all day yesterday here and I felt really trapped indoors.

Andrew: oh so thats why youre itching to go to the fair

Durwood Eldridge: It's more for getting out of the apartment. But I had an outing already this morning. took the subway down to the bus station, sat around in the open for half an hour with a coffee waiting for the bus, then changed my mind and took the subway home.

Andrew: so stay home and lets chat

Durwood Eldridge: Okay. What's the plan for today, the usual?

Andrew: at least i wont take your money

Durwood Eldridge: thank you!

Andrew: yes. the usual

Durwood Eldridge: I thought about online poker but have no interest in it. Imagine that.

Andrew: whats the downside of playing online ?

Durwood Eldridge: Much less chance to win. Uncertainty about fairness. Do you think I should just play online?

Andrew: yes, a little bit if you feel the urge

Durwood Eldridge: one sec

Andrew: ok

Durwood Eldridge: Yes, I can make an online deposit and play a little bit online. But I'll get to that later

Andrew: maybe im being naive but im very excited about Sarah Palin, the republican vp nomination

Durwood Eldridge: What's got you excited?

Andrew: it's flaunting it in the face of the democrats

Andrew: i cant believe that this choice was made

Durwood Eldridge: You realize vice-president is a largely ceremonial positionAndrew: yes i do

Durwood Eldridge: on the other hand, the existing vice-president has the strongest chance of running for president next

Andrew: i was listening to WOR and they were speculating that 2012 could be Hillary vs Palin

Andrew: now that would be something to write home about

Durwood Eldridge: Yes, it would. Neither side could play the sexism card.

Andrew: it would really turn the political system on its ear - which is always attractive to me

Durwood Eldridge: I don't think it would. They are women, but they're still seasoned politicians. In that respect women are no different from men.

Andrew: yes, but it defies current expectations - this appeals to me on a deep level

Andrew: i always root for the underdog

Durwood Eldridge: It's a mirage. And I don't think either of them is an underdog

Andrew: now every woman - and every hillary voter - has the option of selecting a woman

Durwood Eldridge: The only reason I'd really favour McCain is so that a Democratic president doesn't pull the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan and leave behind a mess of the sort the Soviets left when *they* pulled out of Afghanistan.

Durwood Eldridge: Already Somalia is totally lawless and Sudan is very, very close to totally lawless. Two more countries in that situation would create transcontinental chaos.

Andrew: i never quite understood why the soviets went into Afghanistan - what was their motivation ?

Durwood Eldridge: I don't know, either. But when they left the country descended into chaos. Rival warlords fought each other but none was strong enough to take over the whole country, so there were 10 years or more of anarchy until the Taliban restored order.

Durwood Eldridge: If the United States government really believed in all the things it claims to believe in, it would send troops into Somalia to re-establish some form of government there. But in fact the politicos all serve the rich and don't give a shit about ordinary people.

Andrew: why cant we just cut off their food supply and starve them ?

Durwood Eldridge: Starve whom? It's the ordinary people of the country who are suffering. They're already starving. The country is in total anarchy.

Andrew: the warlords

Durwood Eldridge: I don't know if the situation in Somalia is also warlords, but those guys always make sure they get enough to eat. It's innocent civilians who starve to death.

Durwood Eldridge: Anyway, I'm afraid Obama would be pressured into pulling out of Iraq and Afghanistan too quickly and leaving chaos behind.Andrew: you dont think its time to pack up and go ?

Durwood Eldridge: I think, if that happened, both countries would become anarchy the way Afghanistan already was for over a decadeAndrew: so do you think we should be in the business of nation building ?

Durwood Eldridge: From the perspective of CNN "news" consumers who only have eyes for American soldiers being brought back in body bags, it's way past time to pull out and go. But once you start eating shit in a dish you have to finish the whole dish or you leave shit behind.

Durwood Eldridge: I'm thinking of the poor ordinary people of those countries. They deserve better than to have an occupying power make a mess of their domestic situation. At the very least there has to be a strong central army that can create something like Pakistan.

Andrew: ok, do you know this war is called "The Long War" ?

Durwood Eldridge: Shortsightedly. The Hundred Years War back in 1300 lasted far, far longer.

Andrew: dont you think this war could last 100 years ?

