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[chaoticag]

You know, the whole point of the Boddhivistas is to come back to help people stop suffering, so you really need to read up on your buddhism Armok, or maybe just pay attention to the Dalai Lama.

[Toady One]

I think the thread doesn't have to be like this.  It should steer back to a friendly conversation.

[MaximumZero]

*salute* SIR, YES, SIR!

I think it would be pretty cool to wander the earth. No one to look after. No needs to fill but your own. Nothing to tie you down in one place. All the dog meat you can eat. (Don't do it. Really.)

[sonerohi]

Kael, have fun. If possible, keep a log of your thoughts and experiences, and take pictures. Then we can rake through your personal life and probe at your psyche like we did to Kagus. Also, try to master the technique where you slap someone in the face and two minutes later their heart jettisons through their spine. That would be sweet. But seriously have fun in the chillaxitude and intospectivositude. Bring me back a dictionary so I actually know what those words mean.

[Siquo]

but you can have fun AFTER you save people, and in the current world it is better to just scramble for it then trying to become perfect and THEN try to help.

How can you save others if you can't save yourself? It's a valid thought, and is often overlooked at how effective it is. Also, striving for personal growth should never be compared to egoism. The Buddha (AFAICR, correct me if I'm wrong) went away, found nirvana, and came back to tell others about it. That was his sacrifice, and it is noble. It also reminds me of a Greek story about the philosopher: Once in a while someone sees that the things we keep for real are just shadows on a wall. The people who find that out are enlightened, and become hermits. The ones who find out but go back to the cave to tell the others, are the philosophers.

The whole concept of having found "heaven", but instead of entering it, you go back to tell others where it is, is something I have a lot of respect for. I don't know if I could do it, myself.

[Armok]

It actually depends on the details of the world. In a pre industrial world that kind of reasoning works, but right now just trying to improve the world throguth starightforward materail means is probably more urgent. Once we've cured poverty and ageing and a few other things we can go back to meditating.

If a train is speeding towards a group of people, you might try to push as many as possible out of the way, or you might try to figure out a way to stop the train and save everyone. Which you should do depend on the number of people and how far away the train is, what kind of materials you have to work with in order to stop it, etc.

[qwertyuiopas]

Generally, if you can see that the train is coming, the only way to stop it is to divert it, probably off the tracks, killing the people inside the train to save those outside.

Instead, what you must do, is to tell those in the path of the train to evacuate, and help them get out of the way. You should also ask the train to stop, because even if it can't, the deceleration would give at least a few extra seconds for those in front to escape.

If you know that a train is coming, but it is still far off, then it has space to stop itself if given a warning in advance. If it can't stop, then at least the others probably have plenty of time to leave.


Anything other than the train using it's own brakes would damage the train and probably harm/kill it's occupants, or would be ineffective, or would take too long to create.

[Armok]

It's a philosophical metaphor. Just asume that the train is unmanned and the people all unconcius or something.

[Siquo]

Still, try to see that your way is not the way. Accepting that is a great good for any human.

Or try some Koan riddles, that'll alleviate you of your rational thinking.

Kael, give us some wisdom! You're the wandering monk here!

[Cthulhu]

You should let the train kill the people, because they're not saving people.  They're just sleeping on the tracks.  Lazy people.

[Armok]

Anyone who think koans are to block rational thinking has a WAY to narrow view of what rationality is.
Koans are to block EXPLICIT thinking, at least unless I severely misunderstood something, which I'm pretty sure I didn't.

I dont know what you mean by "try to see that your way is not the way". I take the actions I think are most likely to archive my goals (such as people not dieing and suffering, and instead being happy etc.), if you want to call that a "way" is semantics.

[Cthulhu]

I'm certainly happier since you came to the thread.

[MaximumZero]

Okay, guys, who here missed the Toady One's memo? Let's keep it on track and stop bickering. Srsly, lrn 2 chill.

[PTTG??]

Let's go back the the part of this thread where everyone is impressed by Kael's decision to become a wandering monk of one of the world's most peaceful and open-minded religions.

A question, will you still be able to play DF?

[Heron TSG]

That's a good question; in fact, will you be able to play violent games (and the like) at all, if you decide to remain a monk?