Buddha Quote
Monday November 17, 2025
MessI don't want it to be such that I came into this world to mess it
up. There is a place for everything and everything should be in
its place.
Many Mothers dread their children inviting their
friends home (a home is a private world) because they "touch
touch" everything. Things get "misplaced" when removed from their
original positions. In fact, things get "depreciated" - the soft
drink stains the sofa, the family photo's frame gets fingerprints
all over, little brother's video game joystick becomes loose,
sister's book collection gets dog-ears, bits of snacks are on the
floor... you know what I mean. Mum ends up clearing up the mess
for you and your "friends!" Why don't we just learn to put things
back exactly where we found them? (The Second Precept-respect for
others' property). Don't step on ants on the pavement (The First
Precept-respect for life). Don't make your friend's girlfriend
think you are better than him when you are not (The Fourth, Third
precept - respect for truth and relationships), don't get drunk
and drive (The Fifth precept-respect for clear-mindedness)...
We
either come into this world and make a difference or we don't. A
life that makes no difference is rather pointless; and the
differences we can make are either for the better or worse of the
world. Every time I enter a world that is "not mine," such as
someone's home or office, even a restaurant, the streets... (any
place that is not my home), I try to take the effort not to mess
it up in any way. That I see as part of basic morality. Don't
want to make any mess of any form anywhere in this world or the
next.
The next step from not creating a mess is clearing up your
own personal mess. My personal mess is my collection of bad
habits from my greed, hatred and ignorance spiritually harmful to
myself (others not involved-I already told you I try hard not to
mess up others' lives in any way!).
The next greater step is
helping others to realise their personal mess and the mess they
are creating in the world, helping them learn to clear it all up.
This is the Bodhisattva ideal.
I think of the Buddha as one
major mess-clearer. He cleared messes perfectly - in fact, He
Enlightened. He came into our world in a time when men were
seriously messed up in their hearts and minds. It was when dozens
of systems of religions and philosophies were abound, and no one
really knew what was real and worth living for.
If we were to
all clear up our personal mess, and help each other do the same,
there would be no mess left.
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