Philosophy
“LOVE IS THE CAUSE OF ALL OUR JOY, AND JOY THE CAUSE OF ALL OUR PAIN”
ANCESTORS
Sarah, Leah, Rachel, Miriam, Esther, Naomi, Rebecca surround me in the twilight, circling me with their stories of courage, devotion, faith and blood. Like gorgeous birds they are caged to prevent desecration. But whose? Purity is exalted, and I fear all lies stem from this. Even today fearful of enticing the scholar away from God, our heads are covered and we are shrouded in mystery. No one must know we stand as visionaries, sit as teachers, lie down as healers and walk as warriors We enter our red tents to sweep clean the webs spun by others, clearing and purifying bodies and minds to make a sacred place for our ancient prayers, to heal the next generation and repair the breaks in the world. This was always so.
This ancient history sprinkled throughout my early years, created a longing for my own story. Meeting thoughtful people, reading thoughtful books and making a myriad of mistakes allowed me to begin the formation of philosophy 101 al la Sheila Silverman Taube. The following are some of the things I thought about over the years, and still contemplate.
“The whole world is a narrow bridge, and the main thing is to have no fear.” Rabbi Nachman of Breslov
The world comes into being with a balance of light and dark. The light of Being is infused into every part of this world, but at the same time is hidden from us, concealed. The light is “Holiness”. The concealment is a husk, a shell, covering, like the thick skin of an orange. The peel. Both always comes together, the light and the husk that hides it. In this way light and darkness stay balanced. Duality stays dualistic, two sides, pro and con, up and down, positive and negative. Eah pair is positioned on either end of the continuum. We stand in the middle and feel like we have a choice between the two. This is the basis of free will in duality. We choose the right or the left. Learning to live with the paradox of free will and divine will. The only ones who live totally in divine will, accepting all, are angels. The rest of us mortals shift and struggle between the two. Edited by Diane Langlois Stallings
“ There is no education like diversity and adversity.” Benjamin Disraeli
“Nothing is ridiculous that’s in the realm of possibility”
“Virtue can lead to trouble, especially when based on custom”
“Never dance in the sun with butter on your head”.
“The young commit, the wise wait.”
The time to ask for the impossible is now. Later we will be too wise and careful. Now is the time to conquer the outrageous. For too soon we’ll be tempered by the experience of time. Now we must take the risks we won’t dare, couldn’t dare as bodies grow softer and defenses stronger. Chancing all now is risking little enough to be brave. Later the patterns will be complicated by circumstances. DO IT NOW! SHEILA SILVERMAN 10/6/1969
There is no such thing as coincidence