The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation.
quote by Jacob Bronowski
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The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.
quote by Diane Arbus
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Ideas are powerful things, requiring not a studious contemplation but an action, even if it is only an inner action.
quote by Midge Dector
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The impartiality which, in contemplation, is the unalloyed desire for truth, is the very same quality of mind which, in action, is justice, and in emotion is that universal love which can be given to all, and not only to those who are judged useful or admirable. Thus contemplation not only enlarges the objects of our thoughts, but also the objects of our actions and our affections: it makes us citizens of the universe, not only of one walled city at war with the rest. In this citizenship of the universe consists man's true freedom, and his liberation from the thralldom of narrow hopes and fears.
quote by Bertrand Russell
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Reformation ends not in contemplation, but in action.
quote by George Gillespie
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Vice: Whatever was passion in the contemplation of man, being brought forth by his will into action.
quote by James Harrington
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What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action.
quote by Meister Eckhart
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Response to Merton: Balandi and Alkaocai
To choose the world is to choose to do the work I am capable of doing,
in collaboration with my brother and sister, to make the world better, more free,
more just, more livable, more human. And it has now become transparently
obvious that mere automatic 'rejection of the world' and 'contempt for the world'
is in fact not a choice but an evasion of choice.'
Thomas Merton. Contemplation in A World of Action
Our world is
bleeding out
filling the sea
with stolen
humanity
Why should I not
reject this contemptible
world?
Last night
in Kahdahar's shadow
Fear smashed open
the simple doors
of Balandi and Alkaozai
as an American soldier
defiled
the mothers and children
of two nations,
spread thick their blood
and painted red
this sinful
world.
poem by Steven Federle
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Senses
The words were broken into sounds
And the time was cracked in seconds.
The seconds were dismantled slowly.
I grasped my love and I laid it in remembrance,
I grasped my remembrance and I laid it in grievance,
I grasped my grievance and I laid it in reason,
I grasped my reason and I laid it in self,
I grasped myself and I stepped into the light,
I grasped the light and I laid it over the candle wax.
The candle dropped the light.
In the light, the sense of life became clear.
I grasped the sense of life and I laid it over the sense of death.
In this sense of life and death you laid
The seconds, which were dismantled.
They melted in pieces of eternity.
I took those pieces and I gave them to The Lord.
I gave love your name.
I grasped my love and I laid it in remembrance
And I heard the empty bell ringing in the sky.
The bell would ring for someone else,
But I remembered you
poem by Marieta Maglas
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One That Remains Inquisitive
I do not sit in contemplation to 'do'.
However...
There has been many times,
A contemplation done I do accomplish...
Is a wishing I had delayed a doing,
With the application of more patience.
And that...
Is the only drawback,
For one that remains inquisitive.
With an eventual lesson learned,
A living of one's life gets taught to teach...
With an outcome needing no contemplation to reach.
It comes.
And sometimes with an outcome,
One regrets with a reflecting in a patience done.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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Sunset Now
Sun crazed in our room
It was an endless afternoon
It seemed that we were so immune
The nights were stronger and longer
I fell on my pillow saying
Tell the world that luckys calling
Gold dust falling
Here in action town
Sunset now
Sunset now
Sunset now
Sunset now
Blade flew into town
In time to watch the sun go down
He said the new prince must be found
The message shattered our windows
We know it was over, saying
Tell the boys that were not handing
Over any part
Of action town
Sunset now
Sunset now
Sunset now now! now!
Pay out, run out, work out, die out
Action town (action town)
If you have the name
Then you win the game
In action town (action town)
Bang bang youre dead
Its raining bread
Sunset now
Now that we have gone
Do we have strength to carry on
It seems like all our sun has shone
It seems our dice are as cold as ice
But something in my heart keeps saying
Tell the world that luckys coming
Lines are humming
Here comes action town
Sunset now (to fade)
song performed by by Heaven 17
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Reaction To Action
(spoken: check 1, 1, 1)
Alright
Its hard getting through to me
Im truly elusive
I got my own point of view
I am the one of a kind
And I tell you lil girl
Im fascinated by you
Theres something about you
That makes all the difference
Like the night is to day
Well I can get along without you
But I know that within you
Youve got what Im missing
And Ill find a way
To get reaction to action
Hey, say the word that would thrill me
Yeah, I need reaction to action
Just one look that would kill me
You got a way of drawing attention to you
You know you stand out in a crowd
But the way that you play
With any mans affections
Should never be allowed
See I consider myself
The one who will show you
Id go as far as to say
Girl, I aint leaving here without you
But you better understand
Theres only one rule in this game were gonna play
And thats reaction to action
Maybe like a word that would thrill me
I need reaction to action
One look that would kill me
Give me reaction to action
Its getting late Id better make a definite move
Reaction to action
And after that baby, its up to you
I need reaction to action
Just a word that would thrill me
I need reaction to action
You know what Im talking about
Give me some reaction to action
You got a look, you got a way thatll kill me
Reaction to action, reaction to action, action
Baby, dont think about it, just react
Reaction to action
Reaction to action
Reaction to action
Reaction to action
Reaction to action
Reaction to action
song performed by by Foreigner
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.
