From: "Anders Sandberg" <asa@nada.kth.se>
> Sufism is definitely linked with
> Islam.
Just so; as transhumanism is definitely linked with humanism; or as science is
linked with philosophy; or as humans are linked with Cro-Magnons.
It is the offspring...
and the parent has died.
"To the Sufi, Islam means surrender and love. An organic transformation and
combination of two qualities, which creates a third. The sage is the
burgeoning of two kinds of energy. In the definition of the Sufi, he is
balanced, without any duality, and his wholeness is unified; there is a silent
tranquility about him. There is no longer any conflict or antagonism going on
in him. He is not torn between sin and saintliness. There is a sublime peace
and equilibrium, a cosmic silence. That's what Sufis call _islam_.
I know, because a wise old Turk once told me so."
--Alligator Grundy
Mulla Nasruddin tells the story of Charles Atlas:
Charles Atlas and his wife were standing in front of the gorilla cage at the
zoo. Suddenly, the gorilla reached through the bars, pulled the woman into his
cage and started to rip off her clothes.
She screamed, "Charles, what do I do now?"
Atlas shrugged and replied, "Tell him you have a headache, dear."
--- --- --- --- ---
Useless hypotheses, etc.:
consciousness, phlogiston, philosophy, vitalism, mind, free will, qualia,
analog computing, cultural relativism, GAC, Cyc, Eliza, cryonics, individual
uniqueness, ego, human values, scientific relinquishment
We move into a better future in proportion as science displaces superstition.
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