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Thinking back to that 90s bumper sticker mean people suck. Haven’t seen that one around for a long time.
Got me to thinking about another therapy/self-help slogan, hurt people hurt people.
To that I’d add hurt people who don’t introspect about what hurt them and reflect on themselves hurt people.
As Socrates said, the unexamined life is not worth living. As Buddha said, ignorance (delusion), hatred, and greed are the three poisons that cause suffering, karma, and reincarnation.
Our society is filled with suffering. Poverty, illness, and hunger are obvious but seemingly well off people suffer as well. We’re encouraged to turn ourselves into commodities, relentlessly self-promote, and be hypercompetitive, all of which goes against emotional and mental health and causes suffering and hurt. Nobody can be happy with that much pressure and stress to be and act a certain way.
Buddhism also teaches that generosity, kindness, and wisdom are the antidotes to the three poisons. Add to that the ability to temper the runaway mind with meditation and mindfulness.
Now why would we create and be all right with a society based on struggle and suffering when we could have one based on generosity and wisdom? To whose benefit is that? Certainly not ours.
How can we as individuals find the antidotes and carry them through the darkness of anger, ignorance, and greed to find peace in heart and mind and maybe enlightenment?
Got me to thinking about another therapy/self-help slogan, hurt people hurt people.
To that I’d add hurt people who don’t introspect about what hurt them and reflect on themselves hurt people.
As Socrates said, the unexamined life is not worth living. As Buddha said, ignorance (delusion), hatred, and greed are the three poisons that cause suffering, karma, and reincarnation.
Our society is filled with suffering. Poverty, illness, and hunger are obvious but seemingly well off people suffer as well. We’re encouraged to turn ourselves into commodities, relentlessly self-promote, and be hypercompetitive, all of which goes against emotional and mental health and causes suffering and hurt. Nobody can be happy with that much pressure and stress to be and act a certain way.
Buddhism also teaches that generosity, kindness, and wisdom are the antidotes to the three poisons. Add to that the ability to temper the runaway mind with meditation and mindfulness.
Now why would we create and be all right with a society based on struggle and suffering when we could have one based on generosity and wisdom? To whose benefit is that? Certainly not ours.
How can we as individuals find the antidotes and carry them through the darkness of anger, ignorance, and greed to find peace in heart and mind and maybe enlightenment?
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