Our Conduct Is Contact …
with others or things

The inner view of emptiness – intelligent clarity – is simplicity itself. We are just aware, barely conscious. Our conduct or expression, however, has to be skilful and is therefore complex: anything we say or do – positive or negative – has a tremendous effect on others and on a situation. This is love in action, which can take many forms.

Our conduct is the same as ‘merit’:

Merit: Middle English originally in the sense ‘deserved reward or punishment’: via Old French from Latin meritum  ‘due reward’, from mereri  ‘earn, deserve’.

Thus we can see that our conduct or merit is … karma! Our conduct is the way in which we clear the path to enlightenment. There’s no point in having lofty views while still being obnoxious, smug or antagonistic 😀

Conduct is feeling the situation, and being at one with the thing or person, at that level. When in the jungle, think jungle.

Having said this, there is always a moment of inspiration to uplift, to heal. Being skilful is proceeding carefully, neither smothering nor ignoring.

We cannot buy our way into an enlightened heaven; intention is what counts!