On choices and what we can learn from the tragedy in AZ

“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts.  With our thoughts we make the world. "

– Dhammapada, the sayings of the Buddha, verse on Choices

The world we live in is a mirror of how we view it. We each have a different set of “facts” we go by. Some may see the world as a scary place in which we need to constantly defend ourselves against various enemies.  Others see the world as a place that is mostly fine, aside from the threat that people who see the world as a scary place in which the need to constantly defend themselves will somehow go too far.

Our world view often draws us to seek out experiences (conscious or not) that resonate with us.  From the same set of facts, I’d say that half of my friends are outraged by how they are reported on FOX on a daily basis, while the other half have the same reaction listening to the NPR representation. The problem with either of these scenarios is that we’re getting worked up over something we’ve made up (or have bought into).  

As a story of heartbreaking violence emerged in the last week, so has a discourse around political rhetoric (what many initially attributed as the catalyst) and untreated mental illness  (what is more likely the issue). 

We can fixate on these two things, or we can remember another part of the episode;  the immediate reaction to violence; the crowd who subdued the shooter at great personal risk; the first responders, heroes who did what they could to save who they could; those who held vigil at the shooting site. These people, for that moment, chose to see through the illusion of separateness from others. And so can we.

On renewal

It is the start of a New Year, time once again, to cycle through the calendar. There was a January 1 last year, too, and the year before, and the year before that and so on, but each of those days were experienced differently, as is each moment.
As many of you know, I read one passage from the Dhammapada every day.  There are only 26 passages to read, so I re-read the same passage about 14 times a year, yet every time, it is a different, yet rewarding experience.
Today’s reading was from Flowers and the line that has stuck with me today is this: “Look to your own faults, what you have done or left undone. Overlook the faults of others.”
I think about how much time and energy people waste getting caught up in what other people do, getting upset about this and that, all the while, not subjecting themselves to the same scrutiny.
Personally, I find it very easy to join the ranks of the peanut gallery, the armchair quarterback, and worse. When I read this line, it reminds me to worry about myself, my actions, my thoughts, my beliefs. When I do remember to do this, whatever angst is caused by focusing on the faults of others melts away. Often, when I submit myself to the same scrutiny, I find myself guilty of the same things I’m judging someone else for, which is great, because it both keeps me honest, helping me identify when there is a gap between how I would like to act and how I have acted and it also helps me have compassion for the person who was initially the target of judgment.
So in the New Year, if you experience a moment where you find yourself  judging, try learning from it, and letting it go. You may be surprised and how much better a year you can have.