07-25-2010, 12:06 AM
lex icon wrote:As for compassion. Compassion is not for seers but for those caught in cyclic existence.
Yes, and its a beautiful thing. Especially considering we are all caught in ignorance. Anyone not claiming this would in essence be saying they are Buddha, or Christ or Muhammad fully realized, or whoever is fully enlightened depending on one's belief or religion. In which case I would ask, why are you at an internet forum then? But truly I don't think anyone here claims to be "all seeing or all knowing" at this juncture. In which case, we are in need of the compassion of those who are further progressed and can teach us because they hold a compassion view of our ignorance.
Its said of Kuan Yin, she attained nirvana, but on looking back at sentient beings, she saw that many suffered in ignorance. She then vowed to remain in samsara to help those very beings become enlightened like her, so for this she became a Bodhisattva (the very meaning of the term is to help others) . This is a beautiful thing, I see no value in trashing it or calling it weak, it truly takes tremendous self-lessness to decide to do something like this, because nirvana was hers for the taking, yet she chose to use her realizations here and its said she manifests in any form, ...as a beggar on the street, as a business man, as a housewife, an animal... any form that is needed when needed.
Personally, I have had encounters with people at the right place and time and wondered "did this person exist as I know myself to exist?" because their appearance seemed to be for the purpose to show the way, offer a teaching, at that moment.
Now if looked at as a mere legend, its still fine because it simply demonstrates selflessness. So whether its Toltec or Buddhist belief, selflessness (lack of ego) is the qualifier. To say "I only care about my own attainments, to hell with others" this will lead to a reinforcement of ego, separateness. The idea is to let go all strong holds of self.
In Buddhism, those in cyclic exisitence use compassion, to become like the Bodhisattvas and liberate from samsara. So we are imperfect but via showing compassion we learn to let go of attachments. So compassion helps us in two ways...the compassion shown to us (or ignorance reversed), and the compassion we show in return (sharing our wisdom). Anyone who is a loving parent shows compassion, anyone who was loved by a parent was shown compassion. This does not refer to love in any negative sense, but rather anytime true selflessness was demonstrated. We see it in nature too. A mother or father will die saving the life of their offspring. Some people prefer to remove all emotion from this and say its merely the survival instinct, regardless of what one calls it, it is selflessness. A lack of concern for "self" or protection merely of self, to that of serving something greater, this is compassion (not to be confused with love).
Compassion is strength, such as, mother Teresa working tirelessly into her 80's. The Dali Lama being able to bring positiveness to the situation in Tibet among other things.
Yes, and its a beautiful thing. Especially considering we are all caught in ignorance. Anyone not claiming this would in essence be saying they are Buddha, or Christ or Muhammad fully realized, or whoever is fully enlightened depending on one's belief or religion. In which case I would ask, why are you at an internet forum then? But truly I don't think anyone here claims to be "all seeing or all knowing" at this juncture. In which case, we are in need of the compassion of those who are further progressed and can teach us because they hold a compassion view of our ignorance.
Its said of Kuan Yin, she attained nirvana, but on looking back at sentient beings, she saw that many suffered in ignorance. She then vowed to remain in samsara to help those very beings become enlightened like her, so for this she became a Bodhisattva (the very meaning of the term is to help others) . This is a beautiful thing, I see no value in trashing it or calling it weak, it truly takes tremendous self-lessness to decide to do something like this, because nirvana was hers for the taking, yet she chose to use her realizations here and its said she manifests in any form, ...as a beggar on the street, as a business man, as a housewife, an animal... any form that is needed when needed.
Personally, I have had encounters with people at the right place and time and wondered "did this person exist as I know myself to exist?" because their appearance seemed to be for the purpose to show the way, offer a teaching, at that moment.
Now if looked at as a mere legend, its still fine because it simply demonstrates selflessness. So whether its Toltec or Buddhist belief, selflessness (lack of ego) is the qualifier. To say "I only care about my own attainments, to hell with others" this will lead to a reinforcement of ego, separateness. The idea is to let go all strong holds of self.
In Buddhism, those in cyclic exisitence use compassion, to become like the Bodhisattvas and liberate from samsara. So we are imperfect but via showing compassion we learn to let go of attachments. So compassion helps us in two ways...the compassion shown to us (or ignorance reversed), and the compassion we show in return (sharing our wisdom). Anyone who is a loving parent shows compassion, anyone who was loved by a parent was shown compassion. This does not refer to love in any negative sense, but rather anytime true selflessness was demonstrated. We see it in nature too. A mother or father will die saving the life of their offspring. Some people prefer to remove all emotion from this and say its merely the survival instinct, regardless of what one calls it, it is selflessness. A lack of concern for "self" or protection merely of self, to that of serving something greater, this is compassion (not to be confused with love).
Compassion is strength, such as, mother Teresa working tirelessly into her 80's. The Dali Lama being able to bring positiveness to the situation in Tibet among other things.