aspect of when power does not corrupt

[3bob]

aspect of when power does not corrupt:

 

T.T.C. 13.
"WELCOME disgrace as a pleasant surprise.
Prize calamities as your own body."

Why should we "welcome disgrace as a pleasant
surprise"?
Because a lowly state is a boon:
Getting it is a pleasant surprise,
And so is losing it!
That is why we should "welcome disgrace as a pleasant
surprise."

Why should we "prize calamities as our own body"?
Because our body is the very source of our calamities.
If we have no body, what calamities can we have?

Hence, only he who is willing to give his body for the
sake of the world is fit to be entrusted with the world.
Only he who can do it with love is worthy of being the
steward of the world.

 

(underline by me)

Edited October 8, 2014 by 3bob

[Marblehead]

Hence, only he who is willing to give his body for the

 

sake of the world is fit to be entrusted with the world.

Only he who can do it with love is worthy of being the

steward of the world.

That, Sir, is one hellova criteria. I can't say I wouldn't do it but it would have to be a spontaneous act because if I thought about it I likely wouldn't do it.

[Trash Filter]

I liked that.

Non corrupted power?That would be freedom.I dont think many have that.

[9th]

Traditional etymologies elaborating on a word by examining its constituents are in fact quite common. Often, they either involve interpretation of the syllables of the word in connection with verbal roots, or otherwise derive meanings that take syllables as abbreviations of longer terms.

In this particular case, you'll find the etymology at the Upanisads themselves, in the Advaya-taraka-upanisad— not a modern source by any count, listed as one of the 108 classical Upanisads in Mundaka as it is. The verse reads as follows:

gu-zabdas tv andhakAraH syAt ru-zabdas tan nirodhakaH / andhakAra-nirodhitvAt gurur ity abhidhIyate // 16 //

"The word 'gu' is darkness, the word 'ru' is its destroyer; With the destruction of darkness, guru is thus titled."

Verses exploring the word "guru" are also found in the Guru-gita:

gu-kAraz cAndhakAro hi ru-kAras teja ucyate /
ajJAna-grAsakaM brahma gurur eva na saMzayaH // 1.44 //

"The syllable 'gu' is darkness, and the syllable 'ru' is said to be light; Indeed, there is no doubt that guru is the brahman that swallows ignorance."

gu-kAro bhava-rogaH syAt ru-kAras tan nirodha-kRt /
bhava-roga-haratyAcca gurur ity abhidhIyate // 1.45 //

"The syllable 'gu' is the disease of this world, the syllable 'ru' is its destroyer; The taker away of the disease of the world, guru is thus defined."

gu-kAraz ca guNAtIto rUpAtIto ru-kArakaH /
guNa-rUpa-vihInatvAt gurur ity abhidhIyate // 1.46 //

"The syllable 'gu' is that which is beyond qualities, and the syllable 'ru' is that beyond forms; By the abandonment of qualities and forms, guru is thus defined."

gu-kAraH prathamo varNo mAyAdi-guNa-bhAsakaH /
ru-kAro'sti paraM brahma mAyA-bhrAnti-vimocanam // 1.47 //

"With the first syllable 'gu', he sheds enlightenment over the qualities led by illusion; With the syllable 'ru', he is the great brahman and deliverance from the knots of illusion."

While I am more mystified over the source of the "gu" syllable as "darkness", one of the direct meanings of the syllable "ru", as found in Sir Monier Williams' Sanskrit dictionary, is "to break, shatter". As seen in some of the verses from Guru-gita, the "gu" has been taken as indicating "guNa", the ropes that bind the Atman to mAyA, while the guru is engaged in the "ru", or the act of shattering the illusion. Anything under the guNa is no doubt veiled in avidyA, of which darkness is the mighty emblem — and a common metaphor at that.

Of course, the word also means "heavy", that certainly is one of the dozens of dictionary definitions for the word. It also means "great", "large", and "extended". And it also means "hard to digest", "high in degree", "violent", "vehement", "excessive", "difficult", "hard" and "grievous" even. Yet it also means "important", "serious" and "momentous", "valuable" and even "highly prized". But alas, it also means "haughty" and "proud", even if "venerable" and "respectable". Then it also just means "a spiritual parent or preceptor", or in general "parents and other venerable persons" — these two are as much direct dictionary meanings as any of the others given, even if "heavy" and "weighty" happen to be the first in the list.

http://www.kheper.net/topics/gurus/etymology.html

[3bob]

...yes and in this quoted case I think "body" would include mind, heart and soul, and the "world" would include all beings including those that have turned away from the life force or have fallen yet want to turn around or get up.

