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I think that Christians have more to apologise for than you, dear Ajani.
I think christians have nothing to apologize for, nor any faith. it is only when we all see people for people that peace will be achieved, otherwise most people are still following the fallable logic of clumping human beings into groups, judging their beliefs as them. I am not a buddhist, I am a person who happens to be a buddhist. People are not islamic, negro, asian, gay, republican, or carpenters.... they are people, and they may have adopted one of these lifestyles. I personally believe that we will all have to see each other as such if the amazing amount of hatred and ignorance in the world is to end.
note: I wasn't saying that you promote these negative things at all simon, I just needed to get that off my chest, it's just something I strongly believe. it drives me nuts when people say "the americans did this", "the germans did that", because there are always many american and german people who did no such thing, but they are burdened with the guilt of others actions by association. I wish nobody thought of humans as "germans" or "africans" or "christians", because I think they're just people responsible for their own actions.
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited February 2006
"Do or Do Not - There is no 'Try'."
One of my favourite quotations. :thumbsup: :rockon:
Yoda was truly one of the greatest masters ever:cool:
LOL
He was though ;-) ...........
“Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not. Attachment leads to jealously. The shadow of greed, that is.”
One of my favourite quotations. :thumbsup: :rockon:
I've always hated that quotation. It's condemning intention, effort, and learning as worthless and if we followed it, we would all die shortly after birth. :-/
Obviously others see something valuable in it so I'm probably missing something important.
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited February 2006
I think you are missing something important....
Let me illustrate...
What Yoda (or the scriptwriter, who admited basing much of the Force's philosophy on Buddhism, and Yoda himself upon specific Lama) is saying is that when it comes to taking the bull by the horns and doing something, "trying" doesn't cut it.
An example I have given before, which I learnt from a Buddhist teacher on another forum is this one:
Drop your keys onto a table.
Now, "Try" to pick them up.
Don't ACTUALLY pick them up....
Just 'try' to....
You see? The concept is ludicrous.
You either do something or you don't.
'Trying' to do something is as good as doing it, expecting to fail, or not doing it at all.
However, to pick up on your other point, learning to do something as we grow, is different from 'trying' to do something when we know it is already within our capacity to accomplish hit.
It's worrying when Yoda is one of the wisest people you know.......... I mean.... not that I "know" him....... well....... I only see him once in a while....... ahem! Am I showing myself up?! :-/ :buck:
Sas
PS: I had to pinch that quote and tag it onto my sig
That's all true but I guess my problem is that this is the sort of thing people (who are not skillful enough to see the difference between someone who truly is within the capacity to accomplish something, and someone they think *should* be, but really isn't) will use to try to "push"/bully/intimidate others into situations they're not ready for, and it doesn't even allow for "you tried and you did the best you could and next time it will be a little easier" because that option was taken away.
..........and it doesn't even allow for "you tried and you did the best you could and next time it will be a little easier" because that option was taken away.
I don't see that option as taken away - "you DID the best you could" attitude is catered for... which is different to, and IMHO more positive than "ah well - you TRIED" .... ?
Sas:smilec:
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited February 2006
I would hope people practising Buddhism would eventually be capable of distinguishing between doing things which they themselves wish to accomplish, and things others are attempting to coerce them to do... it's a difficult line to tread, because the more you learn about Buddhism, the less you become attached to the need to cling to ideals and desires...Your focus shifts from that which is not skillful, to that which is useful in helping you evolve.... Even so, in whatever sphere we are learning, even if it is with some trepidation, reservation or reluctance, we are nevertheless still learning;
sometimes, we have to do that which is against our better judgement because whether our judgement is flawed or not, the lesson is always there......
It is only my personal opinion, but I sense a great resistance in your responses to perceive the benefit or advantage in this lesson... you appear to me to be diging your heels in, through a resentment of authority, fearing that that "authority" may not have the right to hold that position....
That's all true but I guess my problem is that this is the sort of thing people (who are not skillful enough to see the difference between someone who truly is within the capacity to accomplish something, and someone they think *should* be, but really isn't) will use to try to "push"/bully/intimidate others into situations they're not ready for, and it doesn't even allow for "you tried and you did the best you could and next time it will be a little easier" because that option was taken away.
Oh dear, you've been pushed around and badly hurt at some time and it's still hurting - would you like to give it to me and I will throw it away for you because hanging onto it won't help.
