How much do we really care?
(Deconstructed anger is compassion!)

There are some subjects I try to avoid: I suppose that because I’m too passionate about them. After morning meditation, a theme comes to mind, and I just write. There are times when I go “Whoa!?”…and try to ignore it…but it’s still there, the same theme arises in different guises. This is one of them: how much do we really care?

We may care about our projections and our projects, but how much do we really care about others – those with whom we actually come into contact? I include Buddhists in this. We care for others from afar, but not directly – it’s too close. We care about our exotic practices, our rituals and…dogma, adhering strictly to definitions. I can truthfully say I’ve never met a Buddhist who was any different from anyone else. Dogma and ritual are age-old solutions allowing us to ignore what is actually going on, and therefore creating an age-old problems. We will continue facing the same problems until something is learned from it.

Information is just information. When information is put into practice, it becomes knowledge. The deeper the knowledge, the deeper the wisdom – which transcends words and dogma – transforming dharma into the real Dharma.

Take compassion: this has many levels of understanding. We can start from being kind to make our life pleasant, to ‘suffering with’ (empathy), to realising the true nature of all sentient beings which which has been forgotten. What we all need is the reminder of ‘compassionate space’, to experience the warmth of our own – and collective – compassionate nature…a true meeting of minds = love!

Compassion for grown ups.

Grown up compassion is the expression of caring without calculation. The next time you meet someone who seems awkward, don’t turn away because you feel uncomfortable… listen. You may learn something about yourself.

We have to be really careful with knowledge and not to advantage of a situation for our own aggrandisement (conceit). This is demonic activity, and not enlightened activity. It is easy to make this mistake.

If our knowledge is not for others’ benefit, then it is for ours. We have all heard of fallen angels haven’t we? The deeper we go, the sharper the knife edge we tread, and the greater the temptations. Sounds familiar?

Knowledge to wisdom.

Knowledge prevents us from clinging to suffering (samsara), and prevents us from being locked into passive bliss (nirvana). Through compassion suffused with emptiness and awareness, buddha activity may be expressed, benefitting the body, speech and mind of all beings, none excluded.

Buddha activity (awakened activity) is not a matter of being busy “doing good”: it’s about creating space, loosening a situation with warmth.
Buddha activity is not a matter of us choosing when and where to be spacious: it’s about having the courage to be of benefit to others…anywhere.

Of course we have to be skilful.

Being spacious means being spacious to our own minds as well, allowing anger to deconstruct itself into compassion. When we do this, we get less exhausted. It is surprising how much sacred time and space we actually receive – a sort of divine bonus!

All we need to do is recognise what is honestly going on.