Comments on: The World Is Right Because I Feel Good – Anthony de Mello http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/ Teachings on Spiritual Awakening and Enlightenment Sun, 03 Jul 2011 12:24:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Evan http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-1077 Evan Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:55:34 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-1077 Hi Eric, If suffering is an illusion. Then compassion and the desire to end suffering is delusory. I don't find this to be the case. In your example there's no point throwing a rope if the quicksand doesn't exist. My feeling is thay you too have a caring heart. I think we need to build on this basis. But that for me means that compassion and suffering are real. <em>Evan's last blog post..<a href='http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Wellbeingandhealthnet/~3/345157292/' rel="nofollow">Making Money From Blogging</a></em> Hi Eric,

If suffering is an illusion. Then compassion and the desire to end suffering is delusory. I don’t find this to be the case.

In your example there’s no point throwing a rope if the quicksand doesn’t exist.

My feeling is thay you too have a caring heart. I think we need to build on this basis. But that for me means that compassion and suffering are real.

Evan’s last blog post..Making Money From Blogging

]]> By: Eric Phinney http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-1076 Eric Phinney Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:39:15 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-1076 @Evan: If you can be unhappy enough to remove another's unhappiness more power to you. I have found this not to be the case though. True compassion must be founded in the realization that all suffering is illusion. This does not preclude our desire to end suffering but rather gives us a more realistic starting point for action. We can help by pointing the way and being there for the sufferer when they want assistance. Think of it as if a friend was sinking in quicksand; do you jump in to save her or do you stand on solid, unshakable ground and throw out a lifeline? It is obvious from your posts that you truly care about people and that fact alone will lead you to your answer of how to best put your compassion to use. Never, never stop caring. It has been my realization of late that our thoughts may be where we live but our hearts are who we are and you my friend seem to have a big heart. Namaste....... @Evan: If you can be unhappy enough to remove another’s unhappiness more power to you. I have found this not to be the case though. True compassion must be founded in the realization that all suffering is illusion. This does not preclude our desire to end suffering but rather gives us a more realistic starting point for action.
We can help by pointing the way and being there for the sufferer when they want assistance. Think of it as if a friend was sinking in quicksand; do you jump in to save her or do you stand on solid, unshakable ground and throw out a lifeline? It is obvious from your posts that you truly care about people and that fact alone will lead you to your answer of how to best put your compassion to use. Never, never stop caring. It has been my realization of late that our thoughts may be where we live but our hearts are who we are and you my friend seem to have a big heart. Namaste…….

]]> By: Davidya http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-878 Davidya Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:28:13 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-878 @TOm - even better put. For some reason, your post didn't appear when I was by. @TOm – even better put. For some reason, your post didn’t appear when I was by.

]]> By: Davidya http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-877 Davidya Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:20:50 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-877 @Evan - in what way does feeling guilty help injustice or suffering? You cannot solve a problem from the level of the problem. Getting clear and connecting with the inner self brings you greater creativity and energy. It also happens to bring with it increasing happiness. This is nothing to do with the state of the world. It is happiness within, an inner power that is not overshadowed by the dramas of the world. From that place, one is much more effective and much better able to rise above issues and find solutions. It's a win win choice. Its also worthwhile noting that what you put your attention on grows stronger, so if you dwell on injustice and suffering, you are giving it more energy. You are helping keep it real. If you instead focus on solutions, you are helping solve. It's the difference between anti-war and pro-peace. True happiness is not the opposite of suffering. True happiness is a direct experience of what is, beyond duality. <em>Davidya's last blog post..<a href='http://in2deep.wordpress.com/2008/06/17/the-rapture/' rel="nofollow">The Rapture</a></em> @Evan – in what way does feeling guilty help injustice or suffering? You cannot solve a problem from the level of the problem. Getting clear and connecting with the inner self brings you greater creativity and energy. It also happens to bring with it increasing happiness.

This is nothing to do with the state of the world. It is happiness within, an inner power that is not overshadowed by the dramas of the world. From that place, one is much more effective and much better able to rise above issues and find solutions.

It’s a win win choice.

Its also worthwhile noting that what you put your attention on grows stronger, so if you dwell on injustice and suffering, you are giving it more energy. You are helping keep it real. If you instead focus on solutions, you are helping solve. It’s the difference between anti-war and pro-peace.

True happiness is not the opposite of suffering. True happiness is a direct experience of what is, beyond duality.

