OK. I capitulate - my analogy has been demolished into quarks
Lou Gold wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 5:57 pm
I'm reporting to you that your choice of lingo consistently reveals an ascent bias. You do not say:
I'm speaking of something so elementary obvious. To me it feels like: - It's getting hot in here, mind if I bring the the AC few degrees down?
This is the difference that makes the difference.
I could have given the same example as yours. That was not the point. It was that whatever we do, we must make a step in a
given direction and in this act we
prioritize it over
all other directions. And if someone wants to play opposition they can always say "Why exactly this direction? Why neglect so easily all other?"
Lou Gold wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 5:08 pm
In no sense do I challenge your experience. I'm reporting my experiential response to your judgemental -- higher/lower, superior/inferior -- interpretive lingo, which is the kind of view that can throw the baby out with the bath by viewing a child primarily as an incomplete adult. Jesus correctly advices that to gain entry to heaven, "be as a child" because, as Suzuki Roshi observed, a "beginner's mind" (judgement free) is the port of entry to learning. Finding "best fit" in a dynamic system requires that models be loosely held.
My child-example was about the specific context of education. And not even speaking of the 'evil' indoctrination-education of our age. Isn't it true that a child does not yet understand all the consequences of its actions. If a child is left on its own it may watch TV or play on its tablet all day long. Isn't it the role of the parent to guide the child, even if it feels this as a restriction at the given time? It's not about demeaning the child but by helping it develop the needed qualities to become a reasonable and beneficial for the whole, human being. I'm not advocating that the child should be converted into dull, close-minded, dry adult. We've been through this before when I said that we should retain the innocent, pure and open heart of the child. But as far as the mind goes, there are things that the child simply has to learn, like the most basic thing - to be able to provide its food. You said it yourself "the beginner's mind is the
entry to learning". Nowhere it's said that we should remain at the level of judgment free but ignorant mind. This is not what Jesus advised. We should keep our flexibility when judging about reality but our knowledge and wisdom must clearly increase, otherwise there's no learning. Even in the world of animals the little have to learn the basic skills before they are weaned by their mother.
Leaving aside the failed heat analogy. Speaking directly. How it is worse for humanity if individuals strive fully consciously to better themselves, to rectify their flaws, to achieve broader and less prejudiced view, to study the visible and invisible laws of Nature and the Cosmos, to strive for healthy and functional life, to seek the common Center that unifies and gives Life? Yes, this is "one-sided" in the sense that there are countless other ways. But how can this be 'dangerous' or lead to evil? How can conscious striving for Love, Wisdom, Truth, Brotherhood, Freedom somehow lead to evil? While if we integrate and make room for evil (through white/dark balance), this somehow magically leads to the virtues mentioned? Seriously, I simply don't get the logic here.
I'm speaking of something so elementary obvious. To me it feels like:
