"Compassion means skillful action" - huh?

[Marblehead]

Yeah, I know the frustration. I am an incarnation of a Daoist deity, but nobody can even perceive my huge divine aura. It's almost impairing my mundane vision, all over the place, but non-deities just can't see it. Bummer.

You are also a little stuck on yourself too, aren't you? Hehehe.

[Aaron]

Hmm, it's a forum for discussion. Why not discuss what it is and what it isn't? How about giving examples to illustrate? Then everyone can judge each other based on their own understanding? Which happens anyway, I'd add.

 

If you'd rather show than tell, go ahead Aaron.

 

It's not just a matter or showing rather than telling, although that's what Lao Tzu advocated, it's a matter of what is going on under the surface here. Anyone that visits this thread can see first off that the only thing happening here is one group competing with an another for dominance. Relative, absolute, what a load of bollocks. The fact of the matter is that no one here has shown, or expressed compassion, just condescension and malice. No one arguing the way the people here are doing need to prop themselves up as being knowledge about compassion. So my suggestion to them is to practice more, speak less.

 

Here's a bit of chapter 81 the Tao Te Ching for those who are struggling with this concept...

 

SINCERE words are not sweet,

Sweet words are not sincere.

Good men are not argumentative,

The argumentative are not good.

The wise are not erudite,

The erudite are not wise.

The Sage does not take to hoarding.

The more he lives for others, the fuller is his life.

The more he gives, the more he abounds.

The Way of Heaven is to benefit, not to harm.

The Way of the Sage is to do his duty, not to strive

with anyone.

(tr. John C. H. Wu)

That's the last chapter of the Tao Te Ching for a reason. Take it to heart, understand it, and then you can begin to understand compassion.

Aaron

Edited January 22, 2013 by Aaron

[Apech]

I will suggest that all compassion is relative unless you are someone like Mother Teresa.

She is a good example of non-understanding sentiment ... her compassion is completely relative.

Edited January 22, 2013 by Apech

[Marblehead]

 

She is a good example of non-understanding sentiment ... her compassion is completely relative.

Hehehe. No, I'm not going to fight with you about this.

[Apech]

Hehehe. No, I'm not going to fight with you about this.

 

That's very compassionate of you.

[zerostao]

That's very compassionate of you

relatively speaking, perhaps and that reminds me of the undivided light thing.

i do remember that thread, owls were brought up then as well. not only are owls compassionate, they be wise. even if the owl of athena spreads her wings only after dusk,that is from hegel, i think? it is from someone and i dont wanna be called a plagerizer.

with compassion as mh says go deep as the ocean with it or until you reach the heart of the sky.

Edited January 22, 2013 by zerostao

[Apech]

relatively speaking, perhaps

 

absolutely!

[Marblehead]

That's very compassionate of you.

Hehehe. Thanks.

[Vmarco]

I thought you were keen on goddesses. The owl has an ancient association with wisdom through Athena Greek Goddess of wisdom and Egyptian sign for letter 'm' = the mysteries. It means the wisdom of secret initiation, that about which one keeps silent ... why? because the Sophic wisdom cannot be expressed in words. The small brain is actually an indicator of heart-mind wisdom and not brain knowledge, gnowledge not knowledge in your own terminology I think.

 

Well sure,....but I was having a superficial dialogue with a superficial poster. Kind of like Buddha at Deer Park, whereas you want to discuss the Mahaparanirvana.

[Birch]

Hehehe, You have had your share of that, haven't you? That stuff used to be a part of my life too. Not so good.

 

Yeah, I still don't find it in any way amusing.

[Vmarco]

I will suggest that all compassion is relative unless you are someone like Mother Teresa.

 

The "lying, thieving Albanian dwarf" Christopher Hitchens. Mother Teresa, the "friend of poverty" and advocate of rice-driven Christian indoctrination wasn't even relatively compassionate, as the book Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice explains.

 

And yet for the Sheeple, Mother Teresa exemplifies the idea of compassion. No wonder so many reject the Bodhisattva definition.

[Aetherous]

"If I ever become a Saint — I surely be one of "darkness". I will continually be absent from Heaven — to light the light of those in darkness on earth."

- Mother Teresa

[Apech]

Well sure,....but I was having a superficial dialogue with a superficial poster. Kind of like Buddha at Deer Park, whereas you want to discuss the Mahaparanirvana.

