Will You Be Taken Advantage of If...

bomohwkl · Post: # 1873Post **bomohwkl** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 10:54 pm

According to TP

When you push away your neighbours, your son or your daughter - if you aren’t always ready to help even those whom you don’t like, you contribute to the disintegration of your civilisation.
It requires that people rise above hate, resentment, jealousy and envy, and that each person, whether he be street sweeper or community leader, put his neighbour before himself,offering his hand to whoever needs it.
‘Everyone has need, both physically and mentally, of his neighbour’s friendship - not only on your planet, but on all planets.

Wouldn't someone will take advantage of you? What happen if your offering of your hand to whoever needs it, throw you back with lack of respect, acceptance and appreciation? Would you still offering help to them? Would they take a chance to take advantage of you?
I wonder......

Yothu · Post: # 1874Post **Yothu** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 6:15 pm

well, yeah, thats the problem. many people mistake kindness for blindness.

how do you rise above hate, envy, jealousy, etc? Is Is it individual effort?

Guest · Post: # 1875Post **Guest** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 12:20 am

If it were so simple, we would all be getting along now woulden't we.

Perhaps it is a complex problem with a solution to simple to install.

Vesko · Post: # 1881Post **Vesko** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 9:24 am

yothu wrote:well, yeah, thats the problem. many people mistake kindness for blindness.

how do you rise above hate, envy, jealousy, etc? Is Is it individual effort?

You are definitely right that kindness is often mistaken for blindness, or lack of sophistication. "If (someone) knew more, he wouldn't be doing (some form of help, kindness or good deed) to other people who just take advantage of them." Those who say that, of course, rarely help, and when they do it, they expect their favor, etc. to be paid back in the future. I know too many examples of this. It's an ugly, depressing situation -- "Planet of Sorrows"...

bomohwkl · Post: # 1882Post **bomohwkl** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 9:48 am

Of course, we shouldn't expect anything in return. However, to ellicit highest feeling from us, it looks so difficult when what you have given is not appreciated and returned you with direspect and lack of acceptance. Would you like to spend more time with this kind of people??

FRom Gospel of Thomas

For this reason I say, if the owners of a house know that a thief is coming, they will be on guard before the thief arrives and will not let the thief break into their house (their domain) and steal their possessions.

As for you, then, be on guard against the world. Prepare yourselves with great strength, so the robbers can't find a way to get to you, for the trouble you expect will come.

It sounds like we need to know how to protect ourselves.

Kestrel · Post: # 1883Post **Kestrel** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 9:29 pm

Think about it.

Is it true, that we are getting nothing in return when we offer our assistance to another individual?

Are we not all young individuals here on the first stage ? What we do today affects us tommrow, correct. Think about it, perhaps we've gained much. Experince to help understand something.

Lachie · Post: # 1884Post **Lachie** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 5:36 am

If that is the case, why love when you may not be loved in return? Why extend a hand when it may be knocked away?

Its hard, i know. Perhaps Tom's "baby" metaphor comes to mind... if you offer a baby some assistance, and he ignores it, prefering to blithely struggle onwards... thats his choice and is to be admired and respected.

My father has a small business, and has set up a chunk of that business in my name. He keeps hoping against hope that i will take the business and build it into an empire. He doesnt realise that i will never do it, because i enjoy the challenge of learning and forging onwards by myself. the fun of taking this world by the hands and making your own life out of it - well, thats what life is about.

You may ask - it's much harder when loved ones push you away! What to do then? My answer would be: cultivate a healthy attitude of detachment. That allows you to love somebody even when they don't love you back.

Lachie

bomohwkl · Post: # 1885Post **bomohwkl** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 9:32 am

i don't think we should simply help those that requested help. What happen when someone requested help form you to destroy the ecosystem or to fullfill ego-selfish needs (taking reveng, helping to hurt someone)? You might not know what are thier hidden motives when you are offering the help , when discovered, you feel taken advamntage of. Your help in fact causes more suffering in the world. I think as long as the help is compatiable with the purposes of the universe, it should be given if it is against it, we have the right not to assist. I think it is also the way the higher-self providesassistance when help is requested.

