My Discussion with ChatGPT about Pain, Suffering, and Love

What are Fyodor Dostoyevsky's thoughts about the purpose of pain?

ChatGPT:

Fyodor Dostoyevsky was a renowned Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist, and philosopher. Born on November 11, 1821, in Moscow, Dostoyevsky is considered one of the greatest literary figures of all time. His works explore human psychology in the context of the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century Russia.  His key works include Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, among others.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky viewed pain as an essential and transformative element of human experience. He believed that suffering could lead to personal growth, deeper understanding, and spiritual awakening. In his works, Dostoyevsky often depicted characters who undergo significant suffering and emerge with greater insight into themselves and the world around them. He saw pain as a pathway to redemption and a means of discovering profound truths about human existence and the divine. Through suffering, Dostoyevsky suggested, individuals could achieve a higher level of consciousness and empathy, ultimately leading to a more authentic and meaningful life.

Why did Fyodor Dostoyevsky think pain and suffering are central to purpose in life?

ChatGPT:

Fyodor Dostoyevsky indeed considered pain and suffering central to the purpose of life. His philosophy can be distilled into several key points:

1. Pathway to Redemption: Dostoyevsky believed that suffering could be moral and spiritual redemption. Through pain, individuals could confront their flaws and sins, ultimately seeking forgiveness and achieving redemption.
2. Depth of Understanding: He posited that suffering allows individuals to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and others. It breaks down superficialities and exposes the core of human nature, fostering empathy and compassion.
3. Spiritual Awakening: For Dostoyevsky, suffering was a means to achieve spiritual awakening. He saw it as a way to connect with the divine, suggesting that through at least enduring pain, one could attain a closer relationship with God and a clearer comprehension of spiritual truths.
4. Authentic Existence: He argued that experiencing suffering is essential to living an authentic life. Pain forces individuals to confront reality, stripping away illusions and leading to a more genuine existence.
5. Creative and Artistic Inspiration: Dostoyevsky also believed that pain and suffering could fuel creativity and artistic expression. Many of his own literary works, rich in emotional and psychological depth, were inspired by his personal experiences with suffering.

In summary, Dostoyevsky saw pain and suffering not as meaningless hardships, but as crucial elements that enrich the human experience, foster growth, and lead to a deeper, more purposeful life.

What are the messages from the Bible about pain and suffering?

ChatGPT:

The Bible addresses pain and suffering in various ways, offering insights into their purposes and how believers should respond to them. Here are some key messages:

1.    Purpose and Growth:

• Romans 5:3-5: "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."
• James 1:2-4: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

2.    God's Presence and Comfort:

• Psalm 34:18: "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
• 2 Corinthians 1:3-4: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."

3.    Christ's Example:

• 1 Peter 2:21: "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."
• Hebrews 2:18: "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."

4.    Future Hope and Restoration:

• Revelation 21:4: "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
• Romans 8:18: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

5.    Discipline and Correction:

• Hebrews 12:6-7: "Because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?"
• Proverbs 3:11-12: "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in."

6.    Purpose in Suffering:

• 2 Corinthians 12:9-10: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
• Philippians 3:10: "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death."

These passages collectively emphasize that pain and suffering are part of the human experience but are also integral to spiritual growth, reliance on God, and the ultimate hope of restoration and eternal joy.

What are the messages in the Book of Mormon about pain and suffering?

ChatGPT:

The Book of Mormon, like the Bible, offers profound insights into the nature and purpose of pain and suffering. Here are some key messages:

1.    Purpose and Growth:

• 2 Nephi 2:11: "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, ... righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad."
• Ether 12:27: "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. ... then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

2.    Divine Perspective and Trust:

• Mosiah 23:21: "Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith."
• Mosiah 24:14: "And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs...and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions."

3.    Christ’s Empathy and Atonement:

• Alma 7:11-12: "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people...that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

4.    Endurance and Faith:

• Helaman 5:12: "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; ... a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
• Mosiah 23:22: "Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day."

5.    Purpose in Suffering:

• 2 Nephi 2:2: "Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain."
• Ether 6:5-12: This passage describes the Jaredites' journey across the ocean, where they faced many trials but were continually driven towards the promised land by the winds and the hand of the Lord, symbolizing how suffering and trials can lead to greater blessings.

