Theos-Talk Archives (April 1996 Message tl00687)

At 06:39 PM 4/17/96 -0400, you wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>cut<<<<<<
>>>>>cut again<<<<<
>
>Would there not be a time before a person becomes naturally selfless where
>intention is the way to get there? I have always understood that all the
>various religions and philosophies were an attempt by different avenues to
>teach some sort of ethics in the hope of creating brotherhood among self
>seeking humanity. There is still a large portion of humanity that believe in
>I'm ok Jack and that is all that matters.

That's perfectly true. Aristotle said" One should practice to seem what one
wishes to actually be, and then by practice and the experience of an entire
life, one becomes what one seems". Actually that is a paraphrase rather than
a direct quote. However, the goal is to be altruistic without any thought at
all.
>>

>Maybe some of them are sitting in a hot place wondering what went wrong with
>their intentions. Some of those may have surcomed to their power positions
>and lost sight of their intentions. Getting power does funny things to
>people as I am sure we have all witnessed.

"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely", of course Lord
Acton was completely right. But many people do seek power for its own sake
an, it seems to me, thereby knowingly reach for corruption at the same time,
>>
>
>Being naturally good is, of course, the ultimate but spiritually good seems
>more selfless perhaps. I assume that threading the 'path' is having
>intentions to become a better person and thereby arrive at a place outside
>of all these methods, intentions and whatevers used to get there. I agree
>that it has to come from the heart naturally or else doing good run into
>trouble.

Right you are!
>>
>
>As I understand it, the result is influenced by the intention, if there is
>one, and so the forces put into being that is called the result may not
>generate other 'good' forces from it if there is no selfless component to
>the original cause of that result.
>Oh dear, that is a convoluted sentence. Never mind I am sure you know what I
>mean.

Well it's a convoluted problem. For instance, if you feed a starving person
from less than altruistic motivation they still get fed. People who do good
things from less than perfect intentions, still do "good things" the people
they benefit are still benefitted, but the "doer" benefits less spiritually
than they do publically. "When you give alms, let not thy left hand know
what thy right hand doeth, that the Father who seeth thee privily, will
reward thee for all to see".

alexis dolgorukii
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>>alexis
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>Bee Brown
>Member TSNZ,Wanganui Branch.
>Theos Int & L
>
>