Tue 7th Mar 06
Dear friends and
family,
It's good to
know that sometimes someone likes something I've said. I think, however, that
things which I think are right, must be said even if
no one likes them.
In fact I think we
must not only accept those who tell us they don't like the things we say we
must love them.
The reason why I
say this is, while those who like what we say encourage us those who don't like
what we say help us get enlightenment. .
I confess that
since I was a young child I thirsted for encouragement. It made me feel good
and loved and especially it made me feel that I was like everybody else.
Unfortunately I hardly ever felt this way. Mostly, people didn't like what I
said and this made me sad. I didn't feel part of the crowd.
I was so badly
disappointed that I stopped saying things even though I thought they were
right.
Only very
recently, in the last 4 years, have I realized that people who criticized me
were actually helping me to get enlightenment.
Now I realize
that in all those years of suffering I was in fact very fortunate to be at the
receiving end of criticism.
My battles
against criticism and my disappointments were the rocks and potholes of the
hard but the good and right road, because it leads to enlightenment.
All my life I've
been angry at having to walk this tough path. I'm not angry anymore because I
realize that it's leading me towards enlightenment. Now I walk it in happiness
because each criticism brings me closer to enlightenment.
The Dalai Lama
and other Buddhists speak a lot about the importance of enlightenment.
Enlightenment lies at the base of his philosophy of peace. This is the idea
that the whole universe is one organism ("The Wisdom of Forgiveness"
by the Dalai Lama in conjunction with Victor Chann.)
Divisions
between nations, such as walls and borders seem to contradict this philosophy
because, instead of making the parts one whole, they break up the whole into
distinct parts.
This is not the
case. Through separating the parts divisions play an important role in preventing
conflict and creating a temporary situation of harmony.
Separated from
each other by walls, borders, customs etc each part can work on achieving
enlightenment without interference and conflict from other parts. Ultimately
the parts will come together, when each has achieved enlightenment.
The parts of an organism, living together as one organism, is a
primordial situation. The Bible calls this situation
The Dalai Lama,
Judaism, Christianity and Islam teach that peace can only be achieved by a
return to this idealistic situation.
Each religion
suggests different methods for achieving this. A basic requirement, however,
agreed upon by all religions is that the part needs enlightenment. This is what
makes it aware that it belongs to one unified whole.
Simple
organisms, like plants or parts of the human body don't need awareness. They
automatically strive for wholeness. A complicated organism like the human being
needs awareness to consciously strive towards unity.
Harmony and
enlightenment can't be forced. It's a situation which must be achieved
willingly by enlightened parts that are aware that being unified as one
organism is the true natural state of man.
Throughout
history religious leaders have been trying to force unity. The result has been
disastrous.
Only individuals
and nations who have enlightenment, like His Holiness The
Dalai Lama, feel part of a greater whole and join together willingly.
Unfortunately such individuals are almost non existent in the world of today.
Until people
start seeking enlightened we must have divisions separating nations. Some of
these divisions are physical things like walls most of them are in the form of
different languages, customs and religions.
Remember the
God prevented
man from being one because in their unenlightened state they would have ended
up killing each other and destroying the world that He had created.
Have a great no
news day.
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