inspiration from the "Gay Buddha" (hell, heaven, Roman)

[jewscout]

so my sister has this room mate who she calls "The Gay Buddha"...this 27 year old gay korean dude who is very very cool and a little crazy...but hey, he's my sister's friend and that sorta makes sense lol
but anyways, i'm talking to him and he recites this poem by William Blake called "Clod and Pebble" which i think is probably the coolest thing, in regards to love, that i've ever heard and i thought i'd share it...

"Love seeketh not itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care,
But for another gives its ease,
And builds a heaven in hell's despair."

So sung a little clod of clay,
Trodden with the cattle's feet;
But a pebble of the brook
Warbled out these meters meet:

"Love seeketh only Self to please,
To bind another to its delight,
Joys in another's loss of ease,
And builds a hell in heaven's despite."

it speaks of 2 kinds of love, selfless and selfish
the clod of clay, always trampled upon, represents the selfless love, love that gives and gives wanting to make the other happy...essentially to "create a heaven in hell's dispair"
the pebble, that sits there, unmoved letting the water roll off of it, represents the selfish kind of love, the "what have you done for me lately" kind of love, hence "Love seeketh only self to please"

thoughts?? reflections?

[evearael]

Lovely! Though I would stress that we tend to project our vision of love, selfish or selfless, upon the other person, whether or not that is true is another story entirely.

[c0da]

I like it! It's very realistic, not so romanticised that its ridiculous. It gives a good reflection of how different people operate in society, you get those who assist when and where they can, lending a helping hand, then you get the "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" attitude, where some think that they are owed something by anyone they do a nice deed to.

[jewscout]

Originally Posted by evearael

Lovely! Though I would stress that we tend to project our vision of love, selfish or selfless, upon the other person, whether or not that is true is another story entirely.

true but it's a good way of thinking for ourselves what kind of love we want to have...how we want to love and then trying to find that kind of love, ya know...it's never easy or perfect...

but i think the poem really speaks to the heart of the matter of these 2 types of love...tho i wonder if many of us don't fall somewhere in between the 2...

[evearael]

tho i wonder if many of us don't fall somewhere in between the 2...

I wonder if it possible not too! We are only human...

[Green Gaia]

I just like the name, "The Gay Buddha"

[jewscout]

Originally Posted by Maize

I just like the name, "The Gay Buddha"

yeah he's pretty cool
guess what Leonne...he went to DLI

[evearael]

Sweet! What did he study?

[jewscout]

Originally Posted by evearael

Sweet! What did he study?

korean even tho he already knew korean he was like...i didn't know how to say "Thermonuclear weapon" in korean (which, he says, essentially translates into "big boom")



but anyways sorry back on topic lol