6.    Eternal Perspective:

• 2 Nephi 9:18: "But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God...and their joy shall be full forever."
• 3 Nephi 22:7-8: "For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer."

The Book of Mormon emphasizes that suffering and trials are essential for personal growth, faith, and spiritual development. It teaches that through Christ's atonement and divine guidance, individuals can find strength, purpose, and eventual relief from their afflictions. The ultimate message is one of hope, trust in God's plan, and the promise of eternal joy and peace.

What are the thoughts from Latter-day Saint prophets and apostles about pain and suffering?

ChatGPT:

Latter-day Saint (LDS) prophets have frequently addressed the topics of pain and suffering, providing insights that align with and expand upon scriptural teachings. Here are some key thoughts from various LDS prophets:

1. Spiritual Growth and Refinement:
• Spencer W. Kimball: In his book Faith Precedes the Miracle, President Kimball wrote, “Being human, we would expel from our lives physical pain and mental anguish and assure ourselves of continual ease and comfort, but if we were to close the doors upon sorrow and distress, we might be excluding our greatest friends and benefactors. Suffering can make saints of people as they learn patience, long-suffering, and self-mastery.”
• Orson F. Whitney: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable.”
• Elder Gene R. Cook: “As some are faced with trials and afflictions, they say, “Why won’t God help me?” Some have even struggled with doubts about their prayers and their personal worthiness and say, “Perhaps prayer doesn’t work.”
  

  “Others who have suffered with sickness, discouragement, financial crisis, rejection, disappointment, and even loss of loved ones may say, “Why won’t the Lord heal me or help me with my son? Why didn’t He prevent her death? Does life have to be this unhappy?”

  “Yes, one might even cry out, “O God, where art thou? … How long shall thy hand be stayed?”  D&C 121:1–2

  “Jesus taught that we pass through all these trials to refine us “in the furnace of affliction”  1 Ne. 20:10 and that we should not bear them unaided, but “in [the] Redeemer’s name”  D&C 138:13 In spite of our feeling, at times, that He has forgotten us, He testifies, “Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee …

  “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.”  1 Ne. 21:15–16

  “I testify that the Lord, through His grace, can continually assist us in our daily lives and in our physical and mental sickness, pain, transgressions, and even in all of our infirmities.” (See  Mosiah 14:5  Alma 7:11–13  Alma 34:31)  (Receiving Divine Assistance through the Grace of the Lord by Elder Gene R. Cook)

2. Christ’s Empathy and Atonement:
• Jeffrey R. Holland: In his talk “Like a Broken Vessel,” Elder Holland stated, “I bear witness of that day when loved ones whom we knew to have disabilities in mortality will stand before us glorified and grand, breathtakingly perfect in body and mind. What a thrilling moment that will be. I do not know whether we will be happier for ourselves that we have witnessed such a miracle or happier for them that they are fully perfect and finally ‘free at last.’ Until that hour when Christ’s consummate gift is evident to us all, may we live by faith, hold fast to hope, and ‘show compassion one [to] another.’”
• Neal A. Maxwell: Elder Maxwell often spoke of the Savior’s ability to empathize with our suffering. He once said, “When, as is so often now the case, there are no simple answers to our suffering, it is enough to know that we can still be like Christ, who suffered infinitely, yet sought only to do the will of His Father.”
3. Purpose in Adversity:
• Dallin H. Oaks: In his address “Adversity and the Divine Purpose of Mortality,” Elder Oaks taught, “The purpose of mortal life for all of God’s children is to provide experiences needed ‘to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life.’ To achieve this, we are given commandments and encouraged to develop the qualities and attributes of godliness. We progress by making choices, by which we are tested to show that we will keep God’s commandments.”
• David A. Bednar: Elder Bednar emphasized in his talk “In the Strength of the Lord” that, “We will be blessed in the day of our trials and tribulations as we trust in the Lord. Our trials and suffering give us a unique opportunity to develop our character and faith. In the strength of the Lord, we can do and endure and overcome all things.”
4. Endurance and Faith:
• Russell M. Nelson: President Nelson has often spoken about the power of faith in enduring trials. In his talk “Joy and Spiritual Survival,” he shared, “Saints can be happy under every circumstance. We can feel joy even while having a bad day, a bad week, or even a bad year! My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”
5. Eternal Perspective:
• Thomas S. Monson: President Monson taught in “I Will Not Fail Thee, nor Forsake Thee,” “We learn from the hard taskmaster of experience. We learn that the purpose of this life is to grow, to develop, and to be strengthened through our own experiences. How could we possibly understand the joy of freedom and redemption unless we understand the need for that freedom through personal suffering and the challenges we face?”

