26/11/2025
This popped up in my "facebook memories".
Seven years later, I am no closer to enlightenment.
Part of my struggle... defending those who cannot defend themselves.
I have always ascribed to the adage "What you walk past, you accept".
This could be litter on the footpath, seeing somebody urinating in public, or somebody, or something, being abused.
So, a hypothetical situation... You are walking down the street, and somebody is beating a dog. The dog is yelping in pain.
Do you..
A) Walk past because it is not your business?
B) Stop and watch on, unattached to suffering of the animal?
C) Ask that the violence stop?
D) Intervene and protect the animal, putting yourself in harms way?
E) Wail on the aggressor, and let them know what real suffering is like?
The first option, is a conscious decision, to ignore the suffering, as it does not affect us.
The second option, has us acknowledge the suffering, but remain as the observer, and detached from the events.
The third option, recognizes the suffering, and asks that it stop. No further action is taken, only a request that what is happening is not good. This is a judgment...
Option D, has us place ourselves between the aggressor, and the victim, and potentially incur the wrath of the aggressor. We acknowledge the suffering as our own, and intervene.
E... We get medieval on the aggressor, and the suffering is now upon the aggressor. The victim is liberated. You have become an agent of karma.
The bible tells us "And the LORD said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper"?.
Tulasidas wrote "The one who you are helping is God in some disguise", that we are all an expression, or embodyment of God.
Myself, when I see somebody, or something, being abused, and is unable to defend themselves, I lean towards D and E.
