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Vengeance Belongs to God
November 13, 2014
— 4 Comments
My parents
The idea that both glory and vengeance belong only to God is an often repeated concept. In the bible this is a giant theme that runs throughout both testaments. This is the keystone of the golden rule, “Do unto others” that we have heard so often in all religious teachings. Repressing anger and believing God is taking care of your personal earthly pay back is not the essence of this idea. Truly trusting that justice eventually prevails in ways we can’t imagine or fathom is a relief. Carrying our own grudges rather than letting go and trusting that the universe will provide both punishment and reward exactly in the perfect portions is senseless. If you step back and look at a bigger version of any drama on this earth you must notice that every action does have an equal and opposite reaction. Some understanding is within our reach, and plenty of mystery still abounds. We actually do not know enough to be effective in this realm.
I have been meditating on the idea that Everything that is the Father’s is mine because the Father and I are one. This, of course is the big father, not my personal dad, Richard Arden Morse. The meditation makes me consider that I do have traits, talents, and even possessions from my earthly father that are mine. I have worked hard not to inherit his anger and greed. The end of my parents’ lives would have been more peaceful and happy if my father had not considered himself to be righteously wrathful. He was angry at entire nations and at anyone he suspected of disrespecting him (the list only grew, never diminished). He used to sing the song “I Have a Little List” from the Mikado which makes fun of this phenomena. By the time he was old and demented his list was so long it tortured him and everyone around him.
Now that Richard has been dead and in the ground for 10 years I am sure he is over his violent feelings. He wants me to know that both glory and vengeance are not mine at all. He warns me with his memory about personally taking on too much anger. He assures me that the truth does set us free and there is no point in crying over spilled milk (this was a favorite expression of his). If you have started a list of those you find responsible for all evil, work to eliminate those beliefs before they make you very crazy. Also, remember, gentle readers, you are on somebody else’s list.
Betrayal and Trust
June 24, 2013
— 3 Comments
The decision to trust is a risk. Calculating risk should be a skill we develop and improve over our lives. The influence of relationships on our faith in others is central. Early betrayal can be a blessing because it can prevent deeper problems by showing true colors. Trust and the possibility of betrayal arise together. If we trust the government, or our spouse, or boss, we may find that faith has been misplaced. Few of us have the ability to accurately judge or predict the behavior of our closest companions. Being blind to imperfections is neither healthy nor honest. If we are honest we can admit our own imperfections, and our own potential to betray others. With perspective we can see how our national anger has damaged the entire society.
The rose-colored glasses version of America was a risk. The more we spun ourselves into the greatest country in the world, the more we found ourselves betrayed as a nation. The more we fought for our way of life around the world (whatever that meant), the more undesirable our way of life became. The more we declared war on everything from drugs to terror, the more ground we lost in the global trust department. Now American security is breeched on a regular basis in fairly spectacular fashion. It is lucrative, I imagine, for some, but it is becoming a badge of courage. If the seed of betrayal is trust, then it must also follow that after betrayal trust becomes mature and discerning. It is a cycle, gentle reader.
Meditation and Kindness
January 7, 2013
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There are many forms of mediation followed in the world. I was lucky to study in Tucson with the Dalai Lama of Tibet who visited us in September, 1993 to teach patience. We had instruction for a year leading up to the visit to give us an introduction to the Tibetan view of meditation and cosmology. When the teaching finally took place at the Sheraton Conquistador when it was new and lovely we were in for both a treat and some deep concepts new to us. The Tibetan monks all sit down in front, as do many Tibetan civilians who prefer the floor for meditation. The room was full of all levels of understanding and experience, as is always the case with His Holiness. The teaching was wonderful, memorable, and inspiring.
He asked students to submit questions in writing for his consideration. He answered some that he thought best for his teaching. One woman asked how she cold begin a meditation practice, given all her stressful and distracting activities. He responded jokingly at first, saying that he also was too busy with stressful activities like leading a nation in exile. He continued quickly after the laugh to make sure he was not ridiculing the questioner, but seriously folks style, to praise her very valid question. His answer was simplicity itself. He told her that if she had time for nothing else, “Be nice.” He explained that if one did not karmically doom oneself by creating nasty thoughts, less meditation would be required to feel good. Meditation in any form is a practice to observe the mind and focus in spite of distraction. It destroys the delusions of the ego. It purifies consciousness. It turns irrational anger into patience. Meditation is the source of equanimity and deep wisdom.
You do not need to sit still or chant mantras to begin a meditation practice. If you have access to a teacher you can be taught many techniques to deepen your practice. If you want to start at the beginning and reap all the benefits, start by being nice.
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