These teachings from LDS prophets and apostles underscore that pain and suffering are integral to the mortal experience, offering opportunities for growth, empathy, and a closer relationship with God. They highlight the importance of enduring trials with faith and maintaining an eternal perspective, trusting that ultimate relief and understanding will come through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

The Problem of Pain C.S. Lewis

In "The Problem of Pain," C.S. Lewis addresses the question of why a good and omnipotent God would allow suffering and pain in the world. Lewis explores several key themes and arguments:

1. Nature of God and Goodness: Lewis begins by affirming the goodness and omnipotence of God. He argues that true goodness is beyond human understanding, and God's ultimate goodness may not always align with human conceptions of happiness.
2. Human Freedom and Fallenness: Lewis discusses the concept of free will, suggesting that genuine freedom is essential for love and moral choices. The existence of free will, however, allows for the possibility of suffering due to wrong choices and moral failings. He also refers to the Fall of Man, which introduced suffering and evil into the world.
3. Role of Pain: Pain, according to Lewis, can serve a purpose in God's plan. It acts as a "megaphone to rouse a deaf world," drawing people's attention to their need for God and encouraging spiritual growth and dependence on Him. Pain can also lead to the development of virtues such as courage, patience, and compassion.
4. Animal Pain: Lewis acknowledges the difficulty of explaining animal suffering but suggests that it may be part of the broader fallen state of the world. He admits this is a challenging aspect of the problem of pain but posits that God's ultimate justice and mercy will address these concerns in ways humans cannot fully understand.
5. Heaven and Ultimate Justice: Lewis concludes with the idea that the suffering of this world is temporary and will be outweighed by the eternal joy and fulfillment found in heaven. The hope of future redemption and restoration offers a perspective that can help believers endure present suffering.

Overall, "The Problem of Pain" attempts to reconcile the existence of suffering with the Christian understanding of a loving and powerful God, offering philosophical and theological insights into why pain might exist and how it can be integrated into a greater divine purpose.

Here are some of the best quotes from C.S. Lewis in his book "The Problem of Pain":

1. Pain is a Megaphone: "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."
2. The Necessity of Free Will:  "Try to exclude the possibility of suffering which the order of nature and the existence of free-wills involve, and you find that you have excluded life itself."
3. Love and Suffering:  "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken."
4. The Goodness of God:  "We are not metaphorically but in very truth a Divine work of art, something that God is making, and therefore something with which He will not be satisfied until it has a certain character."
5. Human Rebellion:  "The human spirit will not even begin to try to surrender self-will as long as all seems to be well with it."
6. Heaven:  "Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory."
7. The Spirit of God is Disruptive: “Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of: throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”
8. The True Nature of Love: "We want, in fact, not so much a Father in Heaven as a grandfather in Heaven—a senile benevolence who, as they say, 'like to see young people enjoying themselves' and whose plan for the universe was simply that it might be frankly easy and fun."

In this quote, Lewis critiques the tendency to desire a deity who is permissive and uninterested in moral discipline, rather than a God who is actively involved in guiding and challenging us toward growth and maturity.

These quotes capture Lewis's reflections on the profound relationship between pain, free will, love, and divine purpose.

What does C.S. Lewis say about the meaning of "love' in the book "The Problem of Pain"?

ChatGPT

In "The Problem of Pain," C.S. Lewis discusses the nature and meaning of love extensively. He distinguishes between different types of love, emphasizing that true love is often not synonymous with mere kindness or a desire to shield loved ones from all suffering. Instead, he argues that real love sometimes involves allowing or even causing pain if it leads to greater growth, character, or ultimate happiness.

