With palms together,
Good Morning All,
When the morning news contains stories about discovering severed heads in fruit baskets for a second time one must begin to wonder about the civilization which produces such things. War teaches us many things, one very important lesson is that we are none exempt from the world. Each of us has the capacity to do great harm to others when the conditions are right arise. Allegations of war crimes, torture, the severe blurring of the lines between the "good guys" and the "bad guys" should teach us that such lines are never real they are always subject to being shifted. Good and bad are but points of view and are conditioned by perspective.
My fear is that we will become more and more numb to the awfulness of these behaviors. It is easy to adapt, we do it all the time. Lowering our expectations, we don't work as hard for a better grade or a higher standard of living or a safer neighborhood, and by extension, a safer world.
One side justifies their behavior by pointing out what the other side has done or threatens to do. The end of course, as Gandhi pointed out, is the whole world will be blind. Fingers, meanwhile, point everywhere.
We must resist this murderous mentality, as well as a sense of hopelessness and powerlessness enveloping our world. Each of us has the capacity to be a buddha, to stop creating evil, to create good, and to create conditions for good to arise for all.
What's your next step? What would create conditions for good to emerge? Your answer is your future.
Be well.
If I had my wish it would be to imeediatly face the reality of my own hatred and undo it. I can suspect it's whereabouts in my daily life, but I have yet to discover the tools that could bring me to a full catharsis. I practice zazen, but even my practice is restless and irregular. My financial situation is in critical condition and I must act soon or suffer the consequences. Much of this may be the result of my own world view. I see wealthy gangs attacking the workers that made their wealth possible, blaming on new workers they wish to acquire and offering them all protection in exchange for their humanity. It appears that this process has been repeating itself throughtout history. My fear is that technology may be able to sustain the division between elite and slave for ages.
ReplyDeleteThere's no such thing as a dirty book. It's just the way you read it.
ReplyDeleteHarvey, I certainly hope you are right about being able to change. That is the main reason I sit. probably not the best reason but there it is.
ReplyDelete