May Day

In the mailbox this morning …

Many wise people throughout the ages, including the Buddha himself, have warned that “with our thoughts we create the world.” What do we, as a culture and as individuals, create with our thoughts and actions concerning beings – human and otherwise – in an interconnected and dependently co-arising web? The idea of one species holding a “higher” position is illusion; the rain is not “better” or “more highly evolved” than the snow. — after Tina Fields.

Each of us is an individual member of a species. We have billions of cousins. Yet, thousands – if not millions – of family members are likely to die in the next 20 years due to our chosen ignorance and continued short-term greed. We are killing ourselves.

...it is inconceivable that anyone on a true spiritual journey would be racist, anti-Semitic, xenophobic, homophobic, or bigoted toward any group or individual, especially toward the poor and vulnerable, which seems to be an acceptable American prejudice. ..The root of violence is found in the illusion of separation—from Being itself – from being one with everyone and everything. When we don’t know we are connected, we will invariably resort to some form of violence to get the dignity and power we think we lack...(Only the) inner experience of our common union rather than separation leads to the deeper knowing of what is real, good, true, and beautiful, beyond labels and dualistic judgments of right or wrong...To end the cycle of violence, our actions must flow from our authentic identity as Love.– after Fr. Richard Rohr