Unknown Buddhist

Mark Krikorian, Executive Director for the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) told an NPR Tell Me More audience “… we have something like 20 million Americans who are either unemployed or underemployed – and it’s especially a problem among young workers, less-educated workers – that we are now adding, you know, what, maybe 800,000, maybe a million or more workers, legal workers who will now be able to compete for jobs normally into that labor market. And they’re not farm workers. I mean, even though they’re not all Einstein’s, these are, generally speaking, they have to be people who finished high school. So this is going to have a serious effect both in the lower-skill and kind of the mid-level of the job market.”

I contrast the above position with that of local farmers in Alabama. If many recall, Alabama legislature passed a very aggressive illegal immigration bill.  Accordingly, as migrants moved out of state, Alabama farmers have had a tough time. The Associated Press wrote an article outlining the basic premise:

“…farmers must look beyond the nation’s borders for labor because many Americans simply don’t want the backbreaking, low-paying jobs immigrants are willing to take. Politicians who support the law say over time more unemployed Americans will fill these jobs. They insist it’s too early to consider the law a failure, yet numbers from the governor’s office show only nominal interest.”

Additionally, In February 2012, WKRG News in Mobile, Alabama recently reported:

“Many farmers continue to tell us they can’t find Americans to replace migrant workers left the state when the immigration law went into effect.”

History tells us that significant resources will be spent fighting Obama’s temporary suspension of deportation and / or the Dream Act, i.e., for those low-paying positions to which maybe … just maybe … a million or so immigrants will compete.   Think about that for a moment.  I mean really think about that.

What the argument misses is the estimated two-million or so manufacturing jobs offshored since 1983. By 2015, another 3.3 million service jobs will move offshore, including 1.7 million “back office” jobs such as payroll processing and accounting along with another 473,000 jobs in the information technology industry. And let’s not even think about the 7.9 million positions lost during the ‘Great Recession’ that will never come back. But ‘Damn the torpedos, full speed ahead’ on those million or so immagrants.

Some experts claim seventy percent of the U.S. economy is not vulnerable to offshoring because it is comprised of services such as retail, restaurants and hotels, health care and other services. But having worked in these industries, retail, restaurants and hotels employ vast numbers of workers who earn a smidge better than minimum wage. For most American’s, these positions will do little to provide a foundation for retirement. To those who think otherwise, I suggest reading author Barbara Ehrenreich’s work ‘Nickel and Dimed,’ detailing employement at poverty-level wages.

Moving on, we should not forget those immigrants who received little, if any fanfare: Asians. According to Pew Research, the number of Asian immigrants has held steady or increased slightly. Pew’s analysis of census data estimated that 430,000 Asian immigrants came to the United States in 2010, making up 36 percent of all new immigrants, compared with 31 percent who were Hispanic. The typically high education levels of Asians have often fit U.S. immigration policy goals.

Let’s face it, undereducated citizens do not have a rosy employment picture. The International Labour Organisation estimates that as many as 1 in 10 young people are not working. The real number of young people without worthwhile jobs is likely to be much higher, as many of the most vulnerable are forced into low-paid, informal, insecure work. Young people who already face disadvantages – because of where they live, their gender, poverty or ethnicity – have been hit the worst, largely because they lack the skills or education needed to compete for available jobs.

The true sadness of the current immigration argument is mostly all political posturing. In a very diverse, very connected world, education is critical and is no longer a United States, Republican, Democratic or Tea Party problem. It’s a world-wide crisis. Everyone, rich or poor, White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Indian, etc., will need continual access to higher education. Educational requirements are required for survival, yet the availability of education required cannot be achieved.

As a Buddhist, education is the principal tool of human growth. It is essential for transforming the unlettered child into a mature responsible adult. Yet everywhere today, both in the developed and developing world, formal education is in serious trouble. Classroom instruction has become so routinized that children often consider school an exercise in patience rather than an adventure in learning. School budgets and the number of good teachers are conitually cut by budgetary concerns.

The Buddha taught that all beings possess the same ability within to reach Complete Understanding of themselves and their environment, and free themselves from all sufferings to attain utmost happiness. We must strive to give everyone a solid competitive education. Education is the cure, but so little money and attention is given.

