After reading through the threads here, I am saddened to see so much time and energy being used to judge or demean others. I couldn’t help but think about how much positive change could be created if that same amount of time and energy was directed towards issues that seriously need our help (i.e. racism, poverty, hunger, consumerism, substance abuse, domestic violence, conservation, etc.). Just imagine the good you could do if you spent as much time doing something as you do sitting in front of the computer ranting about the imperfections of those you do not like. We are all imperfect beings, trying to learn as we walk this circle of life. I realize that by writing this, I am opening myself up to your criticism and judgment. So be it.
When each of us comes to the end of our journey, what will really matter is the amount of good we did along the way. What will others say about you when you make your final journey? Will they say you were kind to others? Will they say you didn’t take more than you needed? Will they say you always gave your best to those who needed the most? Or, will they say your time here was wasted on petty differences of principle and identity?
By nature, we are seekers of truth and knowledge. And by nature, we all have different methods of learning. Some learn through experience, some are visual learners, some learn through listening, and others through prayer or ceremony. Likewise, our teachers take many forms. Ultimately, we each have the gift of a sixth sense; the ability to discern truth from non-truth by listening to that small voice that speaks to us through our solar plexus or, our gut. More importantly, we all have the freedom of choice, to decide what we will experience and through whom. Looking back on my own life, some of the more important lessons came from the least likely places. Someone once said that “when the student is ready, the teacher will come”. I have found this to be true. Even in the darkest of places, we can learn, if we are ready.
I have also learned that whenever you place another human being on a pedestal, they will fall, and you will be filled with disappointment. None of us has all the answers. In reality, we are all students. Even those who have ‘medicine’ or, those we recognize as ‘holy’, are imperfect. Most will tell you their stories of weakness or vulnerability that lead to their understanding of living a spiritual life. Our world is a world of opposites; light and dark, good and evil, hot and cold, abundance and scarcity. Without one, we could not understand the other. In our search for knowledge, we will be exposed to many aspects of opposition and the outcome will be determined by our choices, the intent of our desire to learn, and, more importantly, what we do with what we learn.
If you do not agree with the path someone has taken, choose another path for yourself. Don’t demean yourself by publicly attacking the character of others. Those who dedicate their lives to spiritual service make sacrifices that can only be understood by others who have done the same. A spiritual life is not an easy life. Until you have the ability or the desire to make the same sacrifice, I would encourage you to continue on your journey and challenge yourself to do more good than harm. Live your life in a manner that the song they will sing for you when you are gone will be a good one. [/size]
