--- In [email protected], Kristy McClain <healthyplay1@...> wrote:
>
> Steve,
> Â
> Reflecting, my heart tells me to share something else. In my life
> experience, I have learned that enabling others to stay in their own
> behaviors, addictions, bigotry, violence and the like, by soothing them or
> offering a "soft-spot-to-land" rarely works. More often than not, in due
> time--they are worse off later on, and they created more chaos and
> suffering for self and others.
> Â
> Holding one's own, and others feet to the fire as they say can be the among
> the most effective way to "wake them up"-- before they suffer tragic life
> consequences. We just witnessed something here in AZ.  I admit that I
> don't understand ideas like karma /re-birth. I shut up and learn when
> discussions about lineages, practices, historical accounts and so on
> dominate the thread-line. I'm here to learn, and do--as time permits.
> Â
> That said, while I deeply understand your point on evoking hate,
> greed, delusion, and negativity, I think my perspective is a bit
> different. I don't believe that avoiding or preventing all suffering is
> a good thing. We all have to be confronted with our own hate, greed,
> delusion in order to recognize it in ourselves, and find a means to resolve
> it peacefully. It is, in my view, confronting the shadows within that serve
> us--and others. I realized some years ago that being the warmest,
> sweetest, gentlest person is not authentic with who I am, or why I exist in
> this incarnation. I am very loving-- but indeed, confronting. While it
> doesn't always taste good to others, my role is as necessary as any other.
> Â
> Beyond that, I don't always do the right thing. I am mindful of the
> instruction, "First-- do no harm".  I apologize if I did so here.   k
> Â
>
Hi Kristy. Oh, I don't think that we should enable negative behaviors in
others! If you were to take karate lessons from me I don't think you would find
me to be the sort who wants to give everyone a soft landing! LOL! But before
you can fix other people you have to fix yourself. As long as you are
acting-out knee-jerk addictions to hate, greed and delusion, you will not be
able to see clearly to "remove the splinter from your brother's eye". But we
are all in this together, and have to find ways to help ourselves and others to
see clearly. When I talk about release from suffering, I certainly don't mean
coddling either ourselves or others. I'm not advocating escapism, but insight.
Sometimes this means confronting others with their negativity in direct and
forceful ways. But one must always be careful not to just act-out one's own
negative conditioning in the process. Very, very difficult. IMO.
Steve
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