How much is enough?
Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do.
There's always more to do.
Even Mother Theresa could have done more.
It's in the nature of incarnate existence that conditions of struggle and conflict and waste and misallocation of resources and habitat destruction persist despite many heroic efforts to ameliorate them.
Without getting into questions over whether any or all of those are ultimately resolvable, I do argue that we aren't meant to spend our entire time toiling against the ceaseless tide of suffering and neediness that has defined the human condition on Planet Earth since time immemorial and remains so right now.
Devoting all our energy to localized patches, or even apparent "systemic fixes" (with often appalling unintended consequences); or railing against the unfairness of it all and beating our breasts at our limitations and inabilities to address them; often means we miss all the glory and wonder that has been laid out before us.
This is not to let us off the hook for basic humanity. This does not constitute a free pass to mistreat our fellow beings (human or otherwise). It's not license to indiscriminately soil our environment and ignore the messes we make.
But I do think it gives us some breathing space, a bit of "slack".
We are meant to stop and smell the roses, gaze at a rainbow, wonder about the stars, love one another fiercely, and be gentle with ourselves and kind to everyone we meet.
I think that's a very good place to start.
--Voltaire, philosopher (21 Nov 1694-1778)
There's always more to do.
Even Mother Theresa could have done more.
It's in the nature of incarnate existence that conditions of struggle and conflict and waste and misallocation of resources and habitat destruction persist despite many heroic efforts to ameliorate them.
Without getting into questions over whether any or all of those are ultimately resolvable, I do argue that we aren't meant to spend our entire time toiling against the ceaseless tide of suffering and neediness that has defined the human condition on Planet Earth since time immemorial and remains so right now.
Devoting all our energy to localized patches, or even apparent "systemic fixes" (with often appalling unintended consequences); or railing against the unfairness of it all and beating our breasts at our limitations and inabilities to address them; often means we miss all the glory and wonder that has been laid out before us.
This is not to let us off the hook for basic humanity. This does not constitute a free pass to mistreat our fellow beings (human or otherwise). It's not license to indiscriminately soil our environment and ignore the messes we make.
But I do think it gives us some breathing space, a bit of "slack".
We are meant to stop and smell the roses, gaze at a rainbow, wonder about the stars, love one another fiercely, and be gentle with ourselves and kind to everyone we meet.
I think that's a very good place to start.
A-f**king-MEN!!! Preach it!
ReplyDeleteMaxine:
DeleteThanks Hon, We're delighted that resonated with you. It seemed like something important to say.
Stef & Penelope...
Carie Lynn Salutes You From The Gutter !!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe fight on .. thank you for reminding us fighting we are on the same list we need to care for ourselves.
Sweet Carie: Self care is SO very important, you cannot pour from an empty vessel. And there's no shame in recognizing that some Souls are not prepared to take full advantage of what you have to offer and it's only sensible to conserve your resources for those most likely to benefit.
DeleteIn matters of spirit (as in many other areas) "first come, first served" can leave nothing for those in need when the first to arrive happens to be someone coming from a place of unconscious scarcity and avarice, consuming (and often then squandering) whatever resources they manage to acquire.
As an aware practitioner, it's truly incumbent upon YOU to be more self aware, discerning, and prepared to take the larger/longer view of the work you're doing.