"This is a commitment to justice, for as Buddhist teacher Larry Yang says, “Out of an acknowledgement of the preciousness of all of life, we commit to do everything we can to not add a single further drop of suffering to a world that already hurts so much.” I remind myself of this when I want to strike back in anger, when I want to ‘be right’, when I want others to feel the pain that I feel or have felt. This gentle reminder by Larry is to live impeccably, and with integrity. When I strike back intending to inflict pain, I am participating in the very injustice that I abhor. And its important to remember, that others’ actions and words are usually not about me-it’s about them and their pain, and in their pain, they hurt me. "
Jacoby Ballard
Image from the book Miaka, written by Anne-Louise Channon and illustrated by Beatriz Vidal Martin.
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