I finished reading a quick CNN article, Recovering Catholics Reveal Spiritual Journeys. According to a 2008 study by the Pew Forum on Religious Life and Public Life, 31% of Americans were raised Catholic, but only 24% now describe themselves as Catholic.

In truth, I was never actually raised Catholic. While I was in Catholic school for a short period of my life, my parents never regularly participated in Catholic. And up until the time I was 18, I pretty much felt I was the only one who thought of God day-in-and-day-out.  There are probably four key measures of religious commitment: belief in God, frequency of prayer and frequency of worship service attendance. Yet looking back at my life, I always had some belief and a little bit of prayer. That was it, nothing more.

Still, a large majority of Americans who are affiliated with a religion, including majorities of most faith groups, say there is more than one religion that can lead to eternal life and more than one way to interpret the teachings of their faith. And if one has read my blog, I pretty much concur. But if America is a religious country, then why do so many former Catholics, like me, leave? For me, I left simply because my needs were not met and I remain unwelcome.

They may be tough words, but this is not a rant against Rome. There are many wonderful Catholics. They are good people, are not ignorant, not evil and not stupid.  There simply has been no way for the church to find a place for me and the solace in Buddhism been welcoming time and time again.

Also, there is considerable variance in adopting sacred texts. Roughly two-thirds of Americans view the sacred text of their religion as the word of God. More than eight-in-ten members of evangelical churches, Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses believe the Bible is the word of God, while a majority of Muslims say the Koran is the word of God. By contrast, only 18% of Buddhists and 37% of Jews and Hindus say their sacred texts are the word of God. In fact, a majority of groups say their faith’s sacred texts are written by men and do not constitute the word of God. Personally, as a Buddhist, I tend to believe texts, while inspired, are not verbatiumly factual. But that’s my opinion and I mean no disrespect to your faith.

What’s incredible to me is that regardless of religion, almost half have stated they experience a sense of spiritual peace and well-being at least once a week. Think about it, that is awesome almost half experience the full sense of God at least once a week.  That is truly beautiful. And lastly, almost three-quarter of us feel that many religions can lead to eternal life and more than one-way to interpret religious teachings.

The omnipotence of Christ, Buddha, the Koran, Judaism, etc. lay not in the text but rather it’s the people that surround and envelope each other in love.   This very act of love conquers all barriers and welcomes all weary travelers. As a Buddhist, all are welcome into my Sangha and my home.

So in a world where every issue is now a bonafide problem, the medical world has finally tagged my musical ability: amusic. Accordingly, being amusic means I lack musical ability; I cannot distinguish pitch or create different sounds.  God … that sounds so much better than simply saying I suck.

Fortunately, I have never claimed Triskaidekaphobia, having (a fear of Friday the 13^th), but I do believe a Capgras’ syndrome because there are a few close family members that have been replaced by an identical looking imposter. Ironically, some say that President Obama, based upon his electoral run and subsequent presidency has been replaced. (Sadly, there are people who actually believe that.)

But over the years, I have experienced on and off symptoms. For instance, instead of drinking too much and waking up numb, I now can classify myself as having Saturday Night Palsy. Unfortunately, when that wears off, my uncontrollable craving for alcohol (Dipsomania) leapt to the forefront only to cause Witzelsucht, making me make bad puns and jokes at inappropriate moments. Lastly, to stave my off Basophobia, an extreme fear of falling down, I simply laid on the floor. But I was never drunk mind-you.

Over the years, some would have said my ex-wife suffered from Proctalgia Fugax, a pain in the arse. But then again, she claimed to be seasonably affected. Too bad it was by every season.

In the end. to deal with my issues, I decided to join a support group. My first meeting went like this:

Doctor: “What is three times three?”
Person 1: 274
The Doctor rolls his eyes and looks up at the ceiling, and asks the second man, “It’s your turn. What is three times three?”
Person 2: “Tuesday,”
The doctor shakes his head sadly, then asks the third man, “Okay, your turn. What’s three times three?”
Person 3: “Nine”
Doctor: “That’s great! How did you get that?”
Person 3: “Simple just subtract 274 from Tuesday.”

