suninmyeyes

Ubuntu -

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This is something I was reminded of yesterday and decided to represent this very meaningful idea of ubuntu .As this idea of interconnectendness needs to be deeply rooted in humanity as a medicine for our well being.

Ubuntu {African philosophy) :

'I am becouse you are'- as a root of humanity interconnectedness .

'Ubuntu is a spirit of helping each other, a colourfull practise of putting compassion into action'- Credo Mutwa

Personally I feel that this is so important in many ways.

Here is a nice video about Ubuntu:

http://www.globalonenessproject.org/videos/Ubuntu

 

I am becouse you are.

Something I have been feeling deeply recently is that we are coexistant and dont exist for individual satisfaction only. Paying attention and developing healthy relationships with everything and everyone is our responsability and very important. The world is our larger us.

We are on the earth to be humans is something to ponder.

We are never alone. Even if we make friends with the sky or the earth.

 

Any similar thoughts and input anyone?

Edited by suninmyeyes
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Ubuntu {African philosophy) :

'I am becouse you are'- as a root of humanity interconnectedness .

'Ubuntu is a spirit of helping each other, a colourfull practise of putting compassion into action'- Credo

 

This I really like, compassion as a practical practice.

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I love the topic and the idea of Ubuntu.

I also like the Zen image of a spider web covered with drops of dew.

Each dew drop reflects every other, emphasizing the inter-connectedness of all things.

I think this is the healing that is needed by humanity.

And the only way to make it happen is right here, inside myself and in how I interact with others.

No other way.

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I am becouse you are.

Something I have been feeling deeply recently is that we are coexistant and dont exist for individual satisfaction only.

Selfless response is not a conventional courtesy. Courtesy is by way of social mores. Response is an adaption; it is so because there is something more to coexistence besides even mutual satisfaction.

 

Effective compassion is not necessarily defined by the image of idealized models. Love that looks like love isn't necessarily the case. And love that doesn't look like love isn't necessarily so either. In a community where survival is a daily affair, a type of selfless coexistence comes quite naturally. In "developed" societies, where insularity is considered virtuous, "compassion" takes on a rather compartmentalized expression.

 

I am because you are is essentially the great vehicle seen from the perspective of difference. From this perspective, it is natural to emphasize and value loving compassion in conventional terms.

 

From the perspective of sameness, for those who do not equate selves-satisfaction as coeval with existential co-realities, there is something lying beyond cultural ideals.

 

Buddhas do not keep precepts; neither do they break them.

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'I am because you are' also goes to the idea that we are all mirrors of each other.

 

I see you and understand you because I see myself and understand myself. We recognize our own selves in each other; and then we sometimes make the mistake of projecting our negative attributes onto the intentions of another. We make assumptions about each others' behavior because that is how we would probably react in the same circumstance. Perhaps those are not their intentions at all. Perhaps that person really is coming from a perspective of unconditional love for all, only the person receiving the unconditional love can't understand it because he sees love and giving only through his own lens, the lens of love with lots of conditions and selfish needs.

 

Agreed on Buddha and the precepts. For true unconditional love and a clear lens, the structure of Buddhism must be transcended, as must the structure of any Ism, whether it be Taoism, Shamanism, or 'Christianism'. As far out as we travel to try and make sense of our universe, as much as we try to pound it into different ism's that fit into our current thought patterns and societal makeup.....it turns out that we must go an equidistant path to the inner self. We must travel through our own selfishnesses, our own desires, our own ego, our own pomposities, our own arrogance, and our own actions and reactions to get to the pony at the bottom of the heap. It is when the pony is discovered that the view over the Isms can be had and seen for their interconnected nature, and the fact that all roads will lead to the top of the same hill. Even the dark ones, if followed to their conclusion.

 

It seems to be the point when these two paths merge, the inner discovery of Self and the outer discovery of a desired mindset of understanding, that the true merger of the left and right brain occurs. The human being becomes integrated and as he was intended to be. All things are in balance, he understands the bodily needs and wants of man are just that - and that in reality that 'thing' inside us, that 'I-ness' never lets us down, not really. And that it has always been so and will always be so.

