Comments for All Considering

Comment on Good and Evil – useful categories? by al puglisi

al puglisi — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:48:54 +0000

Good and Evil are a matter of action coupled with motive, not of being, IMHO.
We can do good things, this does not make us good people. We can do bad things, this does not make us bad people. Most people do good and bad things. What does that make us. I think we can classify actions as good or evil, but that is a tricky endeavour, and we must be careful. Case in point: happened in my city not long ago…a woman shoots her husband. Evil? He was in the process of killing their little toddler at the time..Good?
I think to say, as postmodernists do, there is no good and there is no evil is a dangerous sidewalk to trip along.
But either good or evil is not a matter of persons, but of actions and motives.

Comment on Is spirituality a lifestyle or a quest? by al puglisi

al puglisi — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:39:27 +0000

I had been studying Buddhism for some while. Then a friend said to me , “Isn’t it time to practice.”
Point taken.
Spirituality is a lifestyle. though we need to accumulate the information to prepare us to live the lifestyle. A lot of people, however,(like I was doing) just continue to accumulate information rather than begin the practice.
The “quest” is the goal at the end of the lifestyle.

Comment on KH, Koot Hoomi and Katinka Hesselink by al puglisi

al puglisi — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:53:40 +0000

Go for it.

Comment on KH, Koot Hoomi and Katinka Hesselink by David Melik

David Melik — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:57:37 +0000

If you were thinking of ‘[wearing] it proudly like some divine acknowledgment’ you could go by ‘Ms./Miss KH,’ though the first or both could be about as confusing.

Comment on KH, Koot Hoomi and Katinka Hesselink by David Melik

David Melik — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:54:06 +0000

Half the reason (besides as a joke) I called you ‘KH-ji’ once was because you used the nickname ‘kh7′… I do not recall if you ever did for anything Theosophy-related, but I thought other Theosophists might know if you did. I have little answer to your question except ‘do whatever you like,’ but probably do not go by ‘KH’ in Theosophical circles–however you prefer to respond when people call you ‘KH’ publicly there.

Comment on Did Buddhism win the best Religion of the world award? by RAJA WAQAR

RAJA WAQAR — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:06:16 +0000

Well all of you are i think dumb.buddhisht is not a very good religion when its come infront of ISLAM.Islam is the most popular and fastly spreading religion in the world.

Comment on Karma in the Bhagavad Gita by Katinka - Spirituality

Katinka - Spirituality — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:03:54 +0000

Wordpress, which I use as a blogging platform, automatically decides which posts are going through, which are going to be moderated, and which will be labeled ’spam’. Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing personal.
As long as your comments don’t go into the spam cue, they WILL appear on my blog as long as they are on topic. It may just take a while.

Comment on Karma in the Bhagavad Gita by Satish Bhat

Satish Bhat — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:43:36 +0000

Dear Katinka
I did not realize that my expressions were on the border of moderation. I just wrote out whatever came to my mind. In fact, to be moderate in whatever one does is an important message of Bhagavad Gita (verse 6.7). It just shows how much more I have to travel. Not only I must get exposed to the messages, I must also assimilate them and express them as my own. Yes, that is the formula – exposure, assimilation and expression. One thing is sure – it is fun all along.
Dear Katinka, thanx for pointing out my lapses so kindly. I may not be able to write as well as you do – but, I can surely admire those of you who are doing it so well. Through your web, you are doing a good job – helping those who want such help. As for me, even if I do not fare as well – it matters not. My joy is in doing my karma – it is prevalent both in success and failure – which, incidentally, is another message of Bhagavad Gita (verse 2.48).

Keep up your good work.
Satish

Comment on New online February 2010 – spiritual newsletter by Spiritual Jewelry

Spiritual Jewelry — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:45:39 +0000

Congratulations on your decision for making the trip to India, I hope your spirit will be overwhelmed with fulfillment!!

Comment on Karma in the Bhagavad Gita by Satish Bhat

Satish Bhat — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:43:38 +0000

Dear Katinka

You have a joyful way of presenting your thoughts which has filled me with equal joy. And yes, may folks like you continue to inspire the rest – the mundane and the under privileged. About Bhagavad Gita —

For Arjuna it was a dilemma of killing his own grandfather and teacher (Bheeshma and Drona). That was a relative or particular issue of Arjuna alone. It cannot be understood by this, that Bhagavad Gita deals with war! In fact, at many places in Bhagavad Gita Krishna advocates ahimsa – non-violence. Then the question arises – what is the relevance of this case to us? (chapter 2 & 3)

Arjuna had to do something and he did not like to do it. In life, I am always torn between what I ‘like to do’ and what is ‘right to do’. If the two match, well and good. More often, they are different or even contradictory. This results in conflicts of propriety. How to overcome my ‘likes and dislikes’ and be given to the path of ‘right and wrong’ is the message of Bhagavad Gita. (chapter 3 & 4)

For that, Krishna brings the concept of Soul. In its absolute level, the Soul acts not and it enjoys not. It is above the body, mind and intelligence. At the same time, it is the repository of all joy. From this, one has to draw and unearth and also harness the inner potentials and rise above the ordinary. (chapter 2)

There is a way of acting without getting afflicted by the actions or by the results – even if the path be arduous and results negative. This secret of becoming independent of results and deriving joy of actions when the actions are current, in progress, is the message of Bhagavad Gita. (chapter 3)

All joy is inner – mind based. There is a way of drawing that joy incessantly, like drinking nectar, without any effort. It is joy of meditation. This makes one free of external, sensory thrills. One becomes free. This is the message of Bhagavad Gita. (chapter 6)

Nowhere in Bhagavad Gita Krishna advocates worshipping God, as an external deity. Instead, he says – find Him in the visible world, right in front of your own eyes. It leads one to sovereign, secular life. This is the message of Bhagavad Gita. (chapter 7)

Devotion belongs to the devotee. It has nothing to do with God. The qualities that a devotee should cultivate and express are more important than the worship he performs. These qualities, enumerated in Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says will make a devotee dear to God! This is the message of Bhagavad Gita. (chapter 12)

Human fulfillment lies in discovering the inner potential. He who discovers that he has a body, mind and intelligence and hence is beyond the body, mind and intelligence is free – this is the message of Bhagavad Gita. (chapter 13, 15 & 18)

Enjoy that freedom – that absoluteness.