3.5.11

Overtasked

There have been many things I have wanted to write about.
Unfortunately (or not...) most of my thoughts don't stick around long enough to make it till 1952 when I finally have a moment to sit down in the evenings, if I don't have a previous arrangement of helping the girls with homework or help in the kitchen, or help with the laundry, attend to disciplinary matters, separating battling siblings, etc, etc.

On my mind right now is the stream of  different reactions to the death of a guy who lived his life by hate.

Now some of the more "Boodysty" types have predictably quoted the Buddha saying "Hatred is never overcome by hatred, but by love"  which is all well and good when you are talking to a child of the Buddha, and I would go even further to say that this is very true even and especially in war.  But it is not probably not going to change the minds folks who are dwelling in the hell realms of institutionalized hatred until that karma reaches its own fruition.

You see there striver, even though I think the guy was just reaping the benefits of the fruition of his actions, its ripples are not done yet by a long shot.  We (human beings, animals , hungry ghosts, demons and gods) are going to pay the price  for our actions (and already are) and then we will make someone else pay for theirs and so on.  That's how we roll that big ole wheal o' Samsara.  So no need to rejoice or feel bad really.  They guy had it coming, just like we got it coming to us.  And it goes on and on and on.

So what do I do about it?  Restrain yourself from evil, allow merit to pile up?  Maybe just start by turning off the TV, find a quiet room, a nice cushion, light some incense, put on a patched robe,  announce your intention to save all sentient beings, have a seat, twist your legs into a pretzel shape for a half hour or so.  Well that's what I'm doing anyway... And if you are in Okinawa you can join me for a free sitting this Saturday!   Enlightenment guaranteed or your money back!

Bonus round:

Dhamapada Chapter 10:


Violence
All beings tremble before violence. 
All fear death. 
All love life. 

See yourself in other.
Then whom can you hurt? 
What harm can you do? 

He who seeks happiness By hurting those who seek happiness Will never find happiness.
For your brother is like you. 
He wants to be happy.
 Never harm him And when you leave this life You too will find happiness. 

Never speak harsh words For they will rebound upon you.
Angry words hurt
And the hurt rebounds. 

Like a broken gong Be still, and silent. 
Know the stillness of freedom Where there is no more striving. 

Like herdsmen driving their cows into the fields,
Old age and death will drive you before them.

 But the fool in his mischief forgets And he lights the fire
Wherein one day he must burn.

 He who harms the harmless Or hurts the innocent, Ten times shall he fall -
Into torment or infirmity, Injury or disease or madness, Persecution or fearful accusation, Loss of family, loss of fortune. Fire from heaven shall strike his house
And when his body has been struck down, He shall rise in hell. 

He who goes naked, With matted hair, mud bespattered,
 Who fasts and sleeps on the ground And smears his body with ashes And sits in endless meditation, So long as he is not free from doubts, He will not find freedom. 

But he who lives purely and self- assured,
In quietness and virtue, 
Who is without harm or hurt or blame, 
Even if he wears fine clothes, 
So long as he also has faith, 
He is a true seeker. 

A noble horse rarely Feels the touch of the whip. 
Who is there in this world as blameless? 
Then like a noble horse Smart under the whip. 
Burn and be swift. 
Believe, meditate, see. 
Be harmless, be blameless. 
Awake to the dharma. 
And from all sorrows free yourself.

The farmer channels water to his land. 
The fletcher whittles his arrows. 
The carpenter turns his wood. 
And the wise man masters himself.

4 comments:

Lauren said...

Jordan,

Thanks for both part A and part B.
-L

Sean said...

On hearing the news, all I could think was, "It happens." Jordan, with respects, I like your eloquent way of saying how it happens, and what else there is to that it happens.

That there is no blamelessness in ending an evil, that's a lesson I would like to take to heart, right now. Qu.

SlowZen said...

Lauren.
You are ever welcome.

Sean,
There is no blame in ending our own evils.
Despite what evil friends might say.

It is just harder to do.

Blamelessly putting an end to another's requires some skillful means beyond compare. But it can be done. The classical example would be the story of Angulimala

MyoChi said...

I struggle with question of good and evil all the time..I don't have any clear answer..other than to tell myself that this world is dualistic and that is its nature..I know this much that folks who are doing so called evil, are fully convinced at the time of carrying out the act that it is the right act or else they could not carry it on. Conditions shape people, who knows what we would do if we faced same circumstances as them and had the same mental build up.

Thanks for looking!