Addicted to YA discussion

Beatrice wrote: "It's not meant to be mysterious or anything - these things are all practical, applied in the right manner"

Well, I could somehow grasp the ecosystem presented in the book - I just didn't realise it tracked all the way back to the origin of the universe. My understanding of its structure - power of the void leads to removal of ego; removal of ego leads to pliability and adaptability; that further leads to tranquility; and to reinforce that mentality, one needs to handle the omnipresent paradox; these qualities together lead to mental invincibility; to safeguard them one needs to rein in unhealthy desires; and to understand the thoughts to a deeper level and appreciate the ultimate truth of the 3 dimensional world, one needs to occupy a higher altitude of apprehension, hence the closing chapter on high-dimensional thinking...

Saturday again…any quote on virtue of idleness?😂

Chris wrote: "Saturday again…any quote on virtue of idleness?😂"

To attain knowledge, you need to learn something new everyday; to attain wisdom, you need to unlearn something old everyday 😄

Not necessarily Elliot. I think foundation of the book was power of the void. And once something (any being) sprouts from the void (non-being), it started having two sides, however thin it is - hence the omnipresent paradox. The void was in a quiet state hence the brilliance of tranquil mind; when things first grow they are tender, hence the power of pliability, etc, etc. Bear in mind it was set out to draw practical advice and tips from Zen, Tao, Christianity, Stoicism and other schools of thoughts

Agreed Julian - think the ecosystem presented in that book goes in the order of power of the void - omnipresent paradox - wonder of pliability - brilliance of a tranquil mind - tucking away ego (entering the Zone) - reining in desires - higher-dimensional vision, which represented the route it laid out to achieve happiness and success

Thanks I can follow the structure

Useful structure

Chris wrote: "The structure is summarized in epilogue"

Yes that was helpful. Interesting it left till the last few pages to bring out the whole picture

Lawrence wrote: "Yes that was helpful to summarise the ecosystem in epilogue. Interesting it left till the last few pages to bring out the whole picture"

That's because it said in introduction it will introduce all thoughts and practical advice before bringing out the ecosystem from which they derive

Lawrence wrote: "So what’s the quote for this Friday? “Don’t eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge?” 😂"

Pretty much - fruits from the Tree of Wisdom must be sweeter than those from the Tree of Knowledge haha

Elliot wrote: "Pretty much - fruits from the Tree of Wisdom must be sweeter than those from the Tree of Wisdom haha..."

Jokes aside, based on the fact that God forbade Adam and Eve from eating the Tree of Knowledge, that's very possible... Adam and Eve's state of mind before eating that fateful fruit was innocent and flawless (consistent with the Power of Void), so was naturally in line with what people seeking wisdom (rather than knowledge) ultimately aim to achieve.

Children do possess a certain level of wisdom, e.g. ability to stay fully in the present - see them playing?

Children's commendable qualities have been acknowledged by God and saints. As Jesus said: "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me... For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest". As Lao Tsu also said: "To be utterly tender yet perfect, there is no surpassing a baby" (for the most tender can ultimately beat the most coarse)

When a child plays with something that interests him, he is immersed in the fun and completely forgets himself. Becoming unaware of oneself brings him closer to wisdom. When I get heavily drunk, I forget myself completely too - does that bring me closer to wisdom as well? If so I look forward to the Friday drink tonight haha...

Julian wrote: "That 'wisdom' of children is 'innocent' wisdom, like the 'wisdom' of Adam before he ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. It’s good, but not as good as the 'practised' wisdom by sages who, despite having seen all the brutality of life, remain peaceful at heart without being disturbed by any external event..."

True, but as you probably gathered from reading the book, one needs specific guidance to get into contact with wisdom in the first place, and it takes time to practice it to perfection

Julian wrote: "True, but it’s worthwhile. There is no other way if you want to live in sustainable happiness and consistently free of fear"

Yeah... Better late than never I suppose

Chris wrote: "It's helpful to adopt the advice deriving from the doctrine of omnipresent paradox, such as the practical tips in that chapter for job interviews and commercial negotiation. As Oscar Wilde wisely put: "The only truth lies in paradox"..."

Ah, the omnipresent paradox ... Just like I really like Saturdays but when they do come I always get worried that the weekend is slipping away haha

Joshua wrote: "Everything in existence has a depth - hence at least two sides - hence the omnipresent paradox 😃"

True... From the moment beings are generated from non-being, it starts to show two sides and hence be attached by the omnipresent paradox

It's helpful to adopt the advice deriving from the doctrine of omnipresent paradox, such as the practical tips in that chapter for job interviews and commercial negotiation. As Oscar Wilde wisely put: "The only truth lies in paradox".