Sigh …

According to New Dehli news, Mr. Oghad Singh arrived at a police outpost holding a bloody human head in one hand and a sword in another. The head was that of Mr. Singh’s daughter, chopped off because of her “indecent behavior.”  Prior to arriving at the police station, Mr. Singh paraded the head through the village on his way to the police station.

I find honor killing repugnant. And I find honor killing based upon religious belief reprehensible. Personally, no words can accurately reflect my distaste.

Honor killings are not rooted in just one religion. Honor killings have been reported in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, Yemen, and other Mediterranean and Persian Gulf countries, and that they had also taken place in western countries such as France, Germany, the United Kingdom and United States. Ms. Aasiya Zubair was murdered near Buffalo, NY.

More than half the victims were tortured and died in prolonged agony. In North America, over one-third of the victims were tortured; in Europe, two-thirds were tortured; in the Muslim world, half were tortured. Torturous deaths include: rape or gang-rape before being killed; being strangled or bludgeoned to death; being stabbed many times (10 to 40 times); being stoned or burned to death; being beheaded, or having one’s throat slashed.

Still, many may claim these are predominantly Muslim issues and not typical Christian values. And that alone is reason to temper our thoughts. Let’s take a look at some Christian Bible thoughts:

Read Leviticus 21:9 – If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she also defiles her father’s holiness, and she must be burned to death.

Deuteronomy 13:6-11 – You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.

Exodus 35:1-2 “… but the seventh day shall be sacred to you as the Sabbath of complete rest to the LORD. Anyone who does work on that day shall be put to death.“

Deuteronomy 13:6 – “… if no proof of the girl’s virginity can be found, she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house.”

Leviticus 20:9 – If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death.

Exodus 21:20 – If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property.

Ancient Roman Law condoned killing women who had committed adultery. In Greece, laws gave husbands power over their wives, as women were believed to be socially below man. In many ancient cultures including Babylonian, Egypt, Native American and Persian cultures, women convicted of infidelity were given harsh sentences. Chinese husbands often cut off the hair of wives accused of illicit relationships and crush them to death by elephants.

In the U.S., a Tahirih Justice Center survey of more than 500 social service, religious, legal, educational and medical agencies last year, revealed 67 percent of the respondents believed there were cases of forced marriage occurring among the populations they serve, but only 16 percent felt their agency was equipped to deal with the situation.

Kim Gandy, former president of NOW asked a hard question:

“Is a Muslim man in Buffalo more likely to kill his wife than a Catholic man in Buffalo? A Jewish man in Buffalo? I don’t know the answer to that, but I know that there is plenty of violence to go around—and that the long and sordid history of oppressing women in the name of religion surely includes Islam, but is not limited to Islam.”

Personally, I am not a front man for Ms. Gandy or NOW. But I believe in the cause against violence.

From a Buddhist perspective, the Golden Rule is do no harm. As the Buddha once stated, “If at some point in your life you adopt an idea or a perception as the absolute truth, you close the door of your mind.”  And when you close that door, the opportunity of God’s Love can be lost forever. Thus, the real miracle of God’s Love lies within our heart and the willingness to accept and give grace. Live for Grace and Peace; for grace, peace and love is the true nature of God, Christ and the Buddha.

——- Postscript ——-

It is estimated that approximately 5000 women and children are killed yearly in the name of honor; though most of the human rights groups over the world believe this number is much higher.

Having traveled quite extensively over the past twenty years, I am often reminded that no man can truly be an island; even for someone like me, who prefers a solitary existence similar to that found by Henry David Thoreau on Walden.

As an unknown Buddhist, I liken myself to Thoreau’s comments, “…live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” Unlike Thoreau, I criticize no man for their work. To me, there is no one ‘true’ pastoral way of life.  The Mormons, Christians, Atheists, Muslims or any other cannot possibly command their pastoral life as best for all.  Pastoral life can only be chosen by what has been called solely for them. Thus, contrary to the current political theater, deep personal choices reflected unto the masses rarely work. Whether good or bad, deep personal choices that reflect the greater constitution, can be extremely powerful.

As for me, Buddhism makes life alive. Meditation embraced by the morning sun and the music of the bird’s harmonic hum inspire me. In those moments, I find a warmth that cannot be broached in other forms. Within the harmony of the gentle inner quiet, I find the true nature of God’s adorning love for all things, great and small – even me.  This transformation, from the inner soul toward the nurturing God is personal and can only be experienced via an inner child.