Here are some key points Lewis makes about love in the book:

1. God's Love vs. Human Love: Lewis explains that God's love for humanity is different from human love. God's love is not merely about providing comfort and happiness but is aimed at our ultimate good, which often requires discipline and the development of virtue, even if that process involves pain.
2. Love and Pain: He argues that pain can be a tool of divine love, used to bring about spiritual growth and deeper understanding. In this sense, love is not just about immediate happiness but about the ultimate well-being and salvation of the soul.
3. Love and Kindness: Lewis contrasts love with mere kindness, stating that kindness wishes to see others happy but does not necessarily concern itself with the deeper aspects of their well-being. True love, on the other hand, desires what is best for the beloved, even if that involves suffering.
4. Love and Divine Goodness: He addresses the misconception that a good God would not allow suffering, explaining that God's goodness is not merely about preventing pain but about fostering true goodness and virtue within us. This divine love, therefore, may permit suffering as a means to a higher end.

In summary, C.S. Lewis views love as a profound, often challenging force that seeks the ultimate good of the beloved, which may include the necessity of pain and suffering for greater spiritual and moral growth.

 

What are some of the best quotes by C.S. Lewis about the meaning of "love" in his book "The Problem of Pain"?

ChatGPT:

1. God's Love:
• “Love may, indeed, love the beloved when her beauty is lost: but not because it is lost. Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal.”
2. Love and Pain:
• “We are, not metaphorically but in very truth, a divine work of art, something that God is making, and therefore something with which He will not be satisfied until it has a certain character.”
3. Love vs. Kindness:
• “Kindness consents very readily to the removal of its object—we have all met people whose kindness to animals is constantly leading them to kill animals lest they should suffer. God has paid us the intolerable compliment of loving us, in the deepest, most tragic, most inexorable sense.”
4. Divine Goodness and Human Suffering:
• “When we are such as He can love without impediment, we shall in fact be happy.”
5. Love is Stern:
• “Love is something more stern and splendid than mere kindness.”

These quotes reflect Lewis's profound insights into the nature of divine love, the relationship between love and suffering, and the ultimate purpose of love in the context of human growth and redemption.

12 Step Growth and Change

What Does Self-Centeredness Do to Me?

I have a friend who sends a text message everyday a thought taken from one of the many publications provided by Alcoholics Anonymous.  The following is part of the message he sent today. 

Daily Reflection

"Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others and how we may help meet their needs. AA ANONYMOUS, p. 20

"Self-centeredness was my problem. All my life people had been doing things for me and I not only expected it, but I was ungrateful and resentful they didn't do more. Why should I help others, when they were supposed to help me? If others had troubles, didn't they deserve them? I was filled with self-pity, anger and resentment. Then I learned that by helping others, with no thought of return, I could overcome this obsession with selfishness, and if I understood humility, I would know peace and serenity. No longer do I need to drink."

See helping-others

Each day when my friend sends his text message, I am amazed how universally applicable these inspirational thoughts and the AA 12 Step program could be for every person.

To overcome a substance addiction requires a significant change of heart and focus.  

"The Greek word [from which repentance is translated] denotes a change of mind, a fresh view about God, about oneself, and about the world. Since we are born into conditions of mortality, repentance comes to mean a turning of the heart and will to God, and a renunciation of sin to which we are naturally inclined. Without this there can be no progress in the things of the soul’s salvation, for all accountable persons are stained by sin and must be cleansed in order to enter the kingdom of heaven."

A mighty change of heart is not optional for happiness.

Make Good Choices Daily

The smartphone and the apps used on the device are an exercise in liberty and free will.  The operator assisted telephone, the smartphone, the computer, a car, the fax machine, the photocopier, a knife, a gun, our thoughts, our words, our every action, and million other things are tests on our ability and willingness to make good choices.  

Should a responsible parent parent give a pocket knife to a 4-year-old? An 8-year-old?  A 12-year-old?  What should be given to a child and what should a child be expected to pay for on their own? The timing depends on the training in personal accountability that the parents have given the child.

Should we make a new law? Should we invent a new product?  Should we reach out to a company and ask for a change?  Should we teach our children correct principles?  Are the answers, yes, no, maybe, or someone else should do it?

Parents should pray about it and consult with God who is the father of us all how to raise a child.  Parent need to start giving children liberty in doses from the time they can walk and talk.  Parents need to respond with justice and mercy in appropriate doses during this time so that when children become adults they are ready to be free and accountable, not perfect, but free and accountable.  

