The penumbra of altruism. 2 things that boost my spirit.

 Two things I've found that uplift me and nourish me in my short and unfulfilling few years on earth.

First, every few weeks, I look over the book of Ephesians, preferably King James Version of the Holy Bible.  As a saved Christian, its sort of moot, in a sense, to look at the promises, because as they say, "I've already made the purchase, so I don't need to look at the sales brochure again", and yet it just amps me up.

Some of my theology fellows take Calvin to task on pre-destination, and indeed, when this is mentioned in Ephesians, its sort of glazed over.  For a truth, we acknowledge that God knows all, and man doesn't, so in effect, God chose his believers, and we butt-hurt, poo-poo as to why he didn't choose everyone.  But Man must know grace and salvation is available to all, that most everyone has a chance at salvation.  Man must know that from his own perspective; meanwhile God knows the beginning and the end at once.

We would even say "why would God care?"  Saved or unsaved, we are His children, too.  So he cares, and is under no obligation whatsoever.  God cares because that is his will.

It's altruism, a vast penumbra of altruism hanging over our reality.  Which leads to Buddhist ethics, our next topic.

Second, the Four Noble Truths of Buddha.  Now, I'm not a Buddhist, but I agree with a lot of their ethics, without committing to much of it.  But the realization of suffering, whether in me, or from without, is powerful.

I have made myself suffer.  I work on ending that.

People have abused my emotions.  I work on ending that.

But really, do we not see so much that others suffer unjustly?  And how can we feel a lack of pathos for that?  So much undeserved suffering!  Some have had it so much worse, and yet, human resiliency, you'd be surprised what a person could get used to.

I love to dish out some hugs.

FR, niggie.

Realize suffering, trace its cause, work at that, and finally, free yourself.  However, it is not a "once and done" proposition, unless you make some changes in your methods, after.  Elseways, you will be assailed by more hurting relatives or money concerns or angry motorists.  Something is always there, that is, always there,

unless you have a method.  And the Buddhist moderate path, is not so much unlike the analogy of Marcus Aurelius, in which the good Stoic is but a leaf flowing on the current.  And in the maze of sneering at popular sentiments, we are last told to maintain our objectivity, our own perspective, but not to fight.

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