posted March 11, 2007 04:44 PM              

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yes or no

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posted March 11, 2007 07:17 PM              

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If I am interpreting your question correctly, I'll respond with a quote by I'm not sure who...
"I'd rather be Socrates unhappy than a contented pig."

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Cancer Sun/Leo Moon/Leo Rising/Sun and Moon in 12th House.

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posted March 11, 2007 07:19 PM            

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God you people are funny!

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posted March 11, 2007 08:03 PM              

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yeah execlly .like minute of fame

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posted March 11, 2007 08:07 PM              

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Actually that is a hard question. I would like to have my mind at rest and not have a care in the world. However, everyone else knows "things" and i would be considered an idiot and taken advantage of.
Not knowing much only serves you when you are young, it's ok then, but who needs sleep.

It's better to know, then not know at all. Our duty is to share what we have learned with thoses we encounter and grow

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posted March 11, 2007 08:09 PM              

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Id have to say yes.

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From: The Asylum, NC
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posted March 11, 2007 11:16 PM            

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Well, they do say that ignorance is bliss....

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posted March 12, 2007 05:49 AM              

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Ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is power!

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posted March 12, 2007 02:39 PM              

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I was up late last night talking to a friend, and I caught him saying "Yeah, well, intelligence only brings unhappiness." I think in a sense he is right. But I consider myself somewhat of an existentialist in the sense that I do believe that our highest values are brought to light by suffering/the experience of anguish. Many Eastern religions/philosophies like Buddhism very much encourage the supression of thinking altogether. They say that the way to happiness/enlightenment is by clearing the mind entirely. But such a path brings us to wishywashy neverland. We must think. We must constantly question, question, question, even if it makes us miserable. We think about the things we think about for a reason.

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Cancer Sun/Leo Moon/Leo Rising/Sun and Moon in 12th House.

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posted March 12, 2007 02:58 PM            

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I would have to say that I would rather be intelligent than ignorant any day! However, these quotes are tempting....."God takes care of babies and FOOLS" and Ignorance is bliss.

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posted March 12, 2007 04:05 PM            

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quote:

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Ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is power!

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True Dat! Let me make it clear that I would rather be knowledgeable than ignorant....I was just responding to the matter of this question of SD09...I think. As in, what you don't know...won't hurt you (mundane matters that is).

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posted March 12, 2007 04:17 PM              

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I read somewhr once, tht to experience God you have to either be extremely foolish, or extremely wise...no hope for those of us who fall somewhr in between

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posted March 12, 2007 04:54 PM              

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quote:

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Many Eastern religions/philosophies like Buddhism very much encourage the supression of thinking altogether.

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This is not exactly true. I can't speak for Hinduism or its numerous related sects, but in Buddhism, there is a distinction between different types of thinking and an understanding that different types of thinking leads to different consequences. Buddhism does appreciate the power of the mind and thought, and direct its followers to use thought conscientiously. The highest prized form of thought is "univeral thought," where the mind abandons self-centered thinking ("emptying" oneself) so to open the mind and soul to the universal. This is actually the same as in Christian mysticism, although counched in diffrent language, such as St John of Cross' idea of the "Dark Night of the Soul," where one has abandoned all things, include self, to wait in "darkness" (or "nothingness," liken to Buddhism' concept of "emptiness") upon union with God (the "universal"). This is still thought, nonetheless, just thought directed away from the self and all things that relate directly or concretely to the self toward the "Other," that something that is entirely beyond the self.

There's been research done on this that shows that the brain is indeed thinking when people go into this state of "universal thought" as opposed to "self-centered thought." They did studies of brain scans of people during prayer and mediation, which showed that universal thinking activiates a different area of the brain than does more mudane types of thinking. So essentially, when a Christian mystic or a Buddhist monk practices mediation, it's not technically that they are trying to not think, but rather they are seeking to train themselves to think from that "universal thought" area of the brain.

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posted March 12, 2007 05:39 PM              

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ahhh ignorance is bliss.

like a baby, not knowing problems...yeah

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posted March 12, 2007 05:52 PM              

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There have been many misinterpretations of the original teachings of Hinduism. Just like there are many interpretations of the Bible floating around. Hinduism being much older, has been subject to so much of warping as to make the original intent almost lost. However, many scholars who have studied the oldest Hindu texts have found that it was one of the most progressive religions around (and still is). Malpracitices creeped in much later, and corresponded with the downfall of Hinduism. That's when other religions like Buddhism emerged. However, the roots of both are the same, including some of the basic concepts like reincarnation and karma.

I am no expert, but i highly doubt that Hinduism advocates not thinking.

ILWL

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posted March 12, 2007 05:52 PM              

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i was gonna say that too... ^

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posted March 13, 2007 02:36 AM              

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http://grupovenus.com/astroreloje.asp?day=13/03/2007%209:26:10

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posted March 13, 2007 06:51 AM            

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I'd rather know. Even if the truth is painful enough to kill me.

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"Your revenge...is to live."
ER, 1994

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