The Way, Part Seven

The Buddha Precepts, Part Seven.
Do not talk about other's faults: Respect and value others uniqueness.

In the Absolute world, everything is one. In such a world, there are no “faults.” In the Relative world, with each breath, each of us is born and born, and born again. Each birth is a unique event. I am looking at a cup of coffee I just brewed. It is wonderful. Does this “wonderful” make the coffee at Starbucks less so? Likewise, when I admire a pear, and I do love pears, does this make an apple less admirable? Things are what they are: in the Relative world different and unique; in the Absolute world, one.

When I talk about someone’s faults, I am in a perverted Relative world. My mind is creating a view of perfection against which it is measuring that person. In doing so, I am not living in non-duality, but rotting in judgments, diminishing us both. To what end? Does such talk make the world a better place?

This precept is about idle chatter, the mindless prattle of everyday minds. Do not do it. This precept points to a golden truth: silence is thunder.
Moreover, each of us is unique in our oneness. Each of us has value as we are from the farmer to the scientist and from the householder to the beggar. When we are criticizing our differences, we are not recognizing our value.

Let the thunder in our silence be our teacher.

Be well.