We often think that by taking up a spiritual practice it will produce good actions as opposed to bad. The buddha-dharma however,says this is completely beside the point. The point is that we become aware of when we act out of our intent. By that I mean, we are trying to bring about some kind of desired end. Nature doesn't act with intent. Acting without intent means action out of wholeness, out of seeing the whole. But why not just learn to do good as opposed to bad?
Because no solid, unchanging good or bad can be established. In other words good and bad are not absolutes. They are beliefs, judgments, ideas based on limited knowledge and the inclination of our minds.
In April of 2006 I was sitting outside playing with our children. Around 6 pm my wife called us in to eat. Off to the west I noticed some nasty looking storm clouds so I turned on the weather and as soon as I did I heard you still have time to take cover. No sooner did I get us all to a safe place and covered with a mattress it hit. An F4 tornado. It was over in a flash although at the time it seemed that it would never end.
Just like that, everything changed. The little town we lived in was virtually gone, and the house that we had just rented a month earlier distroyed. Our supper was still sitting on the table never to eaten. We where homeless. Everyone we knew would console us, saying what a terrible thing.
It wasn't long before we found a nice house (I mean real nice) to rent for dirt cheep. And everyone said wow thats fantastic.
Then we found out that I was going to be off work for 6 month while they rebuilt the factory that I worked at. (Which was also hit by the tornado) everyone again consoled us saying "thats terrible what will you ever do.
Then the company that I worked for called us and said that their insurance was going to continue to pay us a 40 hour check until the factory reopened. Then everyone said man thats great.
Since I was off for 6 months my son, from a preveous marriage came to live with us for the summer. Shortly after that the man that owned the house that we were renting, came and said we would have to move, because he had sold the house. Everyone said what will you ever do.
There was a house that we had been looking at, an old farm house built around 1886 that had been for sale for a very long time, it was beatiful. So we contacted the woman that owned it to see if she would be interested in renting to us. She said no why dont you buy it. Well we had no chance of getting a loan at that time and we explained our situation to her. Two days later she called and offered to carry the note. So we bought our dream house. And everyone said wow thats great.
To make an already long story short. Today we are the founders of a non profitt organization that helps woman, children and seniors to live safe in this violent world The Self Defense Awareness Group. and we have opened the Zen Sukoyaka Life Center (Health and Fitness for the mind, body and spirit). Oh and my son that came to live with us for the summer, is still with us.
So who knows whats good or bad. Good or bad is never our choice, or even the issue.
