Theos-Talk Archives (December 1995 Message tl00058)

Jerry S:

>>You make a good point here that we should be responsive to someone's
>>*intent* and not what they literally say. If someone is wanting
>>sympathy and a shoulder to cry on the appropriate reply would be
>>different than if they were seeking to understand *why* something
>>happened.

>This is exactly the point that I tried to make awhile back
>about the necessity for at least some psychism. The only way to
>know how to really help a person is to be able to look into his/her
>heart and sense what is wrong and what the real need is.

To truly know a person and look into their heart requires empathy
a direct-connectedness that resides in Buddhi. We need to put ourselves
in that person's place by realizing how we are connected with that
person. Using psychism looking at their physical appearance listening
to what they say we can gather *external clues* to what is going on.
But it's in our direct experience of oneness with the other person
in which we really know what is needed.

-- Eldon