Ode of Orphee

Orpheus and Eurydice by Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein (1806)
Profess how I long,
    Through metered song 
    To rhythmic tick and every tock
    Of celestial cosmic clock,
        That counts by years,
   A  turning golden gear,
For thy scared kiss,
    Beloved, Eurydice,
        Veiled by chimeric myst 
        Of the depths of hell,
        Where twice you fell. 

Forever together in heart, 
Ever in temporal plane apart. 

In a web of greed, hate and illusion.

Reflections during a 
summer solstice…

Content in the realization 
that the declination
of my Earthly Sol 
now travels north, 
toward  final winter’s
hibernation.
 
To what point oratory 
hyperbole 
and grandiloquence bombast? 
Magniloquence verbosity 
with pomposity elocution?

Eloquence  replaced 
with rant and discourse, 
and oration displaced by 
balderdash fustian frustration. 

Waxing exclusive 
warring tribes, 
and inkish snide 
eclipsing waning 
inclusive 
benevolent 
compassion. 

You know not me,
nor I any more 
learned of you. 
Where does 
humanity hide? 

Bodhicitta (Awakening Mind)

Dhamma wheel
From: The Dhammapada: Cittavagga (The Mind)

33. Just as an arrow-maker straitens an arrow shaft, even so the discerning person straitens his mind- so fickle and unsteady,  so difficult to guard and control. 

36.  Let the discerning person guard their mind, so difficult to detect and extremely subtle, wandering wherever it desires. A guarded mind brings happiness.  

43. Neither mother, father, nor any other relative can do one greater good then one’s own well-directed mind.  

Thus said the Blessed One. 
From: A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. 
By: Shantideva.

I. The Benefits of the Awakening Mind
4. Leisure and endowment are very hard to find;
And, since they accomplish what is meaningful for humanity,
If I do not take advantage of them now,
How will such a perfect opportunity come about again?

8. Those who wish to destroy the many sorrows of (their) conditioned existence,
Those who wish (all beings) to experience multitude of joys,
And those who wish to experience much happiness
Should never forsake the Awakening Mind.

15. In brief, the Awakening Mind
Should be understood to be of two types;
The mind that aspires to awaken
And the mind that ventures to do so.

25. This intention to benefit all beings,
Which does not arise in others even for their own sake,
Is an extraordinary jewel of the mind,
And its birth is an unprecedented wonder.

36. I bow down to the body of those
In whom the sacred precious mind is born.
I seek refuge in that source of joy
Who brings happiness even to those who bring harm.

III. Full Acceptance of the Awakening Mind
4. And with gladness I rejoice
In the ocean of virtue, for developing an Awakening Mind
That wishes all beings to be happy,
As well as in the deeds that bring them benefit.

24. Likewise, for the sake of all lives
Do I give birth to an Awakening Mind,
And likewise shall I, too,
Successfully follow the practices.

28. Just like a blindman
Discovering a jewel in a heap of rubbish,
Likewise, by some coincidence,
An Awakening Mind has been born within me.
From: Eight Verses for Training the Mind
By: Kadampa Geshe Langritangpa

5. In all actions may I watch my mind,
And as soon as disturbing emotions arise,
May I forcefully stop them at once,
Since they will hurt both me and others. 

Bodhicitta (Sanskrit) (Tibetan: byang chub kyi sems): An altruistic aspiration to attain full enlightenment for all beings. Bodhicitta is cultivated on the basis of certain mental attitudes, principle among them being the development of love and great compassion towards all beings equally.

From: The Handbook of Tibetan Culture, 1993.
Compiled by Graham Coleman

Praxis Thinking the Methodology (in a nutshell)

Determine what is desired and assess what is “Known” and “Not Known” toward that end. Map affinities of ”Known” and “Not Known” statements to derive at a set of “First Principle(s)” and “Challenge(s)” respectively.

Modeled as a system, where the stock is comprised of “Concepts,” the inflow into the system (its input)) are the stated “Challenges” (best captured as a problem statement such as “How might I/we…”) Apply Divergent Thinking (<+) to increase the stock of concepts. Apply Convergent Thinking (->) and narrow on practical “Ideas” toward a solution (the system’s output). Ideas flow into a feedback loop. Model Ideas, validate models, reassess what is “Known” and “Not Known” and iterate “Challenge,”

With each iteration what is “Known” increases and what is ”Not Known” decreases while solution becomes less conceptual and more ideal.

