Universal Responsibility

Within the teachings of Buddhism, there is noble emphasis on appreciating and realizing the coming together of insight and empathetic action. Fulfillment is seen to rest in the union of inner and outer elements of life, not in intellectual wisdom or world-saving compassion of itself. We may sit for hours a day. We may study the scriptures of our gurus, for which we may pay homage to once in awhile on a retreat or in our chosen place of worship. We may orate the experiences and truths of our masters to others in hopes of cultivating the worldly word. Actions speak louder than words, and at the end of the day if we are influenced by our egoic division, then we remain cut off from the ability to empathize completely with others, and duly ourselves. As long as we continue to live in moments of separation, we continue to nourish the illusion of isolated selfdom. It’s easy to find value in someone we like. But if we cannot proffer compassion to those who don’t fit into the blueprint of what we perceive as likeable, we continue to expose ourselves to egoic separation and negate this opportunity to exist in relationship with everyone and everything.