XPost: alt.philosophy.zen, alt.society.liberalism, alt.society.kindness   
   XPost: talk.politics.theory   
   From: stumper@newvessel.com   
      
   NYC XYZ wrote:   
   > stumper wrote:   
   >>   
   >> Zen would be compassionate but ruthlessly effective.   
   >>   
   >> --   
   >> ~Stumper   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > Krishnamurti makes an interesting point concerning that sort of idea   
   > somewhere in his "Commentary on Living" Series...he asks something   
   > along the lines of, why do we consider great sacrifice and effort and   
   > hardship as having anything to do with spiritual goodness, when   
   > remarking that all ambition is evil, that ambition itself is inherently   
   > evil.   
   >   
   > Of course, you really need to refer to his actual words to get a better   
   > sense of what "ambition" and "evil" means...but I've always wondered   
   > about that: despite the beautiful nobility of Spinoza's stoic "anything   
   > worthwhile in life is rare and hard" (paraphrase, that), the Daoist "do   
   > nothing, say nothing, just be" (gross paraphrase, that) seems equally   
   > valid.   
   >   
   > Sacrifice is deceiving.  Because we are lazy, we feel we need to   
   > sacrifice and submit to discipline, values, a code of conduct.  But   
   > "laziness" isn't a quality or an actual characteristic; it's simply the   
   > lack of interest!  So why the lack of interest?   
   >   
   > When I used to go to church, the justification given as to why an   
   > all-powerful all-loving God could allow evil in the world was because   
   > He was being "ruthlessly compassionate."  I suppose Kant and Professor   
   > Pangloss are right after all: this is indeed the best of all possible   
   > worlds!  But Daoism says that, too, doesn't it?   
   >   
   > Seems that Zen is democracy and liberalism...anything which evolves is   
   > "good"...evolution can only be good, if you think about it: evolution   
   > is about selecting for the best possible fit, after all!   
   >   
      
   Most, if not all, religions are neither democratic nor liberal.   
   Zen as practiced by most is that way as well.   
      
   But, here and now appears to be democratic and liberal.   
   Do ask the enlightened about it, please.   
      
   --   
   ~Stumper   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)