An Eye for an Eye

 

Instead of wandering heedlessly through our lives, we need to focus on what we are doing right now. If we are mindful and focus on what we are doing, we will not carelessly say something that will hurt another, because in our speaking with that person we will not be looking around the room or be wondering what we are going to say as soon as they stop talking.

We will be listening and observing. If we say something upsetting, we will notice their reaction. We will be able to go back and find out what we said that was upsetting and correct it. If we just carefully listen to other people, we can alleviate so much pain. Most of the time when people have a problem, all they want is someone to listen to them, somebody who will not judge them, somebody they can feel safe with. We can become that somebody for others. We can be the caring person that they are looking for and that we wish to be.

Everything arises from the mind: anger, hatred, and vengeance. We can also give rise to loving-kindness, gentleness, and caring for others. We have free will. We can decide what we will do, who we wish to be. We created who we are today. We can recreate who we will be tomorrow. Our world is a reflection of all of our thoughts, the thoughts of a collective consciousness. We can influence others for the good by what we are thinking.

We may not stop the bombs that will be ignited tomorrow, but if we are sincerely thinking of helping others, of peace, of acceptance, then as our thoughts are perceived throughout the universe we may be able to stop those bombs from being dropped ten years from now. All we need to do is to resolve to stop that bitterness and hatred, that seeking of revenge, that believing that an eye for an eye is correct. It must all end now. If we fail to do this, then the world will become blind to reality, to reason, and to what is right. And we will be lost.

Excerpt from Let Us Not be Blinded by ‘An Eye for an Eye’