As a Jedi what is balance to you?

Are you confusing adapting with surrender? And how do you will the sea?

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote: Either way you have disturbed the sleep of the cat but in your harmony example you also steal choice from the cat. What if he does not want to return to your lap?

haha!! If you really were listening you would already know my answer I would adapt to the cats needs before sitting down

((In this case he decided to jump from my arms, to the counter and meow for milk. I gave him milk. Since he is getting older he can't always jump to the counter so he was purring quite gratefully as I poured him milk.))

JLspinner, yes it is because in that situation you give up the option of choice and give it all to the sea. You allow the sea to dictate your options at that point and if that sea is malevolent it could lead to a less than desirable situation for you.

Now your just not being logical....

Triss, Is the milk truly a need or a want? Water would do just as well right? Why did you give it milk? Was it the cats choice or was it yours? What if the cat meowed to go outside but because it is to old to go outside you don't allow it. Aren't these things actually you controlling your environment for the good of all? What am I not being logical in?


JL, I thought we were talking of the sea in a metaphorical context? The sea representing things in our lives that come against our will.

I was until you mentioned the ship sinking and being harmony at the bottom of the sea. So I adapted.

JLSpinner wrote: I was until you mentioned the ship sinking and being harmony at the bottom of the sea. So I adapted.

LOL yea well I was just carrying the metaphor further on in the idea that relinquishing control of your environment could lead to less than ideal situations. To let go of the wheel is surrender. To take the wheel and control your situation in response to the raging of the "sea" is adapting to the situation according to your will. This is in conflict to the will of the "sea" who wants to sink your "boat" or smash it on rocks or roll it over and over. That's not a harmonious situation. its a fight of your will vs the "sea".

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote: Triss, Is the milk truly a need or a want? Water would do just as well right? Why did you give it milk? Was it the cats choice or was it yours?

I know my cat better than you do He and I have a harmonious relationship and I can understand his ques. If he wants milk he will sit by the fridge, if he wants water he will start licking at the flowing water from the spout.

And yes. milk is a need. As I said...he is old. Milk contains calcium and other nutrients to help his bones and aches especiouly in this cold winter time.

What if the cat meowed to go outside but because it is to old to go outside you don't allow it.

I open the door an let him out. And wait two seconds for him to come running back in because its too cold LoL

Aren't these things actually you controlling your environment for the good of all?

Nope. Because I havn't once controled his choices.


But for sake of argument lets say my sick daughter wanted to go out and play in the cold? I tell her no because I don't want her to get more sick. As the adult and deciding figure in the house right now. That is my responsibility. Is it controlling? Yes. It is. I am adapting as a parent to the needed decisions that will effect future outcomes. In this case, a saved trip to the ER for high fevers after stupidly allowing my kids to play outside because they wanted to.

The point isn't to stop controlled outcomes that can be controled.

Nor is it to be without any conflict what so ever

The point is to adapt to life in as best a means you can. Sometimes. That may even be in causing conflict in order to harmonize an otherwise stagnated situation.

Nothing is cut and dry so why should your spiritual path be that way?

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote:

JLSpinner wrote: I was until you mentioned the ship sinking and being harmony at the bottom of the sea. So I adapted.

LOL yea well I was just carrying the metaphor further on in the idea that relinquishing control of your environment could lead to less than ideal situations. To let go of the wheel is surrender. To take the wheel and control your situation in response to the raging of the "sea" is adapting to the situation according to your will. This is in conflict to the will of the "sea" who wants to sink your "boat" or smash it on rocks or roll it over and over. That's not a harmonious situation. its a fight of your will vs the "sea".

So you're arugment against adapting is to adapt. I think we are stuck again on how we are wording our thoughts. I never once said to give up control. I said adapt, like you just did. To make something useful to a new purpose or become adjusted to a new circumstance. Making the circumstances as much to your advantage as possible. I'm not willing the circumstances, but I am finding the advantage

Lol fair enough Triss.

Put it this way jlspinner.
A sound boat on a perfectly calm sea is harmony. That same boat (or a Leaky boat) on a stormy sea is conflict. It doesn't matter how often it's stormy or how often it's calm, the ratio doesn't matter. Only the acknowledgement that both always exist simultaneously. To embrace harmony but deny conflict is to end up like Ekhart Tolle just sitting on a park bench for 3 years letting life and everything pass him by, not interacting or affecting his environment in any way as he wastes away in stagnation. For me i see Jedi claiming they embrace harmony and deny conflict but never really living that to the degree they claim. They can't or stagnation is the result.

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote: n. For me i see Jedi claiming they embrace harmony and deny conflict but never really living that to the degree they claim. They can't or stagnation is the result.

I am a Jedi

I embrace Harmony

I also embrace conflict.....which is the point of harmony

And im far from stagnated as a result....Just sayin

I've never denied conflict. I was explaining what I mean when I say harmony. I never spoke of ratios or inaction. I spoke of adaption, the same word you had used in your previous counter point. Im not sure what inspired your last response. It seems like a back step.
I was trying to show that I think we all agree on this more than we are willing to admit. We struggle getting past extreme scenarios and choice of phrasing.