According to the dictionary: feminine noun, from the Latin gula. Excessive eating and drinking, voracity, greediness.
According to the Catholic Church: Inordinate desire for pleasure related to food or drink. One should not appreciate foods that are bad for health. One should not pay more attention to food than to those that accompany us. Unjustified intoxication is a complete lack of sense and a mortal sin.
According to Peter de Vries: Gluttony is a disorder; it means that something is devouring us inside.
From the “Verba Seniorum” (The Wisdom of the Ancients): The Father Abbott was strolling with a monk from Sceta, when they were invited in to eat. The owner of the house, honored by the presence of the priests, gave orders to serve what was best.
However, the monk was fasting. When the food arrived, he picked out a pea and chewed it slowly. He ate nothing further.
Upon leaving, the Father Abbott said to him:
- Brother, when you visit someone, don’t make your holiness an insult. Next time you are fasting, don’t accept invitations to dinner.
Recipe for goose liver with truffles: Clean the goose livers impeccably, chop the liver and truffles into small cubes. Line entirely a small, high pie dish with several small strips of bacon (the strips should be very finely cut). Season with a little salt and pepper and scatter on top some small pieces of truffle. Place the remaining pieces of liver and truffle in successive layers. Seal the pie dish hermetically using a strip of pastry made of flour and water and bake the foie gras in a bain-marie in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Afterwards, place a weight on top to compress the mixture.
Hunger in the world: The number of hungry people in the developing countries should drop from the present 777 million to around 440 million in 2030. This means that the goal of the World Food Summit agreed upon in 1996, of cutting by half the number of hungry people compared with the levels found in 1990-92 (815 million), will not be achieved even in 2030. Sub-Saharan Africa is a reason for great concern because the number of chronically undernourished people will only fall probably from the present 194 million to 183 million in 2030 ( Source: FAO report – World agriculture: Toward 2015/2030)
In a Sufi fable: A baker wanted to meet Uways, so Uways went to the bakery disguised as a beggar. He began to eat a bread roll; the baker beat him and threw him out into the street.
- Madman! – said a disciple arriving – don’t you see that you threw out the master you wanted to know?
Contrite, the baker asked what he could do for him to forgive him. Uways asked him to invite him and his disciples to eat.
The baker took them to an excellent restaurant and ordered the most expensive dishes.
- That is how we distinguish the good man from the bad man – said Uways to the disciples, in the middle of lunch. This man is capable of spending ten gold coins on a banquet because I am famous, but he is incapable of giving a bread roll to feed a hungry beggar.
Comment from the Tao Te King: Thirty spokes are fitted together in the cube forming a wheel. But it is its middle empty space that allows the car to be used. Model some clay to make a vase. Cut out in the empty space of the walls doors and windows so that a room may be used.
In that way someone produces what is useful but it is the empty space that makes it effective.
(next: Envy)
gluttony kills you and fasting kills you. food is like a drug , if we go over board then we die , if we eat too little then we die. it is like a drug except you must take it. it is as if you have to take the drug and not be addicted to it at the same time.
Hi ! Clover !!
Looking further for the ‘undercurrent’ in all Sins. At the moment, to me it appears to be ‘desires’, not per se, but desires gone uncontrolled. Desire in itself will not be sinful, afterall desires is what makes us human, diffrent from animals. When object of desire becomes laced with lust we get what we call sin.
But the last deadly sin sloth will go against the above, apparently ! let’s wait to see what the master quotes on this last deadly sin. How I wish Paulo would have written a few lines on each of these in his own words, but then masters have their own ways, and we can only request. maybe after the series of quotations is over maybe he will grace us with one issue where he can write HIS words on each sin and maybe little a more. amen to that !!
aditya
Hi Aditya,
Do u see an undercurrent in all ’sins’, does it appear that sins are not the roots but the branches of something. that something finds its manifestation in diffrent forms as in diffrent sins.¨
¨
What do you think that ¨something¨ is? Boredom, learned behavior, scape of reality, habits, lack of centerdness, the matrix trying to control us, lack of love, our longing for reunion manifested as a craving for something else? All of the above? Interesting comment.