I've always hated that quotation. It's condemning intention, effort, and learning as worthless and if we followed it, we would all die shortly after birth. :-/
Obviously others see something valuable in it so I'm probably missing something important.
I agree, Aquula. I've been trying to get a handle on this concept for two months now and I'm still not a fan. For me, there is try. There is try and fail, try and fail and go deeper. There is try and fail, try and fail and learn. There is try and fail, try and fail, try and succeed.
I don't understand this lesson at all. So I have put it aside and am concentrating on lessons that are more suited to my personality. I don't find this lesson helpful to me. For me, intention, effort and learning are all dependent on try.
Knitwitch,
I must disagree regarding any hurt that Aquula may or may not have suffered. If your comment had been directed at me I would have felt patronized, invaded and dismissed. I know it comes from a place of great compassion and I'm sorry if my disagreement with your comment causes you anger or pain, but I strongly felt it needed to be said.
With love,
Brigid
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited February 2006
OK.... Let's see if we can clarify....
Example....Stilling the Mind, and training it to be as clear as a Buddha-sky.... that is constant Right Effort, because you are attempting to train the Mind into doing something it has never done, or found difficult to do.
That IS "Try"....
being Mindful of Right Speech, and the Five Precepts....Difficult... but they come under the title of 'Do or Do not - there is no 'Try'... We have experienced these actions and states over and over again... because we have done them. The antidote to getting them wrong is to simply NOT do them.
That is "Do or Do not".....
and....
Perception is often Deception.... whether it is on the part of the giver or the receiver....
Long before Yoda, the great Fritz Perls was telling us to stop "trying". But he suggested that we replace the notion of 'trying' with the idea of practising or rehearsing. When I sit down at the piano to learn a new Chopin Nocturne, I don't try, I practise. Each time I don't quite get the phrasing, that is another step towards understanding and performance. There is, thus, no failure, only progress.
I must disagree regarding any hurt that Aquula may or may not have suffered. If your comment had been directed at me I would have felt patronized, invaded and dismissed. I know it comes from a place of great compassion and I'm sorry if my disagreement with your comment causes you anger or pain, but I strongly felt it needed to be said.
With love,
Brigid
You could not cause me anger or pain Brigid. And I am sorry that my offer (not comment) to someone else has obviously caused you anger. You say "if it had been directed at you" - it wasn't, but you are reacting just as if you HAD been patronized, invaded and dismissed.
Firstly - you wrote that in meditation you take the suffering of the world to yourself in an effort to heal it. Is that so very different from what I offered?
Secondly - it was a symbollic gesture. I come from a tradition that puts a great deal of store by outward manifestations to symbolise internal transformation. If someone has a great deal of pain, anger, negative energy of any sort, we would often make a symbolic gesture, such as transferring that energy to an object and burning it.
My offer was to take the hurt, a symbolic package, and dispose of it. That was all. I regret that it has upset you so much.
But Knitwitch, Aquula was expressing a different opinion, not a personal hurt. Don't you think, maybe, the hurt from being pushed around was a bit of an assumption on your part? I love you and you know I do, but I stand by what I said. And I'm not upset in the least nor did I express that in my last post. Again, I was only expressing disagreement with your inference of Aquula's hurt. That's all. I just think maybe you read a bit more into the posts than was actually expressed in them. But this is a trifling matter. I think I'm just butting heads with you over something small and in the grand scheme of things it's not worth it compared to our friendship. It's too small of a matter and I want to let it go now. Can we?
Really? Bless you, Knitwitch.
Sorry for being so bitchy and petty.
And argumentative.
And divisive with my speech.
(Can you tell I grew up Catholic? Gotta confess, gotta confess. LOL)
Love,
Brigid
P.S. My folks are all mad at me. I've been driving them nuts with my nit picking. I sure am spreading my sunshine around today. Good grief, as Fede would say. I'll do better. HEY, I didn't even say I'll TRY to do better. That dam little Yoda! He's gotten to me! How did that happen?
Long before Yoda, the great Fritz Perls was telling us to stop "trying". But he suggested that we replace the notion of 'trying' with the idea of practising or rehearsing. When I sit down at the piano to learn a new Chopin Nocturne, I don't try, I practise. Each time I don't quite get the phrasing, that is another step towards understanding and performance. There is, thus, no failure, only progress.
