An enlightened civilization is made up of tiny works of compassion...

A huge ocean is made up of tiny drops of water. An enlightened  civilization is made up of tiny works of compassion...

You've heard the phrase, "The straw that broke the camel's back" many times, but have you ever considered the straw that allowed the camel to get up? Just as a burden that gets incrementally heavier will eventually become too much to lift, a burden that gets lighter and lighter will reach a point where it can be raised.

Imagine a balance beam scale. On one side are works of indifference and on the other acts of compassion. Which side would you like to see dominate? Remember the straw. Now imagine the scale represents the entirelty of the Human race. Where do think the scale rests at this time?

Every time YOU choose an act of indifference or one of compassion, you are adding to the total of all actions chosen by ALL human beings. I used the word "chosen," because every act you take is a choice. Acts of cruelty and meanness are never accidental. They are selected and delivered with intent. Acts of compassion are not random either. It is the case that cooperation is born in us, in our DNA, however compassion, the desire to alleviate suffering, is an attitude that needs to be personally nurtured.

We are culturalized/brain-washed/indoctrinated daily to identify ourselves as members of select (read superior) groups. This is a contrived force that not only allows you to be controlled through fear, but presents indifference to suffering, as a viable option. When we see advertising on TV or in Magazines, do they show the 9 year old girl forced to work 14 hours a day in 100+ degree heat, with no fresh air and the strong possibility of rape after her day is done? No. They use fancy Madison Avenue techniques to convey that you are SPECIAL if you own the coolest basketball shoes! Wheee!

You couldn't buy the fancy sneakers if you had to witness the misery of the workers. You couldn't own stock in corporations that manufacture weapons and death and on a massive scale, if you were forced to watch and listen to the shrieks of a 3 year old, whose left eye and right leg have been blown off by shrapnel, when you are cashing your dividend check. Could you? Not unless you somehow identified yourself as better, more important, or have allowed yourself to hide behind the "fascade."

Suffering is SUFFERING, no matter who is experiencing it. All acts that lead to increased suffering lead to an unenlightened civilization. All acts by YOU that lead to suffering, are acts that LEAD TO SUFFERING!

Today, notice the insensitive and indifferent remarks and attitudes you see exhibited in the media, in your own circle and even in your own reflexive responses to others. Vow to make a change. With each act, choose to add to the compassionate side of the scale. Join in the tipping point required for an enlightened civilization...

Duffy