I know what you mean, the present can seem so boring one cannot help sometimes but dream, specially when a dream takes us to a beautiful place. I dream therefore I am -did I just change that?-
Debbie- We are all dreamers, keep on writing. You never know when your words might be just the ones a person needs to hear, like some God sent Angel.
Envy is out, going to read it now.
Cheers,
Clover
Hi Deb !
Good to have u back. In the final analysis individual lives are little more than making hills of beans ( remeber Ozymadis). so it’s OK.
I saw u’r ‘ad’, not bad, i will say. if u have not ’sold’ u’r spiritual knowledge then rest assured u remain on the high pedestal.
U know in Hindusism, vedantha to be precise, about reality they say ‘advaita’ – not two. they don’t say two or one, they say reality is not two. so it’s you all over the place, all you ever come across is yourself only, so don’t get ’sick’ of listening to yourself and ya me too.
An interesting thought hits me – all revelotions personal or social begin with sound, in the beginning of creation there was first sound, all our knowledge specially the passing down of the knowldge aquired by humanity begins with sound or words if u prefer. So let’s not discount the power of words. Keep on writing.
By the way the video and the model ( u ? ) were wonderful, editing could have been better though !!!! ( said like a true critic ?!!)
aditya
Hi Folks!
I’ve been taking a break from the blog lately because, first off, I’ve actually been having a bit of a life! Ha!
(No time to come here). And secondly, because I get sick of listening to myself…and I also feel like all this talking really only amounts to a hill of beans. 
Sort of like what I think Peter (hi Peter!) was talking about, perhaps?
Anyhow! I just wanted to tell you all that I made a video ad for HP, as well!
If you’ve seen Paulo’s ad, then, check out mine now. And, dear Aditya, I do hope that you won’t be dismayed that I did this ad, and knock me off of the pedestal that you have me on! 
hee hee! 
I’ve missed chatting with you all…even if we’ve only been making hills of beans.
ha!
Check out my video! Here’s the link!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar-pTf0bO60
Love to all,
Deb
The ALMOST silent one!
Thanks Everyone for your replies..
This is Ireland at the moment…. The Celtic Tiger and all that….
Money for Money.. It’s not so much the rural country people think it is.. There are plenty of skinny cappuccinos for the rich to go with their Bentley cars.
House prices have just leveled off, but mortgage rates are going up and up. Four months ago the houses were expensive but now the banks rule and we cannot buy a house, unless you buy for cash or face a life time of repaying the bank hundreds of Euro every month.
The Government is still crazy, recently the Leader of the government was found to have taken money during the 90’s and more recently he was told that 4/10 Irish teenagers try drugs. He did not care. He said that it is not a problem and that just because they try it that they will not become users. He probably still thinks that Global warming is a myth!
God bring me to Munich!!
Kealan
Hi ! Clover
I meant freeze with your feeling of happiness, retain it as long as u can. Ceartainly life is to be lived here & now, in fact that is the only real living, living with the past is carrying an unnecessary burden, living in the future is fantasy. Yet for most of us the present is so ‘boring’ that hope seems like the only sustaining factor. Present is ‘boring’ only till we learn to ‘count our blessings’ !
Do u see an undercurrent in all ’sins’, does it appear that sins are not the roots but the branches of something. that something finds its manifestation in diffrent forms as in diffrent sins.
peace
aditya
Dear Aditya,
That actually sounds very lonely. But I still believe we would find those answers, even then, all alone in this vast universe, we’d somehow find our way home. Listen so freeze, freeze, freeze. Ok I’ll try, but maybe I will be missing out, no? Life’s to be lived, right here and now.
Hugs,
Clover
Hi Clover !
“Hey there Aditya- You sound like a little child at times.” Thanks !! “The answers are within ourselves, don’t forget that.” . Answers are winthin ourselves but ‘others’ help us ’see’ that our’self’ initially. Imagine if u would have been the only living entitity or the only entity existant, would the thought of God, universe or even u’rself etc. even cross u’r mind …
Clover U further said “-i’m just in a happy mood right now-.” Stay there, freeze, ha ha ..
love
aditya
Hello Paulo,
I just saw about the party invitations, I would have loved to attend and meet you, perhaps one day, if God so wills.
