Things have been fairly intense lately haven’t they? So I thought I would share with you some other perspectives, points of view, which might expand your awareness or give you more hope. Frankly, I am doing this for myself also because to focus on all that is going on as this election nears can be very tiring. It is always positive to stop and smell the roses or to see things freshly. Check these ideas out and let me know what you think.
First some Cherokee wisdom:
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
The wisdom of this teaching is simply profound to me. It is also so relevant to today where it seems the some of the aspects of the Evil Wolf is running our corporations and government. What wolf do you feed on a daily basis?
Second comes wisdom from the Dalai Lama:
We can reject everything else: religion, ideology, all received
wisdom.
But we cannot escape the necessity of love and compassion....
This, then, is my true religion, my simple faith.
In this sense, there is no need for temple or church, for mosque or synagogue, no need for complicated philosophy, doctrine or dogma.
Our own heart, our own mind, is the temple.
The doctrine is compassion. Love for others and respect for their rights and dignity, no matter who or what they are: ultimately these are all we need.
So long as we practice these in our daily lives, then no matter if we are learned or unlearned, whether we believe in Buddha or God, or follow some other religion or none at all, as long as we have compassion for others and conduct ourselves with restraint out of a sense of responsibility, there is no doubt we will be happy.
This too is very timely wisdom. Wouldn’t it be nice if all those that insist we believe as they do could find compassion in their hearts and open their minds? Respect with an open heart is a sure way to real happiness. At a simple level we are all one, are you willing to be guided by compassion for each other?
Hopefully these two sources of wisdom from other cultures will inspire the highest wisdom in ourselves and our nation.