Losing Members

[Karl]

In referring to so called free speech, one must choose one's words wisely so as to understand the far reaching ramifications of.

One must accept that free speech has consequences for those that choose to avail themselves of that freedom.

[thelerner]

We tend to handle religion well.  To bad politics is so polarizing.  High stakes year though.  Still the antidote for tension tends to be a sense of humor.  Keeping it, sharing it, making a joke.

 

Here's a good one.

So.. Hillary, Trump, a prostitute and a priest walk into a brothel.  The madam says:  (whoops doorbell write back later)

[Brian]

In referring to so called free speech, one must choose one's words wisely so as to understand the far reaching ramifications of.

You seem awfully fond of the phrase "so called."

[Daeluin]

For every action an equal and opposite reaction...

Karma tends to takes its course one way or another.

 

As we're in a walled garden here sometimes I guess the walls need protecting.

The rest of the time people may as well enjoy the opportunity to learn how to take insults as gifts.

 

I read somewhere that rule by dao is the highest form of government. Next comes rule by principle, where there is naturally a selective bias, but one that is hopefully biased towards divine resonance. If that can't be had we finally come to rule by law and enforcement.

 

I like that for the most part here we are given the opportunity to do our own work in contributing to the highest form of self-regulation we are able to, and that our staff is requested to allow this process to unfold without getting attached to their power.

[Marblehead]

I'm still here.  I don't want to argue with anyone so please don't start an argument with me, Okay?

[Nungali]

I'm still here.  I don't want to argue with anyone so please don't start an argument with me, Okay?

 

... I thought you liked 'winding me up'  ?    

Edited September 1, 2016 by Nungali

[Nungali]

yes, you will loose good members, and the site will degrade  .... everything does. 

 

I move from place to place and catch the good while it happens , but eventually, the good goes to shit ; in jobs, places, opportunities, groups , circles of friends, houses ,  etc . 

 

You wanna good time, you gotta play hopscotch , good time moves from there to here to over there.  Then there are those that want to stop that ... for some reason .... I dont even think they are aware of their role ? 

 

Anyway ,  everything used t be a lot better, all over the place.  I have had my fun, I will be dead before it gets unbearable . 

 

Wasnt that a nice cheery post ! 

 

 

 

Charm may take you far

and leave you there

without a prayer
no one to care

any place ... any place
I hang my hat

is someone else's home
It seems to me  - we

are not alone .

Don't know much

I guess a lot
Times I miss what I forgot
Please forgive the way I live and
how the dust surrounds us.

 

 It seems to me  - we

are born to roam

like continental drifters

from sea to shining sea
from here to eternity
out is wherever I am.

 ( Syd Staw -  ' Crazy American '  )

[Marblehead]

... I thought you liked 'winding me up'  ?    

 

But I always considered our rough and tumble interactions to be play.  Not much more than extending a discussion into the unknown.

[Aetherous]

The Daobums has always been losing a few great members, and gaining new ones.

I don't know why people choose to permanently leave. If you're interested in the type of information here, then there is every reason to stick around.

[Kar3n]

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8  King James Version (KJV)

3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

[RiverSnake]

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8  King James Version (KJV)

3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

 

 

 

Edited September 2, 2016 by OldChi

[Geof Nanto]

A problem with any web forum when it comes to spirituality is that the life-blood of such forums is new content, most often words; whereas the life-blood of praxis is inner connection through silence. Silence doesn’t transmit well here; those with many words, and intensity of discussion, tends to dominate. And although I like to search new content, it begins to feel like an endless merry-go-round of content for content’s sake – a trap of intensity.  

 

I’ve learnt from recovering from my time of heroin addiction that all intensity is potentially addictive. It’s easy to move into intensity – indeed it’s most compelling – yet it tends to become a trap that’s difficult to escape from. After any intense experience it takes time to readjust and regain the sensitivity necessary to feel into the subtle fullness of ‘emptiness’. And I seek to hone my sensitivity and grow my roots into that ancient, eternal ‘silence’ – into what has always existed; without beginning without end; without past without future. That’s where I find my inner peace, my innate belonging. 

 

For me when I first arrived, Dao Bums had an almost numinous presence. My time here has been deeply meaningful. I could expand my awareness through overt and more subtle interaction with other members. Although I suspect the site is much the same mixture of wisdom and folly - of seriousness and banter - as it’s always been, my needs have changed. Now it increasingly feels a little like visiting a soap opera.  Dramas make for excellent new content – and to circle back to the beginning - new content is the life-blood of our human created media, but not spiritual praxis.  

[silent thunder]

If I were to type something about this it'd probably look very similar to this:

 

moderate a forum the way you cook a small fish

[thelerner]

It's a little sad, but also inevitable,

maybe even needed, that the forum

lose members, gain members,

grow, shrink and change over time.

[silent thunder]

It seems inevitable, but that makes it no less unpleasant.

[rene]

Sometimes breathing is easy,

Sometimes breathing is hard.

Would you really have it any other way?

 

Not me. (-:

[Spotless]

There is a lopsided voice from the fundamentalists at this time and in all places here. It has in so many ways become a Fox News reactionary self absorbed food fight - with lots of "high minded" high school boy talk.

