Blessings

YO-ELEVEN-11 · 10-10-2006, 06:21 PM

Just a question for any who want to answer it.

From my understanding, some faiths believe in blessings from GOD.
Knowing that you can receive blessings from GOD, it makes me wonder how most people would handle such an occurence.

Question:

If GOD blessed you with everything you ever wanted, (all your heart and soul desires all at once), could you handle it?

Personally I feel that I could not handle it.
I feel that you have to be spiritually and mentally mature enough to handle certain "good" things that happen to you. (IMHO)

moseslmpg · 10-10-2006, 06:54 PM

Are you talking about things I think I want, like a PS3 and an awesome car and a bunch of books, or what I really want? If the former, it wouldn't do anything for me except for a few seconds. As for the former, I don't think anyone could handle it.

YO-ELEVEN-11 · 10-10-2006, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moseslmpg

Are you talking about things I think I want, like a PS3 and an awesome car and a bunch of books, or what I really want? If the former, it wouldn't do anything for me except for a few seconds. As for the former, I don't think anyone could handle it.

I did say EVERYTHING

InLove · 10-10-2006, 07:30 PM

If God gave me everything I think I want, I have a very strong feeling that some of it would not truly bless me.

InPeace,
InLove

Paladin · 10-10-2006, 08:57 PM

I seem to remember an old Arab curse that went: "may you get what you wish for" :0)

That being said, it has been my experience that the essence of what it was I sought in "the ten thousand things" has indeed been given to me. Objects and experiences are merely symbols for what the deeper desire is, at least for me anyway. When I look deeply into what it is I think having this or doing that will give me, I find only an intrinsic desire for what you might call a mystic union with the Absolute.
Even on a conventional level, I have found that within Maslows model my needs have been more than met. Not with what it was I asked for, but the underlying need/desire has been fulfilled, and in being fulfilled I move on to the next level of understanding or being.

Peace

YO-ELEVEN-11 · 10-10-2006, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paladin

I seem to remember an old Arab curse that went: "may you get what you wish for" :0)

That being said, it has been my experience that the essence of what it was I sought in "the ten thousand things" has indeed been given to me. Objects and experiences are merely symbols for what the deeper desire is, at least for me anyway. When I look deeply into what it is I think having this or doing that will give me, I find only an intrinsic desire for what you might call a mystic union with the Absolute.
Even on a conventional level, I have found that within Maslows model my needs have been more than met. Not with what it was I asked for, but the underlying need/desire has been fulfilled, and in being fulfilled I move on to the next level of understanding or being.

Peace

So are you saying you could handle it all at once?

Paladin · 10-10-2006, 11:13 PM

Well, the question itself is somewhat misleading. From a western philosophic view, it would be deemed a "what if" fallacy of logic. However, I think the spirit of the question goes much deeper than that.
It raises the question that if we believe God to be all knowing, and all powerfull not only could he grant every desire at once, but he would know whether or not I could stand it. If God is loving and kind the question would be not whether He could, but would He?
Now, on to Stanisav Grof's model of Spiritual Emergence or Emergency as it were. Many people have become unhinged because of a spiritual experience that they might not have been prepared for as you suggest. I would like to think that a gradual enlightenment would fit my constitution than all at once, but I really don't know, and would not be so arrogant as to suggest that "I could take it"

Peace

Virtual_Cliff · 10-11-2006, 01:48 PM

Jesus said "I am the Way". That implies an unfolding, travelling, gradual experience of the Kingdom. That is what makes it so good. If you had it all wouldn't you immediately want more?

Snoopy · 10-11-2006, 02:17 PM

All my desires granted all at once? I think that might depend on what they are. If I have virtually no desires then it could not be psychologically overwhelming. If on the other hand I have an enormous list of desires, having them all instantaneously fulfilled would probably be overwhelming, depending on what they included. A deeper question suggests itself to me: would having all our desires “granted” be in our best interest, would it bring genuine lasting happiness? The intuitive answer of an aspirational person may be yes but some interesting recent research suggests otherwise. When people get something like a massive money windfall they are initially overjoyed and it can make them more materially comfortable perhaps, but over time (and quite quickly) they accommodate to their new wealth and it becomes the new ordinary for them and so they are not significantly happier than they were before the windfall. When we get what we want, we get used to it, take it for granted, and then want something new, thinking that THAT will make us happier. We’ve not learnt the lesson from the previous acquisitions perhaps? Hence the Arab curse?

Snoopy.

flowperson · 10-11-2006, 03:18 PM

It could be that the magic genie (jinn) who granted only three wishes was part of a mythical plan to limit our happiness and dreams. But as has been pointed out here, there is never a saturation point when it comes to the "things" that human beings want.

flow....

InLove · 10-11-2006, 03:34 PM

Genie: Thank you for opening my bottle. I will now grant you three wishes.

Bottle Opener: I want riches, fame, and three more wishes....

(Do genies have lawyers?)

InPeace,
InLove

YO-ELEVEN-11 · 10-11-2006, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InLove

Genie: Thank you for opening my bottle. I will now grant you three wishes.

Bottle Opener: I want riches, fame, and three more wishes....

(Do genies have lawyers?)

InPeace,
InLove

The question is are some lawyers genies, granting "ex-wives" and
"ex- husbands" 3 things to take with them.

Quahom1 · 10-11-2006, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InLove

If God gave me everything I think I want, I have a very strong feeling that some of it would not truly bless me.

InPeace,
InLove

If God gave me everything I want...I wouldn't be here. He'd be showing me the wonders of the universe...

...but now is not the time.

Thomas · 10-12-2006, 12:17 AM

Quote:

If GOD blessed you with everything you ever wanted, (all your heart and soul desires all at once), could you handle it?

If one wanted 'everything' then one would not be worthy of the blessing.

Quote:

I feel that you have to be spiritually and mentally mature enough to handle certain "good" things that happen to you. (IMHO)

Then again, if one was spiritually and metally mature, one wouldn't want in a qualitative or materialistic sense.

The story goes that St Thomas Aquinas was in prayer before the Blessed Sacramant when Jesus asked "What do you want of me?" to which Thomas replied "You Lord, only you."

The Beatitudes answers this question, I think...

Thomas

Quahom1 · 10-12-2006, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomas

If one wanted 'everything' then one would not be worthy of the blessing.

Then again, if one was spiritually and metally mature, one wouldn't want in a qualitative or materialistic sense.

The story goes that St Thomas Aquinas was in prayer before the Blessed Sacramant when Jesus asked "What do you want of me?" to which Thomas replied "You Lord, only you."

The Beatitudes answers this question, I think...

Thomas

Where have you been? (lol)