New Year thoughts.

Don't be mistaken and don't be misled by what the media presents as reality, love is everywhere.

People helping and serving the world for no reason other than they can. Caring and sharing what they have, not only in emergencies but in every aspect of their ordinary daily life.

I live in France, and if someone helps me and I thank them their usual response is 'c'est normal' - what else should I do?

Which culture is not like this?

So the problem is not lack of love, it is the cultivation of fear. 

Fear appears as your friend, but truly is your greatest enemy, full of lies and misinformation. You think it will help you in your life, but it is always a tool used against you. No matter how intelligent you are, you become the victim to imagination and worse, the manipulations of those who wish to use you for their own ends.

Left by yourself, who do you want to kill?

Left by yourself, who do you hate?

Left by yourself, whose country do you want to invade?

Love is our strength and fear our weakness.

Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, terrorists, are not born, they are made. Conditioned and programmed by others. At some point we need to ask why, and and some point we need to stop feeding the machine that encourages discrimination and mistrust.

The Buddha reminds us that we should 'make ourselves and island that no flood can sweep away.' To be strong in love and trust our heat rather than what is presented as truth by those with their own agenda.

There have always been beings living amongst us who are filled with love so that just their very presence is a gift to the world, and there have always been others, greedy and manipulative who want to control and conquer. Our only choice is which path do we follow, the path of love or the path of hatred.

 

Hatred is never overcome by more hatred.

Only love can overcome hatred.

This is an eternal law.

(Dhammapada vs 5)
 

May all beings be happy.