Comments on: The modern religious seeker, the Buddha, and Enos http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/the-modern-religious-seeker-the-buddha-and-enos/ Exploring the important religious questions from a Mormon (LDS) perspective. Focus on ancient history, early Christianity, and Mormon doctrine/practice. Tue, 23 Nov 2010 02:21:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Julie http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/the-modern-religious-seeker-the-buddha-and-enos/comment-page-1/#comment-130 Julie Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:50:40 +0000 http://thoughtsofaseeker.net/?p=62#comment-130 As I've been working today I've been considering your post and your question; I've considered both the bad and good in the world, the elevated and the base, the believer and the doubter. While apathy is the problem of some, I don't know that it is the problem of all. There are plenty of people who are actively searching, and the rest are searching without realizing that is what they are doing. I have found that often those who say, "nobody can know so why worry about it" are often the ones most troubled by the question of enlightenment and fulfillment. I think you answered your own question in your first post on this topic: Many, like the Buddha, search for enlightenment through outside means: education, philanthropy, personal discipline, etc., expecting these things in and of themselves to define enlightenment or peace. These things are valuable but, when viewed as the stop-point, are empty, leaving one feeling unfulfilled and not at rest. When viewed as tools of discovery--ways to feel the love of God and to lead us down the path to spiritual rebirth--they take on new meaning; the interesting thing to me is that those very things which lead one to the point of spiritual rebirth are also manifestations of it. John 7:17 comes to mind. The "apathy" we witness I think comes from disappointed hopes and discouragement, which is one of the adversary's greatest tools against us. As I’ve been working today I’ve been considering your post and your question; I’ve considered both the bad and good in the world, the elevated and the base, the believer and the doubter. While apathy is the problem of some, I don’t know that it is the problem of all. There are plenty of people who are actively searching, and the rest are searching without realizing that is what they are doing. I have found that often those who say, “nobody can know so why worry about it” are often the ones most troubled by the question of enlightenment and fulfillment.

I think you answered your own question in your first post on this topic: Many, like the Buddha, search for enlightenment through outside means: education, philanthropy, personal discipline, etc., expecting these things in and of themselves to define enlightenment or peace. These things are valuable but, when viewed as the stop-point, are empty, leaving one feeling unfulfilled and not at rest. When viewed as tools of discovery–ways to feel the love of God and to lead us down the path to spiritual rebirth–they take on new meaning; the interesting thing to me is that those very things which lead one to the point of spiritual rebirth are also manifestations of it. John 7:17 comes to mind. The “apathy” we witness I think comes from disappointed hopes and discouragement, which is one of the adversary’s greatest tools against us.

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