"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." - Mark Twain
"Sacred cows make the best hamburger." - Mark Twain On Sep 8, 11:06 am, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > Extra credit, no doubt... > > > > On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 2:02 PM, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Quite lovely Vam - thank heavens I now have inadequate energy for such > > cosmic questing! Altruistic animals can logically survive as the > > advantage they give is to a group which thus is more likely to survive > > than groups without it. I read somewhere of women who become > > 'promiscuous' when pregnant - explained as 'wanting the fish for the > > baby brought by the lover' (altruism on behalf of the off-spring or > > them selfish genes acting from the womb?). I remember a good > > socialist friend who never quite realised it might just be altruistic > > to let others do something to please him because of the pleasure they > > would get. There are complex rules of the gift in 'primitive' > > societies - the giving giving an obligation. There can be pleasure in > > giving pleasure. I would have been a bad client for prostitutes, > > given my aversity to short time and forced labour. Slip points out > > that the good guys finish last, and I was never premature. Tit for > > tat is often the best strategy once the free-riders are spotted and > > ignored. No doubt we are transactional. Given we are deceivers, how > > do we tell much about much? Knowledge of likelihood of fair return in > > a world admitting to selfishness might lead to the trust to do > > something rather than just subsist. Fair return might well be linked > > to spiritual rules in a community, even law. We should do more in > > life to find our sweet spots and beware the ghastly feigning of > > sincerity of the Blairs and TV presenters - and the meritocracy of the > > selfish. This may lead us to the selfish pleasures of helping - a > > state entirely different from selfish ripping-off. The pursuit of the > > extirpation of metaphysics is, of course, metaphysical. Not all > > selfishness is the same. Origins are noble and ignoble. > > > Yup Molly - Rand isn't as 'straw' as she can be made out to be. The > > worst people I have met have had low self-esteem yet regarded > > themselves as superior to others. I shall exit stage left for a night > > of altruistic passion based on a woman daft enough to buy the drinks > > as part of her selfish plan to glean pleasure credits from me ... > > > On 8 Sep, 17:42, Vam <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Another way describing the ' leela ' of ( Maya and ) Brahman, as it > > > appears : > > > > " Maithun - The bliss in union of Purush ( Self ) and Prakriti ( His > > > Nature ) is Maithun. These Purush and Prakriti tattwas ( potencies ) > > > are active in sadhaks ( seeker's ) own body. On one side of Abyakta > > > Peetha ( Unmanifest playground ... Mind ! ? ) is prakriti tattwa and > > > another side is purusha. The creation and destruction process of this > > > universe are but various bliss currents of this union. When sadhaka > > > crosses the barrier of the "Ahang Granthi" ( the self - ego - > > > consciousness, the idea of oneself ), the entire universe becomes his > > > playground and he can directly feel the unified bliss of purusha and > > > prakriti in the cosmos. This is maithun ( the act of interpenetration, > > > unification ). A fraction of this bliss is present in the > > > "Milan" ( intercourse ) of a man and a woman. Hence every Jiva > > > ( individuated being, one with the idea of oneself ) is so much > > > attracted and attached to." > > > > " ... The inclusion of actual sex in tantra may be due to buddhist > > > influence." > > > > The translations in ( ) are mine. > > > > On Sep 8, 9:02 pm, frantheman <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > On 8 Sep., 16:54, Pat <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Funny thing, though, altruism, in a monistic system, is the > > > > height > > > > > > of selfishness. But, of course, that's EVERY reason to perform > > > > > altruistic acts because it's how we treat others that is how we treat > > > > > ourselves. > > > > > Or you could describe monism as being supremely, divinely > > > > masturbatory ... God playing with him/her/itself :-) > > > > > Francis- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
