[Buddha-l] Ethics and the four way test

[Evelyn Ruut]

From: Jim Peavler <jpeavler at mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: [Buddha-l] Ethics


"As I sit here, watching the feast from my porch, I think what a 
wonderful thing it is that these beautiful dogs, working together in 
the best interest of the whole group, clearly deserve a success that 
allows them to continue their lives and their obviously loving 
relationships.

I am sorry. I have a hard time understanding either fairness or truth 
except as relative to the point of view of the participants."

Hi Jim,

Exactly.   That is why I am a little less comfortable with things like "commandments".    Everything is relative.   

As to what is fair, if you were a little kid and got a big cookie and the kid next to you got a little cookie, you'd know exactly why he was angry and screaming it was "unfair" even as you ate the evidence :-)

All these things like the golden rule, the ten commandments and the four way test are just to help us sort out how to cause the least possible misery to others as we go about in the world.   They aren't perfect no matter what anyone says, but if they help one person from opening their mouth too soon, or acting to hurt another person, what's the harm?  It can't hurt to stop and think before one acts anyway.

That was an incredibly moving story about the deer and the coyotes.   Thank you for telling it.   I live in Woodstock NY in the catskill mountains, so we have a lot of deer and coyotes too.

Best Regards,

Evelyn
 
"Since everything is but an apparition, perfect in being what it is, having nothing to do with good or bad, acceptance or rejection, one may well burst into laughter."    –Longchenpa
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