Aren’t you a little puzzled at some of the multiple personality bloggers? lol I could understand.
Hey there Aditya- You sound like a little child at times. The answers are within ourselves, don’t forget that.
AVC- Brake free from the illusion and you’ll see, life, so simple, use your heart. I wake up to the sound of the birds and the sun in my face, so nice, nature is life.
So gluttony, my favourite sin… sorry guys might not be making much sense today -i’m just in a happy mood right now-.
Love,
Clover
Hi there,
Nice to read your comments again.
Understand what you all mean. Sometimes there are many words to come out, just to find a simple truth. Sometimes there are many layers in which we have to work, to find the heart of things, the heart of the labyrinth.
Peace to you all.
Hi ! Peter
What u write help me clarify some ‘things’, so keep on
amen to u’r “love & peace & wisdom”
aditya
To A.V.C and Aditya
Of course you are both absolutely right – I was simply (or maybe not so simply) expressing my feelings in a given moment on a given subject. And if I was to try and distil those feelings and thoughts down to their essence, it would be an even longer time before you heard from me again! Also, sometimes the expression that flows from the heart spontaneously, even if imperfect and long winded, more contains the essence of truth for that very reason i.e. it has not been contaminated by too much logic or fear or pride etc.
Hope I’m making sense – trying to write this in the middle of a busy day in work, so no time for careful consideration. So much for my lecture of yesterday.
Love and peace and wisdom
Peter
regarding the number of hungry people in developing countries – if the goal is not reached by the world food summit then that also must mean that the original millennium goals for drastically reducing poverty by the year 2015 will not be met. with so many people all over the world working on these global problems it should be possible to drastically reduce hunger and poverty; where is the main source of these problems so that these goals are well within reach? i don’t have the answers but have hope that some day soon they will be found and there will be a sustainable and good change for all. humanity as a whole can’t continue to destroy itself in the way it has been if we’re to survive.
i went to a blog the other day, i cannot remember the name, that showed the world as it looks based on certain perimeters, for example ‘military spending’ or ‘doll exports.’ it was so imbalanced. it was both funny and sad that most of the time the u.s. was bloated concerning things such as wealth or imports – funny because the bloating made the outline shape of the u.s. look like a blueish pig, sad because most often africa and other continents were deflated lines.
Hi ! Peter !
Long time man !
let’s all learn to bear with each other. Contrary to what we may lead us to beleive, we have ample time at hand, if we don’t let’s learn to manage our time better.
War & peace bloggers are very much part of the gang, wonder why they are shying away ! have u noticed – peace has any ‘real’ meaning only when there is some memory of war too.
About “trying to unravel reams and reams of meandering thoughts and emotions”. Not everyone is equally fortunate in being able to distill his/her thoughts, so while what u have written is true, love & patinece are called for ! what say u !
regards
aditya
Dear Peter,
To my experience, there is nothing as complicated as the simple; and we are all at different stages of our personal search.
Many of us are still at the stage where we believe in the possibility of finding our answers through reason.
One way forward is to continue to explore and divide everything into smaller and smaller units. As we do, the structure of relationships between the increasing number of units will grow in complexity.
But perhaps one day, we will recognize somthing beyond the complicated structures. Something beyond reason.
Perhaps we will then realize the simplicity of it all.
But this cannot be explained – only experienced.
Hello Paulo and Blogger Friends
I have read with interest all of your comments, on the various ‘sins’ that Paulo has raised and a thought struck me – I wonder as humans do we over complicate things when we try and explain them?
Whilst I find of the contributions gave me additional insight on the subject in question, often I literally get a headache trying to unravel reams and reams of meandering thoughts and emotions…did anyone else experience this?
I know this is a blog and everyone is of course entitled to their point of view, so forgive me if anyone of you feels I am critical of what was no doubt a sincere expression from your heart.
