Absolutely true. It's my bad, negative, counterproductive attitude that's caused all the trouble in the world; the alternatives I've suggested count for naught. That's what they told me when I was Cassandra. If I could bear it through 81 lives, I guess one more incarnation won't hurt any more. — Vera Mont
Well, that's a relief! I never meant to start those world wars.I think you made an overstatement about your negativity causing all the trouble in the world — Athena
And I am very sorry but I do not remember your solutions. — Athena
I would imagine that such a perfect state would simply not involve the desire for novel experiences, or it would somehow be fulfilled without significant effort (perhaps like a simulation). However, in this existence, new journeys will continue to await us. — Existential Hope
The Four Noble Truths are a contingency plan for dealing with the suffering humanity faces -- suffering of a physical kind, or of a mental nature. The First Truth identifies the presence of suffering. The Second Truth, on the other hand, seeks to determine the cause of suffering. In Buddhism, desire and ignorance lie at the root of suffering. By desire, Buddhists refer to craving pleasure, material goods, and immortality, all of which are wants that can never be satisfied. As a result, desiring them can only bring suffering. Ignorance, in comparison, relates to not seeing the world as it actually is. Without the capacity for mental concentration and insight, Buddhism explains, one's mind is left undeveloped, unable to grasp the true nature of things. Vices, such as greed, envy, hatred, and anger, derive from this ignorance.
https://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm
Today I may think your ideas are wonderful. — Athena
This is happening "An estimated four million people worldwide took part in the climate strikes on Sept. 20, which are part of a broader movement to raise awareness about carbon emissions. (Shutterstock / Ben Gingell)" That is positive, isn't it?It doesn't matter. Most of the suggestions and links I offered are not my own ideas anyway - they're out there in the webisphere for anyone to access.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/climate-change-denial-fossil-fuel-think-tank-sceptic-misinformation-1.5297236
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCKz8ykyI2E — Vera Mont
That is a very nice list of communes and there are more communes. Thank goodness, because we might come to rely on what these people learn. I was inspired by the communal living in the 60s. I did not join a commune because that was not something that interested the person I married and I was still working with the 1950 values of family and owning a home. However, I wrote a few stories in the book "What Happened to the Hippies?" by Stewart L. Rogers. I enjoyed the creativity of the Hippy movement and paid attention to Buckminster Fuller and Alvin Toffler's Future Shock. Hum. I am thinking there is a lot we could be discussing if we shared the same books. That would be more interesting than insulting each other's character.
The information in this one was not possible a hundred years ago and it will be interesting to see what happens when it spreads.
What you are interested in is not in there, because I simply don't believe your agenda is viable.
Yes, Buddhists do delve into the nature of desires. Whilst they mention the negatives, they also believe that we can transcend our problems (nirodha). Although perfect satisfaction may not be possible (in this existence), we can nevertheless continue trying to limit unnecessary needs (something that can be influenced by a shift in one's perspective). To the extent we do have them, it can be worthwhile to choose a path to happiness that isn't surface-level and that aids most people. — Existential Hope
His death served the personal purpose, causes and meaning he cherished most in his life imo. If your death can serve your life, then you die well, imo. It then becomes a legacy question for those who hear the 'true' story of your life, to agree or disagree that your death served your life. A suicide bomber may also think their death served their life and they died well, but we always have the counter point that one persons hero is another persons terrorist.
You have no way to measure the affect the legacy of Socrates had/has on any of the issues you mentioned above. The nature and spread and power of slavery, god worship, territorial war, imperialism, racism, sexism, ideological madness and even genocide, have all changed significantly since the days of Socrates. It's just as valid to credit all improvements made in those issues, directly to Socrates as it is to credit no aspect of improvements made whatsoever to Socrates. — universeness
Unfettered selfishness is undoubtedly a recipe for disaster. As someone from India (a society which is fairly collectivistic even now), I hope that we will find the apposite balance. — Existential Hope
You are from India? I have been so wanting an Indian point of view. — Athena
I have declared myself a democratic socialist and a secular humanist, consistently on TPF. — universeness
. "Everyone" makes it transparent that we are, ultimately, not dealing with some monolithic organism, but people. We should respect the beauty of the diversity of the sentient experience without turning a blind eye to our deepest threads of unity. This would allow us to sincerely seek the truth as egotism and antagonism would give way to concern for the fellow being and a more profound comprehension of our shared existence. — Existential Hope
I have declared myself a democratic socialist and a secular humanist, consistently on TPF.
I value co-operation far far far more than I value competition.
