Consequences

With palms together


Good Morning Everyone,



The events of this past week as well as discussions in our groups at temple lead me to ask, is it possible to speak without creating some form of duality? No, but! It is silly to think that we should live without duality. If I ask you to care about this or that, I am creating a dualism on several levels. So? Do we not live in a relative world? Forget the relative at your peril, my friends.



We are our actions and we are responsible for our actions, and just as we are interconnected with all things and interdependent with all things, we are also, therefore, responsible for the actions of others as well. This is a challenging notion in this era of Me. if I am one with everything, then everything is one with me. I and Other are One My responsibility is both personal and social.



Our speech is an aspect of our behavior. We should be aware of how it affects people and know that if we yell “Fire!” in a crowded room with minimal egress, we are responsible for the consequences. We cannot say, well those poor folk who were crushed at the door should not have panicked or should have known there was no fire or some other excuse to get us off the hook.



Likewise if I keep saying liberals are treasonous as Ann Coulter repeatedly does, or that we should “target” those we don’t like and “eliminate” them, as many political operatives might say, we cannot escape some degree of responsibility if someone takes adverse action against those we have demonized.



It is our responsibility to address this now in a clear voice. Violence, both physical and emotional, through body, speech or mind, is not acceptable. We must practice the Eightfold Noble Path not just spout it. As a reminder, this path includes: Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Effort, Right Livelihood, Right Concentration and Right Mindfulness.



Now, go do the right thing.



Be well.