But (here’s my gluttony for getting in the last word in an argument/discussion!) to quote my fellow countryman, the late great George Bernard Shaw, when writing a long-winded letter to a good friend of his “ I am sorry but I did not have time to write you a shorter letter” (or words to that effect)
My point being, sometimes we need to distil the truth of any matter or issue down to its essence, like the Emerald Tablet in Paulo’s Alchemist tale…and that of course takes time and thought and more time and more thought…of course time seems to be the missing ingredient, at least in my own life anyway.
To Aditya: maybe this is the reason for the ‘silence’ on the Blog – people who are used to contributing short, insightful comments have been scared away by the ‘War and Peace’ bloggers () and the War and Peace bloggers have decided they are wasting their breath on the desert air!!
To Kealan: Congrats on your ‘All Ireland’..!
Sorry for such a long winded ‘whinge’ (Irish for gripe or complaint) , on the importance of being short, sharp and to the point…
And thank you once again Paulo for the gift of such a precious platform for our thoughts, whatever their content..
I wish you all a happy and peaceful day
Peter
Sure ! Kealan Our good wishes r with u !
About Gluttony & my preposition that Lust seems to be quite fundamental to all sins – Can gluttony be understood as lust for food ?
silence ( on this blog ) becomes deafening at times !! so shoot u all !!
aditya
Congratulations Kealan!
I pulled the Death Card out of my tarot last night.
It’s meaning is Death to old things, much like cutting away from our past and rewriting our personal legends.. It signifies that we must be ready to accept the change. The Priest holds his power of God up to Death, a girl kneels on the ground awaiting her faith. Only the child sits, knowing what the omen really means.
Death only signifies death when coupled with other cards.
Anyway, it signified a change in my life as I got the job offered to me from the head of recruitment for the whole country of Ireland.
My life is about to get a whole lot better
Kealan
Maybe the cause of gluttony and addictions are a lack of Love (for ourselves). Fear for Life, silence, space and freedom.
A deadly enemy is our unwillingness to sacrifice some things to obtain others.
When you think about it, it is really nothing but sheer stupidity.
In our hearts, we know what will be required from us to reach our goals. But we keep denying it. We want it all.
Like little children, we refuse to let go, even of things hurtful.
Hi Infinity
the ’six’ is the remaining deadly sins
kind regards
John
Hi Everyone,
I am officially unemployed! A multinational offered me a job and pulled out at the very last day, I had handed in my notice to my present job and am now job less..
I’m sure I can get a job in Hairdressing as I did that for 3years, but I am so gutted ant the Gluttony involved in these companies. I think that I will try and sue their asses off!! My life is now a mess because of them.
The universe works in mysterious ways!!
Kealan
As a heavy white Northerner, I am always aware that in the North, we die of overeating, when in the South our brothers and sisters die of starvation.
We are bored in the North because we have no life or death problems and our animal nature cannot handle such luxury. So, we live to excess and become neurotic.
Thanks Paolo for always keeping me thinking…
xx
‘Pink’
HI Clover !
Thanks for the ‘good idea’. I delibrately not inluded anything other that silence because anything else like yoga, laughter, love etc can become controversial if someone wants it to. e.g Yoga can be associated with hinduism, laughter & love are good but the moment one starts work on its how, they too can be made controversial. One step at a time. Ya there is a problem here. How to get the message across to people who matter. Let’s all try in our small capacities to convince others, anyway most of us live a ‘goal-less’ drifting lives, let’s do it, if we fail, so be it, if we succeed the world becomes a better place. i am writing articles for newpapers based on these concepts; but u know getting a break is well it’s damn difficult, does not mean I will leave it just because it’s difficult.
On gluttony, if u visualise these sins as say children of 3-4 years of age, won’t gluttony be the chubbiest of them all !!.
regards
Aditya
Nam nam- I was born a little glutton. Luckily I’ve managed to control it with the years but still struggle at times. I guess sins are what they are bcs they make us unhappy sooner or later. Whenever we abuse of something I think we end up paying a price, bad health, concious, etc. I remember my crazy cravings could last all day, it was too much. Mind you I was the happiest kid alive and could care less if it was right or wrong to run after a chocolate all day, but growing up this made me suffer. I find peace when I am in the center.
