Introspection

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Posts by Introspection

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  Sirona, about duality..

  by Introspection in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi, i thought this should really be in a separate thread... i dont think that part of duality is "bad" as such.

  i accept the bad as necessary.

  i can't see how duality itself could be bad - im not sure if you mean the fact it exists is bad or that people believe it exists is bad.

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  Introspection

  Hi Sirona,

  Just a quick note before I head to work, maybe I'll write a bit more later.

  Why do we want a perfect world anyway?

  Well, to be frank I no longer see things through the JW world view so it's hard for me to address your reply, (I really don't use the word perfection much) but a short answer to that question is compassion, from the perspective of relieving suffering.

  I agree that yin and yang is natural, (I have an interest in Taoism) but only from the perspective of the relative. But I do not believe it applies to the "western" idea of good and evil, I think such an application is a misconception based on my understanding of the Chinese language (my native tongue) if you go with Taoist ideas.

  Of course, people for the most part is going to have the same thinking as you mentioned, but it doesn't hurt to introduce the non-dual perspective. I'm guessing because you are relatively new to the board you have not seen this quote I've used before, so I'll end the message with this for now..

  "Love your neighbor as yourself means your neighbor is yourself, and that recognition of oneness is love." -Eckhart Tolle
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  21

  Reasons for Leaving JWs/Fatal Flaw

  by patio34 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i ran across this in "river out of eden" by richard dawkins (pgs 131-132) yesterday and it accurately sums up why i left jws 9 months ago and, essentially, belief in a creator:.

  re dna survivial: 'when the utility function-that which is being maximized--is dna survival, this is not a recipe for happiness.

  so long as dna is passed on, it does not matter who or what gets hurt in the process.

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  Introspection

  Hi Pat, just one thing:

  Genes don't care about suffering, because they don't are about anthing.

  Maybe the question is, do we care?
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  12

  frustration

  by Esmeralda in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  i just hate the way that so many people treat eachother, inside the org and out.

  it bothers me so much, the way many treat eachother in this forum.. i hate all the baggage that we leave the organization with.

  does anyone ever really get rid of it all?.

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  Introspection

  Hi Esmeralda,

  Well the common view is that we're the interaction of genetics and environmental influences. But even if you think you have some kind of JW genes I really don't think those factors are all there is.

  Although we are in a unique situation, there are other people who come from a past that is difficult, whether it is a restrictive religious group or something else. What is encouraging to me is not the fact that people who used to be witnesses get over it, but the fact that people from all different backgrounds do.

  I think the key to getting rid of the baggage is to own it, and then to understand it. To me the most valuable form of support is not the type where you all sit around and go "yeap.." like Hank and friends in King of the Hills, because all you have then is a bunch of people who are in the same boat, and if you're a bunch of people who are just going over it over and over again then it most likely will not help you to get over it. What I think is valuable is a conversation like this, where we're supporting each other in looking at these things consciously. I think what's hard isn't really the fact that the baggage is there, it's been there for a while for most. But to really look at it for what it is, that's not a pleasant thing to do. For that matter, if we have our own baggage then looking at other people's on top of that is all the more overwhelming. So as Path said, sometimes it's best to take a break from it all.
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  2

  Sirona, about duality..

  by Introspection in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi, i thought this should really be in a separate thread... i dont think that part of duality is "bad" as such.

  i accept the bad as necessary.

  i can't see how duality itself could be bad - im not sure if you mean the fact it exists is bad or that people believe it exists is bad.

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  2. 
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  Introspection

  Hi, I thought this should really be in a separate thread..

  I dont think that part of duality is "bad" as such. I accept the bad as necessary. I can't see how duality itself could be bad - Im not sure if you mean the fact it exists is bad or that people believe it exists is bad.

  I just cant see there being a world where there is no negative. E.g. the negative is often what challenges us and pushes us to change things. Thats just one example.

  Well, I'm not so sure about that. I don't know if good and evil as we know it fit into that model. But to answer your first question, I meant that people believe it exists is bad. However, it is all a matter of perspective I think.

  But even if you work with the model of polarity, why does it have to be the negative in the sense of bad things happening in the world that drives us? I tend to think of the duality of known/not known, there is a lot to discover. If we can get over the good and bad business maybe life would be more interesting..
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  God Holds Press Conference

  by Eyebrow in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i found this hilarious article on the onion.com.

  this is a great news satire site.

  the link is below, but i copied and pasted it here also.. http://www.theonion.com/onion3734/god_clarifies_dont_kill.html.