Examples for the omnipresent paradox are everywhere, but here is my favorite: “No good deed goes unpunished.” 🙂

Julian wrote: "Also the doctrine of tenderness and pliability - “In pliability lies the living force - a body is tender when living but hard and rigid when dead; a leaf is soft when living but dry and brittle when dead..."

Good one

On the power of tenderness and pliability, remember the tale of wind and sun betting who could get the coat off the bypasser? The sun managed it, by soaking the bypass with warmth

And when it comes to making peace with oneself, I agree with the remark in the book that in true acceptance lies great power. I like the Miyamoto Musashi quote there too, something along the lines of "Fully accept the bad situation you are found in when bumping into your enemy, and stop pitying yourself for it - then you can focus all your energy and attention on how to defeat them."

No doubt

Julian wrote: "The power of resilience that is"

That derived from the power of the void and the merit of water I suppose...

It is indeed

Chris wrote: "It's helpful to adopt the advice deriving from the doctrine of omnipresent paradox, such as the practical tips in that chapter for job interviews and commercial negotiation. As Oscar Wilde wisely put: "The only truth lies in paradox"..."

The capability to handle paradoxes well adds great charm and sophistication to the handler

Lawrence wrote: "The capability to handle paradoxes well adds great charm and sophistication to the handler"

Agreed. As demonstrated by the book, the most powerful CEOs that walk the planet do nothing but handling paradoxes in their work - limited budget vs. ambitious plan; exhausted team vs. challenging timetable; sales force feel undercompensated vs. R&D people feeling underappreciated, etc...

Julian wrote: "Agreed. As demonstrated by the book, the most powerful CEOs that walk the planet do nothing but handling paradoxes in their work - limited budget vs. ambitious plan; exhausted team vs. challenging timetable; sales force feel undercompensated vs. R&D people feeling underappreciated, etc... Enjoyed the practical tips given there.."

Yes the practical tips were helpful

Agreed Chris. Do you recall its analysis over how the paradox creates magic and illusion there? When a magician shows the audience an empty box and then immediately pulls a pigeon out of it, such speedy switch from "non-being" to "being" creates a sensation of "magic", and the audience knows that such switch is a "trick", or an "illusion". Similarly, if a magician makes a seed grow into a tree quickly before the audience's very eyes, we know that's an illusion too.

But when a tiny seed grows into a large tree in 40 years, despite the fact that this is still a switch from "non-being" to "being", we think this is not an illusion but a true event. Therefore, the sole factor we rely on to judge if something (or some change, given things are always changing) is true or illusional is the time it takes to make such change. But time itself is a man-made concept and may not be reliable - there was no such thing before human beings created it. If an immortal sees a mountain and then averts his eyes, turning back his gaze after millions of years and only finds a desert where the mountain used to be, does he not have a right to consider the previous mountain illusory? Then it led to the conclusion that all beings in existence in this 3-dimensional world are illusionary, which seems to coincide with Buddha's thoughts.

It's fascinating to hear about your experience with the book "How to Be Happy: The Wisdom to Attain Happiness and Success by Constructing an Invincible Mind." The initial skepticism you had about such a significant topic being covered in a relatively short book is completely understandable. However, it's great to see that your curiosity led you to explore the book further.

The fact that the author delves into both Western and Eastern philosophical perspectives while offering practical tools from his own experiences is truly intriguing. It sounds like the book goes beyond the surface and delves deep into the subject matter.

Thank you for sharing the Amazon link to the free preview – I'll definitely check it out. It's always refreshing to come across a self-help book that lives up to its promises. Recommending a book that has genuinely made an impact is a wonderful way to pay it forward. I appreciate your thoughtful recommendation and look forward to exploring the insights offered in the book

Matthew wrote: "It's fascinating to hear about your experience with the book "How to Be Happy: The Wisdom to Attain Happiness and Success by Constructing an Invincible Mind." The initial skepticism you had about s..."

Happy to share Matthew - it's my pleasure. People seem to have picked up different things from the book - would look forward to seeing your take on it too.

I enjoyed those analysis on switch between being and non-being too - seems to have opened the door to more profound theories and practical tips

Elliot wrote: "I enjoyed those analysis on switch between being and non-being too - seems to have opened the door to more profound theories and practical tips"

That's probably because, as that chapter mentioned, the universe sprouted from nothingness whether from the narratives of the Bible, Taoism, or according to the Big Bang theory. To understand the fundamentals of the 3-dimensional world one needs to go back to the original state of it (nothingness), and fully appreciate power of the void.

