If you had 2 minutes, what words of wisdom would you say to help this kid?

[chegg]

.

.

Edited March 14, 2015 by chegg

[Nungali]

Nor does 2 minutes worth of 'words of wisdom'. IMO

[chegg]

.

Edited March 28, 2015 by chegg

[Nungali]

Good!

 

I heard a similar spiritual response to an elderly who asked about suffering ... they seemed upset at the answer. I asked if they had experienced suffering themselves. She showed us her wrist with a badly tattooed number on it. That shut them up .... its all very well for people to wax lyrical and philosophical about things they have never experienced ... but when it comes to someones intense suffering ..... < leaves before my blood boils >

[BaguaKicksAss]

The only reason I ask, is that I knew a supposedly "spiritual" person who, when encountering a freind of mine who was suffering and terminally ill (about to to die), would turn around and say "don't worry, its all in the mind".

 

That was a moment of when my BLOOD F#$KING BOILED.

 

 

 

..........

 

See my PPF rant about "fuck uncompassionate people", though in the case above, that person gets the world record for the year I think .

[BaguaKicksAss]

 

 

or this baby and mother

 

 

 

 

Saying something like "Don't worry, its all an illusion" just doesn't cut it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blessings of Humility

:wub: :wub: :wub:

 

I wouldn't give advice, I would just sit with them and enjoy what little there is to enjoy, perhaps the sunset, perhaps a bird... I would also likely tell some jokes so they had a couple of minutes of laughter.

 

That is what I usually do when someone is suffering greatly, I just sit with them.

 

PS unless someone actually asks for advice, they don't want any, and more often than not don't need any. It is just us who wants them to be different.

 

Hmmm, though it would be tempting to sneak in an extra minute at the end, and tell them that next time someone takes a photo with a fancy camera to mug them for all their food, their water, their SUV and a warm jacket . (I never claimed to be 100% perfect OK lol).

[C T]

The only reason I ask, is that I knew a supposedly "spiritual" person who, when encountering a freind of mine who was suffering and terminally ill (about to to die), would turn around and say "don't worry, its all in the mind".

 

That was a moment of when my BLOOD F#$KING BOILED.

 

 

 

..........

What is the connection between those images and what you wrote above?

 

If a friend was dying, and someone made a similar remark in our midst, i dont think i would have the heart to react negatively to what was said due to the gravity of the situation. I would instead try to keep my mind pure and composed (and probably in prayer) to maintain dignity, respect, love and positive aspiration for the dying person to find great peace in the passing.

 

But thats just me. You are free to express your anger, of course.

[chegg]

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Edited March 28, 2015 by chegg

[silent thunder]

Impossible to say until I'm in the moment.

 

Hard to believe what you experienced though chegg, that is some hard core disconnect.

[thelerner]

Screw wisdom. Like I'm going to 'teach' them anything. As if I had any experience with there world.

Better to ask 'How can I help?' and spend the next minute 55 seconds listening closely.

 

 

Getting a little deeper.

Maybe in both cases I honestly couldn't help. I don't speak the language, I'm alien. My time would be better spent finding someone who understands the problem and can intelligently distribute needed resources. Frankly giving money to the right person who's 'on the ground' and experienced would help far more then words or my sympathetic presence.

Edited February 19, 2014 by thelerner

[chegg]

.

.

Edited March 14, 2015 by chegg

[C T]

I was giving an example of someone who is suffering (i.e. images) What would you say to them ? I know of a few people who suffered and are suffering and what others have said of them (some of which are not very nice).

 

 

Blessings of Compassion

:wub: :wub: :wub:

If i was in your shoes, i would recognize how my emotional reactions is also causing me unnecessary suffering resulting in anger, frustration and probably disgust, and also recognize at the same time that im responsible for my own capacity to respond to the perceptions i hold of how others ought to behave in various situations. Having recognized thus, i can then choose to respond in such a way where the negative reactions will not have any (st)ink to cloud preceding intent and then act accordingly from there. I know sometimes i would fail to adhere to such advice to myself, but at least i am laying the foundation for wisdom-based awareness to take root for the future so that i may better prepare should similar situations arise again.

[chegg]

.

Edited March 28, 2015 by chegg

[Yascra]

But I cannot criticize anyone for being what they are because I was highly ignorant in my youth and would have said some pretty bad things myself (I didn't even know what compassion meant) !

 

 

Of course you can. If you've been an asshole and found that to be negative, what should be the problem to confront others with that?

My reason not to do this in many cases is just that most assholes tend to be what they are because they like it, and they tend to react violently when you disturb them in their false views, so the only reasonable thing you can do in such cases is either really engage in fight and knock such a person down on some level, or conclude that obviously they don't deserve good advice as long as they won't listen anyway.

 

So ... sorry, but your conclusion is cowardish and self-protective. Not daring to call an asshole an asshole just because you have been like that yourself is just a way to avoid the insight that you are not perfect and YOU have made mistakes. In this regard it's one side of the coin of arrogance.