Davidya’s last blog post..The Rapture

]]> By: Tom Stine http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-873 Tom Stine Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:04:07 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-873 @Evan Of course! Where is it written that one must be sad to deal with injustice? The best way to deal with injustice to be internally at peace. Undivided. Unconflicted. If you come from a place of Oneness with everything, a place where you see the Truth about the victim and perpetrator of injustice, then you can do more to make a difference. It doesn't take anger and outrage to heal the world, it takes love. Many a Jesus scholar has labeled Jesus as a social revolutionary, someone who fought injustice with radical ideas. I cannot see Jesus in anyway but happy, supremely happy, peaceful. And in the face of utter horror, hanging from a cross, he had such peace and love for others that he forgave his tormentors. "Forgive them for they know not what they do." The Buddha the same. In the Buddhist "scriptures" you find statement after statement that the "Enlightened One" (a Buddha) experiences nothing but joy, no matter what. Please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying that one will not feel the pain, feel the hurt, feel the suffering. But if you have awakened to the truth, you are a deep, limitless space that can absorb anything. And have it never dent your joy and love. Limitless love. Able to handle the most outrageous suffering. Not in denial. But in acceptance, understanding, peace. @Evan Of course! Where is it written that one must be sad to deal with injustice? The best way to deal with injustice to be internally at peace. Undivided. Unconflicted. If you come from a place of Oneness with everything, a place where you see the Truth about the victim and perpetrator of injustice, then you can do more to make a difference. It doesn’t take anger and outrage to heal the world, it takes love.

Many a Jesus scholar has labeled Jesus as a social revolutionary, someone who fought injustice with radical ideas. I cannot see Jesus in anyway but happy, supremely happy, peaceful. And in the face of utter horror, hanging from a cross, he had such peace and love for others that he forgave his tormentors. “Forgive them for they know not what they do.”

The Buddha the same. In the Buddhist “scriptures” you find statement after statement that the “Enlightened One” (a Buddha) experiences nothing but joy, no matter what.

Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying that one will not feel the pain, feel the hurt, feel the suffering. But if you have awakened to the truth, you are a deep, limitless space that can absorb anything. And have it never dent your joy and love. Limitless love. Able to handle the most outrageous suffering. Not in denial. But in acceptance, understanding, peace.

]]> By: Evan http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-871 Evan Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:25:44 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-871 You really think it is good to be happy when confronted by injustice and awful suffering? <em>Evan's last blog post..<a href='http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Wellbeingandhealthnet/~3/314230620/' rel="nofollow">Aging Well</a></em> You really think it is good to be happy when confronted by injustice and awful suffering?

Evan’s last blog post..Aging Well

]]> By: Tom Stine http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-868 Tom Stine Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:31:50 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-868 My take on this quote is that de Mello is simply pointing us away from where we are usually looking: outside of us. We look outside to see what is wrong. We look outside to find happiness. But instead, we find what is "wrong" inside of us. It is simply our mistaken thoughts. Our beliefs in what isn't true. All de Mello is doing is changing your focus. Kind of like Jesus (de Mello was a Jesuit, by the way): why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye when you don't see the log in your own eye. Same message! Namaste everyone. :-) My take on this quote is that de Mello is simply pointing us away from where we are usually looking: outside of us. We look outside to see what is wrong. We look outside to find happiness. But instead, we find what is “wrong” inside of us. It is simply our mistaken thoughts. Our beliefs in what isn’t true. All de Mello is doing is changing your focus. Kind of like Jesus (de Mello was a Jesuit, by the way): why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye when you don’t see the log in your own eye. Same message! Namaste everyone. :-)

]]> By: Tom Stine http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-867 Tom Stine Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:29:00 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-867 @Barbara No need to try to be happy. You can't make yourself happy. instead, you can let go of the mental blocks to the happiness that you already are. That's all you "need" to do. But happy is a result, not a goal, nor something you need to do. Just let it happen. @Barbara No need to try to be happy. You can’t make yourself happy. instead, you can let go of the mental blocks to the happiness that you already are. That’s all you “need” to do. But happy is a result, not a goal, nor something you need to do. Just let it happen.

]]> By: Tom Stine http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-865 Tom Stine Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:24:44 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-865 @Evan Personally, I would love to see people always happy. Just because you are happy doesn't make you indifferent. Misery is not required to care. Love is all you really need. If you love, you love. The joy springs from the love. The love sends you out into the world to do what your thing is to do. @Davidya I really like de Mello. Cool dude. @Evan Personally, I would love to see people always happy. Just because you are happy doesn’t make you indifferent. Misery is not required to care. Love is all you really need. If you love, you love. The joy springs from the love. The love sends you out into the world to do what your thing is to do.

@Davidya I really like de Mello. Cool dude.

]]> By: Barbara http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-863 Barbara Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:38:12 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-863 Davidya, even I'm finding this hard to believe I am saying this! Because I tend to be in the I don't know state more often than other feeling/knowing states. But I really like not obliging oneself to be happy, allowing it instead. It does seem a burden one places on oneself to be responsible for making 'me' happy. Or putting the burden elsewhwere. Both things it also seems I've attempted over and over without lasting success. Tom, it sounds very much like those affirmations I struggled over several days ago, doesn't it? Only this time with at least a settled attitude. Davidya, even I’m finding this hard to believe I am saying this! Because I tend to be in the I don’t know state more often than other feeling/knowing states.

