Thursday, January 22, 2009

Enlightenment 105

If everybody is in love with love, it is easy to understand.
There is no other feeling more exhilarating and fulfilling as feeling in love.
On the other hand hate never feels good – even when it feels good – Hence everybody hates hate and nobody seem to notice the good things about hate.

When everybody is feeling OK, nobody seems too prone to act, change and improve.
We don’t even act when things start to get worse, but when we really start hating our condition – like a bad job situation or a bad relationship – then we start acting.
Hate is a good catalyst. If it wasn’t for hate I wouldn’t have become a Buddhist.
See: Happy birthday baby Jesus

When we say we love peace don’t we also mean we hate war?
When we say we love the truth don’t we also mean we hate the lies?
When we say we love God don’t we also mean we hate Satan?
When ever we say we love something don’t we also hate the opposite?

Actually hate is neither good nor bad.
What we have to understand is that hate, as well as love and all the other human emotions, feelings, ideas and thoughts have no moral value, no quality good or bad, but they become good or bad as the result of our action.
If our actions are enlightened, they are good. If our actions are ignorant, they are bad.

There is nothing more despicable, more dreadful as the ignorant hate.
Racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, bigotry and homophobia, just to name a few of the forms that ignorant hate takes.

All human prejudice is based on the same principle of ignorant generalization and more recent on the pseudo scientific fallacy we call statistics.
How many times have you heard the “data” on the percentage of black man in our jails, or the percentage of black men unemployed, or the percentage of black men this and black men that. It reminds me of a joke I heard.

A scientist takes a cricket and rings a bell. The cricket jumps.
The scientist breaks one of the cricket legs then rings the bell. The cricket jumps.
The scientist breaks another of the cricket legs then rings the bell. The cricket jumps.
He continues his experiment until the last leg is broken. He rings the bell and the cricket doesn’t move.
The scientist concludes: Crickets without legs can’t hear.

Why are we doing these statistics? Is there a connection between a person’s skin color, gender, race, sexual or religion preference and his capacity as a human being?
Well, these so called statistics and scientific measurements seem to point to that conclusion, don’t they?
Of course by making a test of climbing trees I can prove scientifically that 90% of the monkeys are superior to humans as well.

Why does the government keep asking on their paper work about your race?
Why not ask if you are left handed, right handed or ambidextrous?
Why not ask if you are tall or short, fat or thin.
Does race makes any difference?
And why in the name of God black people keep on calling themselves “African Americans”?
That is one of the most ignorant thing I ever heard. Africans are not all black and African culture is not all black either.
What is a born Egyptian living in US is supposed to be called?
Why gay people call themselves gay?
Why would anybody call themselves anything else than a human being?

It is ignorance.
It is the believe in I vs. you, in us vs. they.
There is no they.
And until every person on this Earth understands that, prejudice and intolerance will continue to exist and flourish.
There is no they.
And until every person on this Earth calls himself, no more, no less than a human being, ignorant hatred will persist.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's a good perspective on 'hate'. I think that is why being aware of the contrast in life is so important. When we find out what we don't want, then we get closer to realizing what we really do want which motivates to take action. .. Although, it's difficult sometimes to remain in a state of peace when our external circumstances are undesirable or what we hate.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with your post. There comes a point where humans can/do choose "wilful" ignorance over good choices. Then the innocent suffer, though they made not the bad choice. There are consequences to actions of hate and humankind will pay the ultimate price for it if they do not learn to live in peace together.

Uku said...

Well, you said it and you said it skillfully, I agree totally. I just put my hands together and bow, no words from me. :)

Thank you.

TALON said...

Very well said.

Unknown said...

@ Mathew – The only thing that we can control and change is ourselves.
Outside circumstances will always be random.

@ Aggie – There is a consensus that things are getting worse and we have to act to change before it is too late.

@ Uku – You are too good to me. I thank you for your kind comment.

@ - Talon – Just trying to do my best.

This Brazen Teacher said...

This is my new favorite post of yours. Thank you Buddha :-)

Ted Bagley said...

Yes, yes!! The other side of an utterence!

Anonymous said...

If I say I love something I do not imply I hate its opposite.

Love, hate, merely two sides of the same coin. One coin.

All of it impermanent anyway, so don't be attached to either, right? Observe love, observe hate.

Fabulous post. Peace to you.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with. If not for hate and greed then everything would have bee perfect.

Psiplex said...

Buddha of Hollywood

Nice post! Reminded me that all we are searching for is to know our true self, to be in harmony with the Source of this play of consciousness. We are chunks of each others consciousness, connected, ultimately, one. All just looking at the mystery and wonderment of each other in this beingness.

Big Respect

One Love

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the wisdom :-) You help people be aware and see things in a different light.

Thank you,
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than NO Action

Unknown said...

@ Brazen Teacher – And you are my favorite teacher!

@ Ted Bagley – Absolutely!

@ Molly – I got attachments only on my emails : )
Thank you for the sage advice!

@ Josh – Well said Josh!

@ Psiplex – The moment we stop searching , we start dying.
Wonderful comment!

@ Giovanna – And thank you for being here with us!

Anonymous said...

Hello, Buddah. :) I read the comment you left on my site and I just wanted to stop in and say hello while I had a chance. I like what I've seen of your blog so far, a lot of what you write reminds me of my own reading and occasionally my own writing just before meditation. It's very interesting. Unfortunatly I'm about to head out and I don't have a chance to comment more or really get into reading but I will deffinetly be stopping by here from time to time. :) I replied to your comment on my site as well.

Peace, love, and tofu grease, may all your dreams come true!

Anonymous said...

Dear buddha,

I like this post, because it is written in an individual manner. Not the usual phrases, no here is some who searches his way...Happy Blogging

Anonymous said...

dear buddha, i have come so far to say: hate is of the same energy as love is...just on the other side of the scale. anger and hate are in between and yes, every emotion has its (r)season just in time - sokratina :-)

Anonymous said...

Clever insights. Glad to discover your blog. Buddha's views are timeless, imperceptible and useful!

Anonymous said...

Why on earth do we keep trying to find the differences rather than the similarities? While we differentiate ourselves from others and from 'god' or 'life force' whatever, the differences will always get in the way. You are very right we really do need to stop the 'us and they'.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you stopped my blog, so that I could find yours. Your enlightenment series is very interesting. I will keep my eye out for updates.
Thanks...

Anonymous said...

I was under the impression that African-Americans are called that because the first part denotes the descendence and origin from Africa, and the second part denotes their status as an American (according to the paperwork of the government). But I'm not sure what this has to do with all Africans not being black.

Anonymous said...

yeah, hate can be used as a catalyst, but one need not always be pushed away from what they don't want. moving towards what you do want works as well. though sometimes the former is more of a motivation and it can be helpful.

i really like your writing style and the examples and points you bring up. the cricket joke and the thing about race, yeah, awesome.