People from all walks approach me regularly. They ask many questions. The majority of people that I know are not in line with the Lord Buddha’s Teaching. They are in line with the Abrahamic teachings which are rooted in the Torah. Like it or not western society is shaped by Judeo beliefs that have crossed over into Christianity and society as a whole.
Buddha’s Teaching in the west is not mainstream. It is on the fringe. Let’s make that clear.
Nibbana – Unbinding is not understood. Dukkha is not understood. Cessation of Dukkha is also not understood.
Australian society is based on a document called the Australian Constitution. I doubt that many even know one sentence of this document. Australian society has laws. What happens when the supposed upholders of this law are unchecked, not held accountable? Whose responsibility is it to keep corruption and evil forces checked? If it is not the responsibility of every individual then whose responsibility is it?
Lions are constantly vigilant of hyenas.
The animal kingdom is about dominance and the survival of the fittest. What is the Human realm about then? Is it the same as the animal kingdom?
How do we live as humans as opposed to mimmicking the animal kingdom? Well that is easy. We create civil societies.
How does a civil society work? Have you ever thought about it? What destroys a civil society if not corruption and evil?
Corruption is a constant menace. If not regularly checked and pushed to the fringe it will inevitably take control. This is normal.
It is not enough to work. Have a house. Put the feet up and forget the rest if one would like to live in a civil society. If good moral people are not present in all areas of our nations then logically the control and power will fall into the hands of the corrupt.
Don’t ask me how we got to where we are today. Ask yourself why you haven’t done anything about it.
Having a family and a normal life is a good moral thing to do. Ignoring the rest of the duties one has to upkeep morality and standards in the community is not a good moral thing to do. Exactly why the hyenas are in control. The Lion has mated, eaten and fallen asleep ignoring its duty to protect the pride
Wonderful analogy for our situation. I saw a video of two female lions killing a wildebeest and before they could settle for a bite they were swarmed by hyenas. They were driven away from the kill and surrounded by snapping teeth. Then the male lion came out of the bushes, roared in anger and charged into the fray, biting and swatting hyenas, killing two. The rest ran for their lives as the male settled down for diner with the females cuddling up beside him. We are biological animals and we are subject to the same predicament these lions face. We are being called upon to assert our rightful hierarchy of courage and determination to reestablish a stable society that works and adequately protects the weak from predators and malignant actors. We are fortunate to have the wisdom of Buddha to allow us to rise to a higher standard. It is incumbent on all to participate in our culture to create what peace is possible and enable the practice of dhamma.