Double Standard
Picture this: An SUV truck, traveling on the road, the back of which is covered with bumper stickers touting liberal political commentary and environmental awareness / protection. Very likely, the type of person driving this vehicle that comes to mind is somebody interested in peace and protection and some level of self- and Earth-awareness, right? Well, not according to his driving decisions! This person was tailgating an elderly couple in a little car, trying his best to exert his will over them and basically threatening to run them over physically if they didn’t comply. His intent and ego were palpable… and quite contrary to the beliefs stated (or at the very least, implied) by his stickers.
A bit of a double-standard, isn’t it? But how many of us do this in some form or another -at least once in a while? How many would have reacted to this driver by boxing him in traffic or antagonizing him in some way, getting our own egos caught up in what was going on, only fueling his ego & emotions further, snowballing one person’s ego into something much more hazardous to everyone on the road? Yes, we all have our moments, and no, I don’t know what was prompting the guy in the SUV to drive the way he was driving: Perhaps a loved one was just rushed to the hospital, or he was running late for his first interview after months of being unemployed – who knows?! – but it’s no excuse. Not really.
To govern ourselves, to be aware of our actions and reactions, is the first step in changing the world around us. Without that, we are lost. To help us along this path, meditation practice is certainly of assistance, but so is reflection upon our ethics and morals. Doing this allows us to catalog those things which we deem important and the ideals for which we strive. It provides a code upon which to base our actions and our decisions. It helps provide direction and reminders to keep growing, to be good human beings. Without this, we tend to get lost and confused, eventually to be overrun by ego in the form of frustration, anger, disappointment, and a lack of direction. When we get caught up in the “our needs, right now” is when our ethics and moral code start slipping away and when we are most susceptible to making “errors in judgement” which adversely affect ourselves, others, and our planet.
How do we know which direction to travel if we don’t know where we want to be or what’s important to us?
An unreflecting mind is a poor roof.
Passion, like the rain, floods the house.
But if the roof is strong, there is shelter.– Buddha, Dhammapada
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