 

Concerning your friend - well, guess what. Suffering by having to see others mistreated or experience mistreatment yourself is one part of the karmic response of having mistreated others in a similar way before.

Solve the problem on the root-level - and to some degree that means that you have to exercise discipline and avoid such negative-view-circles like this softy-I'm-so-nice-and-innocent-but-everybody-else-is-bad-and-poor-me-can't-do-anything-about-it approach in which you're dwelling in this thread here. It's your karma, so cope with it yourself, and just take the responsibility for it, and stop annoying others just because you "feel bad".

 

By the way, it disgusts me that you abuse those poor beings you show in the pictures just to undermine your presentation of the fact that you feel bad.

And actually, what those children need is food, medicine, and maybe a priest, and not some nice (wisdom-)"words". But of course, concerning rational thinking about something like this that's something one can obviously not expect from you if you "feel bad".

 

First keep your shit for yourself, and work on your own behaviour.

 

But well, actually one of the best ideas you might have if you want to go on without changing anything yourself might be to better ignore my post

Edited February 19, 2014 by Yascra

[chegg]

.

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Edited March 14, 2015 by chegg

[Yascra]

Oki

[rex]

I don't think you can say anything, but do something instead? Situations like these are outside the control of ordinary people, especially foreign nationals, though perhaps they may help by supporting relief organisations and through the political process via the ballot box. Of course, all supported by a backdrop of prayer and spiritual practice, naturally.

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

More happy smiley faces please!

 

Ramana Maharshi said the highest teaching was in silence.

...

Edited February 19, 2014 by Captain Mar-Vell

[thelerner]

I don't think you can say anything, but do something instead? Situations like these are outside the control of ordinary people, especially foreign nationals, though perhaps they may help by supporting relief organisations and through the political process via the ballot box. Of course, all supported by a backdrop of prayer and spiritual practice, naturally.

As an individual you can't save everyone, maybe you can't save anyone but you can help that one kid and that mother and child a bit. Give someone 'on the ground' who's trustworthy (hard but they're out there) a hundred or five hundred dollars to help them. Have them dole it out in which ever way seems wisest to them, not to us cause we don't fully understand the dynamics of there situation- (and keep a cut for there trouble) whether its for food, transportation or transportation the hell out of there.

 

I'm a monthly donor to http://www.heifer.org/ , not much, just a flock of chickens a month. Hopefully for some families that's enough to lift them out of dire poverty (into regular poverty? still a step up), the eggs from 10 or 12 birds. Maybe its just a way a first world person soothes his conscience but I think such giving, that pays dividends beyond food for a day or week may be part of a solution.

Edited February 19, 2014 by thelerner

[BaguaKicksAss]

Research any charities well, most of them only give 1% to the actual people.

[Brian]

Research any charities well, most of them only give 1% to the actual people.

One of the charity rating sites can be helpful (like Charity Navigator(http://www.charitynavigator.org) or GuideStar (http://www.guidestar.org), for instance) but I generally give locally or directly -- meaning to a local service provider (soup kitchens and such) or to families/individuals in my community I know to be in need.

 

EDIT: I'd be remiss if I didn't mention CharityWatch, too: http://charitywatch.org

Edited February 19, 2014 by Brian

[Nungali]

...

More happy smiley faces please!

 

Ramana Maharshi said the highest teaching was in silence.

...

 

 

In a thread with pictures like it has in it ..... you say THAT !

 

Certain 'viewpoints' are emerging here that I find quiet disturbing and IMO are generated by 'particular religious outlooks' (I cant bring myself to call them spiritual beliefs).

 

 

I think I will excuse myself with Yascra.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Nungali

[C T]

In a recent report, the CEO of a local charity is said to have been paid 240,000euro last year as wages, plus retirement contributions, and also given a flashy company car. She was so kind she waived her entitlement to her yearly bonus.

 

Even the Prime Minister here gets paid less than that (approx 185k p.a). I doubt Obama's wages is much more that what she is getting. (i think US presidents get paid roughly US 400k dollars a year). Current exchange rate 1euro: 1.37 dollars.

 

This world is going mad. Charities must be looking after themselves way better than what most naive people must be thinking.

 

This means i need to stick one of these here:

 

[Jetsun]

People have all these concepts and ideas in their mind which interfere with the appropriate spontaneous direction coming from their heart. "Spiritual" ideas and concepts are often just more interference.

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

Oh for goodness sake Nungali.

 

My comment was solely an observation that the exchange between Yascra and Chegg was in danger of becoming personal.

 

I don't really like to see that amongst posters, there is no need.

 

As to the original photo, my comment was the remark from Ramana Maharshi.

 

I do NOT take the plight of the hungry or the destitute, or the sick lightly at all.

 

I won't give you a list of the things I do that I feel are within my power to affect such matters.

 

I act how and where I can.

...

Edited February 20, 2014 by Captain Mar-Vell