The Fragile Rope

Monks, I say there is no wicked deed that may not be committed by the human being who has transgressed in one thing. What one thing? I mean the intentional uttering of a falsehood.

Itivuttaka 25

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     I have had an awakening based on humility before the mirror of truth. I had to admit my own inability to break free of the bondage to self by standing alone and naked before a power greater than myself. Call it what you will, but I knew instinctively that I could not lie to, or ABOUT, the Heart of Compassion. I had to break down my experience to the minimum… reduce what I knew and distill it from what I thought I ought to know. All I know about this experience is that I faced the truth and it was the truth that set me free. I knew then that I wasn’t going to make up anything… intentionally color or put robes and sandals on this experience in order to convince anyone else of my faith. This awakening also makes it harder to intentionally bear false witness about anyone else. As I look in the mirror I am able to see myself as an image… a reflection… persona the mask of who I am and this opens up the possibility to see others as a mask of myself. How can I lie and add to my own suffering.

P.S
    On another somewhat related subject: I awoke last night with my back screaming in pain. I channel surfed into Milos Forman’s flick, Goya’s Ghosts. Great performances by Natalie Portman and Javier Bordem were matched by Stellan Skarsgard portrayal of Goya. Part of the story had much to do about the brutality imposed by faith in the denial of the Big Lie…the lie that the ends justifies the means and even the ends are a lie. Walking that tightrope of faith is Nietzsche’s Superman and the inevitable fall of false faith is the fragile rope above the fickle crowd. A must see if you can get it on Netflix orwhatever.

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