Theos-Talk Archives (October 2011 Message tt00094)

Dear Tom and friends

My views are:

Here is a short answer.

Altruism is defined in many dictionaries.
My ordinary definition runs like this: Altruism is selfless concern for the welfare of others. 

Altruism 
(The opposite of Selfishness.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altruism

And Selfishness is also defined in the Wikipedia. You do know what selfishness is do you not? (smile.)
What is altruism to one person is not altruism to another. The whole idea is to find out about what the above definition actual results in - when taken seriously. And how you understand the word and the definition. Se my previous post here at the forum.

- - -
I do not hope you begin to ask me about what the planet Earth is. Smile.



M. Sufilight


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Tom Robertson 
  To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Sunday, October 23, 2011 10:12 PM
  Subject: Re: theos-talk RE; politics and various Quests of the ION


    
  M. Sufilight wrote:

  >There is no middle-ground here, as I see it. Either you are seeking altruism or you are not seeking altruism. That is the central thing I get from the above answer from you. There was no "inflamed pen" thrown by Blavatsky. I understand however what you say in the below: "One feels the power in her words and the great spirit at work. But it is also easy to be swept away from a poised, altruistic heart centeredness from such writing." - But, no. Because you cannot have it both ways. Either you seek altruism and its promulgation or you do not. This is the view, when we consider that the Theosophical Society was founded with the aim of promulgating altruism.

  Could you elaborate on what you mean by altruism? Does it mean always
  putting oneself last? Does it mean being available to help anyone who
  needs it, no matter what one wants to do? Does it mean giving all of
  one's money to anyone who asks for it? Does it mean deliberately
  losing a tennis match because one believes that one's opponent would
  rather win it? Or does it mean to regard oneself as equally important
  as everyone else, so that justice, not generosity, is the ideal?


  

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