This morning, before meditation, Paula told me that someone is stealing her perennials. At first, she thought critters were digging up her plants. She and her husband would find a hole here and there. Then this week, her husband found a clump of iris sliced through with a straight edge."They probably don't consider it stealing," Paula said.
The Buddha said, "I vow to refrain from taking that which is not freely offered." I repeat this precept every morning, and over time, it sinks in.
One of my teachers doesn't even pick up a penny on the sidewalk because no one has offered it to him. Knowing this about him makes me trust him very deeply with my spiritual life.
We are aiming to be trustworthy people. We don't take what isn't offered. Not even a pen from work. Not even a seed pod from our neighbor's garden.
No comments:
Post a Comment