So true

Thanks - I enjoyed the ecosystem for a mindset enabling happiness and success as elaborated finally in the epilogue. All those practical advice generated from the philosophical loop of "power of the void - invincibility of the ego-free - reining-in desire - power of pliability and tenderness - magic of strong presence - omnipresent paradox - power of higher horizons" become self-explanatory and self-sufficient there. I felt content and satisfied having dug that far.

Chris wrote: "Thanks - I enjoyed the ecosystem for a mindset enabling happiness and success as elaborated finally in the epilogue. All those practical advice generated from the philosophical loop of "power of the void - invincibility of the ego-free - reining-in desire - power of pliability and tenderness - magic of strong presence - omnipresent paradox - power of higher horizons" become self-explanatory and self-sufficient there. I felt content and satisfied having dug that far..."

Yes these "pillars" (as the author seems to call them) all tally and interact well each other and end up forming an ecosystem.

Beatrice wrote: "Yes these "pillars" (as the author seems to call them) all tally and interact well each other and end up forming an ecosystem..."

I like how those "pillars" interact with each other when churning out practical advice for life and career. Agreed they go in the order of "power of the void - invincibility of the ego-free - reining-in desire - power of pliability and tenderness - magic of strong presence - omnipresent paradox - power of higher horizons".

"The only thing I know, is that I know practically nothing" - Socrates
"To attain knowledge, learn something everyday. To attain wisdom, unlearn something everyday" - Lao Tsu

I found that these wisest people in history are effectively talking about the same thing - power of the void, as the book puts it

Wow... thanks Chris

Haha no probs Beatrice. Great you enjoyed such correlation between the most profound philosophy in the East and West

Chris wrote: ""The only thing I know, is that I know practically nothing" - Socrates
"To attain knowledge, learn something everyday. To attain wisdom, unlearn something everyday" - Lao Tsu
I found that these wisest people in history are effectively talking about the same thing - power of the void, as the book puts it..."
Well ... To be fair, Buddha said the same thing as well - "All that appear to your eyes are ultimately empty and illusional." Jesus also taught us not to accumulate treasure in this earthly world, where robbers steal and moisture corrupts, as they are ultimately for naught. Also to do with power of the void to an extent.

Fair enough - thanks Neil

Although the ultimate wisdom appears to derive from power of the void, I agree with the author that the "beings" sprouting from "non-being" are worth our effort, such as the inspiration and perfection deriving from the "zone" (a state where a person forgets himself and immerses completely in the task he is performing). In the skillful switch between "non-being" and "being" hides the secret code for excellence and success.

Thanks Beatrice: Love your comment about the skillful switch between "non-being" and "being" creating inspiration, strength and success: just like a magician - one second he shows you an empty box, and the next second he pulls a pigeon out of it. Such switch from "non-being" to "being" creates magic.

I love the idea of a combination of “non-being” and “being” - our life is an excellent example for this. We all love to “have” power and “have” money, until we realize it’s important to “have illness not” and “have disaster not”. “Have nots” is more important than “haves”, as sick people or people hit by disasters/criminal charges finally realize…

Julian wrote: "Fair enough - “The morphing between being and non-being is the root of all magic and inspiration.” Tao Te Ching"

There are people incredibly insensitive to the collapsing 3-dimensional world though: even the more and more frequent forest fire, earth quake, flood, wars and conflicts, AI induced unemployment, ultra-deep learning automatic weapon, banking crisis and much more relentlessly shameless politicians won't wake these people up. They still think the world is going forward in the "normal" way as it did 10 years ago

Chris wrote: "There are people incredibly insensitive to the collapsing 3-dimensional world: even the more and more frequent forest fire, earth quake, flood, wars and conflicts, AI induced unemployment, ultra-deep learning automatic weapon, banking crisis and politicians losing all decency won't wake these people up. They still think the world is going forward in the "normal" way as it did 10 years ago"

Yet the saints and the wise still try, as Buddha told them that passing on the ultimate wisdom helps them accumulate more virtue than sharing all the earthly wealth to the world, and Jesus commanded that we should spread the gospel. But wisdom is bound to be apprehended only by the few, even if it's offered to everyone. Most people have too much ego to take in what's truly good for them...

Julian wrote: "Fair enough - “The morphing between being and non-being is the root of all magic and inspiration.” Tao Te Ching"

It does create magic - all magicians evokes awe by switching between being and non-being. One minute an empty box, the next moment a bird flies out...

"Julian wrote: "Fair enough - “The morphing between being and non-being is the root of all magic and inspiration.” Tao Te Ching"

"Chris wrote:It does create magic - all magicians evokes awe by switching between being and non-being. One minute an empty box, the next moment a bird flies out..."

Ha! Bril

Chris wrote: "The switch between being and non-being does create magic - all magicians evokes awe by doing this. One minute an empty box, the next moment a bird flies out..."


Quite true