XPost: alt.philosophy.zen, alt.buddha.short.fat.guy, alt.philosophy.taoism   
   From: tanghuyen@gmail.com   
      
   On 9/14/2016 9:29 AM, Ned Ludd wrote:   
      
   > Not too bad a quote.  Too bad you weren't there to help her   
   > get rid of all basis that she stands and depends upon.   
   >   
   > She tries to "undo everything to redo everything" to be "all new"   
   > so "no trace is left", and there "shall be in myself nothing fixed".   
   >   
   > Yet she does this firmly standing on "my God", whom she sees   
   > as a "destructive spirit" and origin of "your creature" (herself),   
   > in hopes that "I shall become in you" and "take in your hand   
   > all the forms that will be convenient to your intentions."   
   >   
   > This is a variant of the famous and widely quoted (often by   
   > scoundrels) Bible verse, "Thy will be done."   
   >   
   > Because everyone who has quoted "Thy will be done", or sought   
   > to empty themselves of everything to be "all new", has lurking in   
   > their little monkey brains a firm and unshakeable idea of what   
   > God is and what God wants.  And therein lies all the sins of   
   > mankind and religion.   
      
   The quote is from Fénelon, so it should be "he".   
   But what he says is distilled from his teacher,   
   Madame Guyon, so the below applies to her also.   
      
   He has to deal with the Church, which is   
   breathing down his neck, to put it mildly, so   
   some masquerade is needed, but if "no trace is   
   left", and there "shall be in myself nothing   
   fixed", what footing does he need? The   
   openness, flexibility and plasticity, which he   
   preaches and (presumably) attains, scarcely   
   admit of any ground or abode. Perhaps he has   
   lurking in his little monkey brains a firm and   
   unshakeable idea of what God is and what God   
   wants, but if you read him, that idea of God has   
   not determination whatsoever. When he says "I   
   shall become in you" and "take in your hand all   
   the forms that will be convenient to your   
   intentions", he actually is talking about himself,   
   in closed circle, squirting out into himself and   
   oozing into existence as a creation of himself,   
   per the cycle of the Stoic God.   
      
   As to all the sins of mankind and religion, they   
   are as you take them. God has no power to   
   dictate them to you. It is like when a customer   
   walks into a bar and the barkeeper says:   
   "What is your poison?" You decide what your   
   poison is and drink it. It takes all kinds. The   
   sins that would damn you are also the sins   
   that would save you, they can go both ways,   
   and it all depends on how you take them. It   
   is not decided ahead of time. God's hand is   
   your hand.   
      
   Tang Huyen   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)