Wine to make hearts glad
Is what the Good Book says;
Alas! It also says to be not drunk on wine.
That's fine: my sins run well along another vine.
Though black as death, a stealthy draught of stout
Is just the thing to get the devil out.
No fear, then, when the vicar comes to call,
And indiscretions pale before his pomp;
A pint of beer will put him on his way
And leave a gladdened heart here for his pay.
Last edited by Pompey Bum; 03-31-2015 at 07:53 AM.
Pompey Bum, can we be friends again?
I never in a million years had any wrong intent towards you, and it has weighed on my heart very heavily so many days since then.
I apologize very sincerely for the misunderstanding we had, and with all my heart have only ever considered you a good friend; it is not easy for me to make friends, but this is not a reason to feel sorrow - for I have left sorrow behind many, many years ago; and it was simply my inability to express this to you, I feel, that caused our misunderstanding.
When I do make a friend, I tend to give my entire heart; that is why I said it is rare.
Please forgive me, again, my intentions towards you have only ever been positive.
Sincerely,
Nikolai.
When all is seen clearly
It is seen to be
The heart's release
Into infinite peace.
Since this is the self-same source
Of every entity,
There is no reason to fear
No matter what year.
Beauty without understanding-
Life without fearlessness
Is like a hollow cask
Of beer.
Beer is useful,
As are all things under the sun,
But it can't compare
With the holy sacrament -
The healing of the nations.
I have tasted all things
And my spirit sings
For the beautiful, holy and true
That makes us forever new.
Beer can be healing -
if you know the feeling
of complete moderation -
if you can't set it down;
don't even fool around.
For it is only relaxation,
and meant for elevation...
For which peace and love,
Serve with a higher capacity.
Hi Virtuoso, I hope you will not mind that we wrote about beer.
In reality, it is not a good or a bad thing in itself, it mainly depends on how it is used. The same is true for most things - such as a hammer. Or a human life.
Two of my grandparents died of alcoholism, my father's father and my mother's mother (at 74 and 52). And the holy sacraments are made illegal. So you can understand I feel strongly about this, and how clear it has done harm to our society. When substances that are sacred and healing - and clearly known as thus the whole world round.
Needless to say - accurate information is primary and key. My father never drank while I was growing up, and I got a good example - and he told me of the truth of everything he'd done; and he told me the truth of alcohol, explaining as clearly as possible what it was - not an absolute good, nor evil, but with a clear description of what it actually is - as well as the encouragement to be quite careful, as alcoholism is something that is genetically passed - it runs in the family. In other words, if you have parents and grandparents who were, then you have a slightly higher predisposition - biologically speaking.
However, having such clear information about it has been good. Throughout my life I have only rarely done so - further knowing that one or two beers does not do much harm, but three and further begins to. I only ever drank too much once or twice - and all in all, it has been my inclination to be happy just with the pure air, just with the love of family and animals, but one has to come to this development naturally.
I'm writing all this to hlep share my story because almost all my friends, over-used these things. . . and so, despite the fact that everyone in this nation has heard, that moderation is important, is key - still, without a better example, they.
All of my dearest and best friends found their way -and they are all doing well to this day. However, I cannot feel that they wouldn't have found their balance and true understanding much sooner if they had had a better example.
There is another thing, dear friend - in places where beer is not allowed, generally you also hav bans on things like singing, dancing, or kissing in the street, and as these are some of the most beautiful things, to make them illegal is surely a great shame.
The problem when you start to ban or outlaw natural things, or things which have been part of human existence for such a long time - then you tend to create bad conscience. And beer for example, when used in a good way, actually is a good thing, and part of the natural development of a human. It would ideally be best if we didn't get into it until we're 25 perhaps, because that is when the brain finishes fully developing (same with TV); but this ideal in the same sense that it would be ideal if we didn't have war.
If you don't know how it can be healing (despite as we both know, the pitfalls of over-use), one example should probably suffice. Sometimes when there is an injury - there can develop a feedback loop of tension and pain in the body. . . for instance the shoulder. The body can't relax, and so it doesn't quite heal - and it may go on for days like this, even if one tries resting, stretching, the correct movements, relaxation - all of the typical healing activities. And yet none can quite reach the full effect needed - however, 2 or 3 glasses of wine in a case like this can heal it, because they allow the body to fully relax, and the inflamed tissue or muscles can get repaired over night.
This is how, in a real sense, everything can be used for good or ill - and in the same way a healer can give you the right medicine for the right cure.
This whole area is also one that I have, for my whole life, extremely strongly believed in the notion of thinking for oneself - and it has never let me down. Schopenhauer, and McKenna, as well as every philosopher worth his salt, emphasized this, along with 3 or 4 other main points, as the primary keys to getting along in life - and for medicine, I have found this to be more true, or more valuable, than almost anything else. . . I definitely encourage it.
For instance when you have multi-billion dollar corporations making a profit off of people, the trend we have seen is that the people's best interests do not come first - and in balance of profit versus altrusim, when the business model weighs profit so highly, another form of harm comes about. So - I would simply say, consult your conscience adn innate feel - as well as ancient wisdom.
