Comments for is what i do http://iswhatido.org like it says Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:50:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 Comment on My 72nd Year: Pictures, and a Story to Begin by Bookmarks Tagged Pernicious http://iswhatido.org/2007/12/29/small-world/#comment-15495 Bookmarks Tagged Pernicious Sun, 30 Dec 2007 23:12:12 +0000 http://richard.blumberg.org/2007/12/29/my-72nd-year-pictures-and-a-story-to-begin/#comment-15495 [...] bookmarks tagged pernicious My 72nd Year: Pictures, and a Story to Begin saved by 4 others     lavishcouture bookmarked on 12/30/07 | [...] [...] bookmarks tagged pernicious My 72nd Year: Pictures, and a Story to Begin saved by 4 others     lavishcouture bookmarked on 12/30/07 | [...]

]]> Comment on Generosity and orthodoxy by Comment on Generosity and orthodoxy by bill http://iswhatido.org/2005/05/07/generosity-and-orthodoxy/#comment-15493 Comment on Generosity and orthodoxy by bill Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:19:21 +0000 http://richard.blumberg.org/2005/05/07/generosity-and-orthodoxy/#comment-15493 [...]            Comment on Generosity and orthodoxy by bill Richard, I was just following some visitor activity that brought my to your response here. And I [...] [...]            Comment on Generosity and orthodoxy by bill Richard, I was just following some visitor activity that brought my to your response here. And I [...]

]]> Comment on Why and How by richard http://iswhatido.org/2005/11/09/why-and-how/#comment-73 richard Fri, 31 Mar 2006 15:28:19 +0000 http://richard.blumberg.org/2005/11/09/why-and-how/#comment-73 I have been pondering this note for days...will come up with intelligent comments soon now...Chris I have been pondering this note for days…will come up with intelligent comments soon now…Chris

]]> Comment on The Devil’s Minions by richard http://iswhatido.org/2006/03/14/the-devils-minions/#comment-71 richard Mon, 27 Mar 2006 18:37:42 +0000 http://richard.blumberg.org/2006/03/14/the-devils-minions/#comment-71 Mitch, I don't think that good and bad behavior is a matter of religion, but of ethics. And the point I was trying, more than a little facetiously, to make is that very much of the bad behavior in our world today is stimulated by men (they are almost all men) who claim to be preaching the word of God. God and the Devil do belong to religion, along with the morality over which they tussle. And we can safely ignore all of that. Ethics belongs to all of us; we can't escape it. The Buddha used terms which have been translated as "skillful" vs. "unskillful" behavior, but we are much more comfortable with good and bad, and if we accept that we are talking about our actions rather than our being, we can continue, I think, to use those terms without getting caught up in the battle between God and the Devil, and the moral duality that drives that battle. Skillful behavior, or good behavior, leads to the reduction of what is named, in Pali, <i>dukkha</i>—emotional or existential pain & suffering, dissatisfaction, frustration, anxiety, peril—the term is loaded. Unskillful behavior—harmful or hateful actions, dishonest or divisive or dismissive speech, power-mongering, sexual predation, addiction, etc.—increases <i>dukkha</i>. And all questions of good and evil, God and the Devil, aside, I think that it's clear that the men I spoke of in my post are engaged in unskillful behavior and increasing the level of <i>dukkha</i> in their own lives and the lives of everyone they touch, which, in our media-connected world, is almost everyone there is. As I said, if there were a Devil, he could not wish for more. Richard Mitch, I don’t think that good and bad behavior is a matter of religion, but of ethics. And the point I was trying, more than a little facetiously, to make is that very much of the bad behavior in our world today is stimulated by men (they are almost all men) who claim to be preaching the word of God. God and the Devil do belong to religion, along with the morality over which they tussle. And we can safely ignore all of that.

Ethics belongs to all of us; we can’t escape it. The Buddha used terms which have been translated as “skillful” vs. “unskillful” behavior, but we are much more comfortable with good and bad, and if we accept that we are talking about our actions rather than our being, we can continue, I think, to use those terms without getting caught up in the battle between God and the Devil, and the moral duality that drives that battle. Skillful behavior, or good behavior, leads to the reduction of what is named, in Pali, dukkha—emotional or existential pain & suffering, dissatisfaction, frustration, anxiety, peril—the term is loaded. Unskillful behavior—harmful or hateful actions, dishonest or divisive or dismissive speech, power-mongering, sexual predation, addiction, etc.—increases dukkha. And all questions of good and evil, God and the Devil, aside, I think that it’s clear that the men I spoke of in my post are engaged in unskillful behavior and increasing the level of dukkha in their own lives and the lives of everyone they touch, which, in our media-connected world, is almost everyone there is. As I said, if there were a Devil, he could not wish for more.

Richard

]]> Comment on The Devil’s Minions by mitch http://iswhatido.org/2006/03/14/the-devils-minions/#comment-70 mitch Mon, 27 Mar 2006 17:27:31 +0000 http://richard.blumberg.org/2006/03/14/the-devils-minions/#comment-70 attractive notion. but there seems such a strong morality lurking in it. where's that from? upon what is that based? isn't it in part (though, of course, not exclusively nor even originally) Christian? (Slovoj Zizek: "Today, this properly Christian ethical stance survives mostly in atheism.") Don't we risk ending up with an opposition of the Godly (tolerance, protection of the environment, etc.) and ungodly -- a good and evil -- that is rather religious? attractive notion. but there seems such a strong morality lurking in it. where’s that from? upon what is that based? isn’t it in part (though, of course, not exclusively nor even originally) Christian? (Slovoj Zizek: “Today, this properly Christian ethical stance survives mostly in atheism.”) Don’t we risk ending up with an opposition of the Godly (tolerance, protection of the environment, etc.) and ungodly — a good and evil — that is rather religious?