 

Anyone should feel free to add your examples along these lines.

Edited October 8, 2014 by 3bob

[Jeff]

Hi 3bob,

 

Thank you for sharing (and highlighting) the text. It is a very important message for any who strive to build the diamond (or light) body.

 

 

Best wishes,

Jeff

Edited October 9, 2014 by Jeff

[3bob]

You are welcome Jeff.

[z00se]

aspect of when power does not corrupt:

 

T.T.C. 13.

"WELCOME disgrace as a pleasant surprise.

Prize calamities as your own body."

Why should we "welcome disgrace as a pleasant

surprise"?

Because a lowly state is a boon:

Getting it is a pleasant surprise,

And so is losing it!

That is why we should "welcome disgrace as a pleasant

surprise."

Why should we "prize calamities as our own body"?

Because our body is the very source of our calamities.

If we have no body, what calamities can we have?

Hence, only he who is willing to give his body for the

sake of the world is fit to be entrusted with the world.

Only he who can do it with love is worthy of being the

steward of the world.

 

(underline by me)

 

 

MMmmm i understand what you're saying but....

 

1. If you don't take care of your body, who will... as i read somebody else say on here a long while back, trust in Allah, but also tie up you're camel.

2. If you don't have a body, how can you help the world? Or even do anything in this world? (Unless acting as a spirit but i don't think any of us have the experience of being dead to know what it's like for sure).

 

 

Also on a side note i think it's a bit poetic, as it is in many texts that anyone could be entrusted with the world. It may be that with a diamond body we feel as though we are entrusted with it, but as to if we actually are... i'm not sure. And what is the full meaning of entrusted here.

 

To me, we belong to the earth, it could never be the other way around. The earth controls us and god controls the earth. We can be a fragment of god, perhaps entrusted with a minute slice, but we've all been entrusted with that tiny slice since we were born, I'm not sure a diamond body is necessarry for anything other than different and new experiences.

 

Perhaps i shouldn't be so analytical and *nod*. I do agree with everything you've written and underlined, however poetic explanations like that always used to confuse me until i realised what was meant by them. Just trying to put another point of view for others who may feel like i did.

[3bob]

MMmmm i understand what you're saying but....

 

1. If you don't take care of your body, who will... as i read somebody else say on here a long while back, trust in Allah, but also tie up you're camel.

2. If you don't have a body, how can you help the world? Or even do anything in this world? (Unless acting as a spirit but i don't think any of us have the experience of being dead to know what it's like for sure).

 

 

Also on a side note i think it's a bit poetic, as it is in many texts that anyone could be entrusted with the world. It may be that with a diamond body we feel as though we are entrusted with it, but as to if we actually are... i'm not sure. And what is the full meaning of entrusted here.

 

To me, we belong to the earth, it could never be the other way around. The earth controls us and god controls the earth. We can be a fragment of god, perhaps entrusted with a minute slice, but we've all been entrusted with that tiny slice since we were born, I'm not sure a diamond body is necessarry for anything other than different and new experiences.

 

Perhaps i shouldn't be so analytical and *nod*. I do agree with everything you've written and underlined, however poetic explanations like that always used to confuse me until i realised what was meant by them. Just trying to put another point of view for others who may feel like i did.

 

Right now I only have time for the partial replay below:

 

About the Earth: I'd say that we as human beings are children of the earth and that we as souls are children of the universe, but we as Spirit are and ultimately not bound by the earth, the universe or even by "higher forces" and or karma, for even "God" can not stop the purified mote that passes through "his" eye being that all motes in their innate nature are also spirit... not unlike the analogy of a spark being able to pass through fire without being burned. (along with Spirit really having no limiting body, including even a beautiful body woven of light)

[3bob]

"Also on a side note i think it's a bit poetic, as it is in many texts that anyone could be entrusted with the world. It may be that with a diamond body we feel as though we are entrusted with it, but as to if we actually are... i'm not sure. And what is the full meaning of entrusted here." by z00se

 

Well I'd say there is the 'world of mankind' and there is the 'world of earth' or "mother nature"... sometimes they come together or work in harmony and sometimes they don't such as in times of spiritual darkness and or demonic type influences of malice, greed and fear. The Earth Herself is a great soul of a different order than mankind and she is entrusted with, or better said empowered with her own place in the order of things; thus mankind or an individual as her child can not fulfill her place in the order of things per-se, although we can grow up and work as a good stewards (whether seen as minute or not) in service and harmony with her ways and laws. Thus our place on earth is ultimately that of being entrusted as a good stewards (aka spiritual warriors) and then or to also come to know the bright and pure Sun world - which is of another order of being where we could be.

