posted November 24, 2008 04:34 AM         

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What if you have an enemy, who is not just some mean, despicable, carping person, but a really capable person who, for some reason or other, has really got it in for you, and perhaps quite justifiably? One could perhaps say that a real enemy who is out to harm you can do more for you than even a guru, because a guru may put you really through it and make you suffer, but you know all the time - or at least you try to tell yourself - that it is for your own good. You know that he doesn't really mean to hurt you. But to be truly patient under real provocation is much more difficult. A guru can't do that for you. For this reason enemies are really valuable. It's quite a line of thought of Nietzsche's, who said one should choose one's enemies with care - that an enemy is a quite positive and valuable element in life, and that you very rarely get on without a few good enemies to spur you on and keep you stirred up and prevent you from stagnating.

In a way, as for instance in Goethe's Faust, this is the function of the devil. Mephistopheles is to keep prodding Everyman [i.e Faust], and stirring him up, and tempting him, because otherwise he'd just stagnate. That's the devil's function in the universe: not to give man an easy time. God and the angels are too indulgent; but not the devil. That's why he is very often called the enemy: the enemy of mankind. And very useful he is too.

http://centrebouddhisteparis.org/En_Anglais/Sangharakshita_en_anglais/The_enemy/ the_enemy.html

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posted November 25, 2008 08:58 AM         

The story of Brother Sandpaper

Brother Sandpaper, no doubt you've met him, is that person that always rubs you the wrong way...even the sight of them.

You can't do any right by Brother Sandpaper, and it raises your hackles to think about him.

Well one day, Brother Ray is at a gathering, and who should camp (for the month) right in front of him...but Brother Sandpaper.

Day after day, Brother Ray, would look upon the face of this person whose very profile was a SNEER.

After about a week of this, and as his patience was wearing thin, at the insensitive, loutish, mean things that Brother Sandpaper would do and say, Brother Ray sat down to commune with the Spirit within...to ask it, why?

Why did you do this to me Lord? What is the purpose behind this horribly annoying person?

And the Spirit answered him:
"Why Ray...I sent Brother Sandpaper to you as a gift! He is going to help you smooth away all of your rough edges."

"Help me?", thought Brother Ray, "You mean Brother Sandpaper is here to HELP ME?!"

From that moment, he couldn't help but see Brother Sandpaper in a whole different way:

Brother Sandpaper was his FRIEND!

The next morning, he brewed up some fresh coffee, and as brother Sandpaper came out of his tent on that cold morning...

Brother Ray greeted him with a smile...and offered his friend a cup of coffee.

Brother Sandpaper looked at him with suspicion, but grudgingly accepted.

And why SHOULDN'T he be suspicious? After the way Ray had treated him..his friend!

Acting like he was an irritant..when he was just there to smooth away those rough edges..hmph!

For the rest of the stay...Ray treated Brother Sandpaper like what he was...his FRIEND, sent from God to work on his rough edges.

Soon...those rough edges were worn away. And Brother Sandpaper wasn't quite so abrasive anymore without those rough edges to catch on.

And to this day...they are the closest of friends.

The End

story:
http://www.linda-goodman.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000225.html

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What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world is immortal"~

posted November 25, 2008 11:48 AM         

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And Brother Sandpaper wasn't quite so abrasive anymore without those rough edges to catch on.

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posted November 25, 2008 12:07 PM         

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You have to believe in, or that you can have enemies in order to place any value on them.

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It`s all perspective

juni

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What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world is immortal"~

posted November 25, 2008 12:08 PM         

But, we also dont want to lose this first point in semantics.

The concept of an enemy,
and belief in the enemy,
doesnt seem to be going away.

So perhaps we should think about reclaiming them?

Can the word "enemy" be reclaimed?

posted November 25, 2008 12:12 PM         

Again, perspective.

