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From: slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Omnipotence, justice, and suffering
Message-ID: <3209@drutx.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 10-Jul-85 12:50:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: drutx.3209
Posted: Wed Jul 10 12:50:38 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 12-Jul-85 01:52:59 EDT
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
Lines: 56

Me:

>> "You are like a man who is shot with a poison arrow.
>> He is taken to the doctor, who is about to pull out the arrow so that
>> the poison cannot further enter his bloodstream.  But the man refuses
>> to have the arrow removed until he knows all about how the arrow came
>> to be in him.  He wants to know the name of the man who shot him, his
>> caste, his hometown, his mother's maiden name, and what he had for
>> breakfast.  The man will die before he knows these things.  Likewise, 
>> you will die before you know the answers to those questions.  But you do 
>> know how to remove the arrow of suffering."

Rich Rosen:
>
>I think I'd choose to have the arrow removed at the time, but that wouldn't
>stop me from going back to the same glade and risking getting shot with a
>similar arrow again, if the goal was worth attaining.
>

I agree.  And that brings up an interesting point. The main difference
between the Theraveda and Mahayana schools of Buddhism is that the
Theraveda school emphasizes each person removing the arrow and not
looking back.  In the Mahayana, one stops short of removal (or returns
after enlightenment) and vows to help all other beings to achieve 
the same thing before going on.  In that case, the goal is certainly
worth it.

The analogy given is that of a walled garden.  Three men climb the wall
and look in.  They see the most beautiful garden possible.  Two climb
in, but the third runs back to help everyone else find the garden.  That
third one is a Bodhisatva.  (Are you a Bodhisatva, Rich?)

That's one reason I usually favor Mahayana.  Also, it's always seemed to
me that Mahayana Buddhists have more fun :-).  Theraveda is probably
more "pure"--closer to the original faith--but it can be rather stark 
and sometimes self-indulgent, at least to me.  

And, yes, Rich, I also tend to want both happiness and suffering.
I avoid a lot of things which lead to enlightenment.  Guess I
feel about my spiritual life a lot like St. Augustine felt about 
chastity: "Lord, grant me chastity, but not yet."  :-)

-- 

                                     Sue Brezden
                                     
Real World: Room 1B17                Net World: ihnp4!drutx!slb
            AT&T Information Systems
            11900 North Pecos
            Westminster, Co. 80234
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