Aditya- good idea. Schools should teach children not only this but yoga, love, laughter, compassion. Problem is getting this msg through to Education Ministers, or to most people for that matter.
Hugs,
Clover
(the story of the goose is terrible, we are such horrible creatures at times…)
And one simple addition: Love that goose recipe, Paulo. Thanks. And I hope that that aspect of one’s gluttony may highlight the other aspects of some other gluttons that puts one in such a position of being a glutton! For there was once a story of a “beggar man” who stood outside a kitchen sniffing at the delicious aroma of cooked goose drifting out and being asked to pay for it by the management! Undisguised.
But then since everything has a meaning, one merely hopes that one has not misread the envelope, hanging by a star in the heavens above…Since there has been a brown stye in the eye that blurs one’s visions…
[quote comment="1740"]Hi Paulo
it is the time to rise beyond all of these
within the Silence of our being
let pride dissolve in the pure waters flowing
that there is no longer any identification
with the six
easier said than done you may say
but perhaps too much is being said
and perhaps too much is being done
we must become silent -
in our humility we must enter the temple
and in all honesty face our self
see the beauty that exists within
and know that only we may tarnish this beauty
realize and become the joy
this morning he dances with angels
light like the morning skies
borne upon wisp clouds and silent rains.
the stars effuse a life transcending night
to dwell within him this moment
whilst his illumined heart
guides his footsteps upon the earth.
he steps from the dance
to walk sandy shores and glittering oceans
and smiles bright like the sunrise -
light-rays falling to touch him where he stands.
he looses his clothing and dives
into the oncoming waves plashing all around him.
he swims deep within the silent waters seeking naught
but the silence of his wishes.
he opens his eyes to sprinkled light-fall
and once more in the ocean of love
he dances the dance of angels -
singing songs of this his soul vision.
he rises from the waters cleansed of all illusion -
a soul-saint of reality.
‘it’s hard to be a saint in the city,
when you’re just a boy out on the street…’
(bruce springsteen)
there’s white blossom blooming
waving to me through the window
wishing you the best of all things
John[/quote]
In the beauty of that poetry, what is six, John?
“Sitting upon the steps of the church, a more rag-tag boy visited the sad and lonely boy worried about his cathartic experience inside the church! The more rag-tag boy was the baby christ!”
Does one wonder about if it really is as simple as distinguishing between the donor and the recipient by means as simplistic as economics, for making examples of the temporal?
For the question is why did the more rag-tag boy visit the one sitting on the steps and not the priest whose management of the environment inside the church was responsible for that cathartic experience in the first place?
One wonders at the gluttony inherent in the need to feed such simplistic views, apart from the most rudimentary messages that school children are taught in some grammar school in a banana republic! But paulo Coelho? Perhaps there may be a meaning in all this…
Perhaps, the stories talk about poor people with very simplistic views and little education or capacities for thinking and reflecting upon issues and themselves! But when bread is an issue, education is secondary. And yet one has Abraham Lincoln in US history, amongst many more in human history, whether recorded or not!
So what would be gluttony? For food? For recognition? For success? For money? And after one decides about what would be the meaning of every desire one has, one may talk of gluttony perhaps in respect to what one desires. It is not so when they come as the natural corollories to succesful enterprises that are the celebration of undying spirits ever soaring in their quest that may appear as visible in their material corollories.
For who decides where is the line drawn between the material and the temporal and the spiritual, except the individuals in question? Maybe a baby christ may have such eyes to see and celebrate the spirit… Where would matter be to such eyes?
For what would be gluttony? Ramakrishna Paramhansa…? For, the singing Sufi and the swaying dervish swayed to the ever intoxicant divine rhythm flowing from within…
Maybe it is all about the pattering steps of a little boy learning to walk that needs supports…and the running man on thick strings has to avoid a six…and the free human sways drunk in the divine rhythm…and that what is silence…inexplainable and indescribable…and yet beyond any of these, but perhaps known to the free human as a possibility that makes him or her so drunk over it…
But one is sure that it has nothing to do with politics or ideology…
(or does it have to do something in the fine print…the seven deadly sins one is reading about…?)
