Theos-Talk Archives (October 2006 Message tt00338)

 Adelaise and Friends,
 
I have been thinking about this question of judging others and yet, I have not come to a complete resolution because EVEN the Masters judged, did they not? In fact, they not only judged, but they judged harshly. I think that a person can be aware that another is acting not quite correctly. Is awareness also judgement? Is Compassion itself is a form of judgement? It seems to me it is because when you feel compassionate you yourself have judged that another needs your compassion. The ideal is non-judgement.  The ideal is to have no need for compassion. The reality is that we must judge or discriminate on the earthly plane. How else are we to learn, teach or even follow others? Another thing I think is that judgement of others not necessarily being judgemental of them. Perhaps we are just comparing someone to an ideal we have for ourselves? 
 
I am so muddled up! [Oops, just judged myself (I think).]
 
Marie
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: adelasie@sbcglobal.net
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 3:04 PM
Subject: Re: Theos-World Is judgment okay? (Was RE: A Queer Theosophical Question)


What is a human being? Is it the congery of body and personality that 
goes blundering ignorantly around treading on tender sentient life 
wherever it goes, oblivious and apparently uncaring, like an arrogant 
teen-ager? Or is it a transcendant and eternal being, attempting to 
learn life's lessons through the clumsy form that is all karma can so 
far allow? 

If we think it is acceptable to behave as judge jury and executioner 
of our fellow man, we are likely to be in the dock ourselves one day. 
Who among us is perfect, can truly say, given the conditions and 
abilities of that man, I would behave differently than he does? 
Honestly now. What great teacher or teaching ever recommended 
singling out who among us is deserving and who is not? 

If we see someone who errs, what can we feel but compassion for them, 
knowing full well that they will pay the price some day? But if we 
choose to judge them, condemn them, put ourselves over them, we too 
will pay the price, and we will deserve the compassion of our 
fellows, who see how egregiously we err. 

Nobody says we must follow stupidly. We are told to think for 
ourselves. Nobody says we must live without discretion, lest we 
endanger those who depend upon us for safety. But nobody who matters 
ever said we should take it upon ourselves to decide who is worthy 
and who is not in any essential way. The most degraded member of the 
human family may one day stand up, his karmic debt paid, and become 
the saviour of many. 

Adelasie

On 24 Oct 2006 at 13:32, Mark Hamilton Jr. wrote:

> In what cases is it wrong to judge another human being? In a social 
> context, it's unacceptable to judge a person before you know them 
> (despite this method's popularity); it's considered prejudice. However, 
> since knowing a person in all respects is nearly impossible in all 
> practicality, is it therefore unacceptable to ever judge anyone? This 
> doesn't seem to be the case, since one does judge almost everything. It 
> helps make things more concrete and understandable.
> 
> I know for some of us, we would preach universal brotherhood out the 
> nose, but I bet none of you would shake the hand of Hitler if presented 
> with the challenge. I believe it's truly unacceptable when we condemn or 
> praise another being in the utmost of ignorance, and then act upon it in 
> a way to affect a person's freedoms.
> 
> So Joseph McCarthy and Nathaniel Hawthorne weren't so savory, either.
> 
> -Mark H.
>

 
________________________________________________________________________
Check out the new AOL.  Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]