]]> Comment on The Three Divine Messengers by Alex http://iswhatido.org/2005/11/23/the-three-divine-messengers/#comment-69 Alex Sat, 18 Feb 2006 09:40:01 +0000 http://richard.blumberg.org/2005/11/23/the-three-divine-messengers/#comment-69 I think it is useful to replace 'Yama' with 'Self'. In death, we are presented with all glory, love, and judgement, our own self, with no distractions, no sensory perception but our own mind! I think it is useful to replace ‘Yama’ with ‘Self’. In death, we are presented with all glory, love, and judgement, our own self, with no distractions, no sensory perception but our own mind!

]]> Comment on Generosity and orthodoxy by bill http://iswhatido.org/2005/05/07/generosity-and-orthodoxy/#comment-56 bill Fri, 27 Jan 2006 05:27:49 +0000 http://richard.blumberg.org/2005/05/07/generosity-and-orthodoxy/#comment-56 Richard, I was just following some visitor activity that brought my to your response here. And I wanted to remark, as I should have the first time, that you pack a lot of wisdom into this response. It may very well be Generosity that separates us from mere animalistic impulse. bill Richard,

I was just following some visitor activity that brought my to your response here. And I wanted to remark, as I should have the first time, that you pack a lot of wisdom into this response.

It may very well be Generosity that separates us from mere animalistic impulse.

bill

]]> Comment on God 1, Sharon 0 by ErikCincinnati http://iswhatido.org/2006/01/06/god-1-sharon-0/#comment-53 ErikCincinnati Sat, 14 Jan 2006 21:51:54 +0000 http://richard.blumberg.org/2006/01/06/god-1-sharon-0/#comment-53 Having attending parochial schools for most of my K-12 I was required (and didn't really mind) to read and study the bible (as well a comparative religious study - those enlighten Marianists). The thing that amazes me about Pat R. (and the so-called religious right) is that his politics and speeches haven't reached the New Testament where a God of unconditional compassion, understanding, and forgiveness is revealed to the world. Where does Jesus strike down his enemies with a stoke? I really hope Pat R. and the 700 crowed catch up to the Women at the Well, the Beatitudes, Easter, and the Good Samaritan if they are going to keep representing themselves as Christians. Of course I guess a TV show about forgiving people, learning to love your enemies, sacrificing for the poor, etc wouldn't get the same following as the 700 Club... Having attending parochial schools for most of my K-12 I was required (and didn’t really mind) to read and study the bible (as well a comparative religious study - those enlighten Marianists). The thing that amazes me about Pat R. (and the so-called religious right) is that his politics and speeches haven’t reached the New Testament where a God of unconditional compassion, understanding, and forgiveness is revealed to the world.

Where does Jesus strike down his enemies with a stoke?

I really hope Pat R. and the 700 crowed catch up to the Women at the Well, the Beatitudes, Easter, and the Good Samaritan if they are going to keep representing themselves as Christians.

Of course I guess a TV show about forgiving people, learning to love your enemies, sacrificing for the poor, etc wouldn’t get the same following as the 700 Club…

]]> Comment on God 1, Sharon 0 by richard http://iswhatido.org/2006/01/06/god-1-sharon-0/#comment-52 richard Sat, 07 Jan 2006 12:41:58 +0000 http://richard.blumberg.org/2006/01/06/god-1-sharon-0/#comment-52 All conspiracy theories are cool. On the other hand.... Arafat and Sharon were both old men, over-stressed and out-of-shape; I don't know that you need any theory at all to explain Arafat's death or Sharon's stroke. As for "most of the entrenched impediments to Middle Eastern peace" being "out of the way", the strongest impediment to peace of any sort is still very much with us. He is a mighty God; vengeance is his. And Pat Robertson is His prophet. Richard All conspiracy theories are cool.

On the other hand….

Arafat and Sharon were both old men, over-stressed and out-of-shape; I don’t know that you need any theory at all to explain Arafat’s death or Sharon’s stroke.

As for “most of the entrenched impediments to Middle Eastern peace” being “out of the way”, the strongest impediment to peace of any sort is still very much with us. He is a mighty God; vengeance is his.

And Pat Robertson is His prophet.

Richard

]]> Comment on God 1, Sharon 0 by bill http://iswhatido.org/2006/01/06/god-1-sharon-0/#comment-51 bill Sat, 07 Jan 2006 05:31:33 +0000 http://richard.blumberg.org/2006/01/06/god-1-sharon-0/#comment-51 Richard, I'm no conspiracy freak. But I can't help noting the strange coincidences. The Taliban is taken out in late 2001 and bin Laden begins a life long run for his life (if he's still alive). Next, Saddam Hussein is taken out of power in 2003. Then Arafat dies in late 2004 with Sharon following a little more than a year later, in very early 2006. About Four years. Some might say that most of the entrenched impediments to Middle Eastern peace are out of the way, or put on notice. And in such a short amount of time, given the long decades that this struggle has continued. What do you think? Doesn't this make a cool conspiracy theory? Richard,

I’m no conspiracy freak. But I can’t help noting the strange coincidences. The Taliban is taken out in late 2001 and bin Laden begins a life long run for his life (if he’s still alive). Next, Saddam Hussein is taken out of power in 2003. Then Arafat dies in late 2004 with Sharon following a little more than a year later, in very early 2006. About Four years.

Some might say that most of the entrenched impediments to Middle Eastern peace are out of the way, or put on notice. And in such a short amount of time, given the long decades that this struggle has continued.

What do you think? Doesn’t this make a cool conspiracy theory?

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