We Are All the Same Human-Being

Many times, I've heard The Dalai Lama say, "We are all the same Human-being." The first time I heard him say this I simply thought, "What a wonderful sentiment. I wish all people could understand that." but then he said it again and it hit my ear differently. Instead of staying in my head, it landed in my chest. For about two minutes, I breathed, "We are all the same human-being." And then His Holiness said it again... "We are all the same Human-being." And then I realized he meant it as a living meditation practice. Live each moment as if we are all the same Human-being, because we are. The corners of my eyes began to tear up. Distance... Space... and Time dissolved. In that moment it was Being as is, without having to do anything else, be someone else, go somewhere else... Just this same human-being.

After that I began to consciously and intentionally being empathetic with others. Eventually I realized it wasn't enough. Sociopaths can be empathetic, taking people apart for their own advantage. To come to a deeper understanding of the reality that we’re all the same human-being, it was going to have to take something more that empathy alone. Empathy + Care which results in Sympathy. This is similar to a teaching Genjo Roshi once gave me... "Leap into the position of so-called other." And something clicked.

Progressively I began taking 3-10-30-50 minutes vacations from being entangled in what I thought of as "My thoughts;" diligently unfolding and harmonizing with, "We are all the same Human-being meditation", placing myself in the position of family members… my sponsor... people in the rooms of recovery... people I meditated with… friends… co-workers... and anyone I encounter... breathing... listening... noticing. Spontaneously, my body loosened up. Fear, anxiety, worry, restless, irritability, discontent, and confusion within began to subside. Instead of being in my skin, in what felt like a shirt that was three sizes too small, it was like finally wearing what were truly my clothes. It was a new kind of feeling and moving with comfort. What a wonderful way to cultivate compassion!

Please practice. Gyo! We could do some discovery of transformational relatedness instead of transactional, in any moment, any place, and any where. We could See and Be what happens as the same human-being. In This Way, we could verify to our own satisfaction, the words and practice of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's words, manifesting them in Reality.... that We are all the same Human-being... that "The other is Oneself."

一We Are the Practice Itself.