Dhammapada Twin Verses - The Affirmation Spot for Friday July 11, 2008

The world we live in is full of promise, threat, and opportunity. As you look beneath the surface, you begin to understand that none of us is safe unless all of us are safe. None of us is free until each of us is free.The challenges we face are of our own making and the solutions are within us. As Albert Einstein once said, "The world's problems will not be solved by the level of thinking that created them."This is true on both the micro and macro levels. We need new thinking, better thinking. We need to empower ourselves and move in the direction of a bottom up world promoting individuality and decentralization. Top down and centralization approaches are not working. Violence is not working. Hatred is not working. Division is not working.Interestingly, one of the most masterful expressions of this point of view is over 2500 years old.The Buddhist Dhammapada is a book of collected sayings attributed to Buddha. The first chapter usually called Twin Verses says, in part, the following.

1. We are the result of our thoughts. Our present thoughts create our future life. Our life is created by our mind. If a person speaks or acts with a mind grounded in fear suffering will follow him as surely as summer follows spring.
2. We are the result of our thoughts. Our present thoughts create our future life. Our life is created by our mind. If a person speaks or acts with a mind grounded in love happiness will follow him as surely as his shadow never leaves him.
3. 'He offended me, he hurt me, he owes me, he took what was mine.' Those who dwell on such thoughts will never be free from hate or find peace within.
4. 'He offended me, he hurt me, he owes me, he took what was mine.' Those who dwell not on such thoughts shall be free from hate and find peace within.
5. For hate only feeds on itself; but love overcomes hate. This is an Eternal Law.
6. Few know that our purpose in this world is to live in harmony. Those who become aware of this cease their quarrels immediately.

We need a fresh reality. It begins with our thoughts. We need to think about what our thoughts create when they ripple out into the larger pond that is our world. To do otherwise, leaves us more susceptible to the threatening aspects of our world and less able to access the promise and the opportunity.The good news is we get to choose.Stay inspired!Ray