But I really like not obliging oneself to be happy, allowing it instead. It does seem a burden one places on oneself to be responsible for making ‘me’ happy. Or putting the burden elsewhwere. Both things it also seems I’ve attempted over and over without lasting success.

Tom, it sounds very much like those affirmations I struggled over several days ago, doesn’t it? Only this time with at least a settled attitude.

]]> By: Davidya http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-860 Davidya Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:41:30 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-860 Great quote, by the way Tom (laughs) <em>Davidya's last blog post..<a href='http://in2deep.wordpress.com/2008/06/17/the-rapture/' rel="nofollow">The Rapture</a></em> Great quote, by the way Tom (laughs)

Davidya’s last blog post..The Rapture

]]> By: Davidya http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-859 Davidya Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:40:31 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-859 @Evan - why would you not want to be happy? This doesn't mean dopey or bliss cadet. True happiness arises deep within and is unshaken by events of the world. Even for a warrior. The Bhagavad Gita goes into that. Its very simple really. The world is vibration, kinetic energy. When we drop the barriers, we can experience that directly. And it is bliss. Without end. As to the "I", language sometimes fails. First there is an I who experiences happiness. Then there is no I, only an apparent I. That which experiences happiness is not the "I". Then the I returns but now as the cosmic I, the I that is all I's. And ears ;-) @Jarrod - yes responsible. But in a way just to experience what is. Not to oblige ourselves to be happy. More to allow it. <em>Davidya's last blog post..<a href='http://in2deep.wordpress.com/2008/06/17/the-rapture/' rel="nofollow">The Rapture</a></em> @Evan – why would you not want to be happy? This doesn’t mean dopey or bliss cadet. True happiness arises deep within and is unshaken by events of the world. Even for a warrior. The Bhagavad Gita goes into that.

Its very simple really. The world is vibration, kinetic energy. When we drop the barriers, we can experience that directly. And it is bliss. Without end.

As to the “I”, language sometimes fails. First there is an I who experiences happiness. Then there is no I, only an apparent I. That which experiences happiness is not the “I”. Then the I returns but now as the cosmic I, the I that is all I’s. And ears ;-)

@Jarrod – yes responsible. But in a way just to experience what is. Not to oblige ourselves to be happy. More to allow it.

Davidya’s last blog post..The Rapture

]]> By: Evan http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-854 Evan Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:44:23 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-854 Do we really want people who can be happy wherever/whatever? Is this different to crass insensitivity? Perhaps for warrior development - cheerfully slicing people's heads off. Not sure I regard this as desirable though. <em>Evan's last blog post..<a href='http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Wellbeingandhealthnet/~3/312720484/' rel="nofollow">Leave as Soon as You Can</a></em> Do we really want people who can be happy wherever/whatever?

Is this different to crass insensitivity?

Perhaps for warrior development – cheerfully slicing people’s heads off. Not sure I regard this as desirable though.

Evan’s last blog post..Leave as Soon as You Can

]]> By: Tom Stine http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-853 Tom Stine Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:56:12 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-853 @Evan They do say there is no I, and it is a bit inconsistent. Too bad. Because that's the real key. @Jarrod Nice to have your comment. Welcome! You know, in one sense, I tend to agree with you. There is very little "happiness" that has ever come at from the outside world. It would appear that, for the most part, I'm not going to be happy unless I "do" something about it. The real question, though, is what to do? As you can guess, I have some ideas. :-) @Evan They do say there is no I, and it is a bit inconsistent. Too bad. Because that’s the real key.

@Jarrod Nice to have your comment. Welcome! You know, in one sense, I tend to agree with you. There is very little “happiness” that has ever come at from the outside world. It would appear that, for the most part, I’m not going to be happy unless I “do” something about it. The real question, though, is what to do? As you can guess, I have some ideas. :-)

]]> By: Jarrod - WarriorDevelopment http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-852 Jarrod - WarriorDevelopment Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:07:34 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-852 You are absolutely responsible for your own happiness. <em>Jarrod - WarriorDevelopment's last blog post..<a href='http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WarriorDevelopment/~3/312555372/' rel="nofollow">Living your Passion</a></em> You are absolutely responsible for your own happiness.

Jarrod – WarriorDevelopment’s last blog post..Living your Passion

]]> By: Evan http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/comment-page-1/#comment-851 Evan Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:03:25 +0000 http://tomstine.com/the-world-is-right-de-mello/#comment-851 The mystics also say, inconsistently, that there is no I. <em>Evan's last blog post..<a href='http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Wellbeingandhealthnet/~3/312720484/' rel="nofollow">Leave as Soon as You Can</a></em> The mystics also say, inconsistently, that there is no I.

Evan’s last blog post..Leave as Soon as You Can

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