[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f-hFbLvGugUoKc3ZZDDMIBlhXjB9w4nWigZeo_9sv8QE":3,"$ffJIoahdx7JYptjuPTUfc1W9esKYQgeil9OEm38NBvS0":60},{"author":4,"tags":51},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":10,"bio_jsonld":11,"slug":49,"image_url":50},28905,"Robert Aitken","R",11,"Robert Grant Aitken was an American astronomer born on December 31, 1864, in Jackson.\n\nEducated at Williams College, Aitken went on to pursue a career in astronomy that brought him recognition from several of the field's most distinguished institutions. He received the Lalande Prize, the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, and the Bruce Medal — three honors that mark the sustained regard in which his work was held by the international scientific community. Each of these awards represents a different body acknowledging his contributions, and together they trace a career that extended well across the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.\n\nAitken died on October 29, 1951, in Berkeley, California, having worked throughout his life in the English language. His biography is anchored by the precision associated with observational astronomy — a field defined by careful measurement, systematic documentation, and the patient accumulation of data over long stretches of time.","Robert Grant Aitken was an American astronomer born on December 31, 1864, in Jackson.",{"@graph":12,"@context":48},[13,25],{"@id":14,"name":6,"@type":15,"sameAs":16,"birthDate":22,"deathDate":23,"description":24},"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q375178","Person",[14,17,18,19,20,21],"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Grant_Aitken","https://viaf.org/viaf/4355/","https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85801972","https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL114010A","https://d-nb.info/gnd/116274697","1864-12-31","1951-10-29","American astronomer (1864–1951)",{"@type":26,"author":27,"headline":30,"isBasedOn":31,"mainEntity":32,"reviewedBy":33,"articleBody":9,"dateCreated":34,"dateModified":35,"additionalProperty":36,"creativeWorkStatus":47},"Article",{"name":28,"@type":29},"Editorial Team","Organization","Robert Aitken — biography",[14,17,19,20],{"@id":14},{"name":28,"@type":29},"2026-05-24T17:40:58.643919+00:00","2026-05-24T17:59:59.631850+00:00",[37,41,44],{"@type":38,"value":39,"propertyID":40},"PropertyValue","Q375178","wikidata",{"@type":38,"value":42,"propertyID":43},"1.000","factscore",{"@type":38,"value":45,"propertyID":46},"claude-sonnet-4-6","draftModel","AI-drafted, auto-published","https://schema.org","robert-aitken",null,[52,56],{"tag_id":53,"tag_name":54,"tag_count":55},2982,"buddhism",6,{"tag_id":57,"tag_name":58,"tag_count":59},3276,"zen",5,{"quotes":61,"pagination":239},[62,69,75,81,88,105,137,156,188,212],{"id":63,"quote_text":64,"author_id":5,"source_id":55,"has_image":65,"author":66,"source":67,"quote_tag":68,"commentary":50},3381338,"The self is completely autonomous, yet exists only in resonance with all other selves.",false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"id":70,"quote_text":71,"author_id":5,"source_id":55,"has_image":65,"author":72,"source":73,"quote_tag":74,"commentary":50},3381325,"When I’m moved to complain about others I vow with all beings to remember that karma is endless and it’s loving that leads to love.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"id":76,"quote_text":77,"author_id":5,"source_id":55,"has_image":65,"author":78,"source":79,"quote_tag":80,"commentary":50},3381314,"Sloppy language is a kind of disloyalty to humanity, a kind of lying. Talent.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"id":82,"quote_text":83,"author_id":5,"source_id":84,"has_image":65,"author":85,"source":86,"quote_tag":87,"commentary":50},943264,"The Universal is always the same, the specifics are always different.",4,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"id":89,"quote_text":90,"author_id":5,"source_id":91,"has_image":65,"author":92,"source":93,"quote_tag":94,"commentary":50},653045,"Watching gardeners label their plantsI vow with all beingsto practice the old horticultureand let plants identify me.",2,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[95,100],{"id":96,"tag":97},3330658,{"id":98,"tag_name":99},111,"spirituality",{"id":101,"tag":102},3330657,{"id":103,"tag_name":104},6363,"plants",{"id":106,"quote_text":107,"author_id":5,"source_id":91,"has_image":65,"author":108,"source":109,"quote_tag":110,"commentary":50},554724,"It comes down to practice, and practice, after all, is conduct in keeping with Right Views. Of course, Right Views are not merely opinions, not even Skākyamuni’s opinions, but are views that accord with this realization: we are all in this together and we aren’t here very long. Let’s take care of one another while we can.