posted December 28, 2006 08:08 PM         

- My answer would be 2. It's rather a state of mind. If you are always in bliss, there is no bliss... because it becomes a constant in your life.

Anyone for a debate?

posted December 28, 2006 08:16 PM         

quote:

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That elated feeling, which can last up to 12 hours for some people, has a scientific explanation. It comes from a release of endorphins.

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posted December 28, 2006 08:43 PM         

quote:

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But i think its impossible to live a life of complete happiness and not know pain.

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posted December 28, 2006 08:44 PM         

quote:

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If you were born and raise in complete bliss... would you really know that you are in complete happiness and appreciate it? Or do you think you should experience sadness to know happiness?
1. Yes - you would know you are blissfully happy.
2. No - you have to experience pain to know you are happy.
- My answer would be 2. It's rather a state of mind. If you are always in bliss, there is no bliss... because it becomes a constant in your life.

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I would think if you do not know what sadness is because you have live in a state of bliss(constant)then you would not know what sadness is because there is no experience in that state.

I am not saying that it would not exist but without the polar oppisite neither things can exisit.

In order to have Joy there must be pain, hot there is cold etc. . Keeps things balanced.

posted December 28, 2006 10:18 PM         

so... let's further analyze this... if you do not know love (like a man and a woman type of love), if this is your first time falling in love... how would you know if she/he is the right person for you if you do not have any other to compare it with?

So take for example, if you have met your soul mate as your first love, would you know deep in your heart that he/she is your soul mate without having to date other people?

- philosophically speaking, you wouldn't but... I'd like to believe that if I met my true love first, I'd like to believe that I would know that it is true love, wouldn't you agree? or is that not a good comparison?

posted December 29, 2006 03:18 PM         

Much love, light and hope to you and yours,

posted December 29, 2006 03:24 PM         

Dont feel bad about what you did....you had your reasons...

Please protect your child and yourself against drugs and violence.....

How can that compare to connecting with another man, probably for love

Take care of yourself girl

posted December 29, 2006 03:26 PM         

"Answered Prayer"

Pray and you will be heard.

posted December 29, 2006 09:41 PM         

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An expert in the law tested Jesus with this question, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?" Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:35-40)

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We as souls come into this reality already knowing what love is (subconsciously)and this is why or what most of us are searching...longing for something we know is UNCONDITIONAL I think.

I believe it is because we are as a spirit/soul that is a part of the whole because we have experienced this unconditonal love we seek it here.

The question I would have to ask is why would you question "love" to begin with and just not experience being in that moment.

You never know really if a certain person is "the right person". the secret is...

THEY ARE ALL CORRECT FOR YOU...

Because, it is the participation/growth you are needing from the experience.

What is right is the experience you are to gain with/from the other person.

Moonshine9 said...

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...I guess we all have our degrees of pain and happiness? meaning how much we can take, how much is experienced at one point in time?...

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This experience was already laid before you before you came into this existence. You choose to experience it for what reasons I do not know but, do not back down from the LEARNING EXPERIENCE.

I can emapathize with you and I hope that the pain your are going through leads you toward awonderful growth experience.

I would highly recommend reading this thread and purchasing Bruce McAuthur's book...

Your Life: Why It Is the Way It Is and What You Can Do About It"

My prayers are with you.

JET

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You are not a human being in search of a spiritual experience. You are a
spiritual being immersed in a human experience.

posted January 25, 2007 12:33 AM         

If the answer is 2,
then the only happiness is the relief from suffering.
Happiness, or bliss, devoid of suffering
would not even be a possibility.
So, not only answer #1,
but, the very premise of the question itself
would have to be interpreted as nonsensical.

Furthermore,
the only bliss is consciousness of bliss.
There is no bliss without consciousness of bliss.
Consciousness is a given.
In order for the premise of the question not to be misleading,
it must allow that the bliss experienced in childhood IS conscious.
It must be.
(Even a blissed-out automaton experiences
a certain degree and form of consciousness.)
To say that we can know bliss without appreciating it,
to me, sounds like an attempt at splitting semantic hairs.
Appreciation of bliss is a condition of bliss.
You dont experience bliss without being blissfully appreciative.

Therefore, the option becomes:

1. Did this spirit have to suffer in a former life,
in order to know/appreciate bliss in this one?

or

2. Is it possible to know/appreciate bliss without
ever having known its alternative?

I am not sure the question can be answered
from our present perspective.

Many Eastern philosophies will tell you
that everything contains its opposite.
When they say that duality is illusory,
they mean that, for instance,
bliss is the flip-side of suffering,
so, we are not really speaking of two things.

The great German philosopher, Schopenhauer,
agreed that the two could not be separated.
His philosophy stressed the point that suffering
is the positive element in existence,
while happiness is nothing but the absence,
or removal of suffering.
I would argue that the reverse argument is equally persuasive.
Either way,
we are back to considering the two as indivisible.

The remedy for this "paradox",
according to most Eastern philosophies
(Schopenhauer himself was most fascinated with Hinduism),
is to quiet the mind,
for the conflict is only in the mind.

Eastern philosphers seem to differ, though,
as to whether this may be accomplished consciously (lol),
as an act of will,
or if it occurs organically, --
or if there is really no difference
between what a person wills
and what "GOD" wills a person to will.

One of the central questions in Eastern Thought appears to be,
"Is abdication of will an act of will?
And what the heck does that mean, anyway???"
The most popular,
and perhaps the most persuasive,
response to this question seems to be,
"Nevermind. You think too much."

The Hermetic (or Western Mystery) Tradition
looks a bit more optimistic to me.
It may be that what it is saying is
no different from what has been said in the East,
but, there does appear to be more stress layed on Salvation,
and the ability to "polarize" by an act of conscious will;
in other words,
although it is agreed that there is a single continuum
(a scale of "Vibration" with opposite poles),
it is possible,
with wisdom gained through experience (of suffering),
to increase one's rate of vibration,
and align oneself with the "bliss" end of the spectrum.
Suffering, - at least, suffering as we know it -
becomes a thing of the past,
and something which it is unnecessary to revisit
in order to maintain ones high rate of vibration.
((See: The Kybalion))

So, yeah,...

As far as I can understand it,
this is what has been said on the matter
by some who professed to be Masters.
I myself do not believe I have the wisdom yet to answer it though.

HSC

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'Would you know your Lord's meaning in this thing? Know it well. Love was his meaning. Who showed it to you? Love. What did he show you? Love. Why did he show it? For love. Keep yourself therein and you shall know and understand more in the same. But you shall never know nor understand any other thing, forever.'
- Julian of Norwich

"Judgement is the antithesis of understanding, and hatred of evil is the craftiest and least well-known of vices, so easily is it mistaken for love of good."
- Valerian (aka HSC)

posted January 25, 2007 12:58 AM         

I actually agree though. I won't point out the parts I agreed with, but I will nod and say.. "yes, right, those exact ones."