Is Goodness Pride?
 

So it has finally dawned upon me. The disagreement in me with certain factions of Eastern spirituality. For many years I spent arguing against the I AM (which is pure consciousness without thought) teachings. Eventually I conceded and accepted the premise.

However, it has now dawned upon me why I ever disagreed with them at all. Certain factions of Eastern spirituality, which are now spreading to the West, see Goodness as 'Pride'.

They see God as neither Good nor Evil. Therefore any notions of Goodness are by default slight deviancies. God, to them, is pure and perfect Neutrality.

I feel that I cannot agree. To me Goodness is not a deviancy. It is not Pride.

For example, I might be raving about how great Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire films were, but 'pure consciousness' is tutting "no mate, that is ego and pride!"

It is pure hypocrisy.

Which one's Honza ?

I'm not sure that is an eastern belief is it? I tend to think it's a new age western version of eastern if anyone knows what I mean. Like new age types in the west who think they are somehow eastern or intellectually superior to others by stating they believe there is no good or bad or something along those lines.

I think Buddhism does not say anything about God, but then the lay people worship God in some way maybe. Maybe worship Buddha or other deities. But then I'm sure others don't. Then in Christianity we have Jesus who was about being good and selfless, non-judgmental of others etc. Love others as yourself. Buddhism has loving-kindness which is similar or maybe the same.

I think it's hard to say Eastern belief is this or that or Western is this or that as now days seems like we have all kinds of beliefs all over the planet. But I think Eastern tends to be Hinduism or Buddhism and Western is Christianity as far as majority religion of the locations or cultures. But then Muslims are also in India and that general area I think.

Some people are probably proud of "being" or "doing" good and want recognition for it since they are prideful. Thus the saying of keeping the good you do secret so you are not prideful or egotistical about it.

Matthew 6
1
"Be careful not to do your `acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
3
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4
so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

I don't agree either. I think the idea is pure speculation and intellectualizing without any ground in reality. I think from a human perceptive, everything is about finding pleasure (good) and avoiding pain and suffering (bad). The variation I think is about HOW we seek and avoid such things. That can vary a lot. In other words, there are good ways to seek pleasure and bad ways. Good ways to avoid pain and suffering and bad ways. That's where wisdom comes in and higher awareness, compassion and empathy for others etc.

I think the fact humans can experience pleasure and pain in itself proves our creator wants us to learn to be and act a certain way. So to me, that proves the creators or creator knows of good and bad.

The ones which advocate the notion of pure conscious.

Can you point to a Teaching please from 'the ones' as I personally have never heard of goodness being pride....

[Quote Maisy,
"Like new age types in the west who think they are somehow eastern or intellectually superior to others by stating they believe there is no good or bad or something along those lines."]

People think differently and I personally don't see those that do as trying to be 'intellectually superior to others'....

No one teaches Goodness is Pride. It is more of a shared understanding by those who believe there is no good or evil. For example, if you believe there is no good or evil then what is the feeling or notion of such? It is explained as 'ego' or 'pride' or incomplete realisation etc.

To pure neutrality - what actually is good and evil?

Which Eastern Religion teaches that there is no good or evil ? I'm trying to see what you mean. The Title of your Thread is asking a question....