Comments on: From the teachings of the Great Souled Sam http://www.reclusland.com/compass/2009/10/06/from-the-teachings-of-the-great-souled-sam/ Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:46:45 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Ian http://www.reclusland.com/compass/2009/10/06/from-the-teachings-of-the-great-souled-sam/comment-page-1/#comment-5587 Ian Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:04:32 +0000 http://www.reclusland.com/compass/?p=1913#comment-5587 Speedbird, have you not read this book? YOU of all people need to read this, you'd totally dig it. It's sci-fi mythology at it's best, probably Zelazny's best work (not including the Amber chronicles cause there's too many of 'em). Seriously, do yourself a favor and pick this up used on amazon. I'm sure there's plenty of copies for cheap in the UK. I'm sure you'll love it. <blockquote>‘Well, my son, you know that little cove down the way, past the beach where the fishermen land their boats? And you know how in winter, a storm can be lashed up like you’d never imagine, so the sky is white with spray, and when the waves strike the rock they climb twenty times the height of a man, and yet the rocks always somehow stand fast, shattering the water into a thousand rainbows, when no mortal could hope to save himself?</blockquote> This is good writing, and I do feel inspired to read more… ;) <blockquote>what do we do with things that /have been/, but are presently not with us (or at least, mighty elusive)?</blockquote> Definitely, but what about the thing that's ALWAYS with us? <em>Can </em>words be used for that? The closest I can come up with is "the absolute", "the deathless", or "the tao". But, <a href="http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/texts/taote-v3.html" rel="nofollow">"The tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao The name that can be named is not the eternal Name."</a> Ain't nothing wrong with words and names, but there's at least <em>some </em>thing to which they cannot be applied. Speedbird, have you not read this book? YOU of all people need to read this, you’d totally dig it. It’s sci-fi mythology at it’s best, probably Zelazny’s best work (not including the Amber chronicles cause there’s too many of ‘em).

Seriously, do yourself a favor and pick this up used on amazon. I’m sure there’s plenty of copies for cheap in the UK. I’m sure you’ll love it.

‘Well, my son, you know that little cove down the way, past the beach where the fishermen land their boats? And you know how in winter, a storm can be lashed up like you’d never imagine, so the sky is white with spray, and when the waves strike the rock they climb twenty times the height of a man, and yet the rocks always somehow stand fast, shattering the water into a thousand rainbows, when no mortal could hope to save himself?

This is good writing, and I do feel inspired to read more… ;)

what do we do with things that /have been/, but are presently not with us (or at least, mighty elusive)?

Definitely, but what about the thing that’s ALWAYS with us? Can words be used for that? The closest I can come up with is “the absolute”, “the deathless”, or “the tao”. But,

“The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.”

Ain’t nothing wrong with words and names, but there’s at least some thing to which they cannot be applied.

]]> By: speedbird http://www.reclusland.com/compass/2009/10/06/from-the-teachings-of-the-great-souled-sam/comment-page-1/#comment-5586 speedbird Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:04:22 +0000 http://www.reclusland.com/compass/?p=1913#comment-5586 This is good writing, and I do feel inspired to read more... I guess this is why I like epic simile so much, because 'like' just don't cut the mustard for important things. This whole passage is of course epic simile, trying to describe something important. - 'So, Homer, what was it /like/ when the two armies met?' - 'Well, my son, you know that little cove down the way, past the beach where the fishermen land their boats? And you know how in winter, a storm can be lashed up like you'd never imagine, so the sky is white with spray, and when the waves strike the rock they climb twenty times the height of a man, and yet the rocks always somehow stand fast, shattering the water into a thousand rainbows, when no mortal could hope to save himself? Well... it was a bit like that.' ;-D * Fire is as common as grass, but here's the rub: what do we do with things that /have been/, but are presently not with us (or at least, mighty elusive)? That's when I guess we need Words. This is good writing, and I do feel inspired to read more…

I guess this is why I like epic simile so much, because ‘like’ just don’t cut the mustard for important things. This whole passage is of course epic simile, trying to describe something important.

- ‘So, Homer, what was it /like/ when the two armies met?’

- ‘Well, my son, you know that little cove down the way, past the beach where the fishermen land their boats? And you know how in winter, a storm can be lashed up like you’d never imagine, so the sky is white with spray, and when the waves strike the rock they climb twenty times the height of a man, and yet the rocks always somehow stand fast, shattering the water into a thousand rainbows, when no mortal could hope to save himself?

Well… it was a bit like that.’ ;-D

*

Fire is as common as grass, but here’s the rub: what do we do with things that /have been/, but are presently not with us (or at least, mighty elusive)?

That’s when I guess we need Words.

]]>