Societal outcomes are the sum of decisions made by individuals with liberty, and that is the way it should be.  Our decisions may result in pain for ourselves and others.  No need to panic.  Just open yourself to the light inside you, and make good decisions daily.

First Principles

First Principles

Faith in Jesus Christ, daily repentance, frequent death and resurrection (baptism and the sacrament), and living prepared for and under the direction of the Holy Ghost are the first principles and foundations of the work of Christ, and they are how we tether ourselves to him.

Covenant faith in Christ releases me from being a slave to my past mistakes and future expectations.  My past and future are no longer masters, but become servants to my daily living.  Being yoked with Christ provides true freedom over the choices I make today.  He provides the power.  I make the choice.

Faith in Jesus Christ means that I trust in His promises.  (Also see 25 Promises.) If I follow Him by obeying His commandments and learning to live under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Christ will extend his grace unto eternal life for me.

(My thoughts inspired by the book An Early Resurrection: Life in Christ before You Die by Adam S. Miller)

Today

Today, will you choose Faith or Fear?

Today, is the path you are choosing acceptable to God? 

(Bible Dictionary: Faith)

Today, will you love me more than these?  (John 21:15)

Today, will you rob God, or will you invest in building His 

kingdom on earth? (Malachi 3:8-10, Matthew 6:28-34)

Today, have you used the “Fifteen Seconds Rule”?  

(Genesis 39:7-20)

12 Rules for Life

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos

 Dr. Jordan Peterson

(My favorite quotes)

RULE 1 STAND UP STRAIGHT WITH YOUR SHOULDERS BACK

To stand up straight with your shoulders back is to accept the terrible responsibility of life, with eyes wide open. It means deciding to voluntarily transform the chaos of potential into the realities of habitable order. It means adopting the burden of self-conscious vulnerability, and accepting the end of the unconscious paradise of childhood, where finitude and mortality are only dimly comprehended. It means willingly undertaking the sacrifices necessary to generate a productive and meaningful reality (it means acting to please God, in the ancient language).

RULE 2 TREAT YOURSELF LIKE SOMEONE YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING

You must determine where you are going, so that you can bargain for yourself, so that you don’t end up resentful, vengeful and cruel. You have to articulate your own principles, so that you can defend yourself against others’ taking inappropriate advantage of you, and so that you are secure and safe while you work and play. You must discipline yourself carefully. You must keep the promises you make to yourself, and reward yourself, so that you can trust and motivate yourself. You need to determine how to act toward yourself so that you are most likely to become and to stay a good person. It would be good to make the world a better place. Heaven, after all, will not arrive of its own accord. We will have to work to bring it about, and strengthen ourselves, so that we can withstand the deadly angels and flaming sword of judgment that God used to bar its entrance.

RULE 3 MAKE FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE WHO WANT THE BEST FOR YOU

Here’s something to consider: If you have a friend whose friendship you wouldn’t recommend to your sister, or your father, or your son, why would you have such a friend for yourself? You might say: out of loyalty. Well, loyalty is not identical to stupidity. Loyalty must be negotiated, fairly and honestly. Friendship is a reciprocal arrangement. You are not morally obliged to support someone who is making the world a worse place. Quite the opposite. You should choose people who want things to be better, not worse. It’s a good thing, not a selfish thing, to choose people who are good for you. It’s appropriate and praiseworthy to associate with people whose lives would be improved if they saw your life improve.

If you surround yourself with people who support your upward aim, they will not tolerate your cynicism and destructiveness. They will instead encourage you when you do good for yourself and others and punish you carefully when you do not. This will help bolster your resolve to do what you should do, in the most appropriate and careful manner. People who are not aiming up will do the opposite.

RULE 4 COMPARE YOURSELF TO WHO YOU WERE YESTERDAY, NOT TO WHO SOMEONE ELSE IS TODAY

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek :) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Luke 12: 22– 34)

Realization is dawning. Instead of playing the tyrant, therefore, you are paying attention. You are telling the truth, instead of manipulating the world. You are negotiating, instead of playing the martyr or the tyrant. You no longer have to be envious, because you no longer know that someone else truly has it better. You no longer have to be frustrated, because you have learned to aim low, and to be patient. You are discovering who you are, and what you want, and what you are willing to do. You are finding that the solutions to your particular problems have to be tailored to you, personally and precisely. You are less concerned with the actions of other people, because you have plenty to do yourself.