Durwood Eldridge: I doubt it. Maybe at most another 20, while the native militaries build up enough strength to control the whole country. Right now the Afghani and Iraqi armed forces don't have what it takes to control the entire territories of their countries.

Andrew: ok, but is it a guerilla war like in Vietnam ?

Durwood Eldridge: I don't know because Vietnam was before my time. It's really not so much a war as a pacification and order-institution effort. It's still in its early stages because there hasn't been enough focus on creating native armed forces strong enough to control the country.

Andrew: i have always thought that Vietname was lost because it was a guerilla war

Durwood Eldridge: It was a piece of naivete. Again, you thought you could barge into a foreign country without knowing anything about the domestic situation and just impose your view of things on the local populace. but don't forget that their culture is about 20 times older than American culture. That's what made the Viet Cong undefeatable.

Andrew: ok

Durwood Eldridge: China is being handled far more wisely. It's being westernized through affluence. Already traditional chinese culture is dead.

Durwood Eldridge: Even if China takes over the world, which it will, it will be just more McDonalds and Microsofts and nothing else.

Durwood Eldridge: Plus nine-tenths of the men in Hong Kong are practising homosexuals because there are no women. The one-child policy led to selective breeding for boys, so Chinese women are in very, very short supply

Andrew: i did not know that

Durwood Eldridge: You want something for the southern baptists to get excited about? Just tell them about hong kong

Durwood Eldridge: Or China in general, for that matter

Andrew: i heard that the evangelicals are very excited about Sarah Palin

Durwood Eldridge: Why? She's not at home making babies.

Durwood Eldridge: coffee--brb

Durwood Eldridge: bacik

Durwood Eldridge: *back

Andrew: no, but she 5 children and the last one was born with Down's Syndrome - she carried it to term and did not choose abortion

Durwood Eldridge: Ah. Is she a devout practising Christian?

Andrew: yes, i believe so - pro-life and pro-gun, being from Alaska

Durwood Eldridge: I forget, does she have to give up her governorship if she accepts the nomination?

Andrew: no, she does not

Durwood Eldridge: It's different in Canada. Here, someone running for office in one level of government first has to give up all positions in other levels of government

Andrew: Obama has been in the Senate for 3 years and he has spent 2 years running for President

Durwood Eldridge: Doesn't say much for how little work he must have done as a senator in that time.

Andrew: i agree, but he is in the right place at the right time

Durwood Eldridge: Well, we'll see how it all works out. If the world ends in 2012, it'll all be a short-term worry anyway.

Andrew: can i put this dialogue on my blog ?

Durwood Eldridge: sure

Andrew: thanks

Durwood Eldridge: Sorry, phone. I'm off it now

Andrew: ok

Durwood Eldridge: Wrong number

Andrew: do those still happen ?

Durwood Eldridge: Oh, yes. In fact, with cellphones being so common, they even happen more often

Durwood Eldridge: Someone gets a new number and misprograms it into their phone.

Andrew: oh that makes sense

Durwood Eldridge: I'm still not sleepy. Isn't that remarkable?

Andrew: yes, what did you do all night ?

Durwood Eldridge: Got soccer in about 20 minutes, but we can chat while I'm watchingAndrew: ok fine

Durwood Eldridge: I didn't do a heck of a lot. Tried to sleep, read a book, answered an email, read MSNBC

Durwood Eldridge: Wrote in my journal...listened to music...watched a recorded baseball game

Andrew: ok, sounds like my daytime activities

Durwood Eldridge: Incidentally, for $19.95, you can watch the Mets games after they're over from beginning to end, or watch condensed games, for the rest of the season

Durwood Eldridge: I subscribed to the service in order to watch Brewers and Angels games, since those are the teams I'm following now

Andrew: is that an offer thru MLB.com ?

Durwood Eldridge: yes, it's MLB.com

Andrew: ok

Durwood Eldridge: For 19.95 the picture is kind of small. If you pay 29.95 you can get full screen and TV-quality viewing

Andrew: you like the Angels ? i like them too

Andrew: I especially like Teixiera (?)

Durwood Eldridge: They play hard, they stick together, and they have a really good lineup. Last night their starting pitcher went 8 innings, and their closer now has 52 saves, one fewer than Rivera in his top season and five fewer than the single-season record

Durwood Eldridge: I forget the guy's name. They just call him K-Rod. There's talk of him being league MVP

Andrew: isnt he Francisco Rodriguez ?

