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see every day? How are we dealing Hatred. tools we can find in all Dharma
with greed? centers to reach out and help,
Racism, hate crimes, misogynism,
not only in charity but also in
Gladly, I can say that every day, sexism, homophobia. So many faces
education, promotion of ethics and
more and more startups and of the same problem of hatred.
compassion, and the emancipation
initiatives are trying to see the and empowerment of the people.
Many believe that hatred emanates
world anew: Cooperative commons, Let us work together hand by
from ignorance. This is the first
peer to peer economy, co-working, hand as a tolerant community that
link in the origination of suffering.
circular economy, and many more. wishes the best of everyone.
Therefore, it is a good time to
This is not trying to abolish all that
embrace the arduous task of asking
we have but trying to improve the Delusion.
ourselves how can Dharma help
conditions of workers, citizens, and
to become free-minded, critical, Be a lamp unto yourself.
society as a whole. Increasingly we
compassionate and loving humans.
see new technologies giving more
It seems that the Buddha
opportunities for people to develop
For example, are we flexible encouraged us to believe in
their projects, to connect with like-
enough to embrace diversity, to ourselves in a non-selfish way about
minded people, to study and to
put ourselves in the shoes of those change and development. We do
build up a new form of organization
oppressed and abused, and work not need outer powers or entities
between people. This is, in my
hard to help them overcome their to come and save us. He encouraged
opinion, a good way to go. We can
tough realities? Are we lending a us to work diligently towards the
find in the early Buddhist texts
hand when possible? Silence will freedom of our hearts, to develop
that the Buddha also addressed
not help in this case. It is time when loving kindness, compassion,
topics concerning society. They
we need engaged practices the sympathetic joy, and equanimity.
range from advice to kings on how
most.
to distribute wealth to practical He taught us to train ourselves so as
advice to householders on how to It is recorded that the Buddha to be able to sustain the right effort
manage their work power, family, taught a way to the divine. Indeed to discriminate the wholesome from
and resources. if we want to follow the Teacher´s the unwholesome.
advice, we need to look at his own
Are we as lay practitioners trying to Let us find the light of the Dharma
life, and emulate his attributes to
contribute to society that lays out a in the heart of every one of us and
the best of our abilities. Was the
firm ground for the practice of the make it shine unto our loved ones,
Buddha teaching a Dharma path
Dharma within our daily lives? Are our nearby community, the world,
that encouraged us to hate, fear,
we looking at building and adapting and ourselves too.
and discriminate against others?
our reach as Dharma practitioners
Was it a path that was intolerant,
in community centers, common I believe the Buddha gave us the
oppressive, and discriminatory, or
gardens, and accessible education? tools for this. We must be willing to
a selfish path that only cares about
Are we actively putting the advice listen and deeply see that we share
one´s well-being? Of course not!
of the Buddha into practice, not the same core under the beauty
of diversity and multiplicity. More
preaching or proselytizing but How do we adapt as humans in the
things unite us than separate us;
st
being a living embodiment of the 21 century, walking the path for
thus, we can walk the path of the
Buddha´s teachings? I know many of freedom of the heart and mind to a
Dharma together. We can also learn
you out there are working hard at it world that seems to be promoting
from our mistakes.
and we are indeed grateful for your selfishness and a “run for your life”
compassionate work. You should attitude?
It is with a bittersweet taste of
inspire many more, dear sisters and optimism and doubt that I recall
Let us use the amazing and diverse
brothers!