russ@uokvax.UUCP (03/05/84)
#N:uokvax:8300044:000:2208
uokvax!russ Mar 1 14:31:00 1984
In the midst of reading all the descussion of 'free will' and the omnipotence
of god, etc. I was reminded of a wonderful quote from *Paradise Lost* in
which Milton in Book II describes the activities of the fallen angels in hell.
Others apart sat on a Hill retir'd,
In thoughts more elevate, and reason'd high
Of Providence, Foreknowledge, Will, and Fate,
Fixt Fate, Free will, Foreknowledge absolute, 560
And found no end, in wand'ring mazes lost.
Of good and evil much they argu'd then,
Of happiness and final misery,
Passion and Apathy, and glory and shame,
Vain wisdom all, and false Philosophie: 565
Yet with pleasing sorcery could charm
Pain for a while or anguish, and excite
Fallacious hope, or arm th' obdured breast
With stubborn patience as with triple steel.
Another analogous quote comes for Indian (not native American) philosophy.
This hymn is from the ancient *Vedas* of the Indian culture.
To The Frogs
What time on these, as on a dry skin lying in the pool's bed, the
floods of heaven descended,
The music of the frogs comes forth in concert like the cows'
lowing with their calves beside them.
As brahmins, sitting round the brimful vessel, talk at the soma
rite of Atiratra,
So, frogs, ye gather round the pool to honour this day of all the
year, the first of rain-time.
The brahmins were the holy men of the Indian culture and at the soma
rites they would sit around the vessel of soma (a ritual drink) and
philosophize (about many of the same things you will find in net.religion).
In this hymn they are equated to the frogs that sit around the pond and
croak at each other. This is a humorous view which suggests that all
their philosophizing is as meaningful as the croaking of the frogs around
the pond, but that that is the natural thing for them to be doing. Just
don't take it so seriously. At least the brahmins could laugh at them-
selves.
Russell Spence
University of Oklahoma
Engineering Computer Network
...!ctvax!uokvax!russ