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  Introspection

  Hi Eye, I came across that a while back. Good stuff there eh?
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  151

  Intro's quote-o-rama

  by Introspection in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  i guess i've been inspired by stephen's quote threads, so i'm going to start one myself.. not one particular author here, just whatever i can find:.

  q: why do you think that people are so protective of their egos?

  why is it so hard to let go of one's ego?.

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  Introspection

  When we reflect on what we are doing in our everyday life, we are always ashamed of ourselves. One of my students wrote to me saying, "You sent me a calendar, and I am trying to follow the good mottoes which appear on each page. But the year has hardly begun, and already I have failed!" Dogen-zenji said, "Shoshaku jushaku." Shaku generally means "mistake" or "wrong." Shoshaku jushaku means "to succeed wrong with wrong," or one continuous mistake. According to Dogen, one continuous mistake can also be Zen. A Zen master's life could be said to be so many years of shoshaku jushaku. This means so many years of one single-minded effort.

  We say, "A good father is not a good father." Do you understand? One who thinks he is a good father is not a good father; one who thinks he is a good husband is not a good husband. One who thinks he is one of the worst husbands may be a good one if he is always trying to be a good husband with a single-hearted effort.

  -Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki

  "Living your life is a task so difficult, it has never been attempted before."
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  30

  A Note From Maximus To You All

  by hillary_step in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many of you have wondered where maximus has been the past while and i would like, with his permission, to fill you in on a few details that will shed a light his recent sabbatical.. maximus and others have been working for some while on his book which i can assure you will bring some very interesting information regarding wts issues into the public arena.

  without giving too much away, the book will be unique in the sense that it will embody theology with personal experience and present a helping hand through the process of challenging wts theology in a practical way, to establishing a meaningful and fulfilling life after the wts, if a person so chooses to walk this path.

  many who know maximus personally will validate the fact that he has a vast fund of knowledge and experience of wts life and that he wishes to use this to heal rather than to further enflame.. the book which is still in its embryonic phase, will be the first of a number of projects developed by a new publishing company to aid those who are undergoing crisis in their lives, whether theologically or emotionally.

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  Introspection

  Is Max's email open here? Would just like to say a few words to wish him well directly..

  "Living your life is a task so difficult, it has never been attempted before."
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  79

  When God created Adm, did he knw that Adam wd sin?

  by D wiltshire in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when god created adam and eve did he foreknow that they would sin?.

  this is taken from the reasoning book:.

  when god created adam, did he know that adam would sin?.

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  Introspection

  Hi Sirona,

  Things in this world exist in polarity - each extreme complimenting the other. Light / Dark, Day/ Night, Good / Bad, Hot / Cold.

  Here's a thought.. Rather than viewing part of the duality as bad, what if duality itself is what is "bad" ? Anyways, I guess it's really another subject..

  "Living your life is a task so difficult, it has never been attempted before."
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  79

  When God created Adm, did he knw that Adam wd sin?

  by D wiltshire in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when god created adam and eve did he foreknow that they would sin?.

  this is taken from the reasoning book:.

  when god created adam, did he know that adam would sin?.

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  Introspection

  Well okay let me put it this way.. As Jan pointed out you either have it all laid out already or not, there is either free will or not.. It occurs to me that all this is based on the idea that God is separate from humans. It's this external idea, like you and me, we're two different individuals so we both have free will, I can't raise your arm without you letting me. What if that's not the way it is? That's what I mean by distinct but not separate. So if we are actually "one with God", it's like a case of denial in a sense.. Make sense?

  "Living your life is a task so difficult, it has never been attempted before."
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  79

  When God created Adm, did he knw that Adam wd sin?

  by D wiltshire in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when god created adam and eve did he foreknow that they would sin?.

  this is taken from the reasoning book:.

  when god created adam, did he know that adam would sin?.

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  Introspection

  I just want to see what other people think, maybe someone will say something that will make me think.

  lol, I guess I'm not doing a very good job. If you want though we can discuss this in email so as to allow other thoughts here. As Jan pointed out it does put free will out there, and the issue of omniscience and omnipotence is all related to this question.

  "Living your life is a task so difficult, it has never been attempted before."