Thursday, November 29, 2012

Knowledge is Power!

Sometimes I just have to laugh looking at people's political debates on Facebook or Twitter - it comes to a point where neither person is going to agree, so why can't they just agree to disagree? I'm not saying giving up on standing up for what you believe it, but (from my observational standpoint) people generally tend to get mad when others are very 'in-your-face' about some things!

I think the best thing that we can all realize is that we all have different opinions. I'm not just talking about politics or religion, but about some topics as simple as your spouse not making the bed right, or having a difference of opinions on where your TV should go! We all differ on most everything, so why can't we just accept it?
 
One of the things that drew me to Buddhism was the fact that it revolves very closely around tolerance (among many other things) and encouragement of positivity and love... but never journeying far from reality. The Buddha taught what he believed, but he did not expect others to see it the same way - he never decreed war on anyone else because they did not believe the same thing he did. He had an, "if you believe it, great! But if you don't, that's okay too!" attitude. I see The Buddha's life and teachings as a never-ending study, a never-ending lesson... and thus, should strive to live this way. We must take it all as a lesson.

I wonder what the world would be like if we spent more time on Education. What if we brought other religions into our schools' curriculum? I'm not saying force children to believe in one religion or another, but simply presenting an ... alternative... and information about that other religion or belief. What if our teachers spent some time teaching about other countries and their customs? Again, not saying that this or that is right or wrong, but just offering information about these different places in the world. Would this not encourage tolerance? Education is our greatest resource, and our next generations our greatest gifts. What would happen if we educated every one of them?
I know that there will be many people who speculate that giving each child in the world an education could prove dangerous, but I hold steady to my belief that we can only help the Earth with education.
Remember, everything is a lesson!
 
So, try to learn something new today? My best friend told me about these incredible sea creatures called Blanket Jellyfish that literally look like giant, transparent blankets! 
Or, do you know how to say, "I love you" in several different languages?

“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”
-The Buddha
 
Namaste. 

No comments:

Post a Comment