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> > http://www.wie.org/j22/stacey.asp?page=6 > > > Stacey Heartspring Encounters the Postmodern Craze of Neo-Advaita > > A Truly Imaginary Spiritual Satire > > 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 > > > ESTHER: And, anyway, in certain areas of the world a very different > value is placed on human life. Very different "laws" exist in > different areas of the world. What one culture sees as bad, another > finds quite acceptable. You may say they are wrong, but who made you > the morals police? . . . The actions themselves aren't the problem. > It's the belief systems that accompany actions that are the problem. > > (. . . Esther, that is music to my ears! After all, it is all > relative, a matter of perception, a point of view.) > > STACEY: Who's that?! The Marquis de Sade, the notorious and > scandalous French author?! Well, for obvious reasons, you most > certainly were not invited. But since you made the trip all the way > from the eighteenth century, what have you got to add? > > MARQUIS DE SADE: Stacey, you're already outnumbered. And, I'm sorry, > but I'm going to add insult to injury. I agree with Esther. Similar > to the concepts of virtue and vice, [justice and injustice] are > purely local and geographical; that which is vicious in Paris turns > up, as we know, a virtue in Peking . . . that which is just in > Isfahan they call unjust in Copenhagen. . . . Justice has no real > existence . . . . So let us abandon our belief in this fiction, it no > more exists than does the God of whom fools believe it the image: > there is no God in this world, neither is there virtue, neither is > there justice; there is nothing good, useful, or necessary but our > passions. . . . [And] the idea of God is the sole wrong for which I > cannot forgive mankind. . . . > > ESTHER: The misinterpretations [of God] that have been given to the > various world religions have come about because man wanted to have a > reason for everything. If you ask me, the religions that teach you > that God created you sinful, so that He can save you depict a pretty > sadistic God. > > DE SADE: Ah, sadism . . . well, we are no guiltier for following the > primitive impulses that govern us than is the Nile for her floods or > the sea for her waves. . . . All universal moral principles are idle > fantasies. > > ESTHER: Right, and to understand this is to realize that guilt is > just a fanciful notion and that it has absolutely no validity. > > STACEY: No guilt? No moral principles? But, what about all the awful > events in the world? I mean, just look at what happened to all those > people in the World Trade Center— > > WAYNE: Stacey, I recently explained in a workshop that from the point > of view of the bacteria that got to feed on those bodies, it > certainly wasn't a tragedy, so who are we to judge what's right or > wrong? > > STACEY: What?!! I mean, all those innocent people! It was an > unspeakable act, the most shocking— > > TONY: Well, if you want to call it a sin, Stacey, from an advaita > point of view, all concepts of good or bad, original sin, karma or > debt of any kind are products of an unawakened mind. . . . > > FRANCIS: The only sin is to take oneself for a sinner. . . . There is > no point in condemning oneself as a sinner or in trying to change > oneself. Sense of guilt and desire to change also reinforce the ego. > > TONY: And, for that matter when [Christ] told people their sins were > forgiven, he was really saying to them that they had never had a past > that they could be held responsible for. They had simply been > characters lived through by the infinite, never having had any choice > or free will. > > STACEY: Tony, are you serious? You know, I'm Jewish, so no, I didn't > go to Sunday school and I'm hardly an authority, but I'll be damned > if Jesus ever meant anything like that! He really should have the > opportunity to respond to this, but I just don't have the courage to > invite Him to join us. I'm afraid of what He would do! And far from > being uplifted by all this, I'm starting to find it really > depressing. > > ESTHER: Stacey, actually what is "depressing" is the misperception > that you need to care and that things need to matter. You see if you > understand that your True nature IS neutrality, caring and making > things matter is really missing the mark. > > STACEY: But I can't not care. Aren't care and love important, you > know, in a human way? And for that matter, what about God? Doesn't > most everyone say, "God is Love"? > > ESTHER: When it is said that "God is Love," the word love signifies > neutrality. It has nothing to do with the opposite of hate. God is > just another word for neutrality, and neutrality denotes "not helping > or supporting either of two opposing sides. . . ." > > And remember, there is no point, no purpose, and no meaning. . . . > You think of caring as something important because you misunderstand > caring to mean "something to do with the heart." > > [ continue ] > 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 > Subscribe to What Is Enlightenment? magazine today and get 40% off > the cover price. > > Subscribe Give a gift Renew Subscribe > --- End forwarded message --- To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
