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We are the mothers of the world
Vimalajāti
Whitby, Ontario Veteran
in Philosophy
In Buddhism, we are the mothers of all.
Even if we do not have children, even if we are male, we give birth to the future as we live the present.
The future is our child, and we are its mothers, regardless of biological childbirthing ability.
The environment is our child. Our peers are our children. The future population of this planet, all of them, each and every one, are our children.
Why? Because we create the future in the present.
We are called to treat the environment with the obligation and duty of a mother with her child. We are called to treat all sentient life with the obligations and duty of a mother with her child.
What kind of child are we raising? Let us pray it be a cakravartin.
3
Comments
Oh we gets choice!
I pray for something extra ordinary, maybe even unruly ... few million krill should do
Ay caramba. Did I go wrong again ...
As long as you're not going to eat all those krill yourself!
In all seriousness, though, it is very, very hard to treat the world with the responsibility one would have towards a child.
In the Lotus Sermon, Śākyamunibuddha tells the story of Sadāparibhūtabodhisattva (常不輕菩薩, or "Constant Non-Belittling Bodhisattva"), who decided to treat all sentient beings as the Buddha. It is said that he never said a single disparaging word as part of this profound practice.
Sadāparibhūtabodhisattva is just a story, but what a story. Imagine being able to truly and honestly say that you have never disparaged anyone in the last month, let alone year. I certainly can't. Too much affliction flying around my life.
Lobsters are cannibals iz true.
I very much like your two posts, both of which recognise the value of inspiration and the reality of our limitations. Both describe very useful training/practices.
Here is another way of story telling . . .
https://agileleanlife.com/cognitive-reframing/
Ah, I confess I did not get the krill joke, initially. Lobsters, baby krill, the motherhood thread.
I'm slow this morning!
That's definitely one thing you can say about @lobster... he definitely keeps you nippy on your toes!
Ay caramba. Here is my local kestrel-mother, photographed yesterday, poised to kill one of her mothers/children ...
Dhrama-Rama ... amazing ...
Isn't it difficult to say "I love you" to her after she kills one's favourite squirrel?
Or perhaps the household cat. Samara.
More likely the household grasshopper.
I hope it isn't a pigeon? I'm not a bird person, and assumed it was a hawk!
It wouldn't be the first time I was confused online.
No it's a hawk but a small one , not to worry. A cat or squirrel would be more than it could handle.
For that kind of prey, a Great Horned Owl would do nicely.
We have osprey near my house. They seem to eat mostly fish.
Overheard in the Buddha Purelands:
Bodhi 1: Your mother is a fish!
Bodhi 2: Your mother is an osprey!
Both laugh.
“Since everything is but an apparition, having nothing to do with good or bad, acceptance or rejection, one may well burst out in laughter.”
― Mother Longchenpa aka 'The Squirrel'
Check your messages.
Check your messages, Vimalajati
That is an order. ?
If you need someone's attention, please precede the member's name with the 'at' symbol.
like this:
@Tsultrim
Providing they have that alert switched on in their settings, it's the quickest way for them to receive notification that someone is trying to reach them.
Terribly sorry, I work a midnight shift and generally sleep 6am-2pm. If the website said I was online it was probably my phone, because I checked this website during my break. We will continue our conversation via PM.
Great, @Vimalajati.