From: hjv@phil.ruu.nl (Hendrik Jan Veenstra)
Subject: Re: House and spirituality ?
Organization: Department of Philosophy, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 14:20:42 GMT

"Vampire Lestat" <wk00636@WORLDLINK.COM> writes:

>Seems to me that maybe over there where you are in your world that you might
>not be experiencing the same thing that I have experienced over here.
[... rather long article deleted ...]

Hey, hey, now I hear you! I largely agree with the things you wrote this time.
I know I was harsh in my previous posting, and won't make any excuses for it,
since I meant what I said. But the things you write this time all sound a
lot more realistic.
What I was objecting to, was the feeling of 'dance & f*ck & all will be well'
I got from your previous posting. Maybe I misunderstood your intent, and for
that I then apologize. Maybe it's just that I've met too many people who
think that running away into oblivion, be it thru sex, House, drugs, TV or
whatever, is the ultimate way to establish world-peace.

But then, when I read your last posting, I wonder what House has got to do
with all this. Nothing IMO. OK, it's nice to be able to be peacuful together
with 3000 people, but certainly House is not the only or ultimate means
of achieving this. I've been peaceful together with lots of folks in
lots of places and situations... And I don't suppose that the (IMO good)
mentality that I read in your last letter is due to a bunch of House-parties.
Take xxx people with the same mentality and put them in a room, and you'll
probably be having a good/peaceful/whatever time. No House involved.

And I still believe that peacefulness is not the same as spirituality.
Although spirituality will probably lead to peacefulness in the end (but
the end is not in sight yet, I'm afraid). There's a lot of shit to be
cleaned up in this world, and that won't be achieved thru smiling and
waving and loving and etcetera. Some parts of this world (and of our minds)
are sick, and just like cancer they have to be removed one day... but
a cure for cancer isn't painless. A Dutch saying is 'soft doctors make
stinking wounds'.

>it's good to have something simple to fall back on in a world where there are
>people who can be as negative as you, although the reality check is always
>required and I thank ya once again...

No, I don't think I'm being negative. If I were _really_ negative, I wouldn't
bother to react, and the complete 'problem of this world' wouldn't interest
me (as it obviously does). I just try to be realistic. But, as I said, it
seems that you're more realistic than I thought, so I probably overstated
things a bit in my previous posting. Well, at least it was clear, wasn't it?:)
The real war/fighting/cleaning-up has to be done in our own minds - and that
will involve pain, suffering and lots of other unpleasant aspects, which
all have everything to do with spirituality and very little with peacefulness
(and don't think I *like* the idea... :-/ ). Talking about reality checks...

Hendrik Jan

--
Hendrik Jan Veenstra    hjv@phil.ruu.nl  *  How can I save my dreams
Dept. of Philosophy                      *  in the nightmare, in the flood
University of Utrecht                    *  But I try.
The Netherlands                          *
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