The emotion of apathy (whats the point, who cares, I give up, no matter how hard I try it never works, I cant be bothered" Taoism

[Marblehead]

No intrinsic reason, yet change still happens all the time. We get pushed snd pulled, or we drift like a jellyfish. Reasons might change, but change doesn't change, not sure how often change happens for reasons even if we do have reasons. Am I still the girl I used to be? I don't know and I don't care.

Another excellent post and reasoning.

[Marblehead]

Triple, really!

 

Fortunately, I also do not care about mildly annoying technical things.

Hehehe. Is your other name Apathea?

[Marblehead]

Only if someone like Jesus Christ or the Buddha is the dictator. If you have George Bush or Saddam as the dictator, then shit happens.

Yep. That is why we included the word (character trait) benevolent.

[Stosh]

Interesting people saying interesting things and none of them for Stosh

Ill go away.

[et-thoughts]

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Edited December 11, 2012 by et-thoughts

[Marblehead]

 

Ah but there is a difference between apathetic to change and being apathetic to outcomes of change. The former means you do nothing to change but the latter means you do everything to change but remain detached to the outcomes of change, whether they be good or bad.

How about a third possibility?

 

You are apathetic about change because you know that change will happen regardless and you are apathetic about what the changes bring because you will just continue living regardless of what the changes were. The only change that matters is death but you don't care about that either because you know you will one day die.

[Marblehead]

Interesting people saying interesting things and none of them for Stosh

Ill go away.

Hi Stosh,

 

If you were more apathetic it really wouldn't matter and you could just pop in anytime you wanted and say whatever was on your mind as long as it is within the limits of the board.

[SunLover]

Actually they need to be educated... the challenge is that they need to choose to be educated and then become educated themselves... 'Democracy' involves more than what the majority want... let me put it this way if the majority voted to make one member to pay for everything would that be a democracy? on the same token a single vote or righteousness would suffice to determine what to do... for the mufflement and silencement to prosper it depends on individuals convictions - of their own free will choose to silence and muffle what requires mufflement and silencement...

 

Utopia where there is no government will only exists when every being on that particular planet, civilization or race has become as evolved as the buddha. As long as some unevolved members of a particular race exist, then it is up to the more evolved members of the race to put the clamps on the unevolved members to prevent the unevolved members from pulling the evolved members down.

 

For eg, if some evolved humans decide they want to transform the entire human race into a race of Supermen and Gods but some unevolved humans do not want to transform themselves because they will rather live like animals, shouldn't the evolved humans have the right to put the clamps and locks on such unevolved humans?

[Stosh]

Youre right of course , but (I think ) I am a fire snake and apathy doesnt come easy.

Have a nice evening , Im going to watch the debate tonight.

Stosh

[Marblehead]

1. Heaven and Earth are apathetic;

2. They regard the thousand things as equal.

3. The Sage is apathetic;

4. He regards the common people as equal.

[Marblehead]

Have a nice evening , Im going to watch the debate tonight.

Stosh

Oh!, Wow! That ought to be fun. I didn't know there was going to be a debate and I have no idea who is debating. And what's more, (yep, you guessed it) I don't care.

 

Enjoy your evening.

[Stosh]

Ouch

Stosh

[et-thoughts]

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Edited December 11, 2012 by et-thoughts

[GrandmasterP]

Change is inevitable.

Positive personal change is an option.

Journey of a thousand miles....... etc.

[zanshin]

I don't care about those debate guys. I like the guy whose name I can't remember. Jackson? So what is so bad to live like an animal? My dog has a great life- eat, sleep, get stroked, jump in the air to catch birds and nap in the sun. I don't know what evolved god like beings do, likely a crashing bore with way too much responsibility. Did figure out it would compassionate to move the bird feeder to the front yard.

 

Your pal,

 

Dementia. (who will remember to only push the button one and to buy dog food, but probably not to call my mother).

[SunLover]

The evolved humans would NOT need to resort to clamps and locks ... besides members themselves could of their free will act to direct themselves and others towards more evolved ways... yea the temptation is always there to act like animals rather than more civilized and each one's actions build and pushes the whole towards the desired realization... some towards good some towards bad... what we require are effective means to alway produce good from everything... BTW just maybe the physical-mental-spiritual animals are actually more evolved that other 'higher' forms... maybe this who seek to become like gods don't realize its more important to be with God who ultimately is the only one that can make one be like Him... but why be like Him when we can be like us with Him... in a free utopian paradise...