Still, Thoreau saw his time at Walden as nothing more than an experiment. He never seriously took the idea of truly isolating himself but rather used his time at Walden as a way of framing a reflection of the contemporary condition and its relief. As for me, I find myself needing others at times and yet, find myself gravitating to the silent love found within every living moment. For all who really know me, I continually yearn for the ying of yang and the only one true north.

Some claim my current life represents love’s failure. While it is true the relationship breakdown of my true love, and the months afterward, were by far the most painful things ever experienced, it was also the best. Because of her, I have come out the other side with a much greater capacity for love and compassion.

I once told my lover she made me a better person. And even though I cannot walk with her now, she still walks within me. The months of our love; and the subsequent months afterward; were a tremendous period of revelation. And I love her for everything she gave, I always will. Through her, I did become a better person.

The harmonic solitude I found is profound. I tremble in the sunlight, as if God suddenly stumbles upon a fifty year-old man and grants him access to a new unnamed level of love. I stand at His door of life; and in my solitude, I open the door unto another world of love. It is the pastoral world to which I am called. And I live it.

Victor Hugo once said, “The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved — loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.” In truth, when Aung San Suu Kyi delivered her Nobel lecture we were similarly reminded march to a greater good, a higher level of love.

Certainly, any of us can march onward to hate. Sadly, many of us do. Still, as I travel around the world, the vast majority of people live with a certain gift of humanity, an inexplicable desire to reach out, help those in need and believe in something more powerful than the intrinsic self. These minutiae of moments drift past, almost unnoticed by those hurriedly on their way in life. But to the Buddha, to Christ, they are the footprints of love left by the Father himself.

These moments can be seismic life altering events.  As I have said before, my former love still changes my life each and every day.  Many of my coworkers, who have suffered terrible loss over the past year, remind me to continually reach out and out touch someone less fortunate.

Others similar profound experiences. For instance, Nazi leader Herman Goering offered to free German pacifist Carl von Ossietzky from his captivity if he abandoned his pacifism. Ossietzky declined and perished. Nelson Mandela reached beyond his captor’s thoughts and into their hearts. Thus, the fate of a nation was forever altered and apartheid died because one man, in his most frail moment, learned that the capacity to love was deeper than the capacity to hate. Christ was crucified, so we could live forever. Thích Quảng Đức was burned protesting the persecution of Buddhists by South Vietnam’s Roman Catholic government led by Ngô Đình Diệm.These are just a few of those who gave their all.

When I think of Aung San Suu Kyi, I am reminded of a speech by then Indian University Coach Bobby Knight during my company’s new product show.  Mr. Knight said in effect that the hard part was not in winning the biggest prize. Rather, the challenge which eludes many of us is finding a way to stay at the pinnacle of success each and every day. Aung San Suu Kyi’s noble acceptance is no small feat. Many people gave much of their life to support her and her values. The trick for all us is remember those sacrifices and to live those ideals each and every day.

Thus, as a Buddhist, I urge everyone not to wait for some overpowering moment to change you. Rather, start today and change the way you think and how you think of others. We do not have problems, we only think we do.

After traveling extensively this past week, I return to the blog; just in time in for Father’s Day.

Many of us can recognize the father in our life. As such fathers comprised of fathers, father-in-laws, step-fathers, honorary fathers and fathers forgotten or lost.  I myself can personally recognize two fathers: my own father and a father I’ve never met.

My own father brought me into this world during the early sixties.  And while he does not actively participate in church, he is not unlike Christ.  Looking back, my father personally walked at my side during some of my greatest moments: college graduation, military service, marriage, job promotions, job demotions, divorce, ethical failures, redemption and simply being reminded how humble I am.

Suffice it to say that I have been poor and I have been beautiful. At my worst, my father continued to claim me as his son. While not without words of support, he challenged my thoughts and criticized behavior, but never criticized me. Like the poem ‘Footsteps in the Sand,’ the wiser, older me can see where he carried me.  And this is the father I love.

The other father I have never met is Harold.  It’s true; I’ve never met Harold or his wife. But they have to be two of the most beautiful people God ever created.

