the near-enemies

[roger]

My inspiration for making this post is noonespecial's quote, "do not mistake seriousness for sincerity, complexity for truth, variety for freedom."

 

I found those words very wise and inspiring. Thanks noonespecial!

 

There's a teaching in Buddhism (as I read in one of Jack Kornfield's books) about the "near-enemies."

 

It's when something can seem like a thing, and perhaps pass as it in people's minds, but it's really a counterfeit version of that which it poses as.

 

Examples are:

 

The three examples in the quote above.

 

Attachment passing as love.

 

"Power over" passing as actual power.

 

Egocentricity passing as self-love.

 

Daring passing as true courage.

 

I feel that this idea of the "near-enemies" can really help to see things more clearly, because most people are fooled by them - in other words, they take the "near-enemy" to be the thing it poses as.

 

I think it particularly, in the world today, applies to self-love. Egocentricity and defensiveness are often one's idea of self-love.

[Marblehead]

Yep.  Delusions and illusions.  And ego that does not reflect reality.

 

Magicians know how to work these weaknesses we have.

 

As has been said before; we are sometimes our own worst enemy.

[Karl]

It takes courage to be a hero. It takes daring to be a fool.

[Prasanna]

List of "Near-enemies":

1) Ignorance,

2) Ego,

3) Desire,

4) Selfishness,

5) Pursuing materiality and sensuality as an end themselves in life. 

[Karl]

List of "Near-enemies":

1) Ignorance,

2) Ego,

3) Desire,

4) Selfishness,

5) Pursuing materiality and sensuality as an end themselves in life.

 

That's a list of the Maharajahs enemies with regard to the castes.

[thelerner]

List of "near enemies"

Malcolm Murray

Vannessa Ives

Ethan Talbot

John Clare

Lily Frankenstein

 

boy.. you guys need to get more specific.

[Prasanna]

That's a list of the Maharajahs enemies with regard to the castes.

I don't understand this. Why have maharajahs and castes come in the picture? I have just shared what spirituality stands for. Can you please explain it more elaborately?

[Karl]

I don't understand this. Why have maharajahs and castes come in the picture? I have just shared what spirituality stands for. Can you please explain it more elaborately?

Most philosophies are about power over others. The history of the world is built on getting men to sacrifice themselves -money/Labour/production/blood-to other men. This is barbarism practised subtely. The courts were always roughly similar with defending hierarchies from Kings, noblemen priests, soldiers, workers, slaves-or some similar order.

 

If you look at your list, the qualities are exactly those a King and court would ask of its people.

 

Ignorance of the Kings/priests word/religion/laws

Ego-acting as an independent was treason

Desire nothing but duty.

Sacrifice self to state/King/God be selfless.

Don't pursue happiness for yourself everything belongs to your state/King/God.

 

The final one-in the sense you say it- is actually hedonism, but one cannot be hedonistic if there are no desires, no ego and no self so I've altered the meaning to bring that in line with the philosophical tenets you are espousing.

 

It tells anyone who follows these rules, follows the exact opposite of the US constitution. Life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness.

 

It says you have no rights, nor freedoms, nor property and happiness is the preserve of someone else and you should seek it for them.

 

Of course the churches have taught these same tenets for years because they were so succesful in getting men to enslave themselves to an ideal - more or less voluntarily, but, as each accepts the yoke, then they become like policeman ensuring their neighbours don't attempt to get free.

 

Give a man a rule that is not achievable, but with which he must comply and get him to base his entire life on that lie, then he will accept anything you tell him. As Hitler said "make the lie big enough". It's easy to snap men's minds, to bend them to service and sacrifice. Just tell them they shouldn't want anything for themselves, that it is an evil and that they must strive to be rid of it. Tell them that only the King/ state has the right - God given. It's easier than ropes, chains and whips- the people police themselves very well.

 

Who was allowed to own property in India ?