REFLECTIONS: On Avoiding Greed and Gaming
With elections in full swing on both sides of our border, its not too difficult to reflect on greed and gaming. There is enormous wealth and power at stake in both situations. There is a huge opportunity and responsibility to let go of narrow self or party interests and be of service to the needs of the many. Regrettably, there are few examples of many public figures setting an example with greed.
Is it even possible for a politician to act without greed? Perhaps its part of how are political environment has developed that we see it and use it and expect it to be about "them" giving something to "us".
How could we interact with the political system to express this concern? What would we have to address in our own lives to do so?
from Akashaloka,
Ray Innen Parchelo
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
REFLECTIONS SEPTEMBER 10
REFLECTIONS : On Avoiding Greed and Gaming
We resume our Reflections Series by exploring the precept which encourages us to ‘avoid greed and gaming".
Greed at its broadest is the second Noble Truth - that all of our sorrow and dissatisfaction is the result of the greed of clinging, especially our attachment to the mistaken notion of a permanent self. However, here we can also consider it in its many other forms.
In material terms, it is greed for money, property and even the obsession with personal physical status - youth, muscularity, sexiness, - the "perfect body".
In mental terms it is that futile attempt to hold onto some pleasant thought or some state like calmness. In our practices we soon learn that the quest for such states of calm and relaxation are really nothing more than greed in another disguise.
In emotional terms, it is similarly the mistaken belief that we can hold onto some comforting emotional state, like love or joy. This reflection considers all of those.
Gaming refers to all manner of luck and fate-oriented activities. At its most blatant it can mean that weekly purchase of a lottery ticket or an evening of poker, the hugely unlikely chance that we will "hit it big" and be "rolling in luxury" for the rest of our lives. There are all kinds of more subtle ways too. Turning away from purposeful and intentional activity because we’re waiting for our "luck to change", we want to check our horoscope or consult a psychic. It can mean turning one’s back on reason and advice to "risk it all". In these brief reflections we will explore these.
And if you’re lucky, you might win this month’s jackpot!
from Akashaloka,
Ray Innen Parchelo
We resume our Reflections Series by exploring the precept which encourages us to ‘avoid greed and gaming".
Greed at its broadest is the second Noble Truth - that all of our sorrow and dissatisfaction is the result of the greed of clinging, especially our attachment to the mistaken notion of a permanent self. However, here we can also consider it in its many other forms.
In material terms, it is greed for money, property and even the obsession with personal physical status - youth, muscularity, sexiness, - the "perfect body".
In mental terms it is that futile attempt to hold onto some pleasant thought or some state like calmness. In our practices we soon learn that the quest for such states of calm and relaxation are really nothing more than greed in another disguise.
In emotional terms, it is similarly the mistaken belief that we can hold onto some comforting emotional state, like love or joy. This reflection considers all of those.
Gaming refers to all manner of luck and fate-oriented activities. At its most blatant it can mean that weekly purchase of a lottery ticket or an evening of poker, the hugely unlikely chance that we will "hit it big" and be "rolling in luxury" for the rest of our lives. There are all kinds of more subtle ways too. Turning away from purposeful and intentional activity because we’re waiting for our "luck to change", we want to check our horoscope or consult a psychic. It can mean turning one’s back on reason and advice to "risk it all". In these brief reflections we will explore these.
And if you’re lucky, you might win this month’s jackpot!
from Akashaloka,
Ray Innen Parchelo
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