Theos-Talk Archives (March 1995 Message tl00288)

Paul? Bazzer> If it is the general feeling on theos-l that my
comments are seen to be "sarcasm" or flippant (ie an endeavour to
undermine the purpose of the discussion) I will unsubscribe
*immediately*.

Even if the "general feeling" were negative, pay it little mind.
To speak out, to discuss, to argue can be helpful to those many
silent ones on this or any list.  Those of us who make the most
noise are not to be feared or propitiated.  Relax.  Life, whether
off or on line, has pain and pleasure in a mix.  To crave the
sweet and abhor the bitter is normal.  But it is our great
failing, as Buddha and many others have pointed out.  Try not to
lust too much for comfort, nor to push away the unpleasant.

One of my favorite stories, (from which ancient culture I don't
know) has to do with just how to handle this problem.

Long, long ago there was a village that was settled in the midst
of vast rocky plain.  For as far as the eye could see were
nothing but sharp shards as terrain.  Many a village sage had put
forward a solution on how to tread on this most painful earth.
One of the wisest suggested skinning their cattle and sewing
together the skins to make a gigantic rug surrounding the
village.  But their herd was not that large and the sun, rain &
snow would destroy their small carpet virtually every year.

But the daughter of one the ladies sewing together the carpet had
the best idea.  She said to the elders: "Why could we not take
small pieces of leather and wrap them around our feet? Would we
not need far less cattle skins and then we could make our
moccasins thick and keep them soft with oils?"

Needless to say she was an incarnation of the Goddess of Wisdom.

The moral is: change yourself, not your environment; it is the
only practical, long term solution.

Nicholas