In the same way that a cat's love is almost always more healing than a pill, and there is almost nothing (not quite nothing, but infinitely far less than modern society knows) in the human mind that can't be cured with fresh air, sunshine, and peaceful time spent in nature, a good and true understanding of beer can be a useful part of developing into a fully actualized self. Once we come back to full peace, of course, nothing is needed really except a chance to be ourselves, and an area of nature we can walk around in (probably the only time that "the bigger the better" is a truism).
However, many lives go into the making of each bottle, so it would be smart and kind to honor them and their sacrifice, by acting in an honorable way.
In our own tradition, we have two wise thoughts which incorporate some wisdom with modern day -
"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom." - William Blake,
"All of life is an experiment, the more we make the better." - Emerson
It is not that these two did not one day reach that lovely place, where happiness is dependent on nothing but life and love, but I would say that they do not get there by following a narrow path.
As one of my friends, a (poker) writer, and the most brilliant, in many ways, perhaps, explained - good government does what the people tell it to do, bad government tries to tell the people what to do (acts like a parent). Government should be from the people, and represent them - and in many ways, we have inalienable rights in this country, and these are upheld to a large extent; but as we have seen, a lot of harm can come when our own consciousness is considered to be forbidden territory.
All we can do is share our stories - as Jung believed, all the ill in the world comes because people's stories do not get told. Of course - this is a bit of a fledgling in terms of wisdom - but it is wisdom nonetheless.
Bad conscience is the one thing, under all circumstances, to be avoided.
Much peace and friendship to you, virtuoso - much of this is written in the hopes of understanding, peace, and friendship.
Last edited by NikolaiI; 03-26-2015 at 11:29 AM.
Oh I missed the time deadline on that last edit (if you edit within a couple minutes, the little 'edited' blurb will not show up!).
I almost invariably drink a glass of water when I wake up, and I think I would have made it had I had it this morning (truly, about 99% of the time I do, hehe). . I just wanted to write on this before I forgot it.
Incidentally, if one does drink beer (or any other) it's so useful to drink water afterwords or during - as these dehydrate you, and this is why one experiences hangovers... drinking 2 glasses of water after is quite useful... Cheers
I know, I know, too much information, right?
Peace
(Since I know you care about health so much, I thought it worth mentioning. There is actually a doctor who has theorized that virtually all maladies are generally caused by not hydrating enough.)
That was heavy. And here I thought to lighten the mood of this thread a little... Thank you for sharing.
Ah, that was my intent too.
Life can be so joyful, and we really can have peace. I feel it is so, so near.
No problem. . I have really always felt that if people really understood each other, they wouldn't be at odds so much.
Best I can do is make vows for peace, love and good health every day and do my best to uphold them. .
I thought a personal story might help to clarify our (Westerners) relationship with beer, or at least how it can be.
Peace
The Root of Beer
safrole stilled, sassafras embraces
sarsaparilla in all its humour
and perspicacity; then, when
married with essences of various
spices, berries, leaves, saps, barks, and
roots produces a sweet brew; tempting both
tipplers and teetotaled alike
3/27/2015
In my younger days I tippled Elephant, Fosters, Dos Equis, and Heinekin; gradually going from light to darker finished brews. When exiled to the greater Chico, CA area I tried Corona, and Coronas w/lime and found both presentations horrid. Luckily Sierra Nevada brewery was becoming in vogue and I spent many happy times sampling their wares sharing pitchers with friends. For the past 11-years I've forgone alcohol completely, with no regrets, and search for the perfect Root Beer (non-alcoholic versions of course)... each recipe unique unto its own.
Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY
tailor
who am I but a stitch in time
what if I were to bare my soul
would you see me origami
7-8-2015
Thank you for your entries everyone.
I enjoyed them all; but I have to go with Pompey Bum's "The Vicar's Pint". I really enjoyed both the rhyme and the reason, there.
Congrats Pompey Bum !
tailor
who am I but a stitch in time
what if I were to bare my soul
would you see me origami
7-8-2015
Thank you so much! You are too kind, _Joe_, but I am quite honored. :-D
For the next subject, let's go with spring. Virtuoso can resubmit his excellent poem or write a new one. Anyone know how the deadline works?
Last edited by Pompey Bum; 03-31-2015 at 07:18 PM.
I think you are free to set the deadline as you see fit.Originally Posted by Pompey Bum
Damn, I meant Virtuoso can repost his spring poem if he wants. Total senility. Sorry V.
Anyway, people can post their poems and I'll do a going, going, gone sometime next week.
Well, Virtuoso seems to have taken a powder, at least for the moment. In his absence, and unless he says otherwise, I will resubmit his poem for the next subject contest, and call for any others. The subject is spring, the season not the mattress component. All are welcome in the light!
Green spring ring
Last edited by axolotl; 04-06-2015 at 01:59 AM.
(lol)... oh, rats!The subject is spring, the season not the mattress component
Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY
tailor
who am I but a stitch in time
what if I were to bare my soul
would you see me origami
7-8-2015
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