A spriritual man can to meet Buddha and he asked him a question. It is more difficult to practice good rather than bad. It is harder to be mindful than not mindful. It is easier to break the precepts rather than protect them. The monk asked Buddha what the reason for that is.
Buddha said that practicing Dhamma is like going against a stream. Some of us who have strength like a big fish swim upstream. Those of us who are like little fish are being taken with the current down stream. The ones who are with desire and not practicing mindfulness are like little fish. It is very difficult to practice good when one does not have mindfulness. One who practices mindfulness with always go upstream.
We have different ideas of good and bad. Someone elses good could be bad for another person. Buddha said the one is practicing Dhamma are concerned with three doors. We keep mindfulness with these three doors. The three doors are: mind, action, verbal. Like our homes when the door is open things we don't want can come in. So we need to protect the doors and windows. If we can't pay attention to the door we close it. The door goes away. If doors or windows are open we keep an eye on them. We have to be aware of them. We can easily forget the door and leave it open. Sometimes we don't remember maybe till we are at work or something. With an ignorant mind we forget how dangerous it is to leave the doors open. Then, we cannot realize what is going to happen. If we are mindful we will remember the danger of an open door. Sometimes we need to leave the doors open. If we need to do that we just keep our eyes on the door. We should keep our eyes on the doors because we cannot close our mind. We can keep our mouths shut, but not always. Sometimes we hurt people with words. If we speak without mindfulness we can do damage. We can apologize, but no matter what the damage is done. Thought is the most important even though others can't see them. Thought can change us and thoughts can become actions. We can be quiet one hour. In that hour our mind can have many stages. Sometimes very calm. Othertimes restless. Our eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin are open doors. We keep those open. During meditation we close the doors of our skin and eyes. Our mind is open.
We do not have to be dead fish. Dead fish do not fight anything and they go with the flow. Flow always takes us with sense experience and emotions. If we don't control ourselves we just react to everything. In some cases we can control ourselves and sometimes we cannot. We have to be patient. First, we have to understand the situation. Then, we develope being patient.
We can choose what we want. To swim against the stream we should be meaningful. We need energy strength and understanding for the wisdom. Buddha expained that to practice Dhamma we need to have minfulness, patience, and determination.
Mindfulness helps us to understand and observe the situation. We can keep an eye on the doors. Protect ourselves. We can determine what we need and don't need. When we don't need something we will stop naturally. We can stop bugs and animals and take our pets inside. We need patience to know when to open and close the doors. We need patience to know when it is the right time to speak. We need patience to know when to act.
Determination is what we need to walk the path we want to walk. If we are doubtful we think negatively. We need to be determined. A homeless person may ask for a dollar. We may have to fight greed to give. There is ritual and there is reaction. We can give because of ritual or we can give because it helps. We might have excuses like the idea that he might use it for drugs or alcohol. We can't worry about that. That is not our responsibility. Our responsibility is just to give.
The one who has these qualities will swim against the stream and fight death.
What about memorial day? How do we appreciate those who killed during war?
1800 years ago in Sri Lanka there was a war against a south Indian king. He came and overtook the northern part of the country. People went south to fight the king. Because of Buddhist practice Bhuddha's teaching did not help with developing to build a battalion. However, there was a monk who wanted to create something and make peoples mind. Kind of cheating. Finally he wrote a book. If someone died for the country and they had enough merits to see next buddha. Then they had people for war.
We are celebrating people who were trained to kill for war. These people don't really want to kill someone. It is not their intent to kill. Their ideas allow them to kill without intent. They are protecting their country and ideas. The action is that someone may die. Which is not good. We memorialize people who had good intentions. We should not forget the sacrifice they made for their ideas and country. They did it for their family. This is what they have in their mind.
Some people are like ascetics very calm and quiet. They love other people and animals. So why do they have weapons to shoot people? Its complicated. When they get into war they protect themselves out of fear.That is human nature. We should recognize what they give up for us. It is good to appreciate them. There are so many people behind soldiers. We should remember them too. Families and friends are all part of them.
In Tibet the monks did not fight China despite the fact that China killed 9,000 monks in one day. They didn't want to harm anyone. Buddha did not involve in war. In history some monks disrobe and go fight wars then they come back. Some of them became enlightened. They decided that it is better to protect the country first,then, the mind. When they become enlightened they forget everything. It is not the same person who becomes enlightened. We can't say war is good or killing. It is ok to appreciate instead of hate.
It is better to discuss someones good rather than faults. We should practice to see people's good. That way we train ourselves to see good actions. We introduce what is good. Then we appreciate ourselves. The one who conplains about others they do not see others; They see themselves. Think which group you are in. Develope yourself.