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[111,114,117,122,127,132],{"id":112,"tag":113},3002486,{"id":53,"tag_name":54},{"id":115,"tag":116},3002491,{"id":57,"tag_name":58},{"id":118,"tag":119},3002487,{"id":120,"tag_name":121},3725,"compassion",{"id":123,"tag":124},3002490,{"id":125,"tag_name":126},4281,"unity",{"id":128,"tag":129},3002492,{"id":130,"tag_name":131},6586,"zen-buddhism",{"id":133,"tag":134},3002489,{"id":135,"tag_name":136},15049,"spiritual-practice",{"id":138,"quote_text":139,"author_id":5,"source_id":91,"has_image":65,"author":140,"source":141,"quote_tag":142,"commentary":50},526219,"Clover is incapable of not nurturing. It can’t do anything but nurture. Shakyamuni is capable of not nurturing. With a poisonous thought, he is a poisonous person. With an enlightened thought, he is an enlightened person. With his great realization, he is unlikely to slip back into poisonous ways, but he could, for he is human.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[143,148,153],{"id":144,"tag":145},2895302,{"id":146,"tag_name":147},2364,"enlightenment",{"id":149,"tag":150},2895303,{"id":151,"tag_name":152},2558,"human-nature",{"id":154,"tag":155},2895301,{"id":53,"tag_name":54},{"id":157,"quote_text":158,"author_id":5,"source_id":91,"has_image":65,"author":159,"source":160,"quote_tag":161,"commentary":50},515380,"The Buddha challenged the idea of an immutable soul. He said nothing about the mutable soul, and its survival, though his successors in most streams of Buddhism have had a lot to say on this subject. For all their words, the question of what happens when one dies remains a mystery.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[162,167,172,175,178,183],{"id":163,"tag":164},2852793,{"id":165,"tag_name":166},119,"death",{"id":168,"tag":169},2852796,{"id":170,"tag_name":171},2343,"heaven",{"id":173,"tag":174},2852792,{"id":53,"tag_name":54},{"id":176,"tag":177},2852798,{"id":57,"tag_name":58},{"id":179,"tag":180},2852794,{"id":181,"tag_name":182},5101,"eternal-life",{"id":184,"tag":185},2852791,{"id":186,"tag_name":187},5413,"afterlife",{"id":189,"quote_text":190,"author_id":5,"source_id":91,"has_image":191,"author":192,"source":193,"quote_tag":194,"commentary":211},323160,"The one who praises you is a thief. The one who criticizes you is your true friend.",true,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[195,200,205,208],{"id":196,"tag":197},1934587,{"id":198,"tag_name":199},668,"criticism",{"id":201,"tag":202},1934588,{"id":203,"tag_name":204},676,"praise",{"id":206,"tag":207},1934586,{"id":53,"tag_name":54},{"id":209,"tag":210},1934589,{"id":57,"tag_name":58},"**The Backstory**\nThis quote is attributed to Robert Aitken, a Zen master and poet who lived from 1917 to 2010. The sentiment reflects the Eastern philosophical tradition's emphasis on self-reflection and humility in the face of external validation. During his lifetime, Aitken faced the challenges of establishing himself as a spiritual leader and writer, navigating the complexities of seeking approval while maintaining inner integrity.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nAt first glance, this quote may seem overly critical or dismissive of praise. However, it contains a subtle yet profound insight: that our attachment to external validation can be a hindrance to genuine self-awareness and growth. The one who praises us is indeed a thief, stealing away our opportunity for introspection by distracting us with external approval.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, recognize that seeking constant praise or validation from others can be a sign of underlying insecurity. Instead, cultivate an inner sense of self-worth by embracing constructive criticism as a catalyst for growth and development, rather than taking it personally or defensively.",{"id":213,"quote_text":214,"author_id":5,"source_id":91,"has_image":65,"author":215,"source":216,"quote_tag":217,"commentary":50},209631,"Mystery is the unknown in which we live. It is our nature. Mystification is the exploitation of mystery.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[218,223,228,231,234],{"id":219,"tag":220},1332617,{"id":221,"tag_name":222},327,"mystery",{"id":224,"tag":225},1332618,{"id":226,"tag_name":227},2109,"theology",{"id":229,"tag":230},1332615,{"id":53,"tag_name":54},{"id":232,"tag":233},1332619,{"id":57,"tag_name":58},{"id":235,"tag":236},1332616,{"id":237,"tag_name":238},5691,"ideology",{"currentPage":240,"totalPages":91,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":241},1,10]