 

What else is worth discussing?

[Apech]

"If I ever become a Saint — I surely be one of "darkness". I will continually be absent from Heaven — to light the light of those in darkness on earth."

- Mother Teresa

 

 

I can see where this is going so I'm not going to join in except to say if others find her inspring that's well and good for them.

[GrandmasterP]

cheese

The Kali temple next door donated the Mother Teresa premises and they make a tidy donation to the work every year.

Just goes to show.

Goats play a short but prominently reluctant part in the Kali Temple services very bloody affairs they are and Kali is no looker. yet they give charitably to the Mother Teresa work.

Edited January 22, 2013 by GrandmasterP

[Marblehead]

Yeah, I still don't find it in any way amusing.

I understand. Hopefully one day you will be at a place where you can look back and laugh at it. Best wishes, you know.

[Marblehead]

The "lying, thieving Albanian dwarf" Christopher Hitchens. Mother Teresa, the "friend of poverty" and advocate of rice-driven Christian indoctrination wasn't even relatively compassionate, as the book Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice explains.

 

And yet for the Sheeple, Mother Teresa exemplifies the idea of compassion. No wonder so many reject the Bodhisattva definition.

But Vmarco, there are still a very large number of sheeple. Let's not be comparing apples with oranges, okay?

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

funny... "what you post *is* your point of view"... as if any of my sensory inputs could be experienced through my post...? that is a riot...

[Owledge]

 

It's not just a matter or showing rather than telling, although that's what Lao Tzu advocated, it's a matter of what is going on under the surface here. Anyone that visits this thread can see first off that the only thing happening here is one group competing with an another for dominance. Relative, absolute, what a load of bollocks. The fact of the matter is that no one here has shown, or expressed compassion, just condescension and malice. No one arguing the way the people here are doing need to prop themselves up as being knowledge about compassion. So my suggestion to them is to practice more, speak less.

 

Here's a bit of chapter 81 the Tao Te Ching for those who are struggling with this concept...

 

SINCERE words are not sweet,

Sweet words are not sincere.

Good men are not argumentative,

The argumentative are not good.

The wise are not erudite,

The erudite are not wise.

The Sage does not take to hoarding.

The more he lives for others, the fuller is his life.

The more he gives, the more he abounds.

The Way of Heaven is to benefit, not to harm.

The Way of the Sage is to do his duty, not to strive

with anyone.

(tr. John C. H. Wu)

That's the last chapter of the Tao Te Ching for a reason. Take it to heart, understand it, and then you can begin to understand compassion.

Aaron

 

I could have bet you'd post on the topic after saying you wouldn't anymore, but more or less just repeating your earlier statements is a little surprise. ( I didn't bet because I didn't want to influence the outcome that much. ;-) )

 

Here you are, lecturing people about how they can't claim to have knowledge of compassion because they don't demonstrate it in their forum activity ... while you aren't either. This is delicious for the mind. It's like a hypocrite comdemning people in a hypocritical way for being hypocrites.

[Owledge]

Well sure,....but I was having a superficial dialogue with a superficial poster. Kind of like Buddha at Deer Park, whereas you want to discuss the Mahaparanirvana.

Which by your definition makes you a superficial poster, too.

[Taomeow]

Is this compassion?..

[Birch]

I understand. Hopefully one day you will be at a place where you can look back and laugh at it. Best wishes, you know.

 

Hmm, doubtful. There's not much there to laugh about. I've heard that sort of suggestion before and I think it minimizes the other person's experience. Whether that was the intention "meaning well" or otherwise. Thankfully it's not the only driving force in my life for if it were I'd be severely screwed:-)

[Birch]

Is this compassion?..

 

No, that's restaging of an event.

[Marblehead]

No, that's restaging of an event.

Agree. That's called paying your dues. (The cat don't care.)

[Marblehead]

Hmm, doubtful. There's not much there to laugh about. I've heard that sort of suggestion before and I think it minimizes the other person's experience. Whether that was the intention "meaning well" or otherwise. Thankfully it's not the only driving force in my life for if it were I'd be severely screwed:-)

Nope. No intention of minimizing your hardships. Thing is though, if we linger on them they keep us depressed.

 

I do know this though, in a stick shift automobile there are more forward gears than there are reverse gears. Gotta learn how to shift gears.