Published Friday, 27 July 2018
Dwell not on the faults
and shortcomings of others
instead, seek clarity
about your own.Dhammapada v. 50
It is understandable that we spend time and energy looking at those around us to see if we are safe. We need also to spend time and energy looking inwards, investigating the reliability of our perceptions. Without careful questioning of the assumptions which we accumulate as we move through life, we can easily take on prejudices that are completely unjustified. For example, to boost a sense of self confidence we might start assuming we know what is good for other people, without even questioning the basis of that assumption. It is very difficult even to know our own minds let alone to know the minds of others. So the Buddha recommended learning first to be thoroughly honest about our own limitations before telling others how to live their lives.