 

Those sitting at the lunch table are forced to deal with some slop of food thrown upon them - often regurgitated upon them.

 

We might expect this at a music festival - but this purports to be something different.

 

If we were in a dojo and behaved like this at least 50% would be asked to leave in no uncertain terms - and the other half out of a need for a long hot shower would be asked to meditate an extra ten hours to purge out the recently exercised lack of mindfulness and general unabated reactionary jibberish.

 

We have petty "philosophers" newly graduated it appears that have zero interest in the general bent of spiritual discussion - but they are in love with sparring and revere their "prowess" - god it is laughable.

 

Old jocks that trip in here and hose upon us.

 

Moderators who while perhaps quite nice and working for free are none the less fundamentalists - not necessarily obnoxious or what we commonly refer to as fundamentalists - but as moderators in a spiritual area that they in the broader stroke find to be poppycock- it seems incredibly unwise to have them as moderators.

 

With 98% of those "seeking" - not actually seeking but rather wishing to transfer their identifications into something that is more palatable and some 2% actually serious - how much scope should be given the food fighter and those that very clearly and obviously are not interested in "the way" at all?

 

Quite a few have never contributed to real "the way" discussion in any sort of meaningful and un-puffed up way. I cannot imagine they would be angry if asked to leave - they are clearly not engaged here in any way that brings meaning and value to this site and some portion of their awareness has to be fairly clear about what they "do" here. A bit like the guy who takes up yoga - "it's a great way to meet chicks and fuck with the idiots" - we have too many of this type goading "us idiots".

 

It is true we can have an ignore list - mine is well over twenty people long and a quarter of them were banned. But how many spaces make for good discussion and how many of those that would have been engaged left because the food fight kept lobbing lasagna mixed with broken glass, beer and fries?

 

Perhaps something as simple as asking all new and existing members to act and think as if they just entered an area where they are asked to take off their shoes - have some reverence for the area - and some reverence for the other members. Today its a bit more like going to a fairly loud bar with a McDonalds in the middle (with a very fine tea and herb shop - and coffee shop - and whole foods department and fine bookstore dotting the side walls with no partition).

Edited September 2, 2016 by Spotless

[Aeran]

Where exactly is all this drama and conflict taking place? It isn't in line with my experience of this forum at all, am I not reading the right threads?

[Karl]

Where exactly is all this drama and conflict taking place? It isn't in line with my experience of this forum at all, am I not reading the right threads?

Too many who can't stop poking into general/off topic when there is an enormous number of specific and private areas. Then they dislike what they read in those areas and can't help but attempt to engage in talk of censorship and application of restrictions/rules. Makes me laugh really when the entire point of spiritual progression is to promote freedom of mind from bodily cares. What happened to all those still minds and living in the moment.....poof......get out the whips, gags, restraints, ban the heretics, force them to reverence. Not going so well.

[rene]

Too many who can't stop poking into general/off topic when there is an enormous number of specific and private areas. Then they dislike what they read in those areas and can't help but attempt to engage...

Not unlike your and MH's derailing off-topic debate in the Having/Giving thread, eh? Pot meet kettle.

[blackstar212]

The one constant you can count on, change.

[liminal_luke]

I dunno if I am in the crosshairs or not---I tend to be among people classed as "philosophers" and don't really have much reverence for anything.

 

On the chance that I've been out of line, I'll drop an apology here just in case.

 

Nah, I don´t think so A&P. Not in my crosshairs anyway. Daobums is a big complicated Indian curry and the spice you bring --complex, subtle, long peppery finish -- blends with the others just fine.

 

(The Bums who bother me would never apologize online.  They don´t have the humility.) 

Edited September 2, 2016 by liminal_luke

[Apech]

Too many who can't stop poking into general/off topic when there is an enormous number of specific and private areas. Then they dislike what they read in those areas and can't help but attempt to engage in talk of censorship and application of restrictions/rules. Makes me laugh really when the entire point of spiritual progression is to promote freedom of mind from bodily cares. What happened to all those still minds and living in the moment.....poof......get out the whips, gags, restraints, ban the heretics, force them to reverence. Not going so well.

 

 

Sexcapades?????

[Karl]

Not unlike your and MH's derailing off-topic debate in the Having/Giving thread, eh? Pot meet kettle.

How is that the same ?

I dont ask for compliance on threads I've started and I respect the threads of those who ask to keep it on track if they began the thread. Either suits me, but, off topic and general threads rarely stay on track long, that's in the nature of 'general' rather than 'specific'.

 

Keep on pushing for more regulation and it will end up just like the AYP forum devoid of much use. The tougher the stance the fewer will be interested. You will get your way alright, there will be no one new to contest, argue or give differing input, it will become a grave yard of those that agree on so much they no longer require a forum at all.

 

If I were you I would welcome difference, argument and left field input as long as it remains respectful and isn't spam. If you want to pool off into a huddle of protectionist like minded, go ahead, there are plenty of other forums to take those who want to contribute, then let the tumbleweed blow through Dao bums. I warn you in advance that this is always the graveyard of forums.

[Karl]

Sexcapades?????

Can't stop a good fantasy......