Edited October 11, 2014 by 3bob

[Marblehead]

Damn! You got pretty mystical on us with that post.

 

I agree with your intent but your words were so strange in my mind.

[idiot_stimpy]

Existence just doesn't make any sense.

[Marblehead]

Existence just doesn't make any sense.

Shall we give you the nickname of Albert Camus?

[z00se]

Yeah i'm not sure i'm with you 3bob. No matter what evil there is, there will be equal about of good, internally or exterally, exposed or hidden. Vise versa.

 

I don't think we are inherently good or evil, we can be inherently either. I understand the point that people make that we are inherently good and evil is an afliction, caused by a twisted body, but i see no reason why it couldn't be looked at the other way around, that the light is the affliction that is trying to iron out a twisted body.

 

Is twisted or straight better? I like both.

[3bob]

"good" can be thought of as that which has a true root and life force, while evil can be thought of that as a willful lie against the true root and life force, thus what I'm trying to say is not talking about "light" and "dark" as in days and night in a natural sense, but as in good being to work with the life force as a steward for all beings or working against it in an evil and willfully manipulated way that hurts all beings including the one that does such. There is a warning in T.T.C. chapter 30 which says, "And what is against Tao will soon cease to be" - thus a seeming equality that is implied along these lines by certain views does not fly for me.

Edited October 12, 2014 by 3bob

[Marblehead]

That is a damn good response 3bob!

[z00se]

"And what is against Tao will soon cease to be" - thus a seeming equality that is implied along these lines by certain views does not fly for me.

 

But in Christianity u either go to heaven or hell, it doesn't talk about any end. I think more people know of hitler than mother Theresa. All things end, or they live on in another form. Tai is not light, tai is everything, the fact that almost everyone on here is trying to become more enlightened but cant must show that the dark is inherent in our current life. We need it to survive. Give away all your food to the poor and see how long u live.

[Marblehead]

Yes, darkness is for resting. It is a renewal. All good.

 

But I'm going to keep my food, thank you.

[3bob]

"And what is against Tao will soon cease to be" - thus a seeming equality that is implied along these lines by certain views does not fly for me. But in Christianity u either go to heaven or hell, it doesn't talk about any end. I think more people know of hitler than mother Theresa. All things end, or they live on in another form. Tai is not light, tai is everything, the fact that almost everyone on here is trying to become more enlightened but cant must show that the dark is inherent in our current life. We need it to survive. Give away all your food to the poor and see how long u live.

 

It sounds to me like you are mixing some major concepts from some very differing takes on the subject matter...? and what I'm then hearing or as an analogy seeing is that water and oil do not mix together uniformly.

[z00se]

Well i think its unwise to get all our information from one book. The only singular place we should derive all our info from is our experiences of life. We need to be broad.

 

 

similarly you wouldn't make your mind up about hitler from reading only 1 book, or even several books printed in the same country would you?

[thelerner]

We get so full of ourselves,

an occasional bout of disgrace

is the bitter flavor that improves us.

[3bob]

Well i think its unwise to get all our information from one book. The only singular place we should derive all our info from is our experiences of life. We need to be broad. similarly you wouldn't make your mind up about hitler from reading only 1 book, or even several books printed in the same country would you?

 

Well I partly agree with your points above, although I think they can be taken further with consideration of common sense nuances and generalizations. Btw, there is that saying (which is universal even though it apparently came from Christianity) "judge the tree by its fruit", thus without getting into all sorts of contrived, half-baked intellectual play talk one can see the end game fruit of Hitlers tree for what it is, namely the evil and suffering it brought about to millions of beings.

Edited October 14, 2014 by 3bob

[3bob]

We get so full of ourselves,

an occasional bout of disgrace

is the bitter flavor that improves us.

 

ok, and that is a good point except that the bitterness you brought up can not remain if it is to be transformed into effective wisdom with spiritualized humility.

Edited October 14, 2014 by 3bob

[z00se]

In not saying if you are right or wrong. I don't believe in the bible or any taoist book, i believe in myself. And the beauty of that is i can pull stuff out of anywhere for use in my discussion

 

 

Remember the people that wrote these books are from another time, they have different meanings now. Also some of the books were written by people with their heads in the clouds. Life in a monastery community is much different to normal life. Im much more interested in peoples own viewpoints in discussion than what some supposed guru wrote in outdated books.

[z00se]

Actually i do want to read more about Moses. Parting the sea or knowing when it would and leading people though is much cooler than dying on a cross i reckon