Posts by Richard Doyle6

John Doe said:Fine then, why don't you try asking a question that actually makes sense for once.🙂

I would love to, really, but I suppose I'd have to enroll in John Doe's school of thought first to learn how to think like him. 😉

Herpes said:Is that some kind of trick question?
🤣

Well, I suppose you could say that all my questions are trick questions. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Paul Campbell3 said:KOANincremental

I guess I’m going to need you to actually explain what you mean by that term.

placidharbor7 said:When you ask a real question, a real master gives you a real answer.

Do you actually realize on your own that your question is "pointless"?
If you already KNOW that, then I suppose it’s just some little "trick" played by a truth seeker.
Why the need for "tricks" anyway?

But if you DON'T know for certain whether your question is "pointless," then why on earth are you assuming that placidharbor7 would see it that way?🙂

Jane, the master of trick questions,
I honestly think my question is pointless, because if it weren't, I probably would have received an actual answer by now.

Is this how all masters operate—by being so incredibly masterful at dodging any direct response to a question?

placidharbor7 said:What exactly is the "PURPOSE" of "EVERYTHING THAT IS," truth seeker?🙂

I suppose I have to wonder if this is just another one of those clever little master tricks—a question wrapped in an answer designed specifically to warn me about how utterly pointless my own inquiry might be.

placidharbor7,
what exactly is the point of Ivan's master The Age of Enlightenment then?

Hey, placidharbor7 from NYC,
doesn't a spiritual seeker actually need a mentor who can—using their own depth of knowledge and lived experience—essentially point out which specific doors they ought to walk through, without necessarily spoiling what's waiting on the other side?

"I guess if we’re being completely honest here, I find myself somewhat skeptical about the direction this conversation is taking, though I suppose that's to be expected given the current climate."

preatorian said:You might not personally view him as some kind of "spiritual mentor," but I suppose, regardless of whether you consider him an idol or not, he truly is one.

If you ask me, I’d probably just call him a spiritual parrot—and honestly, that would make all the other priests nothing more than mere parrots themselves, since they’re really just echoing whatever the spiritual parrot decides to spout.
I suppose I should start by addressing what Jack Harris3 had to say. To be perfectly honest, I find myself somewhat at odds with that perspective, though I can see where the logic might superficially appear to hold water if one doesn't look too closely at the underlying complexities. It’s a bit of a mess, really. The way things are trending right now, it feels like we're staring down a period of significant uncertainty, much like those volatile stretches we saw back when the markets were reacting to the old energy crises. I guess you could argue that the current trajectory is inevitable, but I’m inclined to believe that we are overlooking some pretty fundamental structural flaws in how these policies are being implemented on a national scale. Maybe I’m being overly cynical, but I can't help but feel that we are drifting toward a state of ESOTERIC futility if we don't address these issues head-on. It isn't just about the immediate economic impact, either—though God knows that's enough to keep anyone up at night—it's about the broader social fabric. When you look at how these institutional shifts are playing out across major hubs like Chicago or even New York, you start to see the cracks forming. It's almost as if we're repeating the same mistakes we made decades ago, ignoring the lessons of history in favor of short-term fixes that ultimately lead us nowhere. I mean, if we continue down this path without a serious course correction, aren't we essentially just waiting for the inevitable fallout? It seems to me that we need a far more robust and nuanced approach than what is currently being offered by the pundits on the news.

preatorian said:Knowledge is really just secondary. I mean, don't get me wrong, it’s undeniably important, but you can never truly possess enough of it to feel complete. It's one of those things where, no matter how much you gather, there's always some massive gap left behind.
In my view, his primary virtue ought to be wisdom, though I suppose that’s a rather lofty standard to aim for, and honestly, reaching it isn't exactly a walk in the park. It reminds me of what Confucius used to say about how there are actually three distinct paths one must follow to truly attain wisdom.
I suppose one could argue there are three distinct stages to the process. First, you have upbringing—which, I guess, is the most straightforward part. Then comes reflection, which he always seemed to consider the most noble pursuit. But finally, there is experience; that’s arguably the most vital of them all, though I suspect it’s also by far the most painful.

I suppose I have to say it quite plainly: a teacher, regardless of their specific style or approach, absolutely must possess a total mastery over the subject matter they are passing on. To suggest that this level of expertise is somehow secondary or optional just doesn't sit right with me. I mean, how can you expect any real substance to come through if the instructor isn't fundamentally grounded in what they're teaching? It’s really that simple, though people like to complicate it.

Larry Fox5 said:Well, I suppose it really boils down to how you personally define a "spiritual teacher." But if we’re talking about the Pope—who acts as the spiritual leader for the entire Catholic world, setting the pace and pointing the way for the Church—then I guess you could certainly argue he functions as a "spiritual leader for the masses."

Even if we set him aside and look at those more obscure "spiritual guides," it seems pretty obvious that the ones with the most charisma always end up pulling in the biggest crowds.

I wasn't actually viewing the Pope as some kind of spiritual teacher; in my eyes, he was nothing more than an idol.

It's a given that charismatic individuals are going to be better at selling their ideas, which naturally leads to having more followers, but I don't think that captures the essence of what a true spiritual teacher should be. To me, such a person ought to possess significantly higher virtues, and more importantly, much deeper knowledge.

Charisma is all too often just a tool used to pull the wool over people's eyes.

Larry Fox5 said:
Above all else, I suppose "charisma" is the absolute deciding factor, because it’s really only through that kind of magnetism that someone can actually rally the masses and exert any real influence over them.

🤔
Personally, I’ve always felt that some sort of spiritual guru and large crowds just don't really mesh well together.

Peter Taylor63 said:Hold on just a second—if you can't even recognize soul-crushing pain anymore, then what exactly is it that causes you to suffer when you encounter evil?😕

Honestly, it isn't even the first time I've noticed her contradicting herself, and she’s managing to do it within the very same post.😁

Alexander Watson said:Oh, really? 🙄
If you’re going to insist on being condescending about it, maybe—just maybe—you should grab an actual dictionary and look up how to spell the word "dictionary" before you try to lecture anyone else. 🙂

I am clearly just totally illiterate then. I guess I'll just go ahead and write "dictionary" a thousand times as punishment.

Obviously, not here. 😁

Alexander Watson said:If certain things are better than others, I suppose that implies those superior items possess a greater degree of quality.

Well, strictly speaking, "quality" is a specific concept—you might want to consult a dictionary if you're looking for the technical nuances—so it isn't really possible for something to contain "more" quality in an additive sense, though I guess one thing can certainly be higher in quality than another. 😁

Just go online and find the footage from the Tool concert on November 16, 2002, in the USA. It’ll tell you everything you need to know about what actual originality and stage presence look like.

If you’re actually looking for some decent rock music, I’d suggest checking out Muse, Tool, A Perfect Circle, Mogwai, or maybe even Incubus.