From: pharvey@mipos3.intel.com (Paul Harvey)
Subject: Re: *I* am THE way.
Organization: Joyful participators in worldy sorrows
	<1992Aug26.155527.6092@engage.pko.dec.com> <66921@hydra.gatech.EDU> 
	<1992Aug27.184034.3946@engage.pko.dec.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 22:00:32 GMT

In article <1992Aug27.184034.3946@engage.pko.dec.com> 
pub@riscee.pko.dec.com (Publius) writes:
>  4. The most interesting aspect about this story is Abraham's
>     explanation to the rich man, which many people would like
>     to explain away.  According to Abraham's answer to the
>     rich man, the retribution in Hades is simply the compensation
>     for their respective lots/lives on earth.  Abraham's answer
>     certainly does not bring confort to those who array themselves
>     in purple (figuratively speaking, of course), live in luxury,
>     and waste their earthly lives in pleasure.  Scripture does
>     not give any indication that Christian can be exempted from
>     this retribution (not that I am preaching Purgatory, I simply
>     take Abraham's words as they are).  I guess the the only way
>     we can avoid it is to live a life of self-denial, bear the cross,
>     for sake of His Kingdom.

This is a very old question that almost all mythologies address, one way or
the other. The question is, should one quench the fire or feed the fire? Life
is death, life eats life and creates death. Life and death are inseperable,
one does not exist without the other. Newly created life creates by feeding
off the remains of the previous, now dead, life. Once created, newly created
life now sustains life by consuming other life and avoiding being consumed by
other life. But, eventually, this life too is consumed by another organism
seeking life. Life feeds on life and creates death, there is no avoiding this
fact. It is only a question of what to do about it. Should one quench the
fire and minimize one's killing of other lives, like the Jains who eat only
fruit and other foods available without killing and who walk as little as
possible to avoid crushing soil bugs and who wear gause masks to avoid
breathing air bugs and who sustain their life only for the purpose of dying
at the right time to die? Or should one feed the fire, like buddha? Joyful
participation in the sorrows of the world, there you will find the answer.
Feed the fire, that is the meaning of life, without fire, life has no meaning.
We don't need no water, let it burn, let it burn! The time of self-denial
will come when the time is right, this fact of life you will not avoid. But
while you are life, live a good life, live a right life, live right livelyhood,
do the right thing. This is dharma, dharma of life. Dharma of death will
come, don't be anxious. Feed the fire. This does not mean become a mass 
murderer. Dharma is right livelyhood, doing the right thing. It is you who 
must judge what the right thing is, that is your dharma. And keep in mind the
next stage of death, whose time will come. In your life, take care that you
increase total dharma, not just increase your dharma at the loss of others.
Treat the earth and it's organisms kindly, your death will set the stage for
the next new life. Improve that stage, don't degrade it. Life must always
have the option of being dharma. This is not the first cycle of life and
it won't be the last, unless we harm the dharma of the earth. Seven
generations ahead and seven generations behind. Would your great grand parents
agree with your concept of dharma and will your children's children also
agree. Greed is not a virtue. Feed the fire and feed it well. Feed it such
that it will burn a long time, well past your assignment.