Another gem ...

... from War and Peace.

At this meeting Pierre for the first time was struck by the endless variety of men's minds, which prevents a truth from ever appearing the same to any two persons. Even those members who seemed to be on his side understood him in their own way, with stipulations and modifications he could not agree to, since what he chiefly desired was to convey his thought to others exactly as he himself understood it.

(P. 528, Signet Classics edition, translation by Ann Dunnigan)

Comments

[Art]

"he chiefly desired was to convey his thought to others exactly as he himself understood it."

Been there, done that. I've about decided it's impossible in this life. I suppose it's just more "duality and separation." If you really want to experience a lot of duality and separation - post on message boards. There's always someone there waiting to attack you.

[Michael H]

Those two sentences sure go a long way to explaining why we so often feel misunderstood, don't they?

This excerpt, as well as the previous gems, leads me to believe that Richard Bucke should have included Tolstoy in his volume on Cosmic Consciousness. It would seem to me to be absolutely impossible to express such insights without the direct experience of seeing deeply into the true nature of things.

Tolstoy's take on the gospels seems to support this premise, as well.

[Sandy]

If you really want to experience a lot of duality and separation - post on message boards. There's always someone there waiting to attack you.

I’m interested in what you have to say, Art!

(I just figure it is prudent to stay out of the way when you and Steen are busy throwing pots and kettles at one another.)

[Robbie]

I know this isn't related to this post, but if you go on the wikipedia page for James Randi, under criticisms there is a link to ' A skeptical look at James Randi' by Michael Prescott.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Randi
Good to see you're making an impact even on wikipedia articles Michael!

[Michael Prescott]

if you go on the wikipedia page for James Randi ...

Thanks for the info. I wonder how long the link will stay there. James Randi's fans are pretty aggressive about removing criticism of him from Wiki.

[Marcel Cairo]

More impressive is that Michael is listed as a resource on the webpage of The Windbridge Institute, led by Dr. Julie Bieschel, formerly of Dr. Gary Schwartz's Veritas lab.

Windbridge Resources

[Art]

Windbridge Resources

Nice list! I put it my list of favorites. I've got most of those listed, but there were a few that I don't think I have. Thanks. And by the way, I got the book "The Art of Dying" by Dr. Peter & Elizabeth Fenwick in the mail a few days ago from Amazon. I'm about 1/3 the way through it and it's really really good! I paid ~ $10.00 for it plus $3.99 shipping and it's well worth it. He spends a lot of time on death bed visions, and as ya'll know, I love death bed visions. Good stuff!

[Filip Van Droogenbroeck]

"At this meeting Pierre for the first time was struck by the endless variety of men's minds, which prevents a truth from ever appearing the same to any two persons"

I think this depends on how truth is defined. If we think there is something as objective truth without any subjective relationship or if we tend to seek truth in words which are by their nature dualistic.
There is an endless variety of men's mind but there is also an endless variety in one mind.
Meaning that every aspect positive and negative is within every person. So if somebody does not agree or is mad at you than we can still recognize the feeling of not agreeing or being mad as we have experienced ourself on many occassions...

[Michael H]

I think this depends on how truth is defined.

Seems to me that once truth is defined, it's no longer truth.

[Filip Van Droogenbroeck]

I think this depends on how truth is defined.

Seems to me that once truth is defined, it's no longer truth.

Indeed, I think that is the point.

[Michael H]

I also liked this line of yours, Filip:

There is an endless variety of men's mind but there is also an endless variety in one mind.

At the risk of making stipulations and modifications you can't agree to, it also seems to me that the endless variation of men's minds actually is the endless variety of one mind.

:)

[william]

“it also seems to me that the endless variation of men's minds actually is the endless variety of one mind.”

The word variety is of interest to me, as it has to do with variation. There is variation in all things but one. God. In god’s universe no two things are alike even a snowflake has variation from one snowflake to another.

As far as human consciousness it appears that this process of consciousness evolution makes every human unique. And just what is a prerequisite for this evolutionally process of consciousness? Unawareness of perfect reality. God expresses itself through us. Hope God or gods enjoys the “ride”.

If we understand infinite then there can be only one mind but there can be infinite manifestations and expressions of that one mind. What is the necessary requisite for that one mind to manifest and express itself as infinite minds? Unawareness of reality and knowledge of that reality is not even close to having perfect understanding of that reality.

It appears to be a circle from complete unawareness to complete or perfect awareness. And that is the journey of life. We humans are in the early stages of that journey.

“Seems to me that once truth is defined, it's no longer truth.”

Truth is infinite and once we define infinite we have limited infinite and once we limit infinite we have failed to define infinite therefore truth is indefinable. I do think we can define some attributes of truth such as love, compassion, trust, etc.
“Meaning that every aspect positive and negative is within every person”

Positive and negative must be present to have a perceived separate mind. There is no expression or manifestation of consciousness without what we term positive and negative.