Senate Fat Acceptance & Fatphobia Discussion

I do not think he is always represented as fat. There are several statues in which he is actually rather skinny (which makes sense, AFAIR he observed a fast in a certain period of his life). Without googling it, I'd say that making him fat would be an allegory of abundance, but I'm pretty much making this up.

 

You are correct

"Over time, Budai became a subject of popular devotion in Zen Buddhism, both in China and in Japan, where he goes by the name Hotei. His large belly and sack are believed to represent abundance, and he is included among the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan as a harbinger of abundance and good health."

 

So there's an interesting answer on Quora. The "fat" statues are of Budai, and Budai is a Buddha, but he is not the Buddha. And it seems by historical accounts the real Buddha starved himself nearly to death, and was never fat. Interesting that here in the west, we're more likely to see the Budai statues than we are a historical representation of the real Buddha. Kind of like how "white Jesus" has become a more popular image among many than a realistic depiction of the real Jesus.
Very interesting stuff.

 

Real Jesus lol

 

No, she shouldn't have. I'm deeply regretful about what I said.

Yes, I think I misunderstood the two posts that led to my outburst. I thought they were speaking about me, rather than the roomate.

I don't deserve the benefit of the doubt in this situation, and I understand that I've angered a good handful of members with what I said. I'm not trying to defend my actions, as I found them to be disgusting within minutes of that post I made. I do ask that if you can, you don't judge a single post said in anger as open-and-shut evidence of my character. I apologized within minutes, asked a moderator to remove my comments as I didn't wish to stand by them, and took a break from the forum which I'm still on (just came on to read a conversation and decided to look at the thread to see what had been said - still can't resist answering comments directed at me, so my break isn't over yet).

I do understand completely if you can't separate the post I made from my character, however, and I don't blame you.

I'm not going to completely leave, but you're welcome to place me on your ignore list if you'd prefer not to see me on here again. This instance was the first time I've debased myself to such a level, and I believe that I can still have a place on the forum, even if I have to limit how involved I get with this particular section going forward. I've tried my best to make amends for what I said, and I'll always keep in mind how nasty I can get when I'm losing a debate so that I don't act like this in future - but I'm not going to completely give up on a place I enjoy visiting for one, isolated mistake.

She was homeless. I may be many things, but I'm not a liar. My mum's homelessness was caused by alcoholism, which caused me to move out at 11, and my sister/ brother to be taken into the care system some years later. So I do understand homelessness, and how difficult it can be for those to get out of the situation. While me and my mum never had much of a relationship, and still don't, I used to help her as much as I could when she was on the streets - temporary accommodation, food etc, and I know from both her experiences and homeless people she became friends with that it's a hard thing to get out of.

I agree, it was a disgusting display, and one that I'm rightly ashamed of and wish to make amends for.

I don't really know what I'm meant to do, except apologize which I've done, take some time offline to reflect on my behaviour which I've done, and ensure I don't ever dare to be so vile to somebody online again.

 

I accept your apology. I'm not interested in reading the PM you sent though. Glad you learned something from this.

 

@BRE

But don't pretend that you immediately regretted it on your own. I know SuperWatto PMd you and encouraged you to delete your post before I saw it. So, while I do accept your apology, I know that you didn't get here entirely on your own.

 

He did, and I inititally disagreed with the idea of deleting it.

I then took a minute or two away from the PC, thought about what I'd said, and decided that I didn't want to stand by it and that I felt guilty for making the comments.

It's your choice to believe how I came about deciding to apologise. SuperWatto did indeed encourage me to do so, but it was me who came to the decision to do it - not because somebody else told me, but because I decided that I had vastly let myself down, and been unnnesecarily hateful to you.

 

That’s a great post (I only read the part addressed to me). I still don’t know why you’d strike out at harps like that. Now I understand so even less.

 

@BRE apologizing profusely.

Meanwhile in another thread we have one poster say something absolutely horrific to another poster, but we're just going to give it a little mod edit and brush it under the rug.

You guys are a joke.

 

Didn't you say you were leaving?

 

What thread, ATLA?

those posters are special.

 

I fail to see the issue... ?

The poster in the other thread apologized immediately. The post itself was edited. What more do you want? Neither BRE or Adam was banned, the exact opposite of your claim about preferential treatment.

 

Arlol's army thread.

 

Honestly, me neither. I've always known that I could be sharp-tongued, and abrasive when my quick temper flares up, but I didn't realise I could be so spiteful and boundary-less in the things I attack people for. It's why I wanted some time to reflect on this because while I can be just as snarky as the next person, I never thought I'd so willingly toss my integrity aside like I have done.

I don't want to keep banging on in a 'woe is me' fashion, I've already debased myself, I don't want to run the risk of rendering my apology moot by turning it into being about me. I'm going to try and stop replying to people now about my actions, not so that they're forgotten because I can fully appreciate people holding this against me, but because I don't want to undo any shed of decency I've tried to display by apologizing through rationalizing it and inevitably starting to defend myself.

 

Just stop.

 

He apologized as well.

Why do you insist on being this way?

 

@Lord Vivec we are being a clique. Because that makes sense.

 

you guys are falling off topic again

 

I've seen the JCC accused of having a clique or an "in-crowd" the whole time I've been here. What I want to know is, when am I gonna be let in, God dammit?

 

Yes boss.