Durwood Eldridge: Yes, that's the guy. You should see him pitch!

Andrew: i guess they dont want to call him F-Rod

Durwood Eldridge: Lol no.

Durwood Eldridge: He strikes out a lot of batters

Durwood Eldridge: That's why they call him K-Rod

Andrew: you're very perceptive politically

Andrew: as a political thinker

Durwood Eldridge: I don't like to talk politics as a rule. I find the whole thing boring. the rich have always run everything and always will.

Andrew: yes, but we live in a dynamic time, i think

Durwood Eldridge: I don't know if it's any more dynamic than any other. Historians and sociologists could say either way with more assurance.

Andrew: there's more talk about politics now than ever - at least that is a truism

Durwood Eldridge: Not really. There was always talk about what the local baron or warlord was up to. It was just more word of mouth.

Durwood Eldridge: In fact, information about such things tended to be more reliable because people's lives depended on it. Now political news is like sports news: It's entertainment. No matter who gets elected things won't really change.

Andrew: im big on international conspiracies

Andrew: perhaps thats the paranoid in me talking

Durwood Eldridge: Perhaps. I don't believe in Star Chambers or Illuminati, but there are various circles of insiders who pull a lot of strings.

Durwood Eldridge: Politics is a lot of overlapping circles

Andrew: i dont believe in the illuminati either but i believe in the tri-lateral commission

Durwood Eldridge: What's that?

Andrew: The Trilateral Commission is a private organization, established to foster closer cooperation between America, Europe and Japan. It was founded in July 1973, at the initiative of David Rockefeller; who was Chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations at that time. The Trilateral Commission is widely seen as a counterpart to the Council on Foreign Relations. He pushed the idea of including Japan at the Bilderberg meetings he was attending but was rebuffed. Along with Zbigniew Brzezinski and a few other people, including individuals from the Brookings Institution, Council on Foreign Relations and the Ford Foundation, he convened initial meetings out of which grew the Trilateral organization. (wikipedia)

Durwood Eldridge: So it's acknowledged to exist. But so is Armand Hammer, if he's still alive.

Andrew: ok, i forget who he is

Durwood Eldridge: He's the American industrialist who did a lot of business with the Soviet Union. He kept his name quiet until the country broke up. I only know about him because, on a whim, he bought the Arm N Hammer baking soda company

Andrew: he liked the name's resemblance to his own name ?

Durwood Eldridge: He got tired of having his name confused with the company's, so, with basically a flick of the wrist, he bought the company.

Andrew: wow

Durwood Eldridge: That's how much money he made doing business with the Soviet government, which was allegedly an enemy of the government of the country he was based in

Andrew: do you think Putin is an enemy or a friend ?

Durwood Eldridge: I think Putin is a rich guy who doesn't give a damn about you and me.

Andrew: ok

Durwood Eldridge: He's probably bosom buddies with about three dozen American billionaires

Durwood Eldridge: No doubt they meet for cognac at his mansion in Dubai from time to time

Andrew: but do you think money or religion causes wars ?

Durwood Eldridge: Money. Religion is a tool. those who pull the strings don't have any religious beliefs that truly guide them. they are guided by a nose for advantage

Andrew: ok, and advantage is will to power ?

Durwood Eldridge: Nope. Advantage is exactly what it sounds like: advantage. That one word describes it perfectly.

Andrew: so advantage is not a naturally existing condition

Durwood Eldridge: It's very natural. even amoebae and viruses seek advantageAndrew: ok

Durwood Eldridge: The most successful people have the most of what makes amoebae and viruses successful

Andrew: ok, but its not something that should be admired because its natural and pre-given to nature ?

Durwood Eldridge: It shouldn't be admired because it's absolutely the lowest common denominator of all life. There are much more human qualities that get short shrift when it comes to what it takes to be successful

Andrew: such as selflessness ?

Durwood Eldridge: That's one of them, although there is dispute as to whether it exists.

Durwood Eldridge: Actually, the most uniquely human quality is one that's not that admirable: It's our gluteal muscles. No other species has them.

Andrew: that reminds me of what Nietzsche said about empathy

Andrew: your previous statement

Durwood Eldridge: He didn't really believe in it, but don't forget that Nietzsche operated on the basis of 19th-century science.

