Universal Spiritual Qualities

[Sky Dancer]

So is the pope. ....and look at the things he has been up to all his life..

My point is.... no one is perfect. Including the lama. I am sure he has his lapses just as all humans have.

He strives to have those qualities.... he work's at it. That makes the "qualities" nothing more then ideals to work towards.

OK. I'm going to stop, so that I'm not arguing with you. I didn't say HH the Dalai Lama was perfect. He's not a god. He's a man. He happens to be a very spiritual developed man.

The truth is, we have to practice these qualities daily and demonstrate them in our daily lives.

There are areas of my life where I demonstrate these qualities. Internet posting, unfortunately, hasn't been one of them.

And there it is in a nut shell. Patrice.... not innately have.

by the way...i did not think we were arguing. You opened a thread of discussion.

OK, I'm trying not to argue. I love to argue too.

Practicing these qualities, patience, generosity, love, compassion, joy, equanimity, wisdom is moment to moment.

 

[syrenn]

OK. I'm going to stop, so that I'm not arguing with you. I didn't say HH the Dalai Lama was perfect. He's not a god. He's a man. He happens to be a very spiritual developed man.

The truth is, we have to practice these qualities daily and demonstrate them in our daily lives.

There are areas of my life where I demonstrate these qualities. Internet posting, unfortunately, hasn't been one of them.

And there it is in a nut shell. Patrice.... not innately have.

by the way...i did not think we were arguing. You opened a thread of discussion.

OK, I'm trying not to argue. I love to argue too.

Practicing these qualities, patience, generosity, love, compassion, joy, equanimity, wisdom is moment to moment.

agreed... so it is not something you have... it is something you work toward.... an ideal of what you think the religions ....is.

 

[Sky Dancer]

And there it is in a nut shell. Patrice.... not innately have.

by the way...i did not think we were arguing. You opened a thread of discussion.

OK, I'm trying not to argue. I love to argue too.

Practicing these qualities, patience, generosity, love, compassion, joy, equanimity, wisdom is moment to moment.

agreed... so it is not something you have... it is something you work toward.... an ideal of what you think the religions ....is.

Love and compassion CAN be something you have, as a quality. It is not just an ideal. It has nothing to do with religion.

 

[syrenn]

OK, I'm trying not to argue. I love to argue too.

Practicing these qualities, patience, generosity, love, compassion, joy, equanimity, wisdom is moment to moment.

agreed... so it is not something you have... it is something you work toward.... an ideal of what you think the religions ....is.

Love and compassion CAN be something you have, as a quality. It is not just an ideal. It has nothing to do with religion.

yes..you CAN have them...but


question.... are people perfect 100% of their lives?

If the answer is no.. then that means that there are lapses in the love and compassion...... so it is still an ideal to work toward. Religion....or not.

 

[Sky Dancer]

agreed... so it is not something you have... it is something you work toward.... an ideal of what you think the religions ....is.

Love and compassion CAN be something you have, as a quality. It is not just an ideal. It has nothing to do with religion.

yes..you CAN have them...but


question.... are people perfect 100% of their lives?

If the answer is no.. then that means that there are lapses in the love and compassion...... so it is still an ideal to work toward. Religion....or not.

That's true. It's moment to moment. Enlightenment doesn't mean that you are free every single moment from having a bad feeling.

It's more that you don't get caught up in it.

 

[syrenn]

Love and compassion CAN be something you have, as a quality. It is not just an ideal. It has nothing to do with religion.

yes..you CAN have them...but


question.... are people perfect 100% of their lives?

If the answer is no.. then that means that there are lapses in the love and compassion...... so it is still an ideal to work toward. Religion....or not.

That's true. It's moment to moment. Enlightenment doesn't mean that you are free every single moment from having a bad feeling.

It's more that you don't get caught up in it.

again.... you say it yourself.... it is NOT something you have...it is an ideal to strive towards.

 

[Sky Dancer]

yes..you CAN have them...but


question.... are people perfect 100% of their lives?

If the answer is no.. then that means that there are lapses in the love and compassion...... so it is still an ideal to work toward. Religion....or not.

That's true. It's moment to moment. Enlightenment doesn't mean that you are free every single moment from having a bad feeling.

It's more that you don't get caught up in it.

again.... you say it yourself.... it is NOT something you have...it is an ideal to strive towards.

It's something you have "sometimes", and other times, it's an ideal to strive for.

It's not hard for me to wish ANYONE to have happiness and it's causes and to be free of suffering and it's causes. Even my worst, "enemy".

 

[syrenn]

That's true. It's moment to moment. Enlightenment doesn't mean that you are free every single moment from having a bad feeling.

It's more that you don't get caught up in it.

again.... you say it yourself.... it is NOT something you have...it is an ideal to strive towards.

It's something you have "sometimes", and other times, it's an ideal to strive for.

It's not hard for me to wish ANYONE to have happiness and it's causes and to be free of suffering and it's causes. Even my worst, "enemy".

I am not so...shall we say....forgiving.

 

[Sky Dancer]

again.... you say it yourself.... it is NOT something you have...it is an ideal to strive towards.

It's something you have "sometimes", and other times, it's an ideal to strive for.

It's not hard for me to wish ANYONE to have happiness and it's causes and to be free of suffering and it's causes. Even my worst, "enemy".

I am not so...shall we say....forgiving.

