Hero worship

"One who thinks he knows, knows not.
One who thinks he doesnt know, knows."
- Joseph Campbell

Watching PBS and a broadcast of The Power of Myth, the series of interviews with Joseph Campbell by Bill Moyer.
Heh.. during the interviews, Joe Campbell handles every question with aplomb.
Except for one:

Bill Moyer: "... so, what about Faith?"
Campbell: "Faith. Now, thats a tough one."

To me though, the answer isnt to be found in the answers. True direction is found in asking the right questions..

So Campbell poses this question in his answer::

"What is the value of Faith?"

Good question.

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I used to be a voracious reader of books.

Until I worked in a bookstore. And in the orgy of free riches and blowing all my salary for books, I became sated.

For years after, I had piles of books lying around unread.
In fact, it was over 300 books. (I know this because this is how many books I gave away. I couldnt throw them away.) Unread.

So, from reading hundreds of books in a year, I may now read six.

I remember seeing the Joseph Campbell books, particularly the ones with Bill Moyer and putting them on my short list of Books to Read.

So before I forget, let me add his books to my To Be Read pile.

I just hate to do that, because - unless the book is in front of me.. I wont get around to getting the book and reading it.

Reminds me of Sarte's 'Cycle of Life'

A child starts out and transforms into a camel. The camel gets to its knees to receive the load of life. The heavier the better. He runs out on his journey and the load eventually transforms the camel into a lion. The lions mission is to go search for and slay the dragon of "I shalt'. Once the battle is over, and the dragon of "I shalt" is slain, the lion transforms into.. a child.

Im not an empty vessel anymore, needing the load of books. Im more particular. The books Im looking for are the weapons, the inspirations, the experiences need to slay the dragon.

However, there are things to I need to learn.

The journey aint over yet.
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On my reading list

Power of Myth
From the transcripts of the TV series. I should really get the accompanying DVD's too.

Some suggest that is a great primer for his seminal work
The Hero with a Thousand Faces

The book that was the basis for Star Wars, Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series, Apocalypse Now etc etc.

Seeing all this makes me want to see his personal journey.. but he never had the desire to do a biography.

So, since his death - other people tried to do his life justice.

The Hero's Journey : Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work and Joseph Campbell: A Fire in the Mind

I am actually more interested in his life's journey...

The first thing Id better do when I get to Cali .. is get a library card.

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Quotes from the show, famous for coining the phrase "Follow your bliss."

'The urge to possess to use, is pornography
The urge to reject, to criticize, is didactism.
But the urge to hold, to examine, to experience.. is to find the epiphany of the sublime."

"When youre on your journey, and the end seems to get farther and farther away... until you get to a point in your life when you realize the journey is the end."