 

To learn to trust and surrender to the complete Love of the universe is something that I see as desirable. I've gone through all the mistrust and cynical views that a career cop can possibly have. I've come to realize that my own cynicism and distrust that was engendered by so many years in law enforcement was something that I propagated by choice, always - once I got honest with myself.

 

Today I choose to trust, it's as simple as that. I KNOW that the Underlying Spirit, the manitou, is a friendly force and a force to be trusted, always. It seems to be all about overcoming fear of just about everything.

Edited by manitou

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Unity, multiplicity, and awareness.

 

Those are the three things that come to mind when I think of "I am because you are."

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Selfless response is not a conventional courtesy. Courtesy is by way of social mores. Response is an adaption; it is so because there is something more to coexistence besides even mutual satisfaction.

 

-Yes I ageree. There is a chance that a bit about mutual satisfaction has not wrongly read into by you as I never mentioned it.If it is me misreading your meaning, do let me know.

(what I wrote)'Something I have been feeling deeply recently is that we are coexistant and dont exist for individual satisfaction only. Paying attention and developing healthy relationships with everything and everyone is our responsability and very important. The world is our larger us. '

 

Effective compassion is not necessarily defined by the image of idealized models. Love that looks like love isn't necessarily the case. And love that doesn't look like love isn't necessarily so either. In a community where survival is a daily affair, a type of selfless coexistence comes quite naturally. In "developed" societies, where insularity is considered virtuous, "compassion" takes on a rather compartmentalized expression.

 

-The part about compasion and love is very true and should be looked into deeply to avoid dissapintments and learn how to dance with life instead.

 

I am because you are is essentially the great vehicle seen from the perspective of difference. From this perspective, it is natural to emphasize and value loving compassion in conventional terms.

-I find this to be very good and practical philosphical idea for world as whole , for everyone as it is more transparent than current prevalent attitudes. If we look at the world as a whole as it is right now , in a same way I would look at myself - that is what world needs as a cure.

 

From the perspective of sameness, for those who do not equate selves-satisfaction as coeval with existential co-realities, there is something lying beyond cultural ideals.

 

Buddhas do not keep precepts; neither do they break them.

 

- However if Buddhas have human form than they are humans and chop wood carry water too , and not only for themselves.

 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts decibelle. :) Always interesting to read you.

Edited by suninmyeyes

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Thanks for that Suninmyeyes! I had no idea that was what ubuntu meant. I had always thought it is was just a linux distribution. Very interesting.

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It's difficult to have love and compassion in a "civilization" that doesn't show any.. people out to get theirs all the time.. but unloading our burden of selfishness and allowing ourselves to not be so self-focused.. freedom from self.. takes a "real man" and a "real woman" to be able to give without fear.. and it is a far more certain way to happiness than only seeing what WE need.. that would be a very lonely and defeated way to live, with a huge burden of craving and worry. Giving up the self, having love and compassion even for a-holes, is deceptively rewarding for those who manage to.

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As the self gradually becomes more refined, as in working consciously to reduce grasping and aversions, there will come a point where one will begin to manifest and experience, in terms of feelings and perceptions, an equanimous attitude (or way of being) towards self and others. One who bears the fruit of equanimity spontaneously manifests impersonal compassion, because compassion is the natural expression of one who has risen above discriminatory mind.

 

Some traditions say, and i agree, that compassion is indeed the driving force, the power, behind all actions where there is no requirement to delineate a self that attempts to 'practice being compassionate'. Once the notion of a self arises, a resultant dualistic outlook arises simultaneously, at which point the naturalness of a self trying to be good or kindly towards others becomes awkward, very possibly there will even be subsequent trails of feelings of resentment and doubts being coupled in to the process.

