Theos-Talk Archives (November 2002 Message tt00893)

Eldon,

Thank for very much for these words. Most thoughtful.

Mic Forster


--- Eldon B Tucker <eldon@theosophy.com> wrote:
> Mic:
> 
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> 
> > From: Mic Forster [mailto:micforster@yahoo.com]
> 
> > Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2002 5:49 PM
> 
> > To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
> 
> > Subject: Theos-World tricky situation for a
> theosophist
> 
> > 
> 
> > I was working in some bushland in
> 
> > Western Sydney yesterday morning and I decided to
> 
> > knock off when the temperature hit 40 degrees
> celcius.
> 
> > Fortunately I did this because shortly after a
> HUGE
> 
> > fire broke out right where I was working. And when
> I
> 
> > say huge I mean HUGE. Just that whole situation
> got me
> 
> > thinking.
> 
> 
> 
> It sounds like someone is looking out for you. When
> something harmful
> comes our way, we somehow know to avoid it if it is
> not our time to pass
> on.
> 
> 
> 
> > So what is this tricky
> 
> > situation for a theosophist? Well recently a woman
> ...
> 
> > was diagnosed with an illness ... not life
> 
> > threatening but debilitating enough to require
> 
> > extensive care from family and friends. This woman
> 
> > took her life because she did not want to be a
> burden
> 
> > on those whom she loved.
> 
> > 
> 
> > should a theosophist support
> 
> > suicide when there is a benficial outcome
> involved?
> 
> 
> 
> I do not think that any of us is in the position to
> judge when a life
> has value and should continue or if a life should be
> terminated. One
> could ask if an embryo identified as having some
> genetic disorder should
> be aborted because it would come into the world
> deformed. One could
> decide what to do with older people in nursing
> homes, those who are
> severely disabled, comatose, or psychologically out
> of it. Should they
> be helped on, or required to live to their last
> natural breath?
> 
> 
> 
> Someone with special needs should have an equal
> right to live, even if
> they require more time, care, and attention than
> others do. They should
> not have to decide if their request for help and
> support is a burden or
> not. Friends, family, and others give what support
> they can. Perhaps
> being required to be more caring and supportive by
> the needs of a close
> family member is a spiritual blessing in disguise
> for the person
> compelled to practice compassion and be more giving.
> 
> 
> 
> The idea that one should not exist because it would
> just be a burden to
> others may be a rationalization. It may not be the
> real reason. True
> soul searching is required to find out the true
> "why's" behind one's
> desires. One could simply be thinking that life is
> too much trouble,
> feel bitter at wanting things to be different and
> finding that life
> coldly says, "No, you have to life in these
> circumstances, not in those
> you'd more fondly desire." Feeling so, one might be
> saying one wants to
> do something for others, by being less of a burden,
> whereas one really
> feels that life is unfair, one is cheated, and
> simply wants out. But
> life is not trying to be unfair, the problem and
> source of the pain is
> in the denial. One denies one's circumstances in
> life, and creates a
> false sense of misery by wanting things different
> than they are and
> failing to accept life as it actually is.
> 
> 
> 
> One of the lessons of old age is accepting life with
> happiness. One is
> happy to simply be alive. Looking good, being in top
> health and physical
> beauty, having wealth, being famous, and all other
> sorts of things are
> not important any more. One is glad to wake up each
> day, step out one's
> door, and walk down the sidewalk, seeing the houses,
> flowers and trees,
> children at play, and puffy white clouds in the sky.
> The little things
> of life take on special meaning. Every day is an
> adventure, because the
> discord between one's mental image of how things
> should be and how
> things actually are has ended. One is at peace and
> happy with what
> happens, and simply goes day to day doing what comes
> naturally to one.
> There may or may not be physical pain and suffering.
> Even if so, there
> are many things that keep making life valuable, even
> if it's one last
> day to squeeze one's grandchildren's hands, as one
> lies in bed in one's
> last few days of dying of cancer. Not all endings
> are painful or sad,
> but every moment has its special value that should
> not be thrown away. 
> 
> 
> 
> The solution to the problem of wanting out of life
> is the same solution
> that we seek on the spiritual path. First, there
> comes thoughts of
> escape from the limitations and suffering of the
> world. Then one ceases
> to reject the world, but embraces it with the same
> love one embraces the
> spiritual side of things. Then one changes from
> being a receiver of
> blessings and benefits to a producer of good things.
> One transforms from
> a consumer of the light of others to being a light
> in the world. In that
> role, one finds the highest happiness.
> 
> 
> 
> -- Eldon
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 
> 
> 


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