Andrew: i just did a search on nietzsche and empathy and i got a very interesting result

Durwood Eldridge: Which?

Andrew: a paper about schizophrenia and the bi-cameral mind

Andrew: What Would Happen to Nietzsche Today?

If you saw only the description above, without knowing the name of the person, what would you think? If Nietzsche were alive today in our country, what do you think would be the reaction to him? Would he be respected as a great teacher of how to self-manage a deep, healthy metamorphosis? Would he be diagnosed as "a schizophrenic"?
Did Nietzsche go through a classic peak experience in which he achieved a higher level of consciousness and then defied the world to understand? Was he, as he claimed, an example of great health, of abnormal mental health? Did he experience a schizophrenic breakdown which was too much for him to accept, that he tried to deny? What was "Nietzsche's syndrome"?

Durwood Eldridge: I haven't read nietzsche's post-breakdown writing, so I can't comment.

Andrew: There is No Proof That Schizophrenia is An Illness

After all these years, the case has still not been proven that schizophrenia is a disease or an illness. As summarized elsewhere (Siebert, 1985b), no one can catch schizophrenia from someone else, it has a correlation of occurrence in families and twins close to that of IQ, athletic ability, music ability, etc., no one dies from it, there is no known cure for it, people can recover from it on their own with no treatment, the longer a person is given drugs or treated in a mental hospital the worse off they are, the less treatment given the better the recovery, and some people are made stronger by the experience. No illness known to medical science acts like this.

Andrew: But if it isn't a disease or illness then what is it? Is it possible that in some instances of schizophrenia we are observing some sort of desirable development? Does something happen in the human brain during young adulthood that is a version of what Jaynes has described as a breakdown in the bicameral mind? Is there an unrecognized process of neurological integration going on that takes years to occur?
Is there another developmental stage beyond those already identified? Is there a cerebral stage that occurs when a young person tries to take control of his or her brain functions? Are some versions of schizophrenia a developmental crisis that is being interfered with rather than facilitated?

Andrew: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SCHIZOPHRENIC AND AN INTROVERT?

Many have written to me asking how they can tell if they're introverted or schizophrenic. This is an excellent article Dr. Al Siebert wrote about Nietzsche as a "survivor personality". I don't think there is any doubt in anyone's mind that Nietzsche was both. Particularly it raises the question of whether schizophrenia should be considered a mental illness or a characteristic of people who survive exceptionally well as life progress. I think this would be a comfort to many who have questions about why they are so different from other people. One of the discerning characteristics is that one group will fight being labeled "mentally ill" and another group will not.

Andrew: what do you think ?

Andrew: my two favorite obsession - Nietzsche and Schizophrenia

Durwood Eldridge: I think that's very astute. Certainly the voodoo science behind the diagnosis of schizophrenia has largely been exposed.

Durwood Eldridge: I have to _say_ I'm schizophrenic in certain situations, but in fact I'm medication-dependent

Andrew: but isnt risperdal just a tranquilizer ?

Durwood Eldridge: I don't take risperdal, and, no, it's not a tranquililzer. It's an antipsychotic

Andrew: i thought antipsychotics were just tranquilizers

Durwood Eldridge: Nope, they're different. Look up the two terms.

Andrew: but i nurse once explain to me how risperdal works:

Andrew: We do know how Risperdal works. Because it's an antipsychotic and it's mechanism is to block dopamine and serotonin 5-HT2 brain receptors.
Most medications used in psychiatry to treat schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders work by inhibiting dopaminergic activity. It's thought that it's hyperactivation of the ventral tegmental area and dorsal striatum regions that cause the positive symptoms of schizophrenia which include altered thinking.
Serotonin is one of the neurotransmitters that affects mood. When serotonin 5-HT2 receptors are blocked, this maintains mood stability. Mood can affect thinking.

Andrew: so its not a tranquilizer - but i thought thats why it made me sleepy

Durwood Eldridge: What about the dopamine and serotonin in the rest of your body?

Andrew: are you suggesting that a drug that blocks dopamine does not do the whole job ?

Durwood Eldridge: I'm saying there is dopamine and serotonin in the rest of your body, too. what antipsychotics do to that is unknown because no one has researched it. There is no financial incentive.

Andrew: ok, should i be concerned ?

Durwood Eldridge: How long have you been taking risperidone?

