Aetherous

Sunya, You are just a Buddhist gang member and an intellectual...Simplicity Rules knows about the categories here. And I think you're an alien government disinformation agent, too! Next time we talk on AIM, in like two minutes, we will giggle like little school children and become on with the Tao...but until then, may the force be with you. Also, you have my email so regardless of what happens here, I'm sure you'll be sending me a bunch of Buddhist videos and texts which will bore me to death. Regards, Scott

Okay I take it back, but you were acting like one so I was justified in saying it.

Sunya, Calling someone anything (whether they deserve it in your opinion or not) is an insult and goes against the forum rules, you asshat.

That post was pure gold...agree 100%.

Haha! That x-ray tech's description of it is so accurate.

Seth, Well, there you go. I thought his posts were well formulated, even when they were wrong. He does come off as elitist, but so do many people here. You should go back and re-read his posts. There was some decent stuff in the midst of the things which many disagreed with. Why write someone off completely like this? It's a better quality to see them as a person just like you, who can have wrong ideas and still think they're right...and sometimes have right ideas, too. To take each moment with them as something unique, because (if you're truly a Buddhist, you should know that) there is actually an entirely new person speaking to you as each moment passes. Well, that's debatable. I found his Buddhist ideas interesting...they were something new for me. You know how many different schools of Buddhism there are?? Do you know the reason why they are all separated? It's not because they agree... Nothing serious. That's your opinion, which in my opinion is entirely wrong. Why should we get used to him? Because he will be allowed here, as long as he follows the rules. There have been controversial members in the past, and there will continue to be more in the future. Consider that the people who disagreed with him were the only ones causing the actual disruption. So? Are you really attacking his character while forgetting to observe your own in this moment, Seth? If so, then he is teaching you an important lesson.

Seth Ananda, So? I would, too. That doesn't mean my reason for being here is to sell my books. In fact, in the future when I finish my current book, I will be advertising it here! Doesn't mean I'm a salesman. This is a forum for people interested in spiritual information...the more the merrier. And lets look at other posters...such as Ya Mu or fiveelementtao, who almost solely post information about their own material, and who have actual links to their products in their signatures. Vmarco isn't like this at all. And yet, those guys are totally cool with everyone on the forum! So in other words: who cares? Let it go, and try to put yourself in his shoes. I think his posts contained a lot of valuable info (which I often disagreed with, but still learned from). His posts in themselves weren't disruptive...it's people's disagreement that was. His bogus interpretations were just as legitimate as anyone else's bogus interpretations of Buddhist thought (which in my opinion, is inherently bogus). And he didn't attack anyone...I often totally disagreed with him, but he never attacked me. He always communicated calmly and intellectually, as far as I saw. I think he needs more of a chance. ...in your opinion. Yes, that seems to be his main "problem"...but it's not something we can necessarily change about it. And being that way doesn't go against the forum rules or anything...so we might just have to learn to get used to him!

As much as I disagreed with him, it's totally not cool to take cheap shots while he's suspended. And to defame his character. He conversed honestly here, and put up with a lot of everyone's shit. He also brought new ideas to the table. I don't think he was just here trying to sell his books...if so, worst salesman I've ever seen!

I think everyone is pretty tame here! Good job, Tao Bums! You are all very decent people. I understand the moderators serving in helpful ways, like creating personal practice forums and deleting spam...and if something is extremely wrong, then it would make sense for them to step in and take action. For those purposes, the forum requires moderators. But to give an example...if you call someone a cheerleader, you are probably going to be suspended. That's old history, but it's an example of poor moderating. Moderating when there doesn't need to be any...when people are "behaving" quite well. So, yeah it's cool to realize you should start thinking about your behavior (you weren't previously?)...but it's not going to change anything. Obviously, because people are finding fault with how the mods are doing things. We should let these people have their say, because it keeps the powers of authority in check...so that they don't become absolutely ridiculous. People are finding fault, for instance, in the case of Vmarco...he has been a hated poster and was controversial, but he didn't necessarily break the rules. And if he did, he was just as much at fault as everyone that was attacking him at the time (by the way, which is also against the rules, and which he complained about to the mods, but got no sympathy for). Obviously, the policy which was handed down to give preference to long time or popular forum members is in full effect. And some (including myself) see the moderators losing perspective...when they don't necessarily have to function from the status of an elevated forum member...but they are choosing to. It's their loss, because that position sucks... Another thing that sucks is that the members of this forum aren't conscious enough to surpass the grade school popularity contest mentality. That we can't have civil discussions with people who (for some reason) we don't like. Get the fuck over it, people. You are not better than anyone else. So, a lot of wisdom in this thread? I don't see any!!!! What was the point of it - to tell us to behave? Fuck that.

Just trying in my own powerless way to keep things fair here.

Huh? There have been many black freemasons. How were they part of the conspiracy against blacks?

I hate to continually go against moderator decisions, but I agree. If he was suspended for actually breaking the rules, after having been given a fair warning, it would make sense. Sorry Mal for always publicly second guessing you! I truly mean nothing personal, and just like it when things are fair.

Your friend is an idiot...but the voices tell me that his voices were right.

Do you also understand that this is precisely why some people don't accept your presence here? It has nothing to do with them trying to protect their beliefs from your "truth".

There is no gang here. Just individual people finding fault with you and your posts, for obvious reasons. It's rare to find so many people going against another forum member... I don't say this to make myself into an enemy of you or something. I accept your presence here...even if you ARE a disinformation agent!

Stuff from thousands of years ago is so controversial. I can't claim to know anything regarding it.

Steve, Catholicism is only one type of Christianity...it doesn't represent the religion by any means.

But we were given rules...by having a conscience. Feelings just appear out of nowhere that can lead us to make the right choices...or not. And then when our minds are more developed, we see that the overlying Golden rule (which was also given to us) is so applicable. Saves the trouble of trying to establish an endless list of rules. For those whose minds aren't really developed, they don't consider the Golden rule, and continue harming themselves and others. They might also not listen to their conscience...or (who knows if this is true) they might not even have one. About whether aliens know right from wrong...well who knows. I tend to think of morality as only a human thing; although it often applies with animals too, I guess.

You don't have a conscience? You wouldn't feel any remorse later on, by raping or killing on your 'no consequences' day? Speaking of toads...once when I was kid, my cousin and I caught a toad. I decided we should kill it. But then in the midst of killing it with a stick, I realized how sick it was...without being taught that it was wrong. How it's not enjoyable, and actually regrettable and evil, to make someone/something else suffer like that. So I quickly took its life and apologized within. So my point is: all beliefs and conditioning aside, I think human beings in general know right from wrong. The idea of "treat others as you'd like to be treated" is a great guide for maintaining right actions. You brought up the example of people stealing from you...but do you think they're following that code? I don't! I think they wouldn't want shit stolen from them, either. So yup, right and wrong is totally simple and "absolute". For the grey areas, we come to agreements in society about what's what.

I gnow and know simulateously! That absolute falsehood is considered an absolute truth????

Vmarco, I refute this. Your belief regarding this is absolutely idiotic. So idiotic that I don't even know why I'm posting this.