Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site fortune.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!we13!ihnp4!fortune!rpw3 From: rpw3@fortune.UUCP Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Re: Guilt - (nf) Message-ID: <2439@fortune.UUCP> Date: Sun, 5-Feb-84 07:05:49 EST Article-I.D.: fortune.2439 Posted: Sun Feb 5 07:05:49 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 8-Feb-84 08:14:30 EST Sender: notes@fortune.UUCP Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA Lines: 24 #R:ssc-vax:-79100:fortune:21900009:000:986 fortune!rpw3 Feb 5 02:35:00 1984 Hmmm... I remember once when someone asked Tai Situ Rinpoche (a Tibetan Buddhist meditation master) what they could do about feeling guilty about such-and-such a thing the person was wont to do. Situ Rinpoche's answer was (with a bit of incredulity on his face), "Well, don't DO it anymore!". The point I took from that was that guilt is often a way of avoiding actually dealing with the consequences of our actions, because it is easier to feel guilty than to acknowledge our error and correct our future actions. From that point of view, "guilt" is a sub-catagory of "pride" (also considered a sin in most religions), and not particularly useful. (The full empathy of pain with someone you have hurt can be far worse than the guilt of having done it. Empathy deals with the other; guilt is a very private vice.) Rob Warnock UUCP: {sri-unix,amd70,hpda,harpo,ihnp4,allegra}!fortune!rpw3 DDD: (415)595-8444 USPS: Fortune Systems Corp, 101 Twin Dolphins Drive, Redwood City, CA 94065