Attend to the day, but aim at the highest good.

Now, your trajectory is heavenward. That makes you hopeful. Even a man on a sinking ship can be happy when he clambers aboard a lifeboat! And who knows where he might go, in the future. To journey happily may well be better than to arrive successfully…. Ask, and ye shall receive. Knock, and the door will open. If you ask, as if you want, and knock, as if you want to enter, you may be offered the chance to improve your life, a little; a lot; completely— and with that improvement, some progress will be made in Being itself.

Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.

RULE 5 DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN DO ANYTHING THAT MAKES YOU DISLIKE THEM

A child who pays attention, instead of drifting, and can play, and does not whine, and is comical, but not annoying, and is trustworthy—that child will have friends wherever he goes. His teachers will like him, and so will his parents. If he attends politely to adults, he will be attended to, smiled at and happily instructed. He will thrive, in what can so easily be a cold, unforgiving and hostile world. Clear rules make for secure children and calm, rational parents. Clear principles of discipline and punishment balance mercy and justice so that social development and psychological maturity can be optimally promoted. Clear rules and proper discipline help the child, and the family, and society , establish, maintain and expand the order that is all that protects us from chaos and the terrors of the underworld, where everything is uncertain, anxiety-provoking, hopeless and depressing. There are no greater gifts that a committed and courageous parent can bestow.

RULE 6 SET YOUR HOUSE IN PERFECT ORDER BEFORE YOU CRITICIZE THE WORLD

Don’t blame capitalism, the radical left, or the iniquity of your enemies. Don’t reorganize the state until you have ordered your own experience. Have some humility. If you cannot bring peace to your household, how dare you try to rule a city? Let your own soul guide you. Watch what happens over the days and weeks. When you are at work you will begin to say what you really think. You will start to tell your wife, or your husband, or your children, or your parents, what you really want and need. When you know that you have left something undone , you will act to correct the omission. Your head will start to clear up, as you stop filling it with lies. Your experience will improve, as you stop distorting it with inauthentic actions. You will then begin to discover new, more subtle things that you are doing wrong. Stop doing those, too. After some months and years of diligent effort, your life will become simpler and less complicated. Your judgment will improve. You will untangle your past. You will become stronger and less bitter. You will move more confidently into the future. You will stop making your life unnecessarily difficult. You will then be left with the inevitable bare tragedies of life, but they will no longer be compounded with bitterness and deceit.

Perhaps you will discover that your now less-corrupted soul, much stronger than it might otherwise have been, is now able to bear those remaining, necessary, minimal, inescapable tragedies. Perhaps you will even learn to encounter them so that they stay tragic— merely tragic— instead of degenerating into outright hellishness. Maybe your anxiety, and hopelessness, and resentment, and anger—however murderous, initially— will recede. Perhaps your uncorrupted soul will then see its existence as a genuine good, as something to celebrate, even in the face of your own vulnerability.

Perhaps you will become an ever-more-powerful force for peace and whatever is good. Perhaps you will then see that if all people did this , in their own lives, the world might stop being an evil place. After that, with continued effort, perhaps it could even stop being a tragic place. Who knows what existence might be like if we all decided to strive for the best? Who knows what eternal heavens might be established by our spirits, purified by truth, aiming skyward, right here on the fallen Earth?

Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.

RULE 7 PURSUE WHAT IS MEANINGFUL (NOT WHAT IS EXPEDIENT)

LIFE IS SUFFERING. THAT’S CLEAR.

There is no more basic, irrefutable truth. It’s basically what God tells Adam and Eve, immediately before he kicks them out of Paradise.

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. (Genesis 3: 16-19. KJV)

Meaning is the Way, the path of life more abundant, the place you live when you are guided by Love and speaking Truth and when nothing you want or could possibly want takes any precedence over precisely that.

RULE 8 TELL THE TRUTH— OR, AT LEAST, DON'T LIE

The truth springs forth ever anew from the most profound wellsprings of Being. It will keep your soul from withering and dying while you encounter the inevitable tragedy of life. It will help you avoid the terrible desire to seek vengeance for that tragedy—part of the terrible sin of Being, which everything must bear gracefully, just so it can exist. If your life is not what it could be, try telling the truth. If you cling desperately to an ideology, or wallow in nihilism, try telling the truth. If you feel weak and rejected, and desperate, and confused, try telling the truth. In Paradise, everyone speaks the truth. That is what makes it Paradise.

