Sunday, February 6, 2011

BIG LETTERS/small letters

               In a group I attend on Sunday evening, “A Course In Miracles” we often discuss spirituality, love, compassion and things of the such in two different ways. To use the term compassion as an example, there is the small “c” compassion in which we feel empathy for others and the big “C” Compassion in which we feel Compassion for the race/planet/society/plane of existence as a whole.
            I was listening to Krishna Das, a musician and devotee of Neem Karoli Baba, talk about a teaching Baba gave. When he had asked Baba what he was to do the instruction was give “love people, feed people”. K.D. said, I wish he had given me a million syllable mantra to chant while standing on one leg in the ice, something easy. Love people, feed people. How am I to do that? I don’t even like people.
            Jesus said “Love your neighbor as yourself”. The first vow of the bodhisattva says “Sentient beings are numberless, I vow to save them”. Both of these are the BIG letter ideas. What I am thinking is that we need to start with small letter ideas. If we practice love and compassion on the small scale it will naturally evolve into the BIG letter concepts. If we do simple things such as, while driving let someone out in line. Smile when you are in the grocery store, park you vehicle properly in parking lots. These acts of kindness will spread to those around us.
            Small actions and signs of caring for people mean so much. Call an older relative and talk with them about their life. Be truly interested in someone when they tell you about their troubles. Some people are harder to love than others; this is because they need the love so badly. This is like a person starving to death, you need to be mindful of how much food you give them or you can cause them hard.
            Don’t forget to include yourself on this list of people to love. Take care of yourself properly. Love yourself properly. Remember the Buddha way is the middle path. Extremes in either direction are not conducive to our journey.

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