"Take up the way of meeting others on equal ground."
--Buddhist precept as discussed by Diane Rizzetto in her book, Waking Up to What You Do.
In her book, Waking Up to What You Do, Abbess Diane Rizzetto writes on the precept of meeting others on equal ground. She quotes the writer Dag Hammarskjold, Markings:
What are the obvious and not so obvious ways that we regard ourselves in light of others? Do we gain self-worth in measuring ourselves against others? Do we consider our own thoughts, our own way? Do we praise ourselves at the expense of others? Or while not praising ourselves, abuse others?
What keeps us from meeting others, from meeting the stranger on equal ground? What about competition--are there winners and losers in the world? How does anger, insecurity, fear, shame and blame block the way of meeting others on equal ground?
--Buddhist precept as discussed by Diane Rizzetto in her book, Waking Up to What You Do.
In her book, Waking Up to What You Do, Abbess Diane Rizzetto writes on the precept of meeting others on equal ground. She quotes the writer Dag Hammarskjold, Markings:
"To be humble is not to make comparisons. Secure in
its reality, the self is neither better nor worse, bigger nor smaller,
than any thing else in the universe. It is nothing; at the same time,
one with the universe."
What are the obvious and not so obvious ways that we regard ourselves in light of others? Do we gain self-worth in measuring ourselves against others? Do we consider our own thoughts, our own way? Do we praise ourselves at the expense of others? Or while not praising ourselves, abuse others?
What keeps us from meeting others, from meeting the stranger on equal ground? What about competition--are there winners and losers in the world? How does anger, insecurity, fear, shame and blame block the way of meeting others on equal ground?
Why must we meet equally? Despite
our sometimes fearful and anxious experiences of meeting others with
pounding heart and cold hand, adrenaline flowing, making us feel like
ice, meeting others on equal ground is important.
Even so, there are many ways we either subtly or overtly avoid our feelings and perceptions of unease with ourselves; we measure, we criticize, blame and shame our way through life. Putting others down will pull us up, it seems--maybe.
Even so, there are many ways we either subtly or overtly avoid our feelings and perceptions of unease with ourselves; we measure, we criticize, blame and shame our way through life. Putting others down will pull us up, it seems--maybe.
By learning more about the reality of inter-being we come to find that this isn't so.
Making you dirty, makes me dirty; disrespect
to you is disrespect to myself. I am the doing, the making of it all,
the dream of self. Considering this perception, we find it isn't limited
to speech. Behavior is also a means of competition and measuring
ourselves to others.
Dag Hammarskjold Video
Dag Hammarskjold Video
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