Practicing Spirituality with the Dalai Lama continues

At the end of each lesson on "Practicing Spirituality with the Dalai Lama," there's a suggested activity. Usually something to journal, but occasionally something you actually do.  I haven't been doing this very well, so I thought I would start.

Let's see, I'm almost half way through the lessons, so I'll combine a couple of them. However, I encourage you to take the class yourself to get the full benefits; it's really worth taking.

One lesson is about seeing everyone as your mother. If I look at all people I meet, I can imagine that they were once my mother, father, brother, and sister at one time or another.  I can look at them with love. Right now, a man is painting the outside of a house across the street from me. He's listening to loud Panamanian tipico music which I understand the appeal, but it's not really to my liking.  I can look at him in kindness anyway because he could have been a loving family member in the past. 

I am trying to get this. But sometimes it's a bit hard for me.  Because my tradition does not believe in reincarnation, this is something that I really don't know much about.  Part of me thinks it makes lots of since. Also, I don't know if I've been reincarnated 1000's of times as Buddhists claim; I'm just taking it on faith that it's true.  So I can imagine that each person has been a part of my life one way or another in other reincarnations, but not my parent.  I can understand how a person who is my friend today could have been my enemy in another life and visa versa.  Well, that's why I'm still searching. I don't have the answers.  

The lesson I received recently seems to touch on a subject I hold dear: that is, making a scheduled commitment and sticking to it.  I know sometimes I plan on meeting someone and I forget because life gets crazy. Then there's people who I want to schedule time with and they continue to put me off by telling me "we'll get together. Don't you worry about it. I'll let you know." These are the one's I know I will not get together with.  They will always be too busy, something will always come up. 

The other issue is, most of the people I want to get together with are elderly and could cross over any time.  I know too many people who have died over the last several years.  You never know when your time comes.  It's best to just do it than to be sorry you didn't get your chance because the person is now gone. Or maybe you're the one who is gone.

So, unless you make specific time for something that you feel committed to, you will always have other obligations.--The Dalai Lama

Picture above is called  Reincarnation, Art Print by John K. Nakata