In his opinion piece in the New York times today David Brooks makes the poignant point that “We need an uprising of decency”. He refers to the last debate where Marianne Williamson made some very interesting observations about politics in our country. He says “It is no accident that the Democratic candidate with the best grasp of this election is the one running a spiritual crusade, not an economic redistribution effort.” Here is a link to the article.
I always say “ethics matter”. It may seem to you that it is obvious, but culturally it really isn’t even part of the equation.
How to best navigate our situation? In my vision for organizing our little community of OZS practitioners, I envisioned us being able to heal, inform and understand our situation individually, collectively and globally. The precepts are part of our practice for a reason and are integrally part of the fabric of our lives. Morals can not be preached or enforced from the outside. It has to be reflected outward as our character for all to see. Then, by example, we are offering another, more liberating way of navigating our situation as human beings that is actually not another way at all because it is who we are!
Correct understanding leads to correct action. May we always see clearly how ignorance, greed, and anger poison our experience.