Mirjam, AVC Hi
U’r questions and views appear very pertinent to me, too.
Aditya
I agree with Mirjam, that we should not torture ourselves for being human.
In my view, our true responsibility is finding out what our goal is. When we are on track towards it, the only sin is restriction.
Dear Paulo,
I always read your blog especially the seven deadly sins.
just like a aditya, i cant fathom why you include the goose and what is the purpose of that recipe.
praying for your good health and wisdom to share to us.
thanking for sharing and receiving our thoughts.
God bless.
sincerely,
jamela
Hi Paulo
it is the time to rise beyond all of these
within the Silence of our being
let pride dissolve in the pure waters flowing
that there is no longer any identification
with the six
easier said than done you may say
but perhaps too much is being said
and perhaps too much is being done
we must become silent -
in our humility we must enter the temple
and in all honesty face our self
see the beauty that exists within
and know that only we may tarnish this beauty
realize and become the joy
this morning he dances with angels
light like the morning skies
borne upon wisp clouds and silent rains.
the stars effuse a life transcending night
to dwell within him this moment
whilst his illumined heart
guides his footsteps upon the earth.
he steps from the dance
to walk sandy shores and glittering oceans
and smiles bright like the sunrise -
light-rays falling to touch him where he stands.
he looses his clothing and dives
into the oncoming waves plashing all around him.
he swims deep within the silent waters seeking naught
but the silence of his wishes.
he opens his eyes to sprinkled light-fall
and once more in the ocean of love
he dances the dance of angels -
singing songs of this his soul vision.
he rises from the waters cleansed of all illusion -
a soul-saint of reality.
‘it’s hard to be a saint in the city,
when you’re just a boy out on the street…’
(bruce springsteen)
there’s white blossom blooming
waving to me through the window
wishing you the best of all things
John
my inner child has had a desire for a very long time, one which i have not allowed her to entertain, but still enters my adult mind from occasion to occasion.
as I look upon the photographs of relatives’ children celebrating their first birthday parties with their little fingers and faces and bibs covered in chocolate cake,
she asks me to eat a Boston Creme Pie with no fork or spoon. Only her fingers. no napkin.
to let go of my self control, my inhibitions, my programming of appropriate adult behavior, my fear of the judgement of others’ opinions.
she asks me to do this just one time.
just for her.
to celebrate on her behalf,
her existence within me,
her reality,
her presence,
her voice.
perhaps someday i shall do this….
and in so doing, i fully admit,
it will be a highly gluttonous moment.
The goose liver recipe perhaps must be seen as a provocation, since people who are informed know that goose liver (foie grass) is a terrible product: geese are fed by a tube into their throats, so that their livers will grow excessively for us humans to eat.
I stopped eating this when I realized this torture.
Truffles, like caviar, can cost a terrible amount of money. Probably searched by pigs who then are not allowed to eat it.
If we are talking about decadence, then here is a good example.
Being a priest or a nun in a monastary or a convent is somewhat different from living like them in the ‘real’ world, I believe. Though I can imagine that the temptations are also there between their walls.
Since we began talking about sins in this Blog, I’ve been thinking about it and now a question comes to mind: excuse me for bringing this up: but why is it a sin to live like a human being???
Is pleasure, passion or pain that bad? It’s what makes us human beings. Or is freedom that bad? To feel and live? I’m sorry, maybe I’m confused or maybe I just do not feel happy with these rules. I made many mistakes and choices in the past, I had pleasure, passion and pain. And I am not sorry I did. Because that’s life.
And of course, as you all can see, all the sins are feminine nouns, as mentioned by Paulo. Maybe we have to look at it in a different way: starting by not fighting these sins or making all these rules, but living with Love and by Love alone. Allowing the Goddess into this world.
What is in our hearts?
Love – the one key.
Dear Paulo,
I just finished my one-week fast. I thought I was going to faint. Like what in “Wisdom of the Ancients,” thou shall not advertise your fasting.
