Theos-Talk Archives (November 2003 Message tt00088)

I'd say that life is imperfect and that in order to exist we have to consume
resources and make demands on the world. That includes taking food, drink,
and air. We can be modest in our demands and exist in a mostly kind and
cooperative relationship with life or we can fill our minds with a
dog-eat-dog mentality and be a predator to everyone and everything around
us.

It's not necessary to draw a distinction between people based upon whether
they incorporate a particular virtue into their outer lives -- like a
vegetarian diet -- or not. These external trappings will fix themselves over
time. What's important is to recognize the spiritual fire in the other's
eyes. We cannot cause the initial spark, though; that's up to the other's
inner nature, wholly self-initiated.

Looking at another, it's the inner light that's important. We can respond to
that, even if it's but a spark. We don't need to tell someone to tie their
shoelaces, brush their teeth, cut down on the hamburger diet, or read good
books. We're not their Mother. The important communication is in terms of a
sympathetic vibration, a resonance between their creative fire and ours. 

Sometimes it may be useful to talk about the personal and social benefits of
a vegetarian diet. Other times, it's not important. The same is true of any
area of self-improvement or the cultivation of any particular virtue.
Preaching does little good. Living the life without trying to win converts
does much better, teaching by example rather than by sermon. If the subject
of vegetarianism comes up, for instance, it's a suitable topic; if it is
simply thrown into someone's face to put him or her down, then it becomes a
form of bragging and name-calling.

Another question regards what friends we keep. The people we associate have
an effect upon us. They can drag us down or uplift us. Some can act as
mentors and hasten our learning of difficult things. Others can act as bad
influences, leading us into wasting our intelligence, energy, and the
scarcest resource of all: time.

We can hang out with troubled people with the idea that our influence will
help them. This is a form of self-sacrifice. If we are intentionally helping
them and they are trying to improve, it is good; if they are victimizing
themselves and us and have no intention of changing, it's not good.

We can also hang out with people that aren't troubled but are learning from
us as a role model for something they'd like to know or be able to do. Not
every helping relationship is a sick person dragging us down, unwilling to
improve. Some are healthy, growing people that are taking initiative to
improve themselves and giving us something positive in return for our
assistance.

Little is learned by hanging around with people exactly like ourselves,
avoiding the outside world, and putting blinders on. It's possible that
theosophical students do this in their groups at times. But such is not
always the case. We don't need a student/teacher relationship all the time.
A student/student relationship is helpful too. A group of theosophical
students, peers, sharing what they know, can progress, come to new
understandings, and make progress in both their learning and lives.

I agree that thoughts (and feelings) are more important that the specifics
of what we may have eaten for lunch. Giving a vegetarian some french-fries
with a trace of animal shortening (from the grease it was fried in) may be
bad. Far worse is deliberately provoking someone into a burning, angry
outburst for the simple (and malicious) joy of watching them get mad. The
excuse that one is playing the role of a spiritual teacher and training the
other person is ridiculous, only convincing the person making it. On a
mailing list, we should always remember we're talking to real people and
treat them the same as we would if we were standing face-to-face.

-- Eldon