Agent 888

(Nick) Religious Studies PhD candidate (Rice University), MA History of Religions (University of Chicago), MA Eastern Classics (St. John’s College)

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

My most recent work on the relationship of memory to tantric mysticism and its contemporary relevance as evaluated through the lens of musical-autobiographical memory, presented a few weeks ago at this year's American Academy of Religion conference.

https://t.co/4Oa8NeErdC

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

“A bird selects the tree. Where is the tree that selects the bird?”

-Confucius, Dialogues, 41.17

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

The desperate desire to literalize myth (“it really happened!”) is a symptom of the failure to grasp its actual metaphysical, cosmological and gnostic significance. It is “real” and it did “happen,” but not like they would like to proclaim. It’s much more interesting than that.

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

(Bruya and Li, ‘Dialogues of Confucius’)

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

“Confucius’ belief is that regular people take their behavioral cues from the most prominent people in society. A disregard for moderation of desires in the ruling class becomes emulated by the people, leading to crass, dissolute behavior as opposed to thoughtful caring behavior”

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

“Beginning the process of education when still young is like creating inborn nature.”

-Confucius, Dialogues, 38.40

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

“The instructions of nature are intertwined with the sage.”

-Confucius, Dialogues. 36.2

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

“Education transforms the individual from an unformed, uncivilized, uncultured simple creature to a virtuous & learned member of a harmonious society… the best way to reduce unwanted behavior is through education, which includes reforming the behavior of the elite”

Bruya & Li

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

“It is rare to see someone who favors strength over virtue and who comes to a good end.”

-Confucius, Dialogues 18.8

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

“Mountains represent accumulated virtue (de).”

-Confucius, Dialogues 25.4

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

(Confucius, Dialogues 7.1)

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

“Regarding the sage, his virtue merges with heaven & earth… he accords with the natural spontaneity of all things, & through the dissemination of his great dao, selfhood is brought to full development. His brightness rivals the sun & moon, & his transformations are spirit-like.”

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

"Let him rejoice who breathes up here in the roseate light!’”

-Schiller, 'The Diver'

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

Giving students ai and expecting them to learn is like giving psychedelics to people and expecting them to become enlightened. If you haven’t sufficiently prepared internally, all the external catalysts in the world won’t mean anything. And some lose their minds entirely.

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

Me in 20 years: “I was there. In the classroom with Wendy Doniger and James Fernandez and Matthew Kapstein. It was all real! I’m not crazy.”

[csz @cszabla]

if there is any scholarship left in an fallen to AI world, scholars will study the fall of thinking and learning at this once storied institution like they do the library of alexandria

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

If identity is the way we percieve reality internally, & cosmos is the way we percieve reality from the outside, then experiences of gnosis are essentially a reconciliation of the internal & external in a state that includes & harmonizes both such that there is no distinction

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

@SmaragdinaVisio

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

“When it comes to respect, the most important thing is to respect one’s person. The self, after all, is an offshoot of one’s parents. To disrespect one’s person is to harm one’s parents. Harming your parents is harming the root.“

-Confucius

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

Aurobindo - “In the Moonlight” (1900-1909)

strong themes of death and renewal

[Agent 888 @Agent888488]

@_primamateria @SmaragdinaVisio Recalls the mytheme of several trial creations of humans (wood, stones, etc.) before the viable ones (Popol Vuh), usually correlated with the state of the cosmos (trial creations/suns). They also didn’t walk correctly.