Nice post, Simon.
I think that possibly we get caught up in notions of semantics or syntax when describing things.
For some reason, I'm thinking of this example...
Let's say you smoke - and you want to quit. So, you try to quit - but you fail. Then you deal with these feelings while you're sucking on another smoke - failure is hanging right there at your fingertips.
It makes the "do not try - do" statement seem very difficult and unachievable.
But, I think what is being forgotten is that this one setback doesn't necessarily mean "failure". You hadn't been smoking until the one you just lit up. You had hours and hours of success. You had hours of doing what you intended. Now, put it out and "quit" again.
Eventually, if it is something you really wish to do - you will overcome it.
Let us not forget that Siddartha failed on a number of ocassions before attaining that thing which he was seeking.
If Buddhism is something that only works for you when things are easy or going right - you're really not practicing anything. You haven't put your beliefs or the teachings of Buddha to any test.
To paraphrase Bruce Lee regarding fighting/sparring, "If you only practice to fight and never spar - it's like learning to swim without ever getting in the water."
Really? Bless you, Knitwitch.
Sorry for being so bitchy and petty.
And argumentative.
And divisive with my speech.
(Can you tell I grew up Catholic? Gotta confess, gotta confess. LOL)
Love,
Brigid
P.S. My folks are all mad at me. I've been driving them nuts with my nit picking. I sure am spreading my sunshine around today. Good grief, as Fede would say. I'll do better. HEY, I didn't even say I'll TRY to do better. That dam little Yoda! He's gotten to me! How did that happen?
If everyone were sweet and kind and dear to me all the time I would never get a chance to practice what I have been reading. And guess what? I get crabby too - often. So pack it in and pass me a chockie bikkie!
Sudden blinding flash of inspiration here (and I'm not even in the bath)
What if the saying actually means do it .... doesn't matter how badly you do it because doing it and doing it badly is better than just trying.
Maybe trying and giving up and saying "Well I gave it my best shot" is dipping out ... do it, do it badly, do it again, ... does that square with anyone?
YES!!! I TOTALLY get it that way!! There is no fail that way. There's just different levels of do. And you learn from each level and none of them have a discouraging value. Just keep doing, no matter how badly.
I used to write a lot of music and I played it for my friends but I had terrible stage fright. I asked an acquaintance of mine who fronted a bar band how to get over it. She said, and I quote verbatim; "Dare to be bad."
It was all about fear of failure and taking oneself (me) too seriously. Afraid to appear foolish. Too much ego.
O.K. I totally get it like that. I was thinking it was too hard ass, too rigid. But I get in in this context.
Remember the old saying "If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing well?" Well somebody clever said "No, if a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing, even badly!"
Need to go and lie down now - one bout of spontaneous lunacy and an inspiration is enough for one day!
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
It makes more sense to me that people would like this quote now, especially after Simon's post about practising rather than trying.
I know that 'try' can be very self defeating, but the way I saw the quote was even more self defeating. I saw it more as saying that if you try, but fail, then you didn't do and then you're worthless and a failure, and since you will fail a lot of things on the first (or first ten ) attempts, then there's no point in ever doing anything because you will fail. I saw it as a 'if you fail, you're worthless' kind of thing. I guess that wasn't the intention.
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited March 2006
you got it aquula... it's easy to misinterpret... are you more ok with it, now that things are clearer - I hope?
:-/ Well you won't have to ... well not for a few days ... Dennis my pooter is in hospital having a brain transplant. On the down side I am reduced to nicking a bit of time when the Old Feller isn't using his, but on the upside Dennis will be able to do broadband when he comes home and maybe the lack of a pooter is good for me as I am developing an attachment. Doing without will be a good experience.
Anyway now slowly and more and more I think that there ARE Christians who deserve the respect they should deserve, and the qualities in them worth learning from. So glad I know this bunch.
Now I wonder if it might be a right - until abused.
Nothing wrong with respecting others until they do something to lose that respect. I think it would make the world a much better place - regardless of creed, color or religion.
Well to me in people there are three distinctions, top down:
1) Respectable
2) Human
3) Despicable/Hypocritical
Usually you need to do something really bad, or not practise what your preach, or something real outright despicable to get into the 3rd, or possess a quality/value that I am learning to keep or a trait that I wish to have. For the 2nd, it's just everyone else. And for the 2nd group, I usually treat them with utmost respect of course - to me, however, true respect comes from having a deep sense of admiration for that person, and a deep longing to learn from him/her/it.
