Circling the Flaming Lamp
Teresa Miller
The danger to the moths circling the Buddha’s lamp was not external but came from their instinctual attraction to the flames, not unlike our tendencies toward greed for material commodities, a comfortable lifestyle. The big question each moth must have faced was whether it would turn back before it was scorched by the flames. The big question we must face is whether we will change direction before we fly into our own flames of climate and environment degradation.
In this season of natural growth and beauty, can we look at Nature not as an element separated from us but co-produced in our daily interactions?
Can we see compassion not just as personal kindness but as conscientiously wedded to a sense of global responsibility?
Our capacity to respond to these challenges is also our potential for spiritual growth.
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