Does idealism square with intelligent design?

[Lou Gold]

And, at the practical level, one might ask whether it would matter if one received a great love because it was by intention or by instinct? Why?

[Ed Konderla]

Is it better to be wrong and happy or correct and sad? I'll take being happy over sad any day.

[Lou Gold]

Is it better to be wrong and happy or correct and sad? I'll take being happy over sad any day.

For sure, as long as the happiness is lasting or sustainable. Not so great when the cigarette demands another cigarette. Been there, done that.

[Ed Konderla]

Is it better to be wrong and happy or correct and sad? I'll take being happy over sad any day.

For sure, as long as the happiness is lasting or sustainable. Not so great when the cigarette demands another cigarette. Been there, done that.

Having followed the warriors path for 33 years now I have learned that self indulgence ends in disaster and being impeccable is hard but full of unintended returns. Knowing that doesn't stop me from screwing up. Now after reaching the age of the elder when I do fail the path is well worn and clearly marked so generally I get back on quickly. Following a path with heart is so much more rewarding than following a path that has no heart.

[Lou Gold]

Fall down. Go boom. And laugh.

When I moved to Brazil my new friends asked how I liked my new scene. I said, "It's crazy for my mind and delicious for my heart." They said that I was a brasileiro.

[Ed Konderla]

One thing I can say about my limited overall exposure to the South American culture that I have seen is they have the ability to experience joy. I have been immersed in the Ecuadorian culture for 11 years and known some Venezuelans since the collapse of their country but not much else.

[Lou Gold]

Back to the path of heart, it seemed confusing long ago when Castaneda's Don Juan said that all paths lead nowhere. However, the trick in the spell of English can convert "nowhere" to "now here." "Here" may be a hole into despair or a portal into joy. Whether the path has heart can be seen as the difference making the difference.

Additionally, as age advances, learning how to make dependence joyous takes on a greater priority. Friendship helps and there's a whole spiritual adventure in learning how to do it well.

[Ed Konderla]

Back to the path of heart, it seemed confusing long ago when Castaneda's Don Juan said that all paths lead nowhere. However, the trick in the spell of English can convert "nowhere" to "now here." "Here" may be a hole into despair or a portal into joy. Whether the path has heart can be seen as the difference making the difference.

Additionally, as age advances, learning how to make dependence joyous takes on a greater priority. Friendship helps and there's a whole spiritual adventure in learning how to do it well.

I was 34 years old when I had stumbled across this. Raised Catholic I had a strong religious background but it never attracted me. I was working for a Saudi company in the heart of an extremely fundamental Muslim environment in Saudi Arabia. Since I have always been accepting of all people they constantly targeted me for conversion. They were nice but persistent. That wasn't going to happen. I stumbled on to Don Juan and I swear I was hooked in 5 minutes. I don't know why but the change was complete and permanent. Never cared for Castaneda himself and after Don Juan was out of the picture I just found Castaneda's stuff irritating. I never ever looked back even for a second. Beats hell out of me why. Of course the Warriors path is not restricted to the Americas. I have researched it extensively and many cultures had similar concepts. It's is basically the same thing when I stumbled across Bernardo and the concept of consciousness being fundamental. The difference for me is I see Bernardo as only the messenger. He is like Louis and Clark explaining their findings. They didn't invent the west only reported on it.

I have experienced paths leading no where many times in my own life. In fact I am 100% convinced accepting that was a secret to my "success". If someone wants a path to lead somewhere so be it. I have many friends that stuck to the path and retired. Many experienced the disaster of getting to the top of the ladder only to discover they had it leaning against the wrong wall. I started practicing being light on my feet, practicing "not doing". As much as I could dumping my personal history and now I look back and my God what a trip it has been. I wouldn't trade my life for any one else. I want no one to follow my path only in that to have the courage to make your life your own. That is what I attempt to teach my Ecuadorian apprentice David.

[Lou Gold]

Yeah. Emptying the cup is key. Good journeying to you.

[Marco Masi]

In a recent interview , BK talks of MAL using a "push from behind" rather than a pull from a pre-planned future. So, driven by what it finds increasingly interesting (in the same way as the warmer colder game), MAL's instinctive push happens.

How can a mere 'instinctive push' without intelligence (from the past, future or whatever) even if driven by 'interests' create such an amazingly complex, efficient and self-reproducing thing like a living cell? A cell is a much more complex object than the most sophisticated supercomputer, airplane, rocket or spaceship. Supercomputers, airplanes, rockets or spaceships don't self-assembleitself by mere instincts, let alone reproduce. And it is implausible that this could happen even after 13.8 billion years of instincts. This issue is reminiscent of the combination problem: one can't see why and how putting together gazillions of mechanistic instincts, no matter how much time passes, should supposedly lead to anything creative and cognitively more developed other than yet another blind superinstinct. I like BKs ideas, but here one finds an explanatory gap in his theory.