Flame Wars

[Guest guest]

My first thought, and comment on this is a single word, AHIMSA!

 

In a more Western vein, the contribution of money (food and clothing)

to the religious (or spiritual, or the priest class) is a time honored

tradition and is a way for them to to be "not of the world" while still managing

to eat and not freeze to death.

 

There have been exceptions to this in the Western religions. Dante' reserved

a special circle in Hell (in the view of the Archfiend) for the "sellers of

indulgences",

spiritual releases from the effects of sin (bad karma), and the practice was

instrumental for schisms and eventually ex-communication in various Christian

religions.

 

Many believe in the concept of Karma Yoga, the doing for others in response

to what has been done for you. This is my personal path of repayment for the

many

who have helped me and then refused my remuneration, repayment, or even

gratitude as they, themselves, had no need of it.

 

There are many formulae for repayment of debt, whether it be money, knowledge,

advantage, succor, or comfort. So many, in fact, that we often spend too much

effort and time in figuring the formula and less time in doing.

 

If one person wants to charge for their service and another gives freely without

payment, the recipient should choose which to use. And it should make no

difference

to any of the teachers. For neither of them "owns the knowledge", in the true

sense.

 

For those things that are intellectual property, we, as a society, have rules to

govern them. But even these things have limits, for example, the Bible is not

a copywritten text (but some translations are, being the derivative work of

man).

 

So much for my diatribe, can we please return to a less volitile, and less

virtiolic

subject, like Jyotish.

 

Namaste'

John M

==================================================

"If you aren't riding the steamroller, you're part of the asphalt!"

-- Unknown, from the back of a Java T-Shirt

 

John F "Jack" Melka

N9VBT