Made in 1940 but still relevant

Cory

A very inspirational speech, and even though it was in a movie, it is amazing.

BhikkhuJayasara

seen that.. very pipe dreamy in the john lennon "imagine" sort of way. Just don't let it take you away from observing reality for too long .

MaryAnne

@Jayantha,

To criticize this film's speech as a piece of dreamy fluff, or an over-dramatic vision of an romanticized "utopia" is one thing-- I can't even disagree with that much.
But to include John Lennon in that assessment.... Wow, that's just wrong.

John Lennon always practiced what he preached and worked diligently to change society's mind about equality - on all levels- class, religious, racial, gender, etc.

Please, credit where credit is due- Lennon was a genius. He wasn't just a pop star who wrote a puff-n-fluffy song about love and peace..... But, well, maybe you're too young to know that?

Cory

@MaryAnne Oh but I'm not. I enjoy a lot of The Beetles music, and John Lennons singles Especially imagine.

sndymorn

@maryanne
I have observed that jayantha can take care of himself in these matters. Let me just say that I agree that the song Imagine should be characterized as "utopian fluff." I also put this speech by perhaps the most famous and influential actor of all time in the same category .
Both works posit a world which cannot be, at least on the macro level. We can imagine and we can hope mankind can rule themselve with love and decency, without corrupt rulers and institutions to "guide " them, but a billion rebirths by a trillion people will not see the lion lay down with the lamb.
I wish for the world Lennon posits but I do not expect it. I will imagine it for myself only , but I do not expect to accomplish even that. I wish Chaplin as Hitler could conjure people able to rule themselves without interference from governmental structure , but see no sign such a thing is possible.
Lennon wrote a tune which resonates... It makes us hope but gives no answer.
Please do not hold him up as a paragon of human virtue, let us save that for more worthy individuals.

ericcris10sen

I love that video! It gives such a beautiful message. Too bad too many people just don't try to change the way they view things and live.

MaryAnne

@sndymorn

Well, I don't hold him up as a paragon of human virtue. I hold him up as a decent -yet flawed, just like the rest of us - human being who did more to change the world around him than the vast majority of us could even hope to achieve.
He did it through music, he did it through living his life as he asked others to live it; honestly, respectfully and gratefully.

Perhaps we can balance out Lennon's fluffy side with this, which illustrates he KNEW the world wasn't all unicorns and pixie dust: He wanted everyone to face that and acknowledge that, but most importantly- to change that.



Also, you say: "Lennon wrote a tune which resonates... It makes us hope but gives no answer. "

Actually, I think it's right there in that song's title. "Imagine".
Because To Think is to be our thoughts. We are our thoughts. Change the mind set, the expectations, the negativity, and you change yourself. Change yourself and the world around you changes....

chela

To "Imagine" lets you see the extreme of how things would be in utopia. This allows you to see reality with fresh, open eyes and to see where reality lies on that continuum, and where things can be improved, starting with your own attitude. It can be a tool to help you wake up from your habitual thinking, sort of like the realization that life is suffering and that there is a way to ease that. I just remember when I was young and listening to that song, that it really helped me to see the wrongs in the world and when you see the wrongs, you see the rights and the potential rights. This is inspiration. You get this same kind of teaching out of listening to Dr. Martin Luther King, for instance. It's also a way of recognizing inter-being, I think. Maybe it doesn't speak to some people, but I don't think you can just say that it's fluffy crap if it has inspired so many to change their thinking, even on some small scale.

Theswingisyellow

sndymorn said:

@maryanne
I have observed that jayantha can take care of himself in these matters. Let me just say that I agree that the song Imagine should be characterized as "utopian fluff." I also put this speech by perhaps the most famous and influential actor of all time in the same category .
Both works posit a world which cannot be, at least on the macro level. We can imagine and we can hope mankind can rule themselve with love and decency, without corrupt rulers and institutions to "guide " them, but a billion rebirths by a trillion people will not see the lion lay down with the lamb.
I wish for the world Lennon posits but I do not expect it. I will imagine it for myself only , but I do not expect to accomplish even that. I wish Chaplin as Hitler could conjure people able to rule themselves without interference from governmental structure , but see no sign such a thing is possible.
Lennon wrote a tune which resonates... It makes us hope but gives no answer.
Please do not hold him up as a paragon of human virtue, let us save that for more worthy individuals.
</bloc
Very well stated.

BhikkhuJayasara

MaryAnne said:

@Jayantha,

To criticize this film's speech as a piece of dreamy fluff, or an over-dramatic vision of an romanticized "utopia" is one thing-- I can't even disagree with that much.
But to include John Lennon in that assessment.... Wow, that's just wrong.

John Lennon always practiced what he preached and worked diligently to change society's mind about equality - on all levels- class, religious, racial, gender, etc.

Please, credit where credit is due- Lennon was a genius. He wasn't just a pop star who wrote a puff-n-fluffy song about love and peace..... But, well, maybe you're too young to know that?

I care little of Lennon the man with regards to this topic, I merely put forth his song in comparison to this speech.. both talk about ideal Utopian concepts that have no basis in reality, regardless of how emotional and "happy" they make us feel and regardless of what the authors did in real life. for me it's best to continue my own practice and work towards a better world that way .

oh also @cory this video was relevant in Roman times and the Buddha's time as well.. because it is about human nature, and that hasn't changed no matter how far distant time brings us.