Ideas are like seeds,  
some are annual and others perennial.
Some fall upon good earth to take root,    
Others upon stone to despair. 
Of those that root and bloom take care,
And of their fruit joyfully share. 

An Open Letter to Elon Musk Concerning Cryptocurrencies


For it is not only the species but the human spirit that we wish to preserve.

To Elon Musk (and whomever else it may concern),

This proposal is published for any who would have interests but is humbly addressed to Elon Musk, for his shared dream of human perseverance and preservation and recognization that if this proposal were to be deemed in whole or in part viable he is foremost among those who could realize what is now put forth for consideration and iteration.

It is proposed that an economic system built on democratic equity in communal enterprise and the principle of individual and collective freedom is possible. This paradigm (true freedom through means) has been subjected by those who would perpetuate the consolidation of power though political and monetary exclusionary monopoly. The source of economic disparity and growing chasm of the “haves” and “have nots” and tool of enslavement is the perpetual governmental and banking control over a singular monopolistic currency. This consolidates power into the hands of a small minority who in turn wield enormous power over the masses. It is argued that, this creates a non-capitalist society that would appear superficially as capitalist but feigns true capitalist values, that of rights of free enterprise and the rights of individuals to self organize and self govern.

It is put forth for consideration a new economic system built on the principles of empowerment and freedom. The opportunity for such a shift has never been more feasible nor more apparent. The rise of various cryptocurrencies both highlights technology’s role and the demand for a true paradigm shift.

It is proposed that in lieu of an archaic stock certificate denoting one’s equity in an enterprise that a form of open-source cryptocurrency could instead be used. For example, instead of a stock certificate one would own, let us say, SpaceX coins. In aggregate these SpaceX coins would equate to the perceived market capital of SpaceX the enterprising entity and it’s assets. This creates a non-fiat currency one that establishes true equity for those who would own SpaceX coins. These coins could be traded or retained and would grow in value as the value of the underlying asset grew, those of SpaceX in this crude example.

Instead of having to put USD in a bank growing at some measly rate that benefits the banking industry and the elite, one’s wealth would grow along with that of the underlying enterprise merely by retaining equity or said another way, holding coins in a digital wallet on a universal blockchain.

Now the question arises, how are goods bought and sold with all these varying currencies of variable value? A democratic real-time always-open open-source based market and exchange run on a solar system spanning (from satellite servers to servers on Mars as well as Earth) blockchain is envisioned. This exchange would require vast amounts of energy necessitating a growing demand for harvesting solar power and the beginnings of a Dyson Sphere or Chain of satellites (at inception). Using a digital wallet, any one person can instantly exchange one currency for another at a market rate (for example SpaceX coins for USD, should a citizen of Elondia on Mars visits the US and wish to purchase goods on Earth.)

It is further proposed that Bitcoin, or something like it, act as the underlying reserve currency. BTC would replace the role historically held by gold, until the rise of manipulative fiat currencies and central banking. In a future where there is the potential for asteroid mining and a solar-system spanning civilization a digital monetary standard (vs a gold standard) would be requisite in a global and multi-planet economy. The citizens of Mars would not benefit if beholden to a monetary policy guided by any Earthly state. Only a truly free democratic market could sustain a multi-planet economy.

In the immediacy, those who wish to create communities of shared values could combine assets and create a self sustaining economies and exist peacefully within broader existing economies taking advantage of scale, thus far only afforded the privileged, for the mutual benefit of their chosen community (i.e. Enterprising Individuals, Communal Farmers and Homesteaders, Spiritual Communities, Bohemian Artists, Nieghboorhood Sports Leagues..)

In closing, being of little means and not technically inclined but excited about the future prospects of human endeavor and exploration toward the pursuit of knowledge, these thoughts are put forth if only to help further conversation and to spark additional ideas.

Whether valid or not, naive or not, regardless, for the benefit of all those who orbit the same Sun, it is past time we rethink everything (especially inherited systems that adhere to archaic thinking). May we find the Golden Path that preserves humanity.

May all find happiness.
Sincerest regards

Gibran