Whoa...where's the Buddhist compassion? Or any compassion?
Every sentient being in every universe deserves respect and compassion regardless of behavior or anything else. There are no exceptions. This is a fundamental part of Buddhist understanding and practice. If you find yourself disagreeing with this, you're missing something very important and you need more practice. It doesn't have to be Buddhist practice. It just has to be practice in compassion, sympathy and empathy. I'm sorry if this sounds rigid, but I think it's too important a point to gloss over.
People in the 3rd group do have my forgiveness. Some I simply not hate after some time, some because they have changed, and a selective few because of the wise words of others.
Nowadays I try to place less people into the 3rd group, now there's only just a couple still remaining there - hey, it isn't an eternal hell! :rockon:
People in the 3rd group do have my forgiveness. Some I simply not hate after some time, some because they have changed, and a selective few because of the wise words of others.
Nowadays I try to place less people into the 3rd group, now there's only just a couple still remaining there - hey, it isn't an eternal hell! :rockon:
I always thought it was supposed to be two groups.
You know, there are two types of people, those who can be placed into one of two categories and those who cannot. :-)
No groups!!! Just sentient beings. We will never have enough information or understanding of why people do what they do to judge them much less define them and put them in categories. We don't know what may have happened to them earlier in their lives. We just don't have enough information to form a fair judgement. Apply that fine scientific mind of yours to this. The judgements we make of others will always be unfair, therefore incomplete and wrong. The only solution is not to make them in the first place.
It is only our desire to understand others that makes us jump to these false conclusions. But the only way to understand others is to understand ourselves. Don't waste your precious time on what others do. Examine only what you do, Ajani. Right?
Start here:
All sentient beings wish to be happy and freed from suffering. We are all the same at this level.
Comments
I think christians have nothing to apologize for, nor any faith. it is only when we all see people for people that peace will be achieved, otherwise most people are still following the fallable logic of clumping human beings into groups, judging their beliefs as them. I am not a buddhist, I am a person who happens to be a buddhist. People are not islamic, negro, asian, gay, republican, or carpenters.... they are people, and they may have adopted one of these lifestyles. I personally believe that we will all have to see each other as such if the amazing amount of hatred and ignorance in the world is to end.
note: I wasn't saying that you promote these negative things at all simon, I just needed to get that off my chest, it's just something I strongly believe. it drives me nuts when people say "the americans did this", "the germans did that", because there are always many american and german people who did no such thing, but they are burdened with the guilt of others actions by association. I wish nobody thought of humans as "germans" or "africans" or "christians", because I think they're just people responsible for their own actions.
One of my favourite quotations.
Yoda was truly one of the greatest masters ever:cool:
LOL
He was though ;-) ...........
“Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not. Attachment leads to jealously. The shadow of greed, that is.”
:bowdown: :rockon:
I've always hated that quotation. It's condemning intention, effort, and learning as worthless and if we followed it, we would all die shortly after birth. :-/
Obviously others see something valuable in it so I'm probably missing something important.
Let me illustrate...
What Yoda (or the scriptwriter, who admited basing much of the Force's philosophy on Buddhism, and Yoda himself upon specific Lama) is saying is that when it comes to taking the bull by the horns and doing something, "trying" doesn't cut it.
An example I have given before, which I learnt from a Buddhist teacher on another forum is this one:
Drop your keys onto a table.
Now, "Try" to pick them up.
Don't ACTUALLY pick them up....
Just 'try' to....
You see? The concept is ludicrous.
You either do something or you don't.
'Trying' to do something is as good as doing it, expecting to fail, or not doing it at all.
However, to pick up on your other point, learning to do something as we grow, is different from 'trying' to do something when we know it is already within our capacity to accomplish hit.
Hopefully, that's made things clearer.....
It's worrying when Yoda is one of the wisest people you know.......... I mean.... not that I "know" him....... well....... I only see him once in a while....... ahem! Am I showing myself up?!
Sas
PS: I had to pinch that quote and tag it onto my sig
I don't see that option as taken away - "you DID the best you could" attitude is catered for... which is different to, and IMHO more positive than "ah well - you TRIED" .... ?
Sas:smilec:
sometimes, we have to do that which is against our better judgement because whether our judgement is flawed or not, the lesson is always there......
