Buddha say ... 8

It is better to travel well

than to arrive.

--Buddha

:)

How you look at it

Sometimes we think thoughts that are ”bad“ but are they really bad? Is it not human society that pre determines the “bad” thoughts? That is, are the thoughts really “bad” or is it based on society, according to where you live, that decides if the thoughts are bad or not. Society, on a whole, is human based. So, these “bad thoughts” are determined through the human kaleidoscope which leaves them open to interpretation, according to where you live and the preconditioned human aspect.

Are thoughts deemed “bad” by society really bad? I believe it depends on the perspective. I prefer to use the “big picture” view, myself, which is a bit different from societies “moralistic” view. In the big picture view, the little things anointed wrong by society do not apply. In the big pic of our spiritual life, all thoughts are considered learning experiences, which, the last time I checked, is a good thing. We all learn from our choices and “mistakes” but what are mistakes? Mistakes are but the best choices made at a certain time based on the inherent learning experiences that are within us. Sure, looking back, some choices we made were better than others, but they are all, if made with a pure, honest heart, just learning experiences that help us grow.

As humans, we are not perfect. Don’t expect to be and don’t expect others to be, either. Nobody is perfect and we all make “bad” decisions although, again, I don’t consider them to be “bad” decisions. Choices made, based on where we are at, growth wise, are not necessarily bad choices. They are decisions made, based on our knowledge, intent and spiritual standing at the time.

If we look at life based on the human aspect, we will see and feel many negative aspects as that is how life is when we look at it that way. However, if we use the big picture perspective, we will see the positive and the growth that we hopefully making. In the whole view, all little decisions help us grow. Growth in the spiritual sense, that is. In the big picture, we all, hopefully, learn and slowly grow based on our own unique needs. That is the purpose. To grow. That is why we are here: to become complete again. And all choices and all thoughts will ultimately lead us to that goal.

So, as our soul travels through its journey here on earth, remember,
It all depends on how you look at it......
:-)

Above the city

In the past, I would sometimes close my eyes and see myself rising above the city. I could see above the maddening crowd much as an eagle in flight. From this view, I would see all the people rushing about going from here to there and over there. In a hurry to wait and waiting to hurry up!

From this view above the city, I could see the streets with its cars slowly moving through the maze. It reminded me of ants. We get in our cars to go from here to there and back here again. From this eagles view, it appears as ants, moving about frantically to finish something important. So many cars. So much traffic. So silly!

Is this the only way we can move about, I thought to my self. Why can’t we just use our minds to get there and back? I can imagine that by imagining ourselves in another location, we would just be there. Simply by thinking about it. Visualization. Think it and you will be there. So humanistic it seems to me that we have to use something such as cars to move about while our minds are quite capable of doing it for us....if only I knew how....

I’m sure my soul does...
:)

Did not cross arms and turn away

'I couldn't just cross my arms and turn away'

El Paso, TX native Maria Ruiz knows firsthand how different life can be a mere 30-minute drive south of her Texas home.

"Just by crossing the border, you're in a Third World country," Ruiz said.

For 12 years, she's traveled several times a week to the outskirts of Juarez, Mexico, bringing aid to hundreds of impoverished children and their families.

Ruiz's family has roots in Juarez, but it wasn't until 1996 that she ventured outside the city. There, for the first time, she saw poverty in the extreme. People lived in homes made of wooden pallets. The elementary school was built of makeshift materials and had no running water or electricity. Teachers told her that many children were failing because they were hungry.

"My heart went out to those kids," Ruiz recalled. "I couldn't just cross my arms and turn away from it. I needed to do something."

Ruiz got donations from El Paso businesses, and within one week, she was running a food program out of her home. She cooked meals in her kitchen and drove the food south to the Juarez school. She fed approximately 1,200 children every day for three and a half years, until the businesses she depended on for donations shut down in 1999.

But that didn't stop Ruiz from helping the children in Juarez. Now, working with her husband and two children, she gathers donations from around El Paso -- food, clothing, toys, even furniture -- and distributes them at local "giveaways" a couple of times a month.

For her, helping kids in need is worth the effort “When you make a child smile," she said, "it's awesome."

Ruiz says the children have kept her coming back to Juarez. When she reflects on her work, she doesn't consider herself a hero.

"I know I can do much more."

From CNN


Now I’m sure some of you are going to say, “What about the kids in America? We should be taking care of our own, first!” You are correct...in a way. We should be taking care of our kids here in America. We have the richest government in the world and one of the worst records when it comes to taking care of our own kids. Yep, our government has failed our kids. Does that mean we should not help others? I don’t think so. I believe we should help those who we can, regardless of location or nationality. It’s about the kids. So, if you have a problem with this, take it out on your government. There is a little ole election coming up later this year, in case you didn’t know.....so don’t “just cross your arms and turn away”

JBM
:)