Tell the truth. Or, at least, don’t lie.

RULE 9 ASSUME THAT THE PERSON YOU ARE LISTENING TO MIGHT KNOW SOMETHING YOU DON'T

So, listen, to yourself and to those with whom you are speaking. Your wisdom then consists not of the knowledge you already have, but the continual search for knowledge, which is the highest form of wisdom.

It is for this reason that the priestess of the Delphic Oracle in ancient Greece spoke most highly of Socrates, who always sought the truth. She described him as the wisest living man, because he knew that what he knew was nothing.

Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t.

RULE 10 BE PRECISE IN YOUR SPEECH

If your life is not what it could be, try telling the truth. If you cling desperately to an ideology, or wallow in nihilism, try telling the truth. If you feel weak and rejected, and desperate, and confused, try telling the truth. In Paradise, everyone speaks the truth. That is what makes it Paradise. Tell the truth. Or, at least, don’t lie.

Nietzsche said that a man’s worth was determined by how much truth he could tolerate.

If you betray yourself, if you say untrue things, if you act out a lie, you weaken your character. If you have a weak character, then adversity will mow you down when it appears, as it will, inevitably. You will hide, but there will be no place left to hide. And then you will find yourself doing terrible things.

Confront the chaos of Being. Take aim against a sea of troubles. Specify your destination, and chart your course. Admit to what you want. Tell those around you who you are. Narrow, and gaze attentively, and move forward, forthrightly.

Be precise in your speech.

Rule 11 Leave children alone when they are skateboarding

The spirit that interferes when boys are trying to become men is, therefore, no more friend to woman than it is to man. It will object, just as vociferously and self-righteously (“you can’t do it, it’s too dangerous”) when little girls try to stand on their own two feet. It negates consciousness. It’s antihuman, desirous of failure, jealous, resentful and destructive. No one truly on the side of humanity would ally him or herself with such a thing. No one aiming at moving up would allow him or herself to become possessed by such a thing. And if you think tough men are dangerous, wait until you see what weak men are capable of.

Rule 12 Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street

When you are going for a walk and your head is spinning a cat will show up and if you pay attention to it then you will get a reminder for just fifteen seconds that the wonder of Being might make up for the ineradicable suffering that accompanies it.

Fifteen Seconds Rule

Yesterday I spent a very enjoyable couple of hours listening to someone I hold dear about his fears and discussing how to handle them.  As part of that conversation I brought up the "Fifteen Seconds Rule".  Someone may have taught this to me as the Five Seconds Rule or the Ten Seconds Rule.  I did a quick web search and could not find it, so I will say, for now, that the thought came to my mind to ask , "Have you heard of the Fifteen Seconds Rule?"

In the book of Genesis, there are stories of many great prophets.  Though he is not generally referred to as a prophet, Joseph is one of my favorite.  Joseph had many difficult trials, but he seemed to never question whose side he was on.  He always choose the Lord, the god of his father Jacob.  The Fifteen Seconds Rule comes from my impressions of the story in Genesis 39:7-20.  Verse 9 is the first time Joseph used the Fifteen Seconds Rule with a challenge to his faith in God.  He was firm and resolute, yet kind.  The second time when reason did not work with Potiphar’s wife, he had to take more assertive action.  When she caught hold of him, there was no flirting.   There was no rationalizing, he simply fled.  He "got him out" of that place.  From the private halls of Potiphar's residence to the outer walls, it probably took Joseph less than fifteen seconds of determined, unwavering action.

When I am stuck in a "rut" with a habit or life style that has turned uninteresting, unproductive and hard to change, I have found that it does not take days or even hours, it just takes fifteen seconds of focused action to change direction or to start a new path. After fifteen seconds of single-minded, fully committed action (faith in God), the inertia holding me back is gone.  I am moving forward having faith.  Success or failure in the eyes of the world, I am confident I am doing something of worth.  For fifteen seconds of effort, I receive the first reward of true faith, the assurance that God find's my path acceptable in His eyes.