Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Denver Mods 7/26/84) 6/24/83; site drutx.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!mtuxo!drutx!slb 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 (303)538-3829 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Send lawyers, guns, and money... -Warren Zevon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~