"Some have said that
greed for fame and love of profit can work to the benefit of living beings,
but their argument is grossly mistaken. If what they say is true, does it mean that the great sages of the past, having no greed for fame and profit, are of no benefit to living
beings? That is laughable, laughable. There are also people other than sages who benefit the living without greed — is it not so? Those
who do not study the limitless instances of benefiting the living,
and who describe as 'benefiting the living' what does not benefit the living,
I say: they may be demons. Living beings benefited by them might be
beings destined to fall into hell. They should lament that they have spent their
whole life in darkness; they should never claim that their stupidity benefits
the living." - Zen Master Dogen, adapted from Gyōji
[Pure Conduct and Observance of Precepts], 1242
2 comments:
A part of me feels a profound dread and anger when reading about these kinds of things.
Another part feels sorry for people like Ellison. People who will forever gaze upon the suffering of the world, count their millions or billions and still not feel an ounce of satisfaction. These are truly the "hungry ghosts" for which there can be no contentment, no satiation. What a waste of life.....
Your compassion is admirable.
Gassho.
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