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What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world is immortal"~

posted November 25, 2008 12:13 PM         

juni

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What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world is immortal"~

posted November 25, 2008 12:39 PM         

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Well, in my world enemies don`t exist but there sure is a LOT of sand paper floating around.
Again, perspective.

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I think, if you are seeing sandpaper, you are seeing enemies. Maybe you need to have your eyes checked?

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In fact , in some circles, I am known as Sister Sandpaper, go figure
juni

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What circles are those?

Do you mean people like me?

Or people like Francis of Assisi?

It's all perspective.

Is it, though?

Or is that just what we say to mess with other people's heads?

When we really are trying to toy with them?

posted November 25, 2008 12:46 PM         

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When we really are trying to toy with them?

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Hmmmm, now who`s ego would toy with anothers......

juni

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What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world is immortal"~

posted November 25, 2008 12:51 PM         

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Hmmmm, now who`s ego would toy with anothers......

juni

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posted November 25, 2008 01:28 PM         

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Well, in my world enemies don`t exist but there sure is a LOT of sand paper floating around.

Again, perspective.

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posted November 25, 2008 01:43 PM         

Not with others but with ourselves. That`s the purpose of interacting and Working with the sandpaper and refining our cool/ego/nafs.

I have also had one of those years and certainly hope I gained from it ... or then it would be for naught.

juni

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What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world is immortal"~

posted November 25, 2008 05:44 PM         

how does this work with the antelope just previously to him being eaten by his sandpaper?

That certainly takes care of his rough edges then but how rough was the antelope?

posted November 25, 2008 06:08 PM         

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The concept of an enemy,
and belief in the enemy,
doesnt seem to be going away.

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Oh really? Hmm. Very interesting.
For whom? And why not?

"Reclaiming 'them'" ? What's taking so long?

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Or do we just have to try to somehow block it out?

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You cant block out the sun.

posted November 25, 2008 06:21 PM         

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how does this work with the antelope just previously to him being eaten by his sandpaper?

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Good analogy. I didn't think of the animal realm. My mind kept running to Jews in concentration camps when thinking of obvious enemies.

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I'm just asking because I'm contemplating my sandpapers and enjoying the analogy.

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posted November 25, 2008 06:29 PM         

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I'm not sure that I fully understand 26T's line. I have to believe in enemies, or that I can have enemies in order to place any value on them. If I don't believe in enemies, or that I can't have them then I won't place value on them? It sounds very zen, but I think that whether or not we place value on our opponents the quality of the interaction remains pretty similar.

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If you want to know about Values, just come to a . It's one of the boring traits we are known for knowing something about.

And why do you have to believe in enemies? Do you really have to; or were you brought up to believe that's how certain relationships operate here?

Do you believe we are all connected? Do you believe in coincidences? Do you believe in individuality? Do you belive you exist? Do you believe the outer reflects the inner? Do you beleive things happen to you? Do you believe your enemies are seperate from you?

When I read "opponents", "enemies" all i hear is "dance".. "loving partners disguised and whirling"....

posted November 25, 2008 06:44 PM         

In the midst of the discussion the Carpenter of Nazareth entered. He went to His workbench to make a pulpit from which He would preach the gospel. He used the hammer, the plane, the rule and the sandpaper. All were important in their own way.

juni

http://tinyurl.com/5btdlc
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What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world is immortal"~

posted November 25, 2008 07:18 PM         

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And why do you have to believe in enemies?

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You don't have to. There is choice. However, the presence of enemies is observable. One need not be brought up in any particular way to observe.

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When I read "opponents", "enemies" all i hear is "dance".. "loving partners disguised and whirling"....

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When those loving partners are disguised in violence your perception may be different at least in that moment.

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Dont you have to Be an enemy to have one?

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No. Is the meat-eater looking for an argument with the vegetarian? Not necessarily, but the vegetarian might still consider the meat-eater to be an opponent in some regard.

Juni's right in that we all just are what we are. How we're perceived does hold some consequence to one another, but we can all still be useful to one another.