extreme discouragement

[Honza]

Here is another example of the difference between Eastern Spirituality and Western Spirituality.

The West encourages people to engage in life and to involve themselves with other people. The West is pro-active. It says get involved, it will be okay.

The East on the other hand totally discourages people from getting involved with life and other people. It says "why bother?", "its just an illusion!"

I prefer the West! Much more!

I find Eastern Mysticism incredibly discouraging......I start thinking "what is the point?" "what if everything is just an illusion?" ....how discouraging is that?

Its AWFUL!

[Seawolf]

Originally Posted by Honza

The West encourages people to engage in life and to involve themselves with other people. The West is pro-active. It says get involved, it will be okay.

I agree with doing this! If you don't get involved with other people, how much can you know about yourself?

I don't know if the East is like that or not, maybe they just have a different way that seems discouraging to us? Different cultures seem strange sometimes.

[Honza]

Originally Posted by Seawolf

I don't know if the East is like that or not, maybe they just have a different way that seems discouraging to us? Different cultures seem strange sometimes.

That may be the reason. But I often wonder if their mindset doesn't affect them negatively as well.

After all, there are 900,000,000 Indians on earth and their country is still in a terrible mess. They are poor and their political system is corrupted. The west seems very civilised compared to India. People walk around seeing the "East" through rose tinted glasses, like it is the best thing since sliced bread. But it isn't. It is poor, overpopulated, corrupt and disorganised.

[Seawolf]

Originally Posted by Honza

That may be the reason. But I often wonder if their mindset doesn't affect them negatively as well.

After all, there are 900,000,000 Indians on earth and their country is still in a terrible mess. They are poor and their political system is corrupted. The west seems very civilised compared to India. People walk around seeing the "East" through rose tinted glasses, like it is the best thing since sliced bread. But it isn't. It is poor, overpopulated, corrupt and disorganised.

I see what you mean. I think different place have different problems though, and they can seem worse in other cultures. I may be wrong about that, they could be worse off than us too, but I think we naturally tend to block out our own problems in our mind and see them worse in others.

When looking at problems in populations, it's not usually black and white because there's positive and negative aspects to most things. Even though I realize that, I'm more biased towards my part of the world's outlook on spirituality. Obviously we all are in the West.

[psychoslice]

I think there needs to be a balance, not too western, or too Eastern.

[Seawolf]

Originally Posted by psychoslice

I think there needs to be a balance, not too western, or too Eastern.

I'd like that too, but I have no idea how to do it without at least visiting the East. I don't even understand what we're talking about here!

[Swami Chihuahuananda]

Originally Posted by Seawolf

I'd like that too, but I have no idea how to do it without at least visiting the East. I don't even understand what we're talking about here!

Right ; the o.p. is too generalized and vague to really be an accurate overview. There doesn't need to be an East vs. West choice forced on anyone , anyway . Find whatever works and work it , that's what I do ; doesn't matter if it's East or West or New Age or Old School (Hermetic) ,or
channeled from the Bozosphere.

[psychoslice]

Originally Posted by Seawolf

I'd like that too, but I have no idea how to do it without at least visiting the East. I don't even understand what we're talking about here!

I'm more talking about one being material and the other not so material, there are many good things in the material world that we should enjoy, but if we cling to them we will suffer.

Originally Posted by psychoslice

I think there needs to be a balance, not too western, or too Eastern.

yeah middle east where I am ... I see everything.

3d

[psychoslice]

Originally Posted by 3dnow

yeah middle east where I am ... I see everything.

3d

Sorry its nothing to do with a geographical area on a map lol.