- Joined
- 08 Dec 04
- Moves
- 100919
A young Chinaman lived on a farm with his father. One day a wild horse found it's way into the farmer's gate. The young Chinaman, seeing this marvelous specimen of a horse took this opportunity and closed the gate.
The town folk gathered at the farmers gate and responded "What a great horse you have found. What good luck you have.This is good."
The next day, the farmers son, decided to mount the horse. But being a wild horse, the young man struggled to stay on but was thrown to the ground.
The father came out and found his son with a broken leg. The breaking of the horse would have to wait.
The next day, the town folk gathered at the farmers gate, and seeing the son with a broken leg, they responded..."We thought that this was a good thing, but now it seems we were wrong....this is bad. It's too bad that this horse came here."
A short time later the Emperor went to war. He demanded all the young men had to join his army and prepare for war. Any that refused would suffer harsh consequences. The farmers son with a broken leg was excused because of his injury.
The next day the town folk gathered at the farmers gate, and responded.." This is good after all, the horse and your son breaking his leg was a most fortunate thing. Now your son is spared from going to war."
Meanwhile the Emperor and his army fought a great fight and were victorious. It was a splendid battle, with only minor casualties. The Emperor was so overwhelmed with his men, that he promised each man 50 acres of undeveloped land!
There was celebration and a great national sense of pride.
The farmer, of course, didn't get anything because his son was excused.
Soon after, the town folk gathered at the farmers gate and responded..." This is bad after all. It's too bad this horse came here. Your son broke his leg and could not go to battle with us and receive 50 acres of land...this is bad after all."
The moral of the story?...We don't always know what is good or bad for us.
😉
True, any opinion is based on your feeling/instinct because there's no way of determining what is good or bad. The essence of buddhism is doing what you feel is right instead of what you think is right. Because thinking cannot determine what is right or wrong. Every human has this same instinct/feeling. If they are free of all the nonsense that goes though they minds they will all come the the same conclusions about whats wrong or right. Once you realise this you will realise that there is no single human ego.
Originally posted by LordOfTheChessboardWhen I do something while I feel angry? Is it also good?
True, any opinion is based on your feeling/instinct because there's no way of determining what is good or bad. The essence of buddhism is doing what you feel is right instead of what you think is right. Because thinking cannot determine what is right or wrong. Every human has this same instinct/feeling. If they are free of all the nonsense that ...[text shortened]... whats wrong or right. Once you realise this you will realise that there is no single human ego.
Originally posted by HalitoseNonsense is trying to get the awnser to awnserless questions like. "Whats the meaning of life?"
How would I identify between sense and nonsense?
Or making prejudices, trying to have the impossible like eternal life in the religious context, or trying to have power over another while the only thing you have power over is your own mind, etc.
Originally posted by LordOfTheChessboardNonsense is being vague, no?
Nonsense is trying to get the awnser to awnserless questions like. "Whats the meaning of life?"
Or making prejudices, trying to have the impossible like eternal life in the religious context, or trying to have power over another while the only thing you have power over is your own mind, etc.
Great story and discussion.
It is as if we walk around with this Greek chorus in our heads, constantly crying "Hooray!!" or "Boo!!" as our immediate situation changes. This Greek chorus creates 'good,' 'bad,' 'lucky,' 'unfortunate,' 'auspicious,' and 'right' or 'wrong.' It is the product of thinking.
Even in the reasonable posts by the Lord of the Chessboard, he speaks of doing what 'feels right,' which is the product of thinking. In Buddhist practice, one learns not to check one's thinking or one's feelings for what to do next. Halitose, I ask you, how do you know when you feel 'angry?'
The principle is that when one drops their particular identity and becomes intimate with the absolute, wisdom and morality are spontaneous, and do not arise from any idea or intellectual understanding, but from a deeper place in our consciousness.
A brief summation like that doesn't really do the subject justice; my apologies.
Originally posted by AlgernonHalitose, I ask you, how do you know when you feel 'angry?'
Great story and discussion.
It is as if we walk around with this Greek chorus in our heads, constantly crying "Hooray!!" or "Boo!!" as our immediate situation changes. This Greek chorus creates 'good,' 'bad,' 'lucky,' 'unfortunate,' 'auspicious,' and 'right' or 'wrong.' It is the product of thinking.
Even in the reasonable posts ...[text shortened]... ciousness.
A brief summation like that doesn't really do the subject justice; my apologies.
Increase in heart rate. Burning sensation at the tips of my ears. Overwhelming feeling of injustice and embarrassment. Clenching of the teeth. This is usually followed by a boisterous verbal and then possibly physical response.
Originally posted by HalitoseRight. These are all symptoms which, in your thinking, you associate with an emotion you label 'anger.' Anger is a reference point created by our intelligence. So, for that matter, is 'I.'
[b]Halitose, I ask you, how do you know when you feel 'angry?'
Increase in heart rate. Burning sensation at the tips of my ears. Overwhelming feeling of injustice and embarrassment. Clenching of the teeth. This is usually followed by a boisterous verbal and then possibly physical response.[/b]
This is not an argument that 'anger' is meaningless, or that it is bad to feel anger, or anything like that. Just pointing out its nature: the product of thinking.