Andrew: since 2006

Durwood Eldridge: I don't know if you can stop taking it any more. Two years is a long time.

Durwood Eldridge: You're probably medication dependent too

Andrew: "too" meaning you, too ?

Durwood Eldridge: Yes

Andrew: well, i think i could stop it no problem

Durwood Eldridge: What makes you think that?

Durwood Eldridge: brb in a sec

Durwood Eldridge: back

Andrew: ok

Durwood Eldridge: I don't think you should try to get off risperidone without monitoring. If you want to try, talk about it with your doctors. But IMO it's likely too late

Andrew: are you suggesting i have a psych. dependency or a physical/chemical dependency ?

Durwood Eldridge: physical brain dependency, same as me

Andrew: i dont want to get off risperdal, i am content to take it ad infinitum

Durwood Eldridge: What dose do you take?

Andrew: 3 mg - it has increased every year

Durwood Eldridge: Then stay on it

Andrew: my speech came back when we hit 2 mg

Andrew: it has been very good for me

Durwood Eldridge: If you're content with it stay on it. But be careful about your blood sugar, because antipsychotics tend to promote diabetes

Andrew: i had blood work done about a month ago

Andrew: my bad cholesterol was a little higher than it should be

Durwood Eldridge: Is that all the morning cake?

Andrew: i hope not

Andrew: i eat a very small piece in the morning - no other breakfast

Durwood Eldridge: then that's probably not it.

Andrew: maybe i was eating too many chocolate donuts

Durwood Eldridge: possible. Donuts contain about 500-800 calories each

Andrew: yum !

Durwood Eldridge: I like donuts but don't eat them often

Andrew: is it alright if i take a break ?

Durwood Eldridge: Sure. I need to lie down anyway. How about we chat later?

Andrew: yes, ttyl

Durwood Eldridge: ttyl

Habermas quotes

A threatened nation can react to uncertain dangers solely through administrative channels, to the truly embarrassing situation of perhaps overreacting. Jurgen Habermas

After September 11, the European governments have completely failed. They are incapable of seeing beyond their own national scope of interests. Jurgen Habermas

Disappointment over nationalistic authoritarian regimes may have contributed to the fact that today religion offers a new and subjectively more convincing language for old political orientations. Jurgen Habermas

Each murder is one too many. Jurgen Habermas

From a moral point of view, there is no excuse for terrorist acts, regardless of the motive or the situation under which they are carried out. Jurgen Habermas

Global terrorism is extreme both in its lack of realistic goals and in its cynical exploitation of the vulnerability of complex systems. Jurgen Habermas

Historically, terrorism falls in a category different from crimes that concern a criminal court judge. Jurgen Habermas

I cannot imagine a context that would some day, in some manner, make the monstrous crime of September 11 an understandable or comprehensible political act. Jurgen Habermas

I consider Bush's decision to call for a war against terrorism a serious mistake. He is elevating these criminals to the status of war enemies, and one cannot lead a war against a network if the term war is to retain any definite meaning. Jurgen Habermas

If the September 11 terror attack is supposed to constitute a caesura in world history, it must be able to stand comparison to other events of world historical impact. Jurgen Habermas

In the U.S.A. or Europe there is no realistic way to estimate the type, magnitude, or probability of the risk, nor any way to narrow down the potentially affected regions. Jurgen Habermas

Instead of the international police action we had hoped for during the war in Kosovo, there are wars again - conducted with state-of-the-art technology, but still in the old style. Jurgen Habermas

Manhattan... capital of the 20th century, a city that has fascinated me for more than three decades. Jurgen Habermas

One never really knows who one's enemy is. Jurgen Habermas

Osama bin Laden, the person, more likely serves the function of a stand-in. Compare the new terrorists with partisans or conventional terrorists in Israel. These people often fight in a decentralized manner in small, autonomous units, too. Jurgen Habermas

Partisans fight on familiar territory with professed political objectives to conquer power. This is what distinguishes them from terrorists. Jurgen Habermas

Perhaps at a later point important developments will be traced back to September 11. But for now we do not know which of the many scenarios will actually hold in the future. Jurgen Habermas

Perhaps September 11 could be called the first historic world event in the strictest sense: the impact, the explosion, the slow collapse - a gruesome reality literally took place in front of a global public. Jurgen Habermas

