Is melting into bliss states selfish?
T wrote on a list:
In my hopefully humble opinion (and let's call it spirituality and not 'religion'), there is 'doing good' and 'do-gooding.' The former is a spontaneous action arising from the Void, whose innate essence is compassion (caruna.) Do-gooding is ego- centered, and can be experienced full-blown in some missionary activities in third world countries or in society ladies' groups that like to do high-exposure social work in poor areas.
The Zen ox-herding series of drawings explain it best for me. One goes searching for the 'lost ox,' finds it, tames it, rides it home, and then carries water to the villagers on one's own shoulders. But until the 'ox' is brought home, carrying water to the villagers tends to make one grumpy and wanting to be 'noticed' and 'rewarded' in various ways. "Oh, look! He/she's helping those poor people! Isn't that just wonderful! What a saint!" The yoga of helping others triggers very high bliss states naturally, but can be just as addictive as other methods if done for the wrong reason. This is why some spiritual paths recommend making donations anonymously, and helping others in ways that don't bring attention to yourself. An example of the wrong way would be "The _________(insert family name) Foundation."
I don't see any problem increasing one's bliss tolerance and remaining a householder 'in the world.' In fact, the more tolerant of bliss I become, the more I find I can be useful to others in many small ways. As for how mankind benefits from one's meditation, I think emanating a circle of peace does help one's immediate neighborhood. This has been proven in some experiments carried out by TMers in various high-crime urban areas.
Anyway, I think you're right, T, that each has his or her own way of discovering the same truth. For this reason I avoid 'paths' as worn-out spots in the meadows of Mt. Meru. It's more ecological just to dance in the daisies, singing songs of the moment to Mother Nature! Dancing with others is even more fun!
As for institutions, religions, corporations, nations, organizations, book clubs, societies, I see them all as useless after the first few generations. In fact, I think some day when humanity becomes a little wiser, we will limit the lifespan of 'artificial entities' to the average lifespan of humans and then require that they dissolve and start over as something brand new. Otherwise we end up where we are today, with a government run by massive corporations whose accrued power and wealth is greater than that of the majority of nations.
Have you ever wondered what the need is for government by representation in an era of instant communication except to create a rationale for the Good Old Boys to belly up to the public trough and swill down more than their fair share?
Yee-haw! Send 'em out to pasture, I suggest, and we'll run the country by phone-a-vote and instant referendums!
May all of us spontaneously pure, self-reflective, temporary illusory pristine awareness embodiments achieve the highest absorption into the Void so that we can benefit all beings! That is my sincere prayer for us all.
I don't know how mankind benefits from these solitary inward journeys. The person doing them appears to, but who else, and surely the answer is not to train others to be selfish but to train others to share, and help ones fellow human beings.
In my hopefully humble opinion (and let's call it spirituality and not 'religion'), there is 'doing good' and 'do-gooding.' The former is a spontaneous action arising from the Void, whose innate essence is compassion (caruna.) Do-gooding is ego- centered, and can be experienced full-blown in some missionary activities in third world countries or in society ladies' groups that like to do high-exposure social work in poor areas.
The Zen ox-herding series of drawings explain it best for me. One goes searching for the 'lost ox,' finds it, tames it, rides it home, and then carries water to the villagers on one's own shoulders. But until the 'ox' is brought home, carrying water to the villagers tends to make one grumpy and wanting to be 'noticed' and 'rewarded' in various ways. "Oh, look! He/she's helping those poor people! Isn't that just wonderful! What a saint!" The yoga of helping others triggers very high bliss states naturally, but can be just as addictive as other methods if done for the wrong reason. This is why some spiritual paths recommend making donations anonymously, and helping others in ways that don't bring attention to yourself. An example of the wrong way would be "The _________(insert family name) Foundation."
I don't see any problem increasing one's bliss tolerance and remaining a householder 'in the world.' In fact, the more tolerant of bliss I become, the more I find I can be useful to others in many small ways. As for how mankind benefits from one's meditation, I think emanating a circle of peace does help one's immediate neighborhood. This has been proven in some experiments carried out by TMers in various high-crime urban areas.
Anyway, I think you're right, T, that each has his or her own way of discovering the same truth. For this reason I avoid 'paths' as worn-out spots in the meadows of Mt. Meru. It's more ecological just to dance in the daisies, singing songs of the moment to Mother Nature! Dancing with others is even more fun!
As for institutions, religions, corporations, nations, organizations, book clubs, societies, I see them all as useless after the first few generations. In fact, I think some day when humanity becomes a little wiser, we will limit the lifespan of 'artificial entities' to the average lifespan of humans and then require that they dissolve and start over as something brand new. Otherwise we end up where we are today, with a government run by massive corporations whose accrued power and wealth is greater than that of the majority of nations.
Have you ever wondered what the need is for government by representation in an era of instant communication except to create a rationale for the Good Old Boys to belly up to the public trough and swill down more than their fair share?
Yee-haw! Send 'em out to pasture, I suggest, and we'll run the country by phone-a-vote and instant referendums!
May all of us spontaneously pure, self-reflective, temporary illusory pristine awareness embodiments achieve the highest absorption into the Void so that we can benefit all beings! That is my sincere prayer for us all.
