Happy 2004! It is now 12.52am 1 January 2004 in Melbourne, Australia.
Wishing everyone a prosperous year ahead, and full of opportunities. On the world front, I also hope that there will be fewer wars and natural disasters compared to the year just past.
There is a Chinese saying: “A house having an elderly person is a house with with a treasure.” The meaning of this saying is that the elderly in generally have acquired more day-to-day knowledge from their longer lifelong experiences, which can benefit greatly the current generation. This is probably more appropriate in the days before the internet!?
It just occurred to me that the transfer of knowledge from one generation to the next is rather inefficient. Here I am using the term ‘knowledge’ in the broadest sense.
Seeing my brother and sister with my little nephews and nieces over this Christmas break has highlighted one subtle secret in upbringing of children. Often, it is best to limit the number of choices presented to the little ones. A multitude of options usually spells chaos, for both the kids and parents.
Are we not faced with the same dilemma daily as well? Are we not at our bravest and most resolute when faced with limited (and favourable), or no choices at all?
(The following thoughts came up while reading Holy Blood, Holy Grail)
All around us, there are patterns to be discovered, some more obvious than others. A pattern may exist as a cause-effect relationship. For example, if I decided not to walk underneath a ladder, and subsequently won a lottery, is it reasonable to attribute my good fortunes to the avoidance of the ladder? Or, alternatively, if after walking under a ladder, I suffered a bout of bad luck, can I then attribute all subsequent unluckiness to that single act?
Just read a series of articles on Sacred Mysteries which attempts to highlight the supposedly hidden alchemical implications in the major films in our era. The two that I read discussed the Tolkien series Lord of the Rings, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The central thesis is that both Lord of the Rings and 2001: A Space Odyssey detail the development of mankind as documented in alchemical traditions. In Lord of the Rings, Middle Earth goes through a series of Ages. With each Age, there is an increase in the prominence of Man, but at the same time, Man also becomes further removed from his natural and spiritual side. This accounts for the diminishing importance of magic and the Elves, hence the inexplicable ending (to some) of the movie.
In 2001, the film also walks the audience through a series of transformations of Mankind, from the vegetarian Ape man to highly sophisticated technological society, devoid of emotions and any spiritual linkages. This climaxes in the ultimate transformation at the end of the film, where we witness a re-birth.
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