I'm not selfless in my wishing happiness for my enemy. I'm thinking if the enemy were happier we wouldn't be enemies. People do harm because they are suffering. It is not hard to wish even that an enemy be free of suffering.

Not such an altruistic motive.

 

[syrenn]

It's something you have "sometimes", and other times, it's an ideal to strive for.

It's not hard for me to wish ANYONE to have happiness and it's causes and to be free of suffering and it's causes. Even my worst, "enemy".

I am not so...shall we say....forgiving.

I'm not selfless in my wishing happiness for my enemy. I'm thinking if the enemy were happier we wouldn't be enemies. People do harm because they are suffering. It is not hard to wish even that an enemy be free of suffering.

Not such an altruistic motive.

I guess you dont know people very well

people do harm because they can do harm
people do harm because they like doing harm
doing harm can bring people happiness

as a counselor....you should know that.

 

[Sky Dancer]

I am not so...shall we say....forgiving.

I'm not selfless in my wishing happiness for my enemy. I'm thinking if the enemy were happier we wouldn't be enemies. People do harm because they are suffering. It is not hard to wish even that an enemy be free of suffering.

Not such an altruistic motive.

I guess you dont know people very well

people do harm because they can do harm
people do harm because they like doing harm
doing harm can bring people happiness

as a counselor....you should know that.

Doing harm does not cause happiness. You should know that.

 

[syrenn]

I'm not selfless in my wishing happiness for my enemy. I'm thinking if the enemy were happier we wouldn't be enemies. People do harm because they are suffering. It is not hard to wish even that an enemy be free of suffering.

Not such an altruistic motive.

I guess you dont know people very well

people do harm because they can do harm
people do harm because they like doing harm
doing harm can bring people happiness

as a counselor....you should know that.

Doing harm does not cause happiness. You should know that.

Again... you need to study humans a bit more. I am not saying anything about right or wrong. It is what it is.

 

[Sky Dancer]

I guess you dont know people very well

people do harm because they can do harm
people do harm because they like doing harm
doing harm can bring people happiness

as a counselor....you should know that.

Doing harm does not cause happiness. You should know that.

Again... you need to study humans a bit more. I am not saying anything about right or wrong. It is what it is.

Doing harm does not cause happiness. Harm doers are not happy people.

 

[syrenn]

Doing harm does not cause happiness. You should know that.

Again... you need to study humans a bit more. I am not saying anything about right or wrong. It is what it is.

Doing harm does not cause happiness. Harm doers are not happy people.

How do you know? That is what you think..or want to believe because of your religion.

Again...as a counselor i would think that you would understand what i am saying.

 

[Lokiate]

Love
Compassion
Joy
Equanimity

In Buddhism, these four have specific meanings. What are the qualities you identify as univeral.

I posted these because belief in God is not required for any of them.

If you want the Buddhist meanings of these, let me know and I'll post them. Otherwise, add your own and discuss.

I feel that one of the most important qualities of man is empathy.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Again... you need to study humans a bit more. I am not saying anything about right or wrong. It is what it is.

Doing harm does not cause happiness. Harm doers are not happy people.

How do you know? That is what you think..or want to believe because of your religion.

Again...as a counselor i would think that you would understand what i am saying.

That is what I think. As a counselor, I help people be less harmful to themselves and others.

Doing harm to self or others does not cause happiness.

 

[syrenn]

Doing harm does not cause happiness. Harm doers are not happy people.

How do you know? That is what you think..or want to believe because of your religion.

Again...as a counselor i would think that you would understand what i am saying.

That is what I think. As a counselor, I help people be less harmful to themselves and others.

Doing harm to self or others does not cause happiness.

you are derailing your own thread...

 

[Sky Dancer]

How do you know? That is what you think..or want to believe because of your religion.

Again...as a counselor i would think that you would understand what i am saying.

That is what I think. As a counselor, I help people be less harmful to themselves and others.

Doing harm to self or others does not cause happiness.

you are derailing your own thread...

Sigh.

We're talking about universal spiritual qualites. Is happiness one?

 

[Marie888]

Love

For me personally “love” described in God’s Word is so beautiful. When I read it very carefully and slowly, I’m reminded of how much I need Him, as time and time again, I fail at it without Him.

The Bible’s description of love also shows me that love is a choice. It’s choosing to be long suffering, choosing to be kind, to not covet others, to not boast, to not think evil, to not be rude, and that overall, that love never fails.

However, when we are hurt by others, sometimes those things are very difficult to choose to do, and that’s where sin may come in. Sin just hurts others and hurts ourselves.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

In God’s Word these verses below are so amazing and true. They show that love covers a multitude of sins, which includes forgiveness and basically goes all along with 1 Cor 13.

1 Peter 4:8
And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.

Above all, knowing that God Himself is love. And God's love for us; that He chose to suffer and die for our wrong doings; (ALL) of the worlds wrong doings – truly, words cannot express. I cannot thank the Lord enough and I love Him so much. I need Him to keep pressing on asking His help in loving others in this world. It can be so hard as love seems to be waxing cold even as He said it will, because of sin. (Matthew 24:12)

God Is Love

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

 

[Marie888]

Love
Compassion
Joy
Equanimity

In Buddhism, these four have specific meanings. What are the qualities you identify as univeral.

I posted these because belief in God is not required for any of them.

If you want the Buddhist meanings of these, let me know and I'll post them. Otherwise, add your own and discuss.

What is the meaning of love in Buddhism?


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