Buddhism Continued.

Whilst on this Buddhist streak perhaps you’re aware that there have been over thirty Buddhist monks and perhaps nuns self immolating recently. In reaction to the brutalising Chinese occupation of their country they have poured petrol over themselves and lit it. They have wound barbed wire round themselves to stop their Chinese guards from putting it out. Sitting there reading this I imagine you have feelings similar to my writing of it. That transmission seems to me as concrete as the unseen VHF waves that bring me my evenings TV viewing. Those feelings, though dimmed a little by distance, are still virulent, visceral. The currency of my receiver is I think the domain of karma. The Dalai Lama is sadly accepting that these actions of supreme self sacrifice are failing. When I tumble my feelings of all this through my fingers I’m hurt by the Chinese treatment but also by this sacrifice, there’s no difference in the colour of it; it’s just the same hurt. My friend wrote me to say Buddhist teaching says, “the ability to perceive mind of other directly and know what is essentially needed...... humility as a big as an ocean.....I love you Stiffmouse :))” I know ;) but that’s not the point. There’s something about the monks sacrifice that is somehow similar to their Chinese guards sacrifice. Wow, I didn’t see that coming. The Chinese guards are also sacrificing themselves? ‘Yep,’ I’m hearing, ‘now do you get it?’ This is followed by the usual inner conversation, Yes but they’re wilfully brutalising these poor people, they’re causing it, it’s their fault, they’re hateful. I sigh. ‘And what then is essentially needed?’ Oh so I must love them, the bastards. ‘No!’ Oh come on, give me a break, it must be one or the other, what do you want me to do? ‘See their sacrifice.’ What bloody sacrifice? They’re in charge, they’re wilfully doing it! ‘So now do you see their sacrifice?’ Wilfulness? ‘Yes, just as the monks are being wilful. I mean granted they have been goaded into being wilful when they’re trying so hard not to be.’ So you’re saying wilfulness is sacrifice? ‘Often.’ Oh bloody hell stop it! ‘OK you have energy, you are an energetic being right. That energy has direction and in a sense that’s good wilfulness, but you begin to believe you’re separate, that your mind is separate from the mind of all things. That is bad wilfulness.’ Well fine but I’m going to make a cup of tea if that’s OK. ‘That’s fine.’ ‘So?’ Oh sorry you’re still there. ‘Yes. So how are you going to know the difference between good and bad wilfulness?’ Oh so it’s an exam now is it. ‘There, that’s a wonderful example of how you flick your mind to deflect it from the mind of all things. It has a million tricks like that.’ But I don’t understand this mind of all things stuff, explain. ‘Good, that’s good wilfulness. If you can turn to all things and say I don’t understand, explain, that’s good. If for example someone is making you feel bad that’s working on the assumption you’re separate, one thing is ‘making’ the other thing feel bad, but if you say I don’t understand why I’m feeling bad, explain, that’s the mind of all things talking to itself.’ And the Buddhist monks? ‘They have forgotten that in setting fire to themselves they are also setting fire to their Chinese guards.’ But who’s to say you’re not just some smug bastard? ‘Good point.’