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Thought I'd post this as an example of how grownups share and exchange thoughts and ideas This is special because of the venue -- The Vedanta Society NY, which is a bastion of Advaita Vedanta. I've had the occasion to attend Swami Sarvapriyananda's lectures in person (besides the many youtube videos that are there for people to view) - never once have I heard or seen behavior remotely close to the neurotic and parochial approach that is often on display in public fora.

The need to escape from the cycle of life, suffering, death, and rebirth. This is one of the principle motivators of Buddhism. One of the issues that I have is this: The Buddha, being an illumened being, would not abandon the world after his own enlightenment, but return, again and again to aid others in their quest to be relieved from suffering. Any person, in the quest to achieve enlightenment, upon approaching that goal, will desire instead of release, to return, to aid others in the quest to be relieved from the karmic chains. When I regard my daughter, I am looking upon a being that has been incarnated many times before. She has endured immeasurable hardship, and promotted the ideal of the Bhodisatva in her actions many times in order to be born in this incarnation, in the care of myself, I remind her of her true nature, and hope to aid in her advancement of spiritual perfection, as well as the encouragement to attain to the perfection of all sentient beings. She is, my honored elder.