How do I know them? Well, I know them through their daughter.  When I think of her, I can only remember John Calvin’s quote, “…the invisible kingdom of God becomes visible to the world.”  For me, she made the invisible visible.  She made me understand my faith and love of all.

And while many of her friends, family and church members have casted off me, like the dust of their feet; I remain true to becoming a better man. Not a day goes by when I do not remember her. Not a day goes by when I think of her love of how I still continually draw upon her words and strength to guide me.

To all who have rejected me, I can say unequivocally I was a jerk and I deserved to be shunned. But to all who claim I could not be redeemed, I am sorry for your impression. Thus, I close with this well read story of the Buddha:

A widower, who went away in a business trip and left his little boy at home. While he was away, bandits came and burned down the whole village. When the merchant returned, he didn’t find his house, it was just a heap of ash. There was the charred body of a child close by. He threw himself on the ground and cried and cried. He beat his chest and pulled his hair. The next day, he had the little body cremated. Because his beloved son was his only reason for existence, he sewed a beautiful velvet bag and put the ashes inside. Wherever he went, he took that bag of ashes with him. Eating, sleeping, working, he always carried it with him.

In fact, his son had been kidnapped by the bandits. Three months later, the boy escaped and returned home. When he arrived, it was two o’clock in the morning. He knocked on the door of the new hose his father had built. The poor father was lying on his bed crying, holding the bag of ashes, and he asked, ‘Who is there?’ ‘It’s me, Daddy, your son.’ The father answered, ‘That’s not possible. My son is dead. I’ve cremated his body and I carry his ashes with me. You must be some naughty boy who’s trying to fool me. Go away, don’t disturb me!’ He refused to open the door, and there was no way for the little boy to come in. The boy had to go away, and the father lost his son forever.

After telling the story, the Buddha said, ‘If at some point in your life you adopt an idea or a perception as the absolute truth, you close the door of your mind. This is the end of seeking the truth. And not only do you no longer seek the truth, but even if the truth comes in person and knocks on your door, you refuse to open it. Attachment to views, attachment to ideas, attachment to perceptions are the biggest obstacle to the truth.’

Thus, I kindly thank and honor all fathers. As Clarence so wonderfully quoted in “It’s A Wonderful Life,” ‘Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” For without Harold, there would have been no daughter.  And without his daughter, I would have been truly and completely lost.

Happy Father’s Day to all Fathers.

Over the past several days, I have been watching History Channel’s Hatfields & McCoys. According to history, the Hatfield and McCoy feud ran twenty-eight (28) years, from 1863 to 1891.  In the end, many of the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s lost family members: fathers, sons, daughters and grandchildren.  There are two themes that seem so very important: forgiveness and the misrepresentation of the Bible.

First, the oncoming train wreck could have been avoided if just one side learned to turn the other cheek.  Rather, ego and hate burnt each of the families till nothing was left.  This was too evident when Nancy McCoy exclaimed to Roseanna, “I did it all for hate” and “Devil” Anse Hatfield almost killed his son during a disguised fishing trip.

The second theme, is misquoting the Bible.  I always find it very interesting when a character like Randolph “Ole Ran’l” McCoy prays for vengeance against the infidel’s (was this actually a word in the old west?) yet neglecting everything about forgiveness and turning the other cheek. What happened to Matthew 5:24, “Leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift?”

Certainly I can relate to vengeance.  About fifteen (15) years ago I too wished someone to experience crushing defeat.  I prayed about it, often and hard.  But the very act of praying for this absorbed a ton of physical energy.  And, I find it so ironic how hard I prayed for great misery then, but requested great forgiveness and reconciliation some thirteen (13) years later.  In the end, I received neither.

Still, someone has to let go. If the cycle of hatred does not stop, it continues from generation to generation. Technically we are born innocent, but are taught hate.  As the character Connor MacLeod (Highlander) so eloquently phrased it, “Life brings hope and pain, but revenge never brings redemption.” That’s pretty darn Buddhist. We should all remember that.

