Action and Conduct

Right action and right conduct consist of being kind to other people, not harming anyone without a very good reason, and to never use more force to protect the self or others than is necessary. For something so very simple, there are a lot of people who can’t seem to follow what is right. What are we to do? If we try to force others to do what is right, we end up doing wrong. It seems to me that the best policy is to set the best possible example.
If people take responsibility they create meaning and purpose in their lives and the lives of others. There are hungry people to be fed, ignorant people to be taught, homeless people to be housed, and so on and so forth. This begs some questions. We cannot do much for others unless we have resources. No one helps people more than Bill Gates, but he draws his resources from other people. When someone buys a Microsoft software package, one is helping Bill Gates help other people. No one is going to buy Gate’s products unless it serves them well. We can’t really fault Gates for becoming wealthy. His products serve us well, and a big part of his profits go to help other people. We tend to look down on wealthy people as having more than their share of the available resources, but isn’t it more a matter of how they use those resources? Isn’t the way in which one acquires said resources also important? I suppose that these two questions are part of the begged questions I was writing about a little further up.
I am taking up space and using the resources of the universe; so, should I be doing something to repay the universe? Is it enough that people love me and want to see me alive and well? “Repay” could come under several heading which make a lot of sense. It is important that I take responsibility for my part of this vast system.
Is sitting around praying for good things to take place in our universe a way to be responsible? I don’t think so. So does that mean that preachers are parasites in our society? They could be, but I’d say that depends on the preacher. If the preacher takes responsibility and takes right action, then he or she can be of great service to the society. We might use the Christian metaphor and call preachers “pastors,” or tenders of the flock. The pastor has the ability to lead his or her flock in many directions. The pastor can lead the flock to the poisoned water that is ignorance, or the pastor can lead the flock to the sweet water flowing out of the mountain, which is where they can find truth and knowledge.

Acts of Ignorance

I have decided that what George W Bush should have called the Attacks of 9-11-01. He should have said “acts of ignorance” rather than “cowardly acts.” That would be more accurate. Our problem does not lie in whether somebody is brave or not; but rather in whether they are enlightened or ignorant. Enlightened beings do not start wars, harm others, or commit crimes. Assuming this is true, and I believe very much that it is, we have to ask, What is enlightenment and how do we spread it around? I think that the study of philosophy would go a long way. Perhaps kids should start learning philosophy in high school, and it should be required in college as well. Ignorance is easy to learn; all one has to do is memorize a bunch of stuff, but enlightenment is realized, not taught. Philosophy offers a range of options that a person can choose from, and it stimulates thinking. Thinking leads to enlightenment.

Message Received

One morning when I was out for a walk, I got a message from a passing angel. The angel said, “Always have something to look forward to.” Of course lots of people give me advice, and I ignore most of it. I am rather independent; however, when an angel says something, I listen. I don’t actually see angels, but I sometimes hear them. I don’t actually know that they are angels, but when I am all alone and there are no people around and I hear a voice, I take it seriously.
Sometimes messages just pop into my head; I don’t hear anything. That is the way it was with this message, “Always have something to look forward to.” I was walking down a country road about a mile outside a small town. I was all alone. I was just walking along, daydreaming and enjoying the fresh air and sunshine when the message came to me.
I am not a religious man, and I don’t know if I believe in angels or not. I am just telling you about an experience that I had. This is what you would call a subjective experience. A subjective experience is something that you experience, but other people do not see or hear. No one knows for sure where it actually comes from.
Think about this message, “Always have something to look forward to.” for a minute. It makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it? I have my own message about this: The way to have something to look forward to is to set a goal and work toward it. This is a true story. I wrote it up for some young Hispanic friends that I am mentoring.