It is only my personal opinion, but I sense a great resistance in your responses to perceive the benefit or advantage in this lesson... you appear to me to be diging your heels in, through a resentment of authority, fearing that that "authority" may not have the right to hold that position....
or am I wrong?
Oh dear, you've been pushed around and badly hurt at some time and it's still hurting - would you like to give it to me and I will throw it away for you because hanging onto it won't help.
I agree, Aquula. I've been trying to get a handle on this concept for two months now and I'm still not a fan. For me, there is try. There is try and fail, try and fail and go deeper. There is try and fail, try and fail and learn. There is try and fail, try and fail, try and succeed.
I don't understand this lesson at all. So I have put it aside and am concentrating on lessons that are more suited to my personality. I don't find this lesson helpful to me. For me, intention, effort and learning are all dependent on try.
Knitwitch,
I must disagree regarding any hurt that Aquula may or may not have suffered. If your comment had been directed at me I would have felt patronized, invaded and dismissed. I know it comes from a place of great compassion and I'm sorry if my disagreement with your comment causes you anger or pain, but I strongly felt it needed to be said.
With love,
Brigid
Example....Stilling the Mind, and training it to be as clear as a Buddha-sky.... that is constant Right Effort, because you are attempting to train the Mind into doing something it has never done, or found difficult to do.
That IS "Try"....
being Mindful of Right Speech, and the Five Precepts....Difficult... but they come under the title of 'Do or Do not - there is no 'Try'... We have experienced these actions and states over and over again... because we have done them. The antidote to getting them wrong is to simply NOT do them.
That is "Do or Do not".....
and....
Perception is often Deception.... whether it is on the part of the giver or the receiver....
Hope this helps to make things clearer.....?
You could not cause me anger or pain Brigid. And I am sorry that my offer (not comment) to someone else has obviously caused you anger. You say "if it had been directed at you" - it wasn't, but you are reacting just as if you HAD been patronized, invaded and dismissed.
Firstly - you wrote that in meditation you take the suffering of the world to yourself in an effort to heal it. Is that so very different from what I offered?
Secondly - it was a symbollic gesture. I come from a tradition that puts a great deal of store by outward manifestations to symbolise internal transformation. If someone has a great deal of pain, anger, negative energy of any sort, we would often make a symbolic gesture, such as transferring that energy to an object and burning it.
My offer was to take the hurt, a symbolic package, and dispose of it. That was all. I regret that it has upset you so much.
Love,
Brigid
And thank you for pointing out that I may be reading more into posts than is meant - it is a good point and I will think about it.
Sorry for being so bitchy and petty.
And argumentative.
And divisive with my speech.
(Can you tell I grew up Catholic? Gotta confess, gotta confess. LOL)
Love,
Brigid
P.S. My folks are all mad at me. I've been driving them nuts with my nit picking. I sure am spreading my sunshine around today. Good grief, as Fede would say. I'll do better. HEY, I didn't even say I'll TRY to do better. That dam little Yoda! He's gotten to me! How did that happen?
Nice post, Simon.
I think that possibly we get caught up in notions of semantics or syntax when describing things.
For some reason, I'm thinking of this example...
Let's say you smoke - and you want to quit. So, you try to quit - but you fail. Then you deal with these feelings while you're sucking on another smoke - failure is hanging right there at your fingertips.
It makes the "do not try - do" statement seem very difficult and unachievable.
But, I think what is being forgotten is that this one setback doesn't necessarily mean "failure". You hadn't been smoking until the one you just lit up. You had hours and hours of success. You had hours of doing what you intended. Now, put it out and "quit" again.
Eventually, if it is something you really wish to do - you will overcome it.
Let us not forget that Siddartha failed on a number of ocassions before attaining that thing which he was seeking.
If Buddhism is something that only works for you when things are easy or going right - you're really not practicing anything. You haven't put your beliefs or the teachings of Buddha to any test.
To paraphrase Bruce Lee regarding fighting/sparring, "If you only practice to fight and never spar - it's like learning to swim without ever getting in the water."
-bf
If everyone were sweet and kind and dear to me all the time I would never get a chance to practice what I have been reading. And guess what? I get crabby too - often. So pack it in and pass me a chockie bikkie!
What if the saying actually means do it .... doesn't matter how badly you do it because doing it and doing it badly is better than just trying.
