無悍 | Mukan | Being without violence
Of the Ten Precepts of Buddhism, the first for me has always been the most essential... "I will be reverential and mindful with all life, I will not kill or be ruled by violence."
To be a species that commits violence of all kinds so readily and easily when one's ego does not get what it believes it's due... that murders its own with reckless disregard and impunity... having a perverse love of weapons... because it is the ultimate expression of dominance over another... is a deep deep tragedy.
How much ammo... how many guns, and rifles does a household really really really need to defend itself? Personally, for my entire life it's been zero. We spend a lot of time and energy, as a society, trying and working so hard to accrue money, power, property, advantage, status, and prestige... that diverts us from our primary and ultimate purpose... to Love. To what end?
Violence... and at its extreme killing, terminate Love. And so as a species each death... each moment of violence... punctuates our lack of deep determination and effort to be mindful and reverential with all life, as individuals and society.
We're choosing to be passively and actively ruled by mindless, craving thoughts... whipsawed by ego like a dog chasing every stick thrown by minds fear and insecurity. We could stop crawling and wallowing in our self-created shit anytime we decide. We are not helpless. We are intentionally rejecting our responsibility. Wake up! Be without violence! You are Buddha... Universal Identity of Loving Presence, not bumpkins!
一Dignity and Grace
Rev. Mudo Seiho Morris | 無道清峰
Calligraphy Note:
無悍 | Mukan | Being without violence towards oneself or others.
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