Mountains standing close together:
The image of KEEPING STILL,
Thus the superior man does not permit his thoughts to go beyond his situation.
My dog likes to meditate at dawn, while the world is still new and fresh, to sit in some shady spot like a sage under the bodhi tree and contemplate. What he thinks about I do not know, but I try to emulate his stillness, his attention and his whole way of being...sometimes I think my dog is a better Buddhist than I am.
Often when passions fly in the political arena, and cries go up for instant action on some burning issue or other, I think it helps to go away from all the noise and think about it. Does the purposed action really solve the problem? Is it fair? Will it cause harm...or more precisely, who is it meant to harm? What are the long term consequences? What are the true benefits?
Presidential debates are a good idea. I think it is an excellent way for the electorate to see and judge the candidates under pressure. Leadership in human beings does not go to the strongest or to the one with the sharpest teeth. We are a unique animal in that leadership is often determined by the ability to speak well under pressure.
I have a modest proposal: there also ought to Presidential Meditations. The ability to sit still for thirty minutes at a time, to listen to the heart of being and to practice awareness would be a real asset and would eliminate the impatient, the impulsive and the immature. I'm afraid it wouldn't play so well on TV, however.
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