Maybe trying and giving up and saying "Well I gave it my best shot" is dipping out ... do it, do it badly, do it again, ... does that square with anyone?
I used to write a lot of music and I played it for my friends but I had terrible stage fright. I asked an acquaintance of mine who fronted a bar band how to get over it. She said, and I quote verbatim; "Dare to be bad."
It was all about fear of failure and taking oneself (me) too seriously. Afraid to appear foolish. Too much ego.
O.K. I totally get it like that. I was thinking it was too hard ass, too rigid. But I get in in this context.
Thank you both so much. Nicely done!!
Brigid
Try is self defeating. Do is empowering. Is that it?
Brigid
Remember the old saying "If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing well?" Well somebody clever said "No, if a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing, even badly!"
Need to go and lie down now - one bout of spontaneous lunacy and an inspiration is enough for one day!
Just kidding.
You have it, my friend!
Yaaaaayyy!
Thank you guys! What a good lesson.
Brigid
I hope this has also proved to be useful to aquula...?
I know that 'try' can be very self defeating, but the way I saw the quote was even more self defeating. I saw it more as saying that if you try, but fail, then you didn't do and then you're worthless and a failure, and since you will fail a lot of things on the first (or first ten
Me too. I thought it was just a hard ass kind of thing. Rigid thinking. But as usual, that was my misinterpretation.
I cannot begin to tell you, Fede and everyone else, how much I've learned from all of you. It's astounding. I'm very grateful.
Brigid
Just TRY to get me going on this toidy subject!:rant:
I just use it for a lesson - things are sometimes what they seem - and at other times... not.
Just think of being 'logged in' as another sign of impermanence..."
-buddhafoot
I used to think that repsect needed to be earned.
Now I wonder if it might be a right - until abused.
Nothing wrong with respecting others until they do something to lose that respect. I think it would make the world a much better place - regardless of creed, color or religion.
-bf
1) Respectable
2) Human
3) Despicable/Hypocritical
Usually you need to do something really bad, or not practise what your preach, or something real outright despicable to get into the 3rd, or possess a quality/value that I am learning to keep or a trait that I wish to have. For the 2nd, it's just everyone else. And for the 2nd group, I usually treat them with utmost respect of course - to me, however, true respect comes from having a deep sense of admiration for that person, and a deep longing to learn from him/her/it.
Every sentient being in every universe deserves respect and compassion regardless of behavior or anything else. There are no exceptions. This is a fundamental part of Buddhist understanding and practice. If you find yourself disagreeing with this, you're missing something very important and you need more practice. It doesn't have to be Buddhist practice. It just has to be practice in compassion, sympathy and empathy. I'm sorry if this sounds rigid, but I think it's too important a point to gloss over.
Brigid
People in the 3rd group do have my forgiveness. Some I simply not hate after some time, some because they have changed, and a selective few because of the wise words of others.
Nowadays I try to place less people into the 3rd group, now there's only just a couple still remaining there - hey, it isn't an eternal hell! :rockon:
I always thought it was supposed to be two groups.
You know, there are two types of people, those who can be placed into one of two categories and those who cannot. :-)
-Q
cogito cogitare, ergo cogito esse
Simon just to paraphrase (of sorts) your excellent post about apologies from Christians, I have one simple question.
Where is my apology from them?:ukflag:
:ausflag:
regards,
Xrayman
Ajani my sweet,
No groups!!! Just sentient beings. We will never have enough information or understanding of why people do what they do to judge them much less define them and put them in categories. We don't know what may have happened to them earlier in their lives. We just don't have enough information to form a fair judgement. Apply that fine scientific mind of yours to this. The judgements we make of others will always be unfair, therefore incomplete and wrong. The only solution is not to make them in the first place.
It is only our desire to understand others that makes us jump to these false conclusions. But the only way to understand others is to understand ourselves. Don't waste your precious time on what others do. Examine only what you do, Ajani. Right?
Start here:
All sentient beings wish to be happy and freed from suffering. We are all the same at this level.
Love,
Brigid
Get back to work, you slacker!!
Love,
Boo
refer to my post entitled "Heavy" teehee
deep respect, sister.
regards,
Xrayman
Sister.
Where is it?
Boo
Thanks for the compliment.
It was a compliment, wasn't it?
You weren't being facetious were you?
Brigid