quote by Norman Vincent Peale
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Action is greater than writing. A good man is a nobler object of contemplation than a great author. There are but two things worth living for: to do what is worthy of being written; and to write what is worthy of being read.
quote by Ross Perot
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It may be added, to prevent misunderstanding, that when I speak of contemplated objects in this last phrase as objects of contemplation, the act of contemplation itself is of course an enjoyment.
quote by Samuel Alexander
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Unless And Until You Have Grasped The Essence Of The Self
Unless and until you have grasped the essence of the Self
Vain are all your efforts and like unseasonal rains,
You have wasted your human birth.
So what if you have taken a holy bath
Or offered twilight prayers and worship?
So what if you have stayed at home and given alms?
So what if you keep matted locks and smear ashes?
So what if you have plucked hair on your head?
Unless and until you have grasped the essence of the Self
Vain are all your efforts and like unseasonal rains,
You have wasted your human birth.
So what if you indulge in recitation, penance or go on a pilgrimage?
So what if you count beads and chant the holy name
So what if you put on at il ak or worship Tulsi?
So what if you drink the water of Ganga?
Unless and until you have grasped the essence of the Self
Vain are all your efforts and like unseasonal rains,
You have wasted your human birth.
So what if you speak of theVedas or grammar?
So what if you enjoy yourself and have a good time?
So what if you have grasped the distinctions
Between the six systems of philosophy?
So what if you have adhered to the distinction of caste?
Unless and until you have grasped the essence of the Self
Vain are all your efforts and like unseasonal rains,
You have wasted your human birth.
All these are worldly pursuits for filling one's belly
Until you have seen the absolutebr ahman.
Says Narsinh, without beholding the Essence
One wastes his birth precious asChi nt amani Jewel.
Unless and until you have grasped the essence of the Self
Vain are all your efforts and like unseasonal rains,
You have wasted your human birth.
poem by Narsinh Mehta
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Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.
quote by Joel Barker
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Lonely Action
Action, Action, Lonely Action,
Sociable action, Social Action
And more Action.
That is the solution
To the terrible mess
And of loneliness.
Sociable Action
To solve the mess
Of loneliness
Taken once a year
Is not going to cut it
Once a month may work
Once a week will work
Once a day
Is the way
To do it!
poem by Lonely People Champion
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Science may eventually explain the world of How. The ultimate world of Why may remain for contemplation, philosophy, religion.
quote by Liberty Hyde Bailey
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Verb: That's What's Happening
I get my thing in action
To be, to see, to feel, to live
And i put my heart in action
To run, to go, to get, to give
'cause that's where i find satisfaction
To search, to find, to have, to hold
When i use my imagination
I think, i plot, i plan, i dream
Turning in towards creation
Well i make, i write, i dance, i sing
'cause i get my thing in action
Yeah i get my thing in action
Go!
When i'm feeling really active
Well i run, i ride, i swim, i fly!
Other times when life is easy
Oh i rest, i sleep, i sit, i lie
I can take a noun and bend it
Make it a verb and really send it!
'cause i get my thing in action
And i don't know my own power
I can question; like what is it?
I can order; like go get it!
When i need i really need it
When i see i got to have it
'cause i put my thing in action
Yeah i put my thing in action
Yeah i get my thing in action
And i don't even know my power
No!
song performed by by Moby
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Sadness does not inhere in things; it does not reach us from the world and through mere contemplation of the world. It is a product of our own thought. We create it out of whole cloth.
quote by Emile Durkheim
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