> So - which comes first the chicken or the egg? Even Tibeten Monks attend to their daily communal responsibilities while working on their spiritual growth <g>. But I do agree you, if you're not "right" with yourself nothing else works. I'm not sure who to attribute this to, but a speaker I once heard said "If you think money will solve your problems, then you haven't really defined the problem".
Ben Petersen On 24 Jul 2003, at 9:14, Jeff Ward wrote: > Ben, > > Again I agree, but the point I am really trying to make is that without > some sort of spiritual foundation (not necessarily religious) people tend > to flounder and succumb to addictions (money, sex, food etc..). And if > there is one thing that parents in this country thing this country has no > idea how to provide it is a spiritual foundation. > > So - which comes first the chicken or the egg? > > Jeff > > >Jeff, > > > >No disagreement here... but until a person turns off the TV/video game and sets > >about becoming useful and productive no one will ever know what type they are. > > > >In my view, most of our cultural messages (TV, print, etc), picked up very > >quickly by teens, gives them type A aspirations without a sense of how power > >and wealth are aquired, so in my mind, kids with questionable roll models are > >left with questionable cultural ambitions as a guide. I just saw the original > >quote as an antidote to most pop-culture materialism / sloth. > > > >Ben Petersen > > > > > > > >On 22 Jul 2003, at 13:28, Jeff Ward wrote: > > > > > Ben, > > > > > > I did say it makes some interesting points, especially not being one to sit > > > around on my a$$. > > > > > > However, in my experience there are two types of people who get off their > > > butts: > > > > > > 1. The Type A - primarily motivated by money, power, greed and the need to > > > control. Bill Gates for example. As successful as he gets it will never be > > > enough because money, like all material things, is an illusion. It will > > not fill > > > the void, it will not make you happy and in essence it becomes a false and > > > controlling god. These people end up with cancer, heart attacks, divorced, > > > bitter, suspicious etc... > > > > > > 2. The spiritual person - primarily motivated by the higher good for all. > > > Ted Turner, who I used to think along with Bill was another massive waste of > > > skin, came to the realization that more money was just that and no > > more - but > > > more money. He gave (is giving) 1 billion to the UN to assist 3rd world > > > countries. The spiritual person is calm, knows that there is something > > more than > > > this Earth, has infectious happiness and is willing to share the means of > > > getting there. > > > > > > If a person chooses to get of their ass for reason number one I would > > > rather they sit right back down. Mother Theresa was far richer than > > Bill Gates. > > > > > > Jeff > > > >
