Re: Question

Patrolling the streets as you were is a wonderful thing! Since, -according to Buddhist teachings- we have all lived countless times, countless, then doing the good of being on the lookout to protect people could well be 'righting' of some former karma (action) of oneself having been one of those troublemakers, at one time...You see how it works? So,
in some ways, the very idea of anyone doing anything in exclusion of what they have done before is an illusion. Your buddhist friend would know he hasn't 'always' been this peaceful person. It's just not possible, given "beginningless" time. He would also know you
have been more like he is now, at some other time! :-) Of course "you" is also an illusion. So it's quite a lot to get one's head around. All of which is to say that when you do anything, it's good to not get caught in being "the doer", and to simply see it as energy moving.

There is a great soundtrack in the film "Oh, Lucky Man!", which is a really fun film to see, and also quite a good look at Buddhadharma, through western eyes. The lyrics
to this one song go:

"everybody's going through changes
and no one knows what's going on
and everybody changes places
but the world still carries on...
Now love must always change to sorrow,
and everyone must play the game
it's here today, and gone tomorrow
but the world goes on the same.

And to this music, the cast members all dance at the 'wrap party'. (And there is more that I won't spoil, in case you see the film.) There's a lot of insight in that movie. Malcom McDowell, as a young man. And Alan Price, the musician.


There is no end to the amount of good that good can do. Especially when you dedicate it to the well-being of all beings. Just that aspiration moves one's consciousness out of any 'small I' ideas, (which dissolves the sense of separation) and closer to true seeing, from beyond this body-mind.

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