Dare mighty things

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mjaviem
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Dare mighty things

Post by mjaviem »

Nasa's Perseverance rover landed on mars and some of us learned that the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has "Dare mighty things" as a motto coming from a phrase of american president Theodore Roosevelt:
T. Roosevelt wrote:Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
I could only but notice how little buddhist this inspiring phrase is and how opposite to the buddhist view these people, who are achieveing these wonderful feats, are being driven.

I think rich are not the ones who dwell in brightness or darkness, in enjoyment or suffering, winning or failing and losing, but those who can reach a big measure of peace. I wish those spirits really passionate about conquering the stars no suffering at all, because that's only you can get from so much passion. Do you think it's like this?
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa
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cappuccino
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Re: Dare mighty things

Post by cappuccino »

lay life is different than a monk

:shrug:
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confusedlayman
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Re: Dare mighty things

Post by confusedlayman »

elon musk and others can find peace if they stop smoking weed and start reading suttas

but according to them we simple living style is failure and life not good to remembered (I am speculating)

earning more money, buying many houses, having 200 sports car or fuc**ing hot Hollywood partners or appearing in Forbes magazine is considered success but being single, eating simple food, travelling occasionally, not having social media followers, being celibate are considered not very good by western world conditioning, even eastern world is joining the play.
I may be slow learner but im at least learning...
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JamesTheGiant
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Re: Dare mighty things

Post by JamesTheGiant »

mjaviem wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 1:35 pm Nasa's Perseverance rover landed on mars and some of us learned that the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has "Dare mighty things" as a motto coming from a phrase of american president Theodore Roosevelt:
T. Roosevelt wrote:Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
I could only but notice how little buddhist this inspiring phrase is and how opposite to the buddhist view these people, who are achieveing these wonderful feats, are being driven.
No, those scientists and NASA people are not opposite to the teachings of the Buddha. They are simply living a lay-life. Some of them could be devout lay-Buddhists. The Buddha talked a lot about how to live a good life as a layperson, including advising people to develop high skills in a trade.

Buddhists dare mighty things too. In my time at monasteries I saw people daring to throw away their safe lives and safe jobs in the world, and daring to commit to the Buddha's path. That's mighty daring!
They dared mighty things in their meditation practise, spending 8 or 9 hours a day in serious meditation. That's mighty indeed!
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Re: Dare mighty things

Post by dharmacorps »

I have found the mars mission quite interesting. The science, technology, engineering and adventure of it is quite fascinating. It is certainly a worthwhile human endeavor and a better use of our modern abilities than building weapons or something. I don't see anything un-buddhist about it.
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mjaviem
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Re: Dare mighty things

Post by mjaviem »

JamesTheGiant wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 6:24 pm ... Some of them could be devout lay-Buddhists...
Yes, I was thinking more on the agency at a whole rather than on individuals.
JamesTheGiant wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 6:24 pm ... The Buddha talked a lot about how to live a good life as a layperson, including advising people to develop high skills in a trade...
Good point. Yes, I'm not against laycism, I'm a layman myself.
JamesTheGiant wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 6:24 pm ... Buddhists dare mighty things too...
This is a good way to read the quote.:clap: One needs courage indeed.
dharmacorps wrote: Fri Feb 26, 2021 1:11 am I have found the mars mission quite interesting. The science, technology, engineering and adventure of it is quite fascinating. It is certainly a worthwhile human endeavor and a better use of our modern abilities than building weapons or something. I don't see anything un-buddhist about it.
Yes, but the point I was trying to make was more about T. Roosevelt's quote, encouraging people to try big things because even failing is better than being in the middle. I find it opposite to the middle way taught by the Buddha (if I'm getting the idea of the middle way correctly). Trying against all odds, going for big successes or big failures, I see it as not the best way to find peace of mind or having a peaceful life.
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa
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Re: Dare mighty things

Post by befriend »

Going against the habit of the five hindrances is quite a feat for anyone I would think the middle way is finding happiness that is unconditional permanent and obviously non sensual is the hardest feat of all.
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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Re: Dare mighty things

Post by dharmacorps »

mjaviem wrote: Fri Feb 26, 2021 12:26 pm
Yes, but the point I was trying to make was more about T. Roosevelt's quote, encouraging people to try big things because even failing is better than being in the middle. I find it opposite to the middle way taught by the Buddha (if I'm getting the idea of the middle way correctly). Trying against all odds, going for big successes or big failures, I see it as not the best way to find peace of mind or having a peaceful life.
The Buddha did in some suttas encourage quite strenuous effort, not to be bombastic and grandiose like Roosevelt, but to solve the problem of suffering. Roosevelt was a politician and the Buddha was a spiritual teacher, I'm not sure we should expect any concordance in their world views and ideas.
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Re: Dare mighty things

Post by simsapa »

how little buddhist this inspiring phrase is
The mighty will actually practice the dhamma and achieve the goal. So, no, it's quite Buddhist.
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Re: Dare mighty things

Post by circuit »

mjaviem wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 1:35 pm Nasa's Perseverance rover landed on mars and some of us learned that the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has "Dare mighty things" as a motto coming from a phrase of american president Theodore Roosevelt:
T. Roosevelt wrote:Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
I could only but notice how little buddhist this inspiring phrase is and how opposite to the buddhist view these people, who are achieveing these wonderful feats, are being driven.

