Oh, please—it looks like everyone here isn't just handing out forgiveness like candy; it feels more like people are just turning a blind eye. Honestly, this sudden rush to forgive everything, no matter how bad the offense was, just doesn't ring true to me. It feels incredibly forced, almost like some overly polished, high-society melodrama rather than anything real.
I truly believe most of us like to think of ourselves as forgiving people. But let me throw a question out there: what if someone takes your child, or your parent, from you? Would we actually be capable of finding forgiveness then?
It’s easy enough to give a quick yes or no right now—but honestly, I don't think any of us will ever truly know until we're faced with something that devastating... and I sincerely hope none of us ever has to face a test like that.
Even if this thread feels a little provocative it’s almost narcissistic, just begging for attention it isn't actually all bad, though.... I jumped on board immediately but it's a bit of a "yes and no" situation and honestly, that's exactly how it strikes me ranging from being incredibly poised and focused to showing some genuine insight all the way down to these totally irrational, nonsensical moves that you just wouldn't believe😁>
though it leaves you wondering whether a truly smart person actually acts wisely... hmm...
because there are so many different ways to be "smart" even if I wouldn't necessarily include some of them in my own definition of intelligence..... it's complicated actually, maybe it isn't... too much...
That’s just how it goes when you start talking about things like spirits, souls, God, or consciousness everyone carries their own unique perspective. No two stories are ever truly alike...😁
I should also mention that I think this whole proverb is total nonsense. The way it’s framed suggests that the mere existence of an exception is enough to validate a rule, which is just plain illogical...
But if you look at it through a different lens:
_Exceptio probat regulam_
If we really lean into that word 'PROBAT', we end up with a completely different takeaway. Basically, it means that an exception serves to 'test' whether a rule is actually sound, rather than simply acting as its 'confirmation.'
mr.Nature said:There’s that old cliché floating around: "Every rule has an exception." But if you really think about it, does that mean a rule *can't* have an exception? Because if it does, then the rule itself—the idea that every rule has an exception—becomes the exception. And if that happens, doesn't the whole concept fall apart? 😕 Can anyone help me wrap my head around this one?
Here is how I look at it:
You can definitely have a rule without an exception. But you can't have an exception without a rule to break.
So,
if something shows up looking like an exception, it actually just proves the rule exists in the first place. Honestly, an exception is more like a life jacket for the rule...😁
Brenda Cook4 - you really are such a prickly character... I’m just going to say this and leave it at that—mostly because I’d like to keep my dignity intact!
Taylor Campbell4 said:Why on earth would you think anyone needs to bow down to someone in this story? It’s blindingly obvious you’re talking about something you don't have the slightest clue about, which, frankly, just feels a bit shallow and immature.
Besides, with that signature of yours, you're basically contradicting yourself in two different ways at once.
Sure, maybe guides or teachers are necessary for people—for humanity. Maybe for those millions who go looking for them. Or perhaps for the whole of mankind, which, if you haven't noticed (take a look around, watch the news, travel a bit), is in a total state of crisis. Between poverty, wars, and the environment, humanity could easily spiral straight into a ditch of self-destruction. So, who actually needs these figures? Maybe you think we don't even need the next Shakespeare or Plato; they were teachers too, whether people worshipped them or not. But why would we need "great personalities" at all? We'd just drown in mediocrity and live in total blindness.
The truth is, guides and teachers exist because human progress would be incredibly, painfully slow without them. A lot of people struggle to accept—mostly because of ego or bruised pride (let's call it immaturity)—that we’ve evolved through history at different speeds, meaning we're all at different stages of development. These teachers are at a very high level of evolution; they’ve navigated everything we’re currently wading through. They know all the traps and dead ends, and they’ve found the way out. They pass that wisdom on and stay available to help us tackle global issues (which are critical, numerous, and causing so much suffering right now). It’s just the natural order of things. Everything moves in cycles, including knowledge. Just like the Earth gets its energy from the sun.
I honestly don't know; it's just part of being human. We don't really know how to cooperate; we only know how to take orders or give them. Cooperation isn't our default setting. I don't have that specific complex myself, but you seem so worked up about it that you probably have some issues with it, or perhaps the exact opposite. I'm telling you, what you thought about this whole thing—about some kind of worship—has nothing to do with the actual story. It has absolutely nothing to do with the story of Maia.
Exactly. And by almost any metric, goodness, humanity hasn't grown up yet. If you truly believe we are fully matured, then with all due respect, you are completely disconnected from reality. You're living in a massive delusion. Because mature individuals—or even a mature group—simply wouldn't act the way humanity is acting today. I feel a little silly even having to explain this.
And speaking of children versus adults, just because someone is an adult doesn't mean they aren't a fool 🙂, but let's move on; that comparison didn't work because you can't compare physical aging with the development of consciousness.
Taylor Campbell4... it’s always been tough talking to people whose minds are clouded by religious fervor or various kinds of obsessions... ..... and that signature is clearly something you're interpreting in a totally different way ....mine is called secular humanism.... and contemplation isn't the same as religious pathos... ....you need to dial back the drama and the overstatement...
