Quote of the Day – May 30 2012

“Wake up first. Wake up, and then you can double back and perhaps be of some use to others if you still have the urge. Wake up first, with pure and unapologetic selfishness, or you’re just another shipwreck victim floundering in the ocean and all the compassion in the world is of absolutely no use to the other victims floundering around you.     — Jed McKenna

As I was looking for a quote for this evening, I held a question in my mind. How could I balance spiritual development with getting involved politically and compassion for those made to suffer by others. For me one of the largest elements of a spiritual path is to develop empathy and compassion for all. What good does it do one to mediate for weeks and achieve deepest satori if it means that we can’t hear the cry of a hungry child? OK extreme example yet pertinent.
I can find merit in what Jed McKenna is saying here tho I don’t know that I agree with him. Surely on my path to travel I can find a way combines spiritual practice with political awareness. It will be found.
Blessings, G

 

& nbsp;

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Sun Shining Down by G A Rosenberg

Coiled by G A Rosenberg

10 thoughts on “Quote of the Day – May 30 2012”

    1. Jed McKenna tends to be a great writer tho he seems to not feel that compassion is part of the awakening process while to me it is a key part of it. THanks for commenting. Blessings, G

  1. I agree with Jed McKenna. It sounds a bit selfish, but I think sometimes the best thing we can do is live well and do no deliberate harm; build our small immediate world as well as we can. There is so much that we can’t fix, so many people we can’t help. It can be so distressing and we can flap about achieving very little in the practical sense in the wider world.

    1. I see the point for sure but to me sometimes we have to try not for what we may accomplish externally but for our own development. Thanks for commenting
      Blessings, G

      1. Looking at the McKenna quote again, I think he would not disagree with you grosenberg. He seems to be proposing that self-development is primary. I wouldn’t think he is without compassion, just that we need to be mindful.

  2. I believe I understand the quote to mean that awakening is so personal (it really involves no other than ourselves). As we reach this awakened state it becomes more a philosophical state of mind that we embrace that allows others their journey toward awakening. Little can really be done for them because of the subjectivity of the journey. We can ‘wish them well’ and be supportive inwardly of their journey however; compassion (as the quote speaks about) will not have much meaning for them and yet, I believe that compassion is inherent in the awakening process, which allows us to view things more objectively, which may seem to be a contradiction. It is this ‘objectivity’ (I believe) from which the quote maker’s ideas stem… There comes an ‘acceptance’ that allows us to allow others their journey… so called good, or so called bad…

    1. I really like that idea…
      Compassion by way of multiple subjectivities bringing us to a greater objectivity.
      Thanks so much for commenting
      Blessings, G

  3. I love the image you created for Sun Shining Down – “feels” like sunshine inexpicably. Well captured. What do you understand by “Wake up”- and “doubling back”?

    1. Sorry to take so long to answer. Waking up to me means waking up to one’s true self and their place in the universe… It is a process rather than an on / off switch, a series of awakenings that continue on at least under the space / time assumption. In reality we are complete. By Doubling back, I believe Jed McKenna means returning to our past and helping those whom we may be there to help or setting things right that we were too ‘in’ the situation before to correct…
      Thanks for commenting. Blessings, G

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