My individuality is part of my identity, my socialism and humanism are my conclusions and my main/strongest drivers. — universeness
"Jawaharlal Nehru (/ˈneɪru/ or /ˈnɛru/;[1] Hindi: [ˈdʒəʋɑːɦəɾˈlɑːl ˈneːɦɾuː] (listen); juh-WAH-hurr-LAHL NE-hǝ-ROO; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat,[2] and author who was a central figure in India during the middle third of the 20th century. Nehru was a principal leader of the Indian nationalist movement in the 1930s and 1940s. Upon India's independence in 1947, he became the first prime minister of India, serving for 16 years. Nehru promoted parliamentary democracy, secularism, and science and technology during the 1950s, powerfully influencing India's arc as a modern nation. In international affairs, he steered India clear of the two blocs of the Cold War. A well-regarded author, his books written in prison, such as Letters from a Father to His Daughter (1929), Glimpses of World History (1934), An Autobiography (1936), and The Discovery of India (1946), have been read around the world. The honorific Pandit has been commonly applied before his name." — Existential Hope
I wonder how got Deepak got that idea. I would credit the Greek philosophers for secularism. It goes with deciding our health problems have physical causes and those problems are not caused by the gods. Socrates rejected the line of reason for atoms because that just didn't interest him, but in general back in the day, some of the Greeks were interested in physical reality, and not the gods. Socrates did take issue with some of the god stories that promoted bad values, such as adultery.secularism emerged out of Protestantism — Existential Hope
I am going to boldly risk looking a complete ass because the temporary pain of publically making a fool of myself is minor to what I can gain from someone with your understanding. — Athena
I would love to know the books he read because this explanation of him makes me think he was literate in Greek and understood the reasoning for democracy as it came out of Greek philosophy. I don't think religion is compatible with democracy. I think the religions have more agreements than disagreements, but their mythologies explaining human behavior are whacky. I like the notion of reincarnation and it might be part of reality but until we can test and validate that we should not be too sure of that possibility. — Athena
I would credit the Greek philosophers for secularism. — Athena
I can but agree with your two sentences above, completely, and continue to act against our species continued use of money, unfettered capitalism, willingness to follow others blindly and party politics.Mindless competition will spell doom for us. As degradation continues, one can only hope that reason will prevail. — Existential Hope
Your comment reminded me of Wikipedia's description of Pandit Nehru: — Existential Hope
Irrespective of the origins, the kernel of the issue lies in upholding the catholicity of Hinduism while constructing narrow walls between "us" and "them". — Existential Hope
Oh my goodness but how do we survive in the US if we think like you? — Athena
I don't understand this mindset! What notion of success are you allowing to hold judgement over your life? Surely not the amassment of money and material goods.I am beating myself up for not being a more successful person. I didn't try hard enough, or was there value in being cooperative and not competitive? — Athena
Sounds to me that you know what your reasoning was, for not playing the money trick game, to buy cheap and sell dear, and become rich by doing so. Never forget the main problem the rich (especially the nefarious rich) have. If you can buy a Rolls Royce in the same way as an average person can buy a loaf of bread or a drink of water, then there is no joy, no satisfaction, no achievement whatsoever, in buying a Rolls Royce. This is why the rich get involved in weird shit, as they need to get involved in more and more extreme stuff, to feel anything.I remember the 1970 recession when it was extremely hard to get a job and it was demanded that we dress up our resumes and perhaps exaggerate our qualifications. I was a domestic woman and just could not become competitive in that way. Not even college cured me of being a domestic woman. I knew the tricks for selling things and I could have been rich but I had to take a low-paying in-home aide job that fit my values. I have read women tend to be more attracted to meaningful work, and we do it for intrinsic reasons, not the money. Doing something just for the money was so wrong! That is being part of the problem. — Athena
I am not sure I am wrong. Now teachers and nurses are paid a lot and they want more, and this makes education and health care unavoidable. Our equality with men means more women and children are involved in crime as both victims and the ones who commit the crimes. Our technological development is doing fine, but our civilization seems to be spinning out of control.
Talk to me. Where do we go from here? — Athena
Hindus believe in a cyclical model in which individuals have always existed in some form. Hopefully, we will continue use our fascinating faculties for the good of all. — Existential Hope
In the final analysis, Mr Nehru's relationship with Mountbatten's wife does not dilute the validity of his political stance. — universeness
Do you hold that brahman is true?
3m — universeness
Whether one wishes to all this a mind/Brahman/computer is a matter of preference. — Existential Hope
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