what is virtue and how do we become virtuous?

[9th]

Morality fluctuates according to time and place.  It is a man-made invention, used to shape society.  It was once highly moral and virtuous to burn witches at the stake.  In some middle eastern countries, morality dictates that a thief should have their hand cut off.

 

Alternately, what is usually referred to as real virtue in terms of spiritual cultivation is directly related to concience - in other words, it is directly related to the feeling of compassion as well as empathy.  It has nothing to do with peoples ideas of what is "good" or "bad" - which again, fluctuates greatly according to time, place, culture, etc.  Conscience is internal, and not engineered or invented by the human mind.  Concience is a faculty of perception which already exists and is something we are born with.

 

However, as a rule it is almost never awake or active in people.  This is how our society was built and is further maintained - through ignorance regarding the full spectrum of consequences of our actions.  When conscience is awake and active, it is impossible to ignore these consequences and any internal hypocrisy is a source of great existential pain.  Conscience must be buried and hidden and covered up for hypocrisy to flourish.  Self-destruction and conscience are mutually exclusive.

 

It will help to parse these details, but only if you are able to actually accept the reality behind them.

[Gerard]

It's a consequence of dedicated practice, massaging the internal organs, progressive opening of all the joints, softening of the muscles, lenthening and tendon flexibilityincrease. By regulating your yin and yang and the five elements to that of the yin and yang and five elements of the natural world that move according to seasonal changes and the cycles of the sun and the moon, you become like a child, with little or no desire and more innocent.

Practice in the natural world, refine the mind...and you'll slowly become 'purer' (more virtuous).

Edited January 5, 2016 by Gerard

[Daeluin]

In classical Chinese medicine there is talk of how a practitioner with higher virtue can give more effective treatments, regardless of specific technique. There is also talk of how the greater the disparity of virtue between doctor and patient, the greater the transformative effect on the patient. So, a doctor and patient of similar virtue cannot facilitate as effective a healing. Likewise, a doctor with little virtue can transform very little.

 

I relate to this concept, but it's hard to delineate in words.

 

The more inner work you do, the more crap you clear away, the more refinement, the more clear you become -- then the more in flow with Dao you are. And you are already, but the duality between you and the Dao is greatly lessened. It is from this that Virtue arises, and it can't be described in words anymore than the Dao itself can be semantically discussed.

 

When our energy is more specifically shaped and polarized in set ways, it is difficult for our energy to harmoniously integrate into patients we may treat, or other things we may interact with. Perhaps to some it is desired, to others, undesired. Trying to heal someone who closes off to your presence might be rather awkward.

 

When our energy is more unified, clear, whole, with little polarity, it is more easily absorbed and integrated within our patient and other things we may interact with. There is less about the shaping of our energy that influences others, and it becomes more subtle and less noticeable to others as well, and easy for them to use it as though it was their own, absorbing it and shaping it as though they were pulling on their own reserves.

 

Words are simply tools. As our perspective within the dao changes, the tools we might use to return to the dao also change. Words may be more or less refined, and felt as necessary to those who depend on words in their daily lives. As one evolves beyond the need for words to connect to the dao, there is no need to remain attached to the tool.

[soaring crane]

a friend posted this to Facebook, I think it's a pretty good summary:

 

 

 

[Karl]

a friend posted this to Facebook, I think it's a pretty good summary:

 

 

12540595_554865951349031_6865022605802372415_n.jpg

 

That's the churches proscribed version.

 

 

 

[ilumairen]

That's the churches proscribed version.

 

Which church? To me, it looks like balance.

[Karl]

Which church? To me, it looks like balance.

 

Catholic.

[Karl]

Thought I might add this as an alternative since my full and frank discussion on another thread: copyright the Atlas Society. This guy says it better than I ever could.

 

The virtues of Objectivism, then, define principles of action that lead to the achievement of objective values, considered in the full context of human life. The key principle of the Objectivist ethics is rationality , as against mysticism and whim. The ethics is a code of benevolence and justice toward other people: holding evil-doers to account for their vices, but treating rational and productive people with good will and generosity. It entails integrity , allowing no breach between our principles and our actions. A rational being practices honesty , loving the truth more than deception; and he lives first-hand, on the basis of his own judgment and effort, so independence is a virtue. The Objectivist ethics places industry and productivity in one's chosen work at the center of life's concerns. It is the code of a person who holds his head up with pride , in an objective appreciation of his merits and in aspiration to improvement in the future.

Traditional ethics contrast the image of man as an animal with the ideal of man as an otherworldly monk. Man is by nature a ravening beast, on this view, and he must be taught self-denial and self-sacrifice to be angelic and meek. Objectivism holds that man lives best as a trader, acting rationally for his own sake and dealing with others by exchanging value for value. Traditional ethics extol courage in the face of death as a virtue; Objectivism counsels integrity in the long-term pursuit of happiness. Traditional ethics extol charity as the mark of nobility; Objectivism extols productive achievement, because no one exists merely for the sake of others. It is an ethic for those who want all life has to offer, consistently, over the full course of life.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Karl

[soaring crane]

That's the churches proscribed version.

 

shoot the messenger...

[Karl]

shoot the messenger...

 

Plato, Augustine and Aquinas I believe.

[silent thunder]

No church, or religious ideology can claim authorship to the concepts of virtue, sin, good, or evil.  Religion in any form, is merely an attempt to explain such concepts within the parameters of their given social perspective; they are not the source.

 

When we focus on the finger, we miss the Moon.

[Karl]

No church, or religious ideology can claim authorship to the concepts of virtue, sin, good, or evil.  Religion in any form, is merely an attempt to explain such concepts within the parameters of their given social perspective; they are not the source.

 

When we focus on the finger, we miss the Moon.

 

As I Said, it didn't. The author of the four Cardinal virtues was a combination of Plato and Socrates. Neo Platonism arose in the Judao Christian religious cult when those original virtues were added to another three under Aquinas to make seven.

 

Virtue is a Greek word.

[Sunbeam]

I've always understood virtue as being in alignment with one's Natural harmony, which is also to be in alignment with the harmony of nature. It's not moral, but not lacking in morality either. Natural harmony is beyond morality but has universal laws... So I think it is basically living in integrity with Universal law.