SuperSatellite ||

Yay for me! I made my first Facebook group. It’s nice and Buddhist themed for all the Pitt people who would like to link with the rest of us in the area.  I don’t know about you, but I’m getting really tired of standing on street corners yelling to ask if anyone knows any other Buddhists around here.  I invite anyone interested to come join in (even if you’re not Buddhist). And if you’re not interested, pass word on to any friends that you think might be interested.  Just click your mousey doodad here.

Why do you do what you dowhen you do those things you do?  I’ve had a couple conversations with people regarding my use of things like the word "morals" in my past couple blogs.  That what I call Truth and they call morality are intrinsically the same thing.  I explain that morals are a reflection of the society in which they are created.  Truth is different than that.  However morality may contain some truth nonetheless, but Truth is not morality.  This [morality] is just one aspect of a mechanical behavior.

Why do we do what we do?  Why make the choices that we do?  Most people do it simply because it is what they are taught.  Human nature is to accept things without question in a lot of instances.  Once we do that, once we accept a rule as imperative, we react to situations where it is involved like a knee-jerk reaction.

Imagine for a moment children being indoctrinated into Mujahideen.  News agencies have shown film of little children, 5, 6, and 7 years old who will proudly proclaim that they want to be Mujahideen.  They want to kill people so they can go to heaven.  The search for Truth forces us to question this philosophy, as it’s patterns are a source of dhukha.  But these children are conditioned to not question.  They are programmed to provide a mechanical response and serve a purpose.  Many are eventually raised into being suicide bombers, because they are so brainwashed, they will do whatever they are told, and they are of much use beyond that.  It is an awful process, but one supported, encouraged, and built by the society and it’s religious, political, and military leaders.  To them, that is moral.  That is their code, their pattern, and their norm of behavior.

One important aspect we must maintain on the path to enlightenment is that we have to maintain clear vision and never respond to something out of impulse or reflex.  Time can wait for us.  Be conscious of your surroundings and what is happening.  Evaluate and make a decision that is educated based on what Truth tells you.  If an intruder breaks into your home, one social reflex would be to capture and punish that person (how many people do you know keep guns for home protection and would use them?  Probably more than you think).  You might shoot him, or beat him.  You do this out of fear and because society tells you that it is okay to severely hurt a person who invades your home.  Instead, call the police, try to trap the person, or capture them in a way that forces submission, but minimal harm.  Remember, they have as much right to be given the chance to learn and grow from experiences as you do.  This is why it is important to forego impulse and conditioned responses.

Sometimes society is wrong.  Tommy Lee Jones has a few lines in Men in Black (bear with me) where he say: "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."  Don’t trust society and tradition to tell you how to live and make choices.  You have the power to do that yourself, and often times in a manner better than you could have in the first place.