Quote:
David Soroko wrote:
I did not say anything about what a handicapped person is capable of achieving. I did say that handicapping oneself on purpose, as you suggested, is is silly.
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Quote:
David Soroko wrote:
I'll stick to your original analogy, why tie only one arm behind your back, why not both? And the feet, why not tie them as well?
One could claim that quadriplegic people are actually practicing Aikido by just living, but not very convincingly.
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Emphasis added by me---but I'll concede that that was not your point, and I'll add that you missed my point as well.
Whether the person is in a wheelchair because he was paralyzed in a car accident (circumstance), or because he does not know he can walk (delusion or ignorance), or whether he consciously chooses to sit there (delusion or enlightened choice), who am I to criticize his practice or question what value he obtains from it?
As for why someone might make a choice to handicap himself, that is also not necessarily for me to question either. I, for instance, choose to be bound by laws. I choose to be bound by marriage. I choose to be bound by parental responsibilities. I choose to be bound by contracts I enter. ... I figure that handicapping myself in these ways benefits me, my family, society, ... But they're my choices. Will you question them?
I heard an interesting anecdote about an exchange with the Dali Lama. A lay person questions him, "Why are you celibate?" His response: "I am celibate for the same reason that you are not." I suspect that the answer points to an error in the question...