I think rich are not the ones who dwell in brightness or darkness, in enjoyment or suffering, winning or failing and losing, but those who can reach a big measure of peace. I wish those spirits really passionate about conquering the stars no suffering at all, because that's only you can get from so much passion. Do you think it's like this?
we wish then the NASA projects obtain medicine for ageing, decay, illness, sickness, death, egoism, war, biological weapons, global warming caused by capitalism, greed, hatred, which are the cores of problems suffered by more than 7 billions egotistic humans and much more sufferings to be beared by zillions of animals etc for try to satisfy the unsatisfiable greed of human .
may all beings drop down their egoism. especially they in power, in charge, decider in society system
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Re: Dare mighty things

Post by salayatananirodha »

what
I host a sutta discussion via Zoom Sundays at 11AM Chicago time — message me if you are interested
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mjaviem
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Re: Dare mighty things

Post by mjaviem »

circuit wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 7:26 am we wish then the NASA projects obtain medicine for ageing, decay, illness, sickness, death, egoism, war, biological weapons, global warming caused by capitalism, greed, hatred, which are the cores of problems suffered by more than 7 billions egotistic humans and much more sufferings to be beared by zillions of animals etc for try to satisfy the unsatisfiable greed of human .
may all beings drop down their egoism. especially they in power, in charge, decider in society system
We can build heaven on earth. But even if we could extend our lifespan, delay aging, cure disease, keep a healthy planet, and transform humans into deva-like beings, still the Buddha taught that suffering/hardship/unsatisfactoriness is part of our experience so there is no point to be born in a heaven realm or on an artificially heaven world in the long run, as long as we don't end craving (as my understanding of the teachings go).
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa
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salayatananirodha
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Re: Dare mighty things

Post by salayatananirodha »

if people live unethically then decay and disease in society will run rampant as we see now -- i recommend digha nikaya 26 www.palicanon.org/en/sutta-pitaka/trans ... -dear.html
I host a sutta discussion via Zoom Sundays at 11AM Chicago time — message me if you are interested
plabit
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Re: Dare mighty things

Post by plabit »

mjaviem wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 1:35 pm Nasa's Perseverance rover landed on mars and some of us learned that the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has "Dare mighty things" as a motto coming from a phrase of american president Theodore Roosevelt:
T. Roosevelt wrote:Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
I could only but notice how little buddhist this inspiring phrase is and how opposite to the buddhist view these people, who are achieveing these wonderful feats, are being driven.

I think rich are not the ones who dwell in brightness or darkness, in enjoyment or suffering, winning or failing and losing, but those who can reach a big measure of peace. I wish those spirits really passionate about conquering the stars no suffering at all, because that's only you can get from so much passion. Do you think it's like this?
It seemed more like "dare to tell really big lies" to me, because the recent Mars mission looked like unconvincing CGI to me. But I've been involved with producing CGI so maybe have more an eye for it than others. Not saying everything NASA has ever done is fake, but this one just didn't look real to me at all.
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Re: Dare mighty things

Post by Pondera »

If humans do not learn how to bend space time to the extent that we are able to populate the entire cosmos, then the whole human race can consider itself a failure.

Yes, we are a virus. Yes, we destroy, pollute, and waste away every part of the earth we come into contact to.

And no, sending a little toy robot to Mars is not the definition of space travel as I see it.

But our planet has, oh let’s be optimistic - a thousand years left. In that time we either develop the tools to inhabit other earth like planets in the Milky Way and beyond - or we will find ourselves suffocating on the progress of Capitalism.

Consumerism and Capitalism seems to be the only way to go. Let’s ignore for the moment that it is at the very heart of the divide between rich and poor; privileged and oppressed.

The bending of space time is a technology that must come about if we ever plan on conquering the cosmos as we have similarly conquered the earth. Or if you prefer “rape the cosmos” as we have “similarly raped the earth”.

If we do not find more breeding grounds, we will have no future Buddha’s. We will run out of time to perfect our selves; develop a politic that serves and satisfies everyone.

Although, the likelihood is that the richer will only become more powerful and develop the tools to live up to a thousand years; while the poor continue to wallow in their filth - unable to rise against their oppressors - the germ of inspiration ingrained in that little robot on Mars is the destiny of man kind.

Either we bend space time and conquer the cosmos, or what? Best case scenario, the sun becomes a red giant and our legacy fries to a crisp. 5 billion years to search for the technology and science to bend space time. And from there inhabit the universe. Then somehow find a way to avoid the ultimate fate of the universe - which is a Big Crunch - A big Tear - or heat death. Looks like we’re up shyte creek without a paddle.

More likely scenarios. In the next 200 years we suffocate on our own CO2 emissions. In the next 200 years the filth and poverty of wet markets brings a bigger and better coronavirus that finishes every one off. In the next 200 years someone genetically engineers a bigger better coronavirus. In the next 200 years we have a nuclear Holocaust.

Let’s let NASA do their thing. Let’s let the theoretical physicists working in 16 dimension M-theory do their thing. Let’s let the Elon Musks of the world engineer a better, cleaner tomorrow. Let’s let them all get filthy rich in the process.

If it gives me a longer life time, I’ll be happy living one day at a time - meditating until I’m old and frail and dead.
Like the three marks of conditioned existence, this world in itself is filthy, hostile, and crowded
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