Best Of
Re: What do you think of modern movies?
I just rewatched The Matrix, and while it is an excellent movie, there is a lot of screen time spent on violence, fighting and very dark themes. And the same arguments could be levelled against Blade Runner, Unforgiven, The Dark Knight and even The Lord of the Rings from my original Top 5. It’s all death and doom and gloom, which drives the story towards a conclusion where happiness prevails. And it isn’t even particularly real, in that these situations actually happen.
So I was thinking about a new Top 5, made of movies which are favourites of mine but which are actually uplifting, fun, insightful films, and which don’t rely so much on peril and strife to move the plot. I realise I’m cutting out large swathes of all the movies which have topped the box office in the last thirty years, but I wanted to see what this list would look like.
The Shawshank Redemption
Spirited Away
Amadeus
Soul
Austin Powers
I thought about including Arrival, The Martian, 2001, A Beautiful Mind, Howls Moving Castle, Finding Nemo, Erin Brockovich and a few others for the fifth entry in the list, but wanted to include some out-and-out laughs because hey, comedies can be great.
Jeroen
Re: Top 5
Hmm, my top 5 video games
World of Warcraft
Diablo 2 and 3
Civilization 5
These have been the games that I played as an adult
Lets add from my younger days
Metroid
Legend of Zelda
person
Re: Top 5
Top 5 Video Games as determined by enjoyment and amount of time sunk:
Sacred 2
Titan Quest
Icewind Dale 2
Pillars of Eternity
Dungeon Lords
Dungeon Lords is an example of a very flawed game but I just played it so much and enjoyed even though there are better games like: the Witcher 1, Morrowind, and Skyrim which are all honorable mentions along with Grim Dawn. Baldur's Gate 2 might also be in place of Pillars of Eternity, but I just liked the vision of PoE and it's more fresh in my mind
Jeffrey
Re: About control: to pursue it or not?
Very well said @Lionduck
Yep I chose to say that. I can control what I boost. Interact with and how. 
There is indeed little we can do about samsara (chaos) without a control template. For many of us that is the three jewels. Not the trillion distractions of an undisciplined chaotic mind/body/emotional body (or ignorance as Buddhists call it)...
lobster
Re: About control: to pursue it or not?
We have choice. To strive for control is to fail to see choice. Chaos is always present. When we understand choice vs control, we gain true control. True control does not come from directing everything. That is an impossible task. For we cannot see everything and that which we do not see or are not aware of is beyond control.
When we have choice, we are fluid, we can adapt readily to our situations of the moment. We can adjust for alternatives, we are free. We are not bound by the need of total control. We can not control the river. But we can choose to use it's currents, it's characteristics to navigate it, utilizing those currents, making the river our highway instead of our nemesis. In human interactions, in our internal interactions, choice is the ultimate control. We can maneuver within the flow of interaction. Thus we have control, not of the others thoughts or actions, but of our own which enables us to navigate the rivers of interaction.
Put another way, a ship upon the sea has no control over the sea. The ship's pilot, however, chooses the speed, direction and overall relation to the sea to navigate the ship upon the sea.
Thus we see that Control is an illusion, an impossible task whereas Choice is a reality our control is actually our ability to choose, regardless of the circumstance. What we may seek as "Control" is actually Choice - We have the "control" of choice. Control is the illusion while choice is the reality.
Peace to all
Lionduck
Re: What do you think of modern movies?
Yes, The Matrix is definitely in the mix. But I find I can construct a Top 5 of for example upbeat films which would look quite different. The mood I am in has a huge influence on things.
Jeroen
Re: About control: to pursue it or not?
This reminded me of the serenity prayer
Some things seem worth it to gain control while others are better to let go of.
But then what is wisdom? What is its aim? If it knows the difference it must have a way of deciding for or against something.
person
Re: My Dharma practice today
I was just looking at Facebook the other day and I am following a Tara Brach page. Someone, a man, started doing a guided meditation (on the page) and was really interesting and relaxing
Jeffrey
Re: My Dharma practice today
- two votive candles burnt and disposed, getting more shortly
- relaxing meditation and relaxing yogic stretching. Done.
- combed my newly removed hair
- preached (or may have peached) to the pure-landers
- listened to the fox pups in the garden
4.40 AM time for tea and porridge
lobster