Recently I ran across these thoughts on prayer:

“It is a consoling thought that Christ is praying for us, even when we are negligent in our prayer life; that He is presenting to the Father those spiritual needs which were not present to our minds and which we often neglect to include in our prayers; and that He prays for our protection against the dangers of which we are not even conscious, and against the enemies which threaten us, though we do not notice it. He is praying that our faith may not cease, and that we may come out victoriously in the end. (Berkhoff, Systematic Theology p. 403)

According to the Bible, Christ stated, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

I have often thought that touching God liberates us from many worries. And only by entering some form of consistent spiritual practice do we feel relief.  We touch the ultimate dimension of reality; we get the deepest kind of relief.

The problem is that many of us, may not necessarily commune with Christ on a daily basis. In other words, we do not go into that private room, tarry an hour and commune with God.  Continuing with the Buddhist precept #2, if one does not commune with God daily, do I take something not freely given?  If our spiritual practice is built upon practice of daily communion and I choose to be at the mall, playing we can touch the Holy Spirit simply by experiencing the trees, the golf, watching the latest sports game or drinking a beer, do I not take (or forsake) that which God did freely give?

Continuing with the thought, “He is praying that our faith may not cease…” most of us are still capable of touching God each and every moment. Like the Buddha, we can constantly be in the moment, see the birds, and moonlight in the nighttime sky, feel the grass underneath our foot and walk in the midst of flowers. These moments are only possible by the creator.  That even if we miss this prayer, if we stay in the moment, we can be in constant communion with Christ and the Buddha.

God can come in many forms. For Moses, God came in a fire; for Job, God came in the wind. John the Baptist saw a dove and for Mary, an Angel.  Thus, God is never one thing, but rather He is all things. And as a result, God is invisible to our limitations of Him and we can experience God at almost any time.

Whether we are Buddhist or Christian, we cannot experience spiritual enlightenment through notions and concepts. If we do not touch Christ on a daily basis, then our image of God does not continue to sustain us.  As a Buddhist, I try to meditate and live in the moment. And by holding onto each and every moment, I continually reach to and touch our creator. It is there … in those moments each of us will always find a Living Christ and Living Buddha.

Most of us just show, go through the motions, leave and never think about Christ during the remainder of the week. By doing so, we can misconstrue precept number two: do not steal. In Christian terms, one generally pours all their heart and soul into a prayer. Yet how many Christians accept Sunday mass and Holy Communion without the benefit of heart. By not understanding our love of God and experiencing Him in the moment, we steal the love we had intended, turning the extraordinary to the ordinary.

I have found that I must continually practice my belief for the Buddha to become a true experience. Secondly, the practice cannot be abandoned.

If there is one unique commonality I have noticed about the precepts is that many lack any real instruction or teaching.  For instance, precept number three (3): I take upon myself the rule of training to abstain from sexual misconduct. So what does that exactly mean?

But I digress.

The second Buddhist precept: I take upon myself the rule of training to abstain from taking what is not given,  is similar to precept three …. What does it mean, exactly?  The Christian commandment “Thou shalt not steal” is said to flow into the Buddhist second precept. Whether any appropriation of another’s possessions can be called “stealing” may be arguable.

Some say, “Not to take what is not given,” is clear and everyone knows what it implies. The bonds in which that injunction holds him are strict but unambiguous. But is the precept limited to only ‘stealing?’ I mean if I take a pen bought and paid for by the company to whom I work, have I taken what is not given?  If I find a quarter laying on the parking lot, I have taken?  Should I have taken it?

It is certainly clear, I will not steal.  But if a husband sneaks money from the joint checking account once a week to have a lunch with coworkers, has he not taken something not freely given?  If I call in sick only to walk outside for fresh air during the day, have I not take a day’s pay from my employer?  In telling a white lie, have I not taken the truth?

Dr. Paul Dahlke indicated that theft is included, but the rule goes much further than that. But he never expounded upon what ‘…further than that means.’   Maybe at the end of the day, we should all look to Stephen Covey who so eloquently stated, “Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside us will affect us.”

I will admit, in this complex world, I sometimes struggle with the second precept, not because it is right, but because, at times, the precept can be so darn vague. However, looking back upon my own mistakes, all I can point to is that the most important ingredient we put into any relationship is not what we say or what we do, but what we are. And if our words and our actions come from superficial emotions rather than from the heart, others will sense that we are not genuine. We simply won’t be able to create and sustain the foundation necessary for effective interdependence.