Since our complex societies are highly susceptible to interferences and accidents, they certainly offer ideal opportunities for a prompt disruption of normal activities. Jurgen Habermas

Since the intervention in Afghanistan, we suddenly began to notice when, in political discussions, we found ourselves only among Europeans or Israelis. Jurgen Habermas

Some of those drawn into the holy war had been secular nationalists only a few years before. If one looks at the biographies of these people, remarkable continuities are revealed. Jurgen Habermas

The clever, albeit fragile, coalition against terrorism brought together by the U.S. government might be able to advance the transition from classical international law to a cosmopolitan order. Jurgen Habermas

The difference between political terror and ordinary crime becomes clear during the change of regimes, in which former terrorists become well-regarded representatives of their country. Jurgen Habermas

The misery in war-torn Afghanistan is reminiscent of images from the Thirty Years' War. Jurgen Habermas

The scenarios of biological or chemical warfare painted in detail by the American media during the months after September 11 only betray the inability of the government to determine the magnitude of the danger. Jurgen Habermas

The state is in danger of falling into disrepute due to the evidence of its inadequate resources. Jurgen Habermas

The uncertainty of the danger belongs to the essence of terrorism. Jurgen Habermas

Today's Islamic fundamentalism is also a cover for political motifs. We should not overlook the political motifs we encounter in forms of religious fanaticism. Jurgen Habermas

What was new was the symbolic force of the targets struck. The attackers did not just physically cause the highest buildings in Manhattan to collapse; they also destroyed an icon in the household imagery of the American nation. Jurgen Habermas

Buddha quotes

A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker. Buddha

A jug fills drop by drop. Buddha

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him. Buddha

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become. Buddha

All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else. Buddha

All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain? Buddha

Ambition is like love, impatient both of delays and rivals. Buddha

An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea. Buddha

An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind. Buddha

Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense. Buddha

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace. Buddha

Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence. Buddha

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. Buddha

Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind. Buddha

Ennui has made more gamblers than avarice, more drunkards than thirst, and perhaps as many suicides as despair. Buddha

Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely. Buddha

Every human being is the author of his own health or disease. Buddha

Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule. Buddha

Hatred does not cease through hatred at any time. Hatred ceases through love. This is an unalterable law. Buddha

Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little. Buddha

He is able who thinks he is able. Buddha

He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye. Buddha

He who loves 50 people has 50 woes; he who loves no one has no woes. Buddha

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship. Buddha

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. Buddha

However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them? Buddha

I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act. Buddha

I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done. Buddha

In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves. Buddha

In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then beleive them to be true. Buddha

It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways. Buddha

It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell. Buddha

It is better to travel well than to arrive. Buddha

Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life. Buddha

Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue. Buddha

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful. Buddha

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path. Buddha

On life's journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him. Buddha

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. Buddha

Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity. Buddha

The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground. Buddha

The mind is everything. What you think you become. Buddha

The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows. Buddha

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly. Buddha

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly. Buddha

The tongue like a sharp knife... Kills without drawing blood. Buddha

The virtues, like the Muses, are always seen in groups. A good principle was never found solitary in any breast. Buddha

The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart. Buddha

The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed. Buddha

The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve. Buddha

There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting. Buddha

There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it. Buddha

There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills. Buddha

Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace. Buddha

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. Buddha

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. Buddha

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. Buddha

To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent. Buddha

To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him. Buddha

To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear. Buddha

To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance. Buddha

Unity can only be manifested by the Binary. Unity itself and the idea of Unity are already two. Buddha

Virtue is persecuted more by the wicked than it is loved by the good. Buddha

We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them. Buddha

We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. Buddha

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world. Buddha

What is the appropriate behavior for a man or a woman in the midst of this world, where each person is clinging to his piece of debris? What's the proper salutation between people as they pass each other in this flood? Buddha

What we think, we become. Buddha

Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill. Buddha

When one has the feeling of dislike for evil, when one feels tranquil, one finds pleasure in listening to good teachings; when one has these feelings and appreciates them, one is free of fear. Buddha

Without health life is not life; it is only a state of langour and suffering - an image of death. Buddha

Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others. Buddha

You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection. Buddha

You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger. Buddha

You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. Buddha

Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it. Buddha

Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it. Buddha