It’s exactly what I was wondering! All these prophets, messiahs, guardians, mentors, gurus... Who actually needs them? Is there this constant, nagging need to bow down to someone else? Can't a person just think for themselves? Where does this whole "father figure" complex come from—this craving for a protector or a compass? A person is born a child, sure, but eventually, they grow up...
Look at this guy—the one who actually introduced Maitreya to the world (they’re both from New York City): Mr. BenjaminCreme, an artist who’s been preaching this since 1974...
And Maitreya himself:
Who honestly needs Senators, masters, or prophets? I mean, please...
the Word said:a human being is a three-dimensional creature made in the image of God, composed of spirit, soul, and body. The spirit is our innermost core, which—sadly for most people—is tainted by that ancient sin of Adam's. The soul is the sum of our willpower, our intellect, and our emotions. As for the body, it’s just the house we live in until the day we die..
Ah... that "house" of ours. I honestly fear it might be all we ever really have.
Spirit and soul? To me, those feel like nothing more than a deep-seated longing for immortality. Once death hits, we watch the body break down and return to dust... and in that moment of despair, we desperately reach for some non-material component. We need something to conquer physical death and carry our thoughts and memories into some kind of transcendental existence.
I wish I could believe in an afterlife—though, if I'm being honest, I'm not even sure anymore—but everything I observe about how this world actually works seems to contradict it. Lightning doesn't strike because Zeus is angry!
So, it feels to me like the concepts of "soul" and "spirit" are just relics of the past... pure nostalgia.!
to die—it’s basically having your 'breath' expired so, if we look at it through the lens of 'breath'—what actually separates the living from the dead? the living breathe—the dead (the non-living) simply don't take in breath...
does the fact that 'spirit' and 'soul' are nouns imply they have their own independent existence outside of the mind?
is there such a thing as an 'anima mundi'? and is there even a need for one?
and right (exactly) 🙂 there is where the Islamic HU comes in—acting just like a breath...
to me, the origins of all these words (everything we've touched on) suggest they are relics of our past, and today—maybe they're just reflections of our own deep-seated desire for immortality?
now, please don't let the spiritualists get worked up with me—I'm just searching, just like you guys are... I'm merely sharing my thoughts...
Latin *spiritus* means "to breathe." Latin *anima* refers to "that which animates or brings to life." Maybe the key to solving this entire puzzle—this whole mystery of the spirit versus the soul—lies right in the etymology.
"If you dig into the Greek and Hebrew scriptures to see how certain terms are translated as 'soul' in the King James Version, you'll notice a pattern. Many of those words actually mean 'breath' or 'wind' in their original sense. Take the Hebrew word *neshamah*, which literally translates to 'breath'; in the text, it shows up as 'spirit' twice and 'soul' once. Then there’s the Hebrew-Aramaic word *ruach*, meaning 'wind,' which gets translated as 'spirit' 240 times and 'mind' six times. Even the word *nephesh*, which means 'breath,' is rendered as 'soul' 428 times, 'mind' 15 times, 'ghost' twice, and 'life' 119 times. When you start Turning to the Greek Bible, you see *pneuma*—which also means 'breath'—translated as 'ghost' 91 times (this includes the term 'Holy Spirit') and as 'spirit' 292 times. It's the same root we see in medical terms like pneumonia, which is a disease affecting our breathing organs."
"The reality is that almost every word used today for 'soul,' 'spirit,' or 'life' traces back to concepts of 'breath' or 'wind.' To me, this suggests that these later definitions grew out of a simple struggle: ancient people trying to wrap their heads around a fundamental biological question—what exactly is the dividing line between a living body and a corpse?"'
by Frank R. Zindler The Probing Mind, February 1985
So, in a very real sense, that 'soul' or 'spirit' we talk about is really just a cocktail of nitrogen and oxygen....
Rebecca Cox2 said:My take? If you give people the right education, they might actually start distinguishing between what we truly need and those "manufactured" desires we're sold. Of course, once folks become more aware, it makes it much harder for those in power to pull the strings—which is exactly why they fight so hard against any kind of enlightenment.
There’s always going to be a core set of needs essential for basic survival. Everything else? Honestly, most of it is just artificial fluff.
It’s pretty obvious that as society advances, we just keep inventing new, unnecessary wants. If time stood still, our fundamental needs would stay exactly the same. Take Indian culture, for instance—in many rural areas there, life is still almost entirely rooted in ancient traditions.
This really hits home when you look at those 150 million people living on the absolute fringes of society(you know, those who are barely getting by on just enough scraps and sips of water to stay alive long enough to perform the grueling, menial labor they've been relegated to for generations)... it's such a stark contrast to the lifestyles and demands of the upper echelons of that ancient social hierarchy. 😁
Mr. Benjamin Creme, an artist who’s been preaching this since 1974... 