 

I edited to add the NOT

 

Let's put it this way. Suppose you have a very beloved cat who is about to die of old age. But a super-duper alien machine comes along which can transform your beloved cat into a young human being of either sex who can not only keep you company for a few more decades but also talk and chat and interact with you like a real human being.

 

However, your beloved cat will rather die than to be dragged into that machine. Will you be behaving like an animal then if you put the clamps and locks on your beloved cat and drag this stupid cat into the super-duper transformation machine so this cat can be transformed into a human being and enjoy the benefits of being a human? If you are a kind and generous master, should you not do your duty of giving your cat the best life it can have, including locking it up and throwing it into the transformation machine if you need to do so?

 

God is ultimately the one who can make us into Him but we also need to do the Work on our part including putting the locks and clamps on the parts of us (referring to individual human beings and humanity as a whole) who are too stubborn to be dragged into the transformation machine so that we as the whole of humanity can be transformed into God and be like Him. A free utopian paradise can only exist if and when every single human being is transformed into God both physically and mentally and spiritually.

 

I.e. a free utopian paradise can only exist if humans stop being humans who eat, drink, have sex, poop and become Gods in reality who do not need to eat, drink, have sex and poop... Gods can drink and eat and have sex if they want to but if you experience continous orgasmic bliss like the Flame of the Sun, what need do you have for the miniscule material sparks of happiness when you know a spark or even billions of sparks together can never compare to the Flame of the Sun?

[SunLover]

I don't care about those debate guys. I like the guy whose name I can't remember. Jackson? So what is so bad to live like an animal? My dog has a great life- eat, sleep, get stroked, jump in the air to catch birds and nap in the sun. I don't know what evolved god like beings do, likely a crashing bore with way too much responsibility. Did figure out it would compassionate to move the bird feeder to the front yard.

 

Your pal,

 

Dementia. (who will remember to only push the button one and to buy dog food, but probably not to call my mother).

 

If you have a chance to let your dog be transformed into a human being, but you deny him the chance to do so, then you would be a greater criminal than a murderer of a billion lives.

Edited October 4, 2012 by SunLover

[Aaron]

I'm responding to the sentiment that the Sage is believed to be apathetic to the world at large. I think this is grossly misunderstood and some of this misunderstanding comes from a misunderstanding of from the first four lines from chapter 5 of the Tao Te Ching which follows (Tr. by John C. H. Wu)

 

 

Heaven-and-Earth is not sentimental;

It treats all things as straw-dogs.

The Sage is not sentimental;

He treats all his people as straw-dogs.

 

To understand what's going on here, we must first be able to take this passage into context. First the Sage being referred to is a ruler, not the run of the mill sage being talked about in other sections. It is also pointing out that the Sage treats all people without sentimentality, not because he is devoid of emotion, but rather that in order to be just he must make his decisions based on what is the correct action to take. In this sense it doesn't mean that the Sage doesn't experience emotions or act on emotions at times, but that his emotions do not rule him.

 

For those who wonder about the straw-dog, well that's just a metaphor for life. Don't mourn those who pass, because they have served their purpose and mourning them is a waste of time. This is a reminder to the ruler to stay on track, to do what they know is beneficial and helpful to his people and not to allow the deaths of his subjects to deter him from continuing to do so.

 

Aaron

[et-thoughts]

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Edited December 11, 2012 by et-thoughts

[Marblehead]

I'm responding to the sentiment that the Sage is believed to be apathetic to the world at large.

Hi Aaron. Nice post. I was wondering if anyone was going to pick up on that post of mine above.

 

(Oh!, I love my emotions!)

[GrandmasterP]

Both our dogs have been humans and both say they much prefer 'dog' thank you very much.

[et-thoughts]

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Edited December 11, 2012 by et-thoughts

[GrandmasterP]

Well our two cockers were Alchemists last time round. Seems to be a pattern that devout Alchemists come back as a dog. I like to see that as both reward and encouragement to aim higher next time around. Dragon Gate sect priests tend to come back as domestic cats, Tantrists as feral tom cats and Kundalini wonks as moths.

Think on chums. Cultivate seriously to escape karmic recycling.

Our dogs and cat have an easier life than I do but we all agree that the Summerland [Western Pure Land, Realm of the Immortals,Merger with Tao.. call it what you like] is what we're aiming to get to eventually.