motto lotto

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Hyperion's Song of Fate

You walk up there in the light,
On floors like velvet, blissful spirits,
Shining winds divine
Touch you lightly
As a harper touches holy
Strings with her fingers.

Fateless as babes asleep
They breathe, the celestials.
Chastely kept
In a simple bud,
For them the spirit
Flowers eternal,
And in bliss their eyes
Gaze in eternal
Calm clarity.

But to us it is given
To find no resting place
We faint, we fall,
Suffering, human
Blindly from one
To the next moment
Like water flung
From rock to rock down
Long years into uncertainty.

-Hölderlin (tran Christopher Middleton)

Sunday, July 17, 2011

personalizing Sextus

[W]e say the aim of the Skeptic Mike is tranquility understanding in matters of opinion and moderation of feeling in matters forced upon us. For Skeptics Mike began to do philosophy in order to decide among appearances and to apprehend which are true and which false, so as to become tranquil understand; but they he came upon equipollent dispute, and being unable to decide this they he suspended judgement. And when they he suspended judgement, tranquility in matters of opinion generally followed. fortuitously.

Sextus Empiricus Outlines of Skepticism Mike

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

the virtue of non-contention

One who excels as a warrior does not appear formidable;
One who excels in fighting is never roused in anger;
One who excels in defeating his enemy does not join issue;
One who excels in employing others humbles himself before them.

This is known as the virtue of non-contention;
This is known as making use of the efforts of others;
This is known as matching the sublimity of heaven.

from the Tao te ching