Ancient wisdom
The character of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, is an archetype of selfishness. He is a single, miserable, cold-hearted miser who is about to be confronted with the consequences of his lack of compassion — regret.
Another archetype of selfishness is the Ferengi, Quark, in Star Trek. One of Quark's Rules of Acquisition is, "Never place friendship above profit." This is not a code of conduct that I would recommend. Here is why: whatever code of conduct you use to govern your actions, you need to predict the consequences of the other guy using the same code of conduct. If everyone acts the same way that you act, will the actions result in harmony, or conflict?
My advice is act toward others as you would have others act toward you. That is the Confucius golden rule.
When our concern is with the well-being of others, we create harmony rather than conflict, cooperation rather than competition, and overall conditions improve.
from the talk Personal Responsibility, Compassion and Service to Others
From a new Avatar graduate
"Now that the Avatar course is over, I feel at peace. I keep using the tools and I'm amazed at how simple, easy, yet effective they are. Before I started Avatar, I struggled with worry and anxiety. I see now that as my mind changes, my life seems to change as well. I don't think I will ever forget the moment I gained enlightenment during the Avatar course and the amazing moments when I looked into my heart. I'm looking forward to the next course." - February 2024
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