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Originally Posted by GeddyBass2112
Sometimes it's not about completely denying yourself something but channeling it into something more positive and useful. There's a thing called 'jíhad' in Islam which means 'struggle' or 'striving' and which basically means undertaking those things you find difficult and seeking God in those things to help you. This is the REAL meaning of jihad.
For example, lust is seen as a bad thing in most religions, but channeling that feeling towards that person into a meaningful relationship is not. Same with things like gluttony: overeating and greed are seen as bad things, as well as eating 'bad' foods, whilst following a strict diet (whether it be the prescribed kosher/halal diets, or simply the more simple religious edict to not be greedy and look after the body) can have a reward, both mentally and physically, spiritually and emotionally.
I LOVE Aristotle! I'm sigging this when I can...
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Geddy, I like this thoughtful point you make about how struggling to do those things we find difficult but important can be very uplifting.
Some of the actions I've taken in my life that were most meaningful to me (such as deciding to become vegetarian and then vegan out of concern for other animals) were ones that required me to break out of my habits and old way of thinking as I worked toward a goal that felt more in keeping with who I was or wanted to be.
I've never thought of myself as observing any kind of religious belief in becoming vegetarian and then vegan...it was more observing my *own* feelings...yet I do remember when I learned about Buddhism and Hinduism that I felt comforted to know that what I felt had been given a name (ahimsa) because so many other people felt the same way as I:
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Ahimsa is a term meaning to do no harm (literally: the avoidance of violence - himsa). The word is derived from the Sanskrit root hims - to strike; himsa is injury or harm, a-himsa is the opposite of this, i.e. non harming or nonviolence. It is an important tenet of the Indian religions (Hinduism, Buddhism and especially Jainism). Ahimsa means kindness and non-violence towards all living things including animals. Ahimsa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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I think it is interesting how I ended up deciding to be vegetarian when I was an isolated child in a meat-eating family and community...while halfway around the world there were huge numbers of people who had taken this same path as part of major spiritual religious philosophies. I would have liked to have known that at the time.
I see how spiritual organizations, whether secular or religious, can help encourage people to achieve their personal goals, which may actually be the goal of thinking more about others. Then observing the organizations' ideals for behavior is a way to practice using your will to obtain your own goals, such as the goal of living a healthier, kinder life.
I'm never sure to what degree my Unitarian Universalist background as a little child influenced my future choice to become vegetarian for the first time in elementary school, and later vegan as an adult. I imagine that thinking about the UU concepts helped set the stage for me to think about other sentient beings besides humans, since Unitarian Univeralist principles (themselves derived from a variety of religions including Buddhism and Hinduism) include...
* The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice
for all;
* Respect for the interdependent web of
all existence of which we are a part.
As a child learning about these concepts, I felt that justice for "all" should include my animal kin, and I would best respect them by not eating them, just as I would not want to be eaten.
Ideally, I feel that
observing a spiritual concept about a way to behave shouldn't be about observing a rule that is external to yourself, but instead should revolve around observing how the concept resonates
with what is already inside you. I can see how having a spiritual organization of people who uphold a value that resonates with what you feel is very core to who you are would enable you to better
observe what is in your own self, and follow your conscience rather than just move rather thoughtlessly through life, copying what others do and not listening to your own inner voice.