 

When all forceful and intentional will to generate compassionate thoughts/actions for self and others, and teeth-gnashing attempts to stay 'kindly' in the face of confrontations, contentions and conflicts are no longer felt as a necessity simply because one is trying to be spiritual, or even virtuous for that matter, then the generation of this power of compassion becomes as easy and spontaneous as when one instantaneously picking up a fallen child, or throwing a flotation device to a drowning person ~ in such instances, should one hesitate or allow analysis to creep up before acting? The answer is pretty obvious. In the absence of self-considerations, truly, i say, one cannot find a self which acts, and when this self and the present demands of situations becomes merged, then true Non-action takes place, yet there is no person anywhere to be found who experiences this state of Non-action.

 

I leave you with a relevant 10-minute talk by Thich Nhat Hanh on "I see you in me, and me in you" - -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azOZ8d0UvVs

 

 

Kind blessings to all.

 

 

as an afterthought, i think this clip is also very useful for reflection - -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y75EAhTX4vo&feature=related

Edited by C T
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My guess is that you do not know that I do not hold you at a distance that you seem to be imagining.❤

 

 

 

 

I'm so very surprised at your response. No doubt I was less than clear with my writing. I don't imagine that you, Deci, of all people, are holding me at a distance. You more than most seem to exude the understanding of the One and interconnectedness of everything.

 

Yes, I think that prior to the realization of the oneness, when we think we're actually separate from each other because it 'appears' that way. The point I was trying to make above was that it is erroneous thinking to hold ourselves separate from each other and assuming anyone's intentions. The source of emission of the energy, the Source, is always positive. It's our mangled inner 'tubes of awareness' that contort it, until we take the time to sort ourselves out. Sorry for the confusion, friend.

Edited by manitou

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sunyinmyeyes, Are you a david icke fan?The reason why I asked is because you wrote one quote from credo mutwa,david ickes friend.I am 100% sure David Icke is a disinfo agent that works for the goverment.Do you believe in the insane conspiracy theories about the reptilian aliens,that those two preach?

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sunyinmyeyes, Are you a david icke fan?The reason why I asked is because you wrote one quote from credo mutwa,david ickes friend.I am 100% sure David Icke is a disinfo agent that works for the goverment.Do you believe in the insane conspiracy theories about the reptilian aliens,that those two preach?

No I am not David Icke fan, actually I am not familiar with his work really(have heard the name). I just found this website with nice videos the other day and liked this one becouse this idea of Ubuntu. Have read one of the Mutwas books on African shamanisam last year and it was interesting.

Edited by suninmyeyes

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CT - I didn't watch the first vid but caught a little of the second one. What a wonderful metaphor, floating in a boat on a lake and then having another boat hit yours. The reaction in the first case, when it's believed that the other boat has a driver, is one of resentment and feeling like a target. When one realizes that the other boat had no driver and was merely drifting, suddenly that takes the mal-intent or negligence out of the act, and the lazy dreamer in the boat then laughs and takes it in stride.

 

The way I interpret that, is that a master would always have the attitude of the second scenario, where no mal-intent is ascribed to anyone. If one believes we are all emanations of the very same thing, like the sun, then it is counter productive to ascribe bad intentions to anyone when we 'perceive' that we are the target. The Sage would realize that he's not a target at all, that these are the actions of a person who has not found their Essence yet and therefore acts in unaligned ways. Even if there was a driver of the other boat. Also, the Sage would have eliminated much of the need for the ego to rise within him and he would no doubt stay in front of the situation and see the situation for its part in the clockwork of life, and roll with it, injecting his natural kindness that has evolved within him.

 

The Sage would probably find humor in the whole thing, even if there was a driver. It just Is...that's all. To act otherwise would be to lose energy foolishly.

 

I honestly think the Sage probably doesn't get into spats often, unless he is choosing to walk around in a state of non-awareness. He sees everything as the same animal and thereby is a very patient one towards others, always. And not because he's trying to be 'good' or 'kind' or 'forgiving'. It would just be a natural part of the Sage's character to be that way, and that's what he would reflect.

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