Yothu · Post: # 1886Post **Yothu** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 10:08 pm

Vesko wrote:It's an ugly, depressing situation -- "Planet of Sorrows"...

That is exactly what I think sometime and what makes me sad despite how interesting and cheerful my life can be.
If you think of the truth of some things then any smile will disappear from your face.

Lachie · Post: # 1887Post **Lachie** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 11:43 pm

See - i can't understand that... people get so sad about things. Sure, it's a planet of sorrows and sure, there are ppl being butchered and all that ***. But generally you can find things that make you happy, right? If you look hard enough? I'm sure Tom has got a modicum of happiness on his property. He's found something sustainable that he can enjoy. this is the same challenge that faces all of us.

Lachie

Kestrel · Post: # 1888Post **Kestrel** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 11:44 pm

I look at this earthy every day and just wonder. How did we let things get this way ?

Especially in my country, were suppose to be role models for the world. We cant think of anything better than the thought of owning a Cadaillac Escalade or a 8 MPG H2 Hummer. We're suppose to be so great. Yet, we are so illogical. The motives around here are absolutly terrible. I laugh when they tell me that George W. Bush "The most powerfull man on earth".

Kind of off subject however.

Thats great advice lachlie.

I also think that it is in our intrest to show love, even when love is not returned. I at least would like to try this, it sounds good to me. I know that I cannot expect anything from some people, however these individuals are on the same planet as I, there for I think I should try to co-exsist in the best possible way imaginable even if they are not intrested.

Yothu · Post: # 1889Post **Yothu** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 7:07 am

Lachie wrote:But generally you can find things that make you happy, right? If you look hard enough? this is the same challenge that faces all of us.

you mean "cut the 'politics' and focus on your own life", yes?
Makes sense to me.

If I understand correctly, ultimately it is sufficient to focus your attention on things that make you happy. And/or at least enhance your perception in a way that the positive 'prevails'.

Meedan · Post: # 1890Post **Meedan** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 10:09 am

I agree Lachie. A bit off-topic, and I know that nobody in this topic was saying that they were actually sad though. But:

TFOC even says this when it is referring to Buddha's rules about suffering. Suffering is there to be overcome. We can complain about the state of the planet and civilisations, but we ourselves should be aiming for happiness, whatever situation we are in. Horrible situations and suffering are two independent things. Since suffering is a state of mind, it is always possible to reduce/remove suffering from within your mind alone.

'Conscious' existence - whatever we think it is - is truly an amazing experience. Enjoy consciousness at least.

So, I'm sure Vesko didn't mean that he himself is depressed by this 'Planet of Sorrows', but yes the situation on Earth is not ideal

.

Perhaps better words for that original statement from Michel could have been 'co-operate' and 'love'. As Tom points out, 'helping' is not always beneficial.

Kestrel · Post: # 1899Post **Kestrel** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 9:36 pm

Here is a concept.

We cant always "help" an individual. (Like meedan said) Sometimes we can only show them that we care and love them however we cannot help them. The reasons for failure to help could be many.

bomohwkl · Post: # 1901Post **bomohwkl** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 11:00 pm

Today at 6pm, there was a group of teenager barring me from walking home.They were asking me 20p with excuse of calling home.Of course, I know I can give them 20p.Whether their motives of requesting money were sincere or not was questionable.Furthermore, their behaviour of barring me from walking after refusal of giving them just 20p frustrated me and made me more doubtful of their sincerity.It is against my principle of life of cultivating the mentality that "you are automatically saved when mistakes are made".Furthermore such behaviour is widespread in my area. I used this opportunity to highlight their actions by shouting that "Consider your own consequences of your actions.If you never consider, your actions will cause your own suffering. Rather than remove your suffering by giving 20p, you need to learn the lesson of life if not you will never learn."I am sure that they were a bit "pissed off" of what I said. They just left me.