Altruism and spirituality

[Bulgarianspirit]

I was pondering on the question of altruism, the self, the eternal soul and life in general. Our society values helping others and puts the people who do so on saint positions. However if you help someone, you must understand that they are not very likely to repay the same favor, if at all. Also as eternal souls incarnated here, creative individuations of  god, this is only one out of many experiences through which we will go. So i ask this not in a foolish manner, it's more like an itch to me. i see suffering, pain and there is something in me that says help, change something etc. However changing something would be detrimental to my experience i.e i would give from my time, resources and energy towards fixing someone else's problem. While most people wouldn't do this. You see it all around you, billionaires and companies hoarding wealth, people with power and influence similar to Bill Gates being in total selfish mode. Are they wrong or right? They worked hard to get up there... It is a big conflict within me, i have already begun to draw the line, where it is reasonable to help myself first, then contemplate this topic. 

Is it even worth helping others if it doesn't aid your own value in life, your experience?

Of course those others are you, but still, they wouldn't help you... Their soul might have chosen to experience misery to grow as well, who are you to help them when they chose to suffer? It really is a confusing topic for me and i have looked at every angle I can. Any opinion is appreciated.

Edited November 29, 2020 by Bulgarianspirit

[Breakingthewall]

I think that one of the important aspects of the spiritual path is knowing what you have to do and that not without consulting the mind, something profound guides you. it may lead you to meditate all day and not talk to anyone in years or to become a missionary. the issue is to listen to the inner voice, know how to differentiate it from the ego, and follow it, and not worry about what others do or not do, they have their own path

[Moksha]

Consciousness is love. Just because people exist in different states of selfishness, doesn't mean a conscious person can be anything other than it is. The Buddha and Jesus love because it is their dharma, just as it is the dharma of the selfish to be selfish, until their dharma evolves.

[Preety_India]

If everyone helped each other then it's definitely going to aid everyone's life in general. 

This is just normal science.. 

[Yog]

Here is something to think about.

You can be others/world focused and be selfish.
You can be self-focused and be selfless.

The opposite of selfishness is not altruism.
The opposite of selfishness is self-love.

Only if one is truly able to self-love, one would be able to love the world, as it is.

The problem with most altruistic movements and mindsets is that they are not grounded in self love but in fear. This leads to selfish forms of altruism, where one tries to change people to be like oneself, or expects something back for his "services". True altruism is grounded in self-love, which paradoxically is selfless, that's your saints, your jesus and all

So in a way, if you want to become truly altruistic, the proper direction is within yourself, learn acceptance and boundless self love.
 

[peachboy]

2 hours ago, Bulgarianspirit said:

Of course those others are you, but still, they wouldn't help you... 

Do you really understand this though?

If you could go back in time and spend some time hanging out with your 5-year old self, would you find the issue of altruism so much of a challenge? Would it not naturally be the case that you would want to instinctively help/serve the 5-year old version of you, in any capacity, irrespective of whether they had the means to help you in return?

[soos_mite_ah]

 

 

I think some of these videos can give an interesting perspective when it comes to viewing altruism in a spiritual light. 

[Nahm]

 

Quote

Of course those others are you, but still, they wouldn't help you... Their soul might have chosen to experience misery to grow as well, who are you to help them when they chose to suffer? It really is a confusing topic for me and i have looked at every angle I can. Any opinion is appreciated.

The confusion could be from the lens of separation (others, egos, people, souls, etc) or, that suffering is consciously chosen. Essentially the idea one must suffer to grow, or expand being carried over existentially. 

Think of ‘getting to’ the very peak of Maslow’s pyramid. Imagine literally standing on it & seeing for yourself there’s nothing above the pyramid. Infinite emptiness. No ‘you’, no ‘others’, no ‘success’, just the pyramid and not even. There wasn’t ‘a life’, or ‘suffering’, or anything, just a narrative that played along. From that vantage point it’d be clear the only perspective(s) is (are) toward the rest of the pyramid. Otherwise, you could help from ‘below’, and you might get a foot in the face every once & a while. You could help from above, but someone must reach up to take your hand.  When nothing’s happening there are not feet & faces.