The Paradox of our times.

[Tony]

This was posted yesterday....I like it!

THE PARADOX OF OUR TIMES

Is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers
Wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints
We spend more, but we have less.

We have bigger houses, but smaller families
More conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees, but less sense
More knowledge, but less judgement
More experts, but more problems
More medicines, but less wellness.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often
We have learnt how to make a living, but not a life.
We have added years to life, but not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back
But have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbour.
We have conquered outer space, but not inner space.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted our soul.
We've split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We've higher incomes, but lower morals.
We've become long on quantity but short on quality.

These are the times of tall men, and short character;
Steep profits, and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare,
More leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition.

These are the days of two incomes, but more divorces;
Of fancier houses, but broken homes.
It is a time when there is much in the show window, and nothing in the stockroom.

A time when technology can bring this letter to you,

And a time when you can choose,

Either to make a difference .... or just hit, delete.


- His Holiness the Dalai Lama

[Lord Sidious]

We have far more than our ancestors and are far less ''happy'' than they were too.
We know in our souls what the problem is, yet we try to ''fool'' ourselves.
And we wonder why chaos, hunger and sickness is widespread.
The external is a larger representation of the internal.
Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith.

[Sniffity]

I do have to point out that 'We have bigger houses, but smaller families' is wrong though. although it is true for some places, where i live we have bigger families but smaller houses. Although I think that it has a lovely point XD Thanks for putting that up x

[Tony]

I totally agree with LS.

We have been led into a dream/nightmare,
got too familiar with it,
and now cherish our servitude.

What to do about it?

I suppose just do our bit,
Without causing more problems
by over reacting, which only serves
to make the dream real.

Knowing we are fools,
is the first step.

All the best to you,
Tony

[shijo]

We have far more than our ancestors and are far less ''happy'' than they were too.
We know in our souls what the problem is, yet we try to ''fool'' ourselves.
And we wonder why chaos, hunger and sickness is widespread.
The external is a larger representation of the internal.
Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith.
Totally agree with the Sith Lord,theres a principal extrapolated by Tien Tai from the Lotus Sutra and promulgated by Nichiren,that life and its enviroment appear to be two seperate phenomena but in the depths of our being are in fact one.So what we do in our practise/meditation does manifest in the enviroment for the betterment of this world.Old Master Jung said it in more recent times that at bottom psyche is merely world.

[Tony]

There are two realities, the seeming and the real.


What's the worse thing that can happen to you? A. You don't change.
What's the best thing that can happen to you? A. You don't change.

Question one relates to a fabricated self.
Question two relates to our essential nature.

This is where the two truths have to seen separately, and then seen as a unity. They each ave a purpose, they relate to each other. Conventional truth has no true existence, but its nature is absolute truth. Because this wisdom goes unnoticed, we become overactive, and so we suffer. We have a choice in which world we choose to live in. If ignorance woke up, it would see that it was enlightened. In one you just go round in circles, the other you do not have to go anywhere!

To quote from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream:

“If we shadows have offended
Think but this- and all is mended
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear
And this weak and idle theme
No more yielding but a dream.”

Puck

..................................................... Of course there is an alternative approach to letting be....”phukit!”

[Guest]

When His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited Los Angeles California he stated, "This is the angriest city I have ever been in -too many of the people their minds are very angry."

Nora

we are all related

[Tony]

When His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited Los Angeles California he stated, "This is the angriest city I have ever been in -too many of the people their minds are very angry."

Nora

we are all related

Dear Nora,
You are right, we are all related. This anger spreads throughout the family, and it keeps the whole world in a state of strife.
Any anger or dislike... is a reflection of hatred, but we never notice our own! We are too quick to anger, as if it were a righteous thing.

There is only one thing that can counteract this, and everyone knows what that is!!!
Anger will never make us happy, and everyone knows what will!!!
It's the stuff the universe is made of, and we all know what that is!!!
The powers that control want us to be angry, and we all know what to do about it!!!

Just do it.