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hyporcrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting…” Matthew 5:16-18
Warm regards,
imes
Too much of anything isn’t always good. I’ve heard this over and over. Well, I’m starting to learn this lesson dearly. What I’m grateful for is that before I am devoured in the things I am being excessive in the Divine away intercedes somehow and takes it away from me, before I am way over my head in something or before I am waist deep in……
I often have to sit back analyze the situation and surrender knowing that it’s the Divines way of teaching me and showing and letting me know He Love me. 
*Gluttony the word itself has a very bad smell to it*
Kealan—- your ending words so true so true
Hi Paulo !
U seem to be as alive and kicking as we love u to be. Boss I simply could not fathom why u have included that ‘Recipe for goose liver with truffles’ ! enlighten us will u please. And ya special request to u to help me in solving “half the problems of the world” as I have given up on solving my own problems I can concentrate on the world .. ha ha … rather …wink … wink….
regards
Affectionately yours
Aditya
GReat Comment from Tao , no! It’s the empty space that allows things to become effective, but whenever we see, we hardly ever See the epmty space, no ! hmmm
Oh ! only if sins were any less thrilling at least in the meoment, won’t we all have become saints, automatically. But for the temptation of sins !!! when we are rich we like to be obscenely rich, sometimes “Oh ! u should have seen us having fun ! it was Sinful !!” anyway !!
Hey All specially regulars here, unfortunately, my “Solutions to half the probelms of the world” – In short ‘make a few periods of silnce compulsory in all schools / colleges, if possible offices too; of all creeds and colour’ seems to have had a very short shelf life, it’s given on previous topic of this superblog. Request all to read it and offer some comments, even -ve. For starters i have send an email to the UNO website, who knows someone may like to start a debate in that direction.
Hi Clover !! wink. wink … too cool !
regards
Aditya
I think we should enjoy good food and wine with a clean conscience. As long as we use the transformed energy to follow Love’s calling.
On this forum, I have been on and on about the importance of doing everything with Love. To me it is key because so many people seem to loose sight of Love now and again, and this will always have tragic effects. Eating and drinking is no exception.
When we fall outside the current of Love, we fail to counterbalance the desires of the ego with reason.
This happens from time to time, since sensations and emotions are quite easily confused with Love.
But when I speak of Love, I do not mean the various emotions often categorized under this name. By Love, I mean the force field that exists between our emotions and our reasoning, in relation to any subject. The force field between any positive and negative aspect of the universe.
As far as I can see, it appears to be a fundamental law of nature that opposites will always strive to unite.
When reason and emotions are united, even for a fraction of a second, they seem to be transcended into a harmonizing third. Lovers know the sheer Beauty of the experience that I am talking about.
If were able to always follow the current of Love, we could freely and safely indulge in any passions to the extent that they are properly aligned. Other passions will inevitably lead to imbalance.
Existence, as we know it, is filled with all sorts of forces and forms, both positive and negative. The hermit seeks his equilibrium by avoiding pleasures. Most people of the industrialized world will probably find this method extremely impractical.
Instead they have to rely on the method of checking sensations and emotions against reason.
It is not easy. Pain tries to teach us.
Yo!
There are plenty of people who drink alcohol and take drugs to the excess.
It is the greed of life to experience everything to the max and to forget about the people at the end of the ladder as Paulo has pointed out. It is a key feature to why Nuns and Priests do not have families, they look after everybody else and give up their natural right to have children, and I’m sure many other people also do.
We can see how gluttony appears in life in so many different ways, grossly overweight people, alcoholic’s and druggies alike, all living on the street corners.
Life is about hard work, you work hard to not be a sinner, every day it is a struggle until you are old and the hormones do not run through your veins any more.
Or just be a Vampire! In recent studies, a vampire was described as a spirit who had passed over from human life to the next, one was found to be living upon a house somewhere in the states sucking the life force from a young boy. His gluttonous ways did not cease to be even after death.
However, we must fight these things too, that is why my sword is by my side, even if you can’t see it!
Kealan