Continuing From Yesterday … 

How troubles in the world come about:
Division exists naturally because of different levels of understanding, but when these divisions are exploited, they become exaggerated. If we do not know the law of the universe then, by our ignorance, we are governed.

The natural, physical law of the universe is attraction, repulsion and inertia; in human terms, this corresponds to desire, aversion and ignorance which, when viewed correctly, also correspond to the enlightened wisdoms of emptiness, cognisance and compassion. Not many either know or act on these enlightened principles.

The universe is complete in opposites. When we create a belief, we also create disbelief, and that creates friction and conflict. Hot v cold. Black v white. Left v right. Right v wrong, and so on. All opposites are a unity, and inseparable. Appearances and recognition are simultaneous. The moon reflected in water – how beautiful, but so much more beautiful when understood clearly.

When we take a side, we create an opponent. “I am right” means others are not right. Before there is hot v cold, there is pure experience, pure perception, pure consciousness. This is called the ‘yoga of one taste’; just taste, before memory and judgement set in.

If we are instigated to take sides, we are being used for another purpose – one of division.

Free speech needs free thinking. Free thinking needs clarity, and clarity needs compassion. Compassion needs understanding of both our true nature and our adopted nature.

There is no free speech without free thinking, but people are quick to be offended if we do not believe what they believe. You can’t please everyone, even Buddhists 🙂

How often are we inspired or encouraged to see things afresh? How much free thought and speech do we actually have?

There are many ways to understand something.
Let’s take a diamond.
It’s shiny.
It’s hard.
It’s expensive.
It makes good tools.
It says something about us.
It’s a formation in rock.
It cuts other materials.
It’s an investment.
It’s carbon.
It makes people proud.
It makes people greedy.
It make people jealous.
People can kill for it.
It’s not worth thinking about …
… and that’s just a diamond!

When it comes to religion and politics and science, it’s just the same – different views of a situation. Even Buddhism.

Conclusion:
Life is either a pointless maintenance of assumptions
or the path of empathetic enlightenment.

The very moment
when the pointless maintenance of assumptions is recognised,
the path of empathetic enlightenment begins.