Lost in Translation

This is moving to a meta level I had not expected. Thank you for bringing us here. I do admit this is foreign ground.

Are you saying that compassion does not involve choice? As an emotion I can accept that, but as an action I can not. One must always choose how to act of out compassion, even if one chooses not to act at all.

oops. Of all the lines to quote, I chose the wrong one.

Agreed. When obligation enters, choice exits. I do believe that it is all about choice.

Thank you, but this is quite abstract. To put this in concrete terms, let's say you have a family member who has serious problems, is losing their home and will soon be homeless. What do you do? Do you give them money to pay the mortgage, knowing you may go broke yourself? Do you take them into your own home, and in doing so possibly damage your own marriage? Do you do nothing and let them learn their lesson the hard way, and in the process allow the family to be splintered? These are choices I have had to make. I chose the latter. He lost his home and died two years later from sorrow. Compassion is not abstract. It is these kinds of choices that I refer to when I use the word compassion.

I sincerely want you to be right.

I would think it the other way around. Acting with limited human understanding is easy. Removing veils and fetters take work. Am I misunderstanding you?

At first, I think there has to be a desire to be aware of your own condition - and, in working on that awareness, things like compassion arising on its own are bound to happen at some point. This is big. You guys are onto something here. When I read the above, this is my take away: Desire = Choice. One must choose to be aware of one's own condition (living, sentient, suffering being) and one must also choose to extend that awareness to others (also living, also sentient, also suffering beings) before one can consciously choose and embody compassion.

Thank you for sharing. Some say that religion is a path, and not a destination. It's easy to confuse the one with the other. I am glad you are reconciling the two. Hopefully in time you will find a new home of like minded people. Until then, you always have us. ;-)

That's the rub. If you choose to give then you choose to give. Once an object is given it is, by its very definition, no longer yours. You have relinquished control. It's a tough thing. I had an uncle who was homeless, in and out of prison, and hooked on heroin for twenty years. He had all kinds of games he would play. In the end I had to decide to either give, and let that be it, or deny - and also let that be it.

I was listening to an interview with Tim Freke on batgap. He repeatedly said "both, same time". Did you get this from him or does he owe you recognition? ;-)

(All formatting emphasis mine) Bravo, Lex! Yes! This is the one of the manifestations of 'Both, same time' - that long time members here have heard me blather about for years, lol. This is how simultaneously standing in two worlds reveals itself. Cheers to Life if that is what 'forced' (LOLOL) you into this blended perspective. Well met! Warm greetings (-: Rene We're on a roll now!

I am confused. How is compassion dispassionate? Are you saying that sentient beings should remain dispassionate while exercising compassion? If this is the case then I agree. If I misunderstand you then please explain.

I don't understand. Please explain.

Suffering is suffering. The desire the end suffering is suffering. Acceptance of suffering is the end of suffering. Acceptance of the desire to end suffering is the end of suffering. I think we're on to something here...

Yeah! 100 years ago was WWI - "The Great War", "The War to End All Wars". Mustard gas? Trenches in Europe? "The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I was more than 41 million: there were over 18 million deaths and 23 million wounded, ranking it among the deadliest conflicts in human history." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_casualties Ironic, is it not, that such thoughts are themselves a form of suffering? Very nice. This needs to be said over, and over and over again.

Amen that, brother. "Alone in the crowd" - story of my life. I can count on the fingers of one hand the people in my life who truly understand me, and still have enough fingers left over to carry a bag of groceries.

Welcome! I hope you enjoy your stay.

זה כל כך מתוק מצדך. תודה! טוסט הוא דבר טוב מאוד לאכול, especailly עם Nutella. Gotta love Google Translate. Would have made high school French a lot easier...

This place just keeps getting weirder and weirder. I like it!

Rent the movie "Fight Club" with Brad Pitt and Ed Norton. I think you will really like it.

It will. Ain't nothing gonna stop this train now. It seems to me that humanity is continuously evolving. I'd say we're in our petulant early teens, maybe 13-ish. We're filled with emotion, are embarrassed by our parents, and want to run away to join the circus. It's a phase. It's a long, horrible, painful phase. But hey, wait until the middle teens and the depression and angst set in...

OMG. I love toast, especially with Irish butter and those little Dutch chocolate sprinkles!

Google Translate: Mia Mihal of Maya Ar Arb You will be left alone