[Buddha-l] Swearing

[Mike Austin]

In message <200609252239.36785.stroble at hawaii.edu>, James A. Stroble 
<stroble at hawaii.edu> writes
>
>When I am teaching the tail end of the Euthyphro, where Socrates suggests that
>holiness is kind of commerce between gods and  men, I like to recall the
>scene in Conan the Barbarian, were the Gropinator calls upon his god Krom for
>assistance, but then adds, " if you won't help me, then screw you!" or words
>to that effect. Is that what we are after here?

If one holds that there is a superior being that can intercede for us, I 
think that "screw you" actually implies "screw me".  The first victim of 
anger is the one who holds it.  Perhaps swearing is just this - bringing 
wrath upon oneself. This may be an example of the second arrow of dukkha 
that one brings to a wound.

-- 
Metta
Mike Austin