Thursday, October 21, 2010

Save but don't Interfere?

M=Me, O=Other

M: Actually save is not save.

O: That Jesuit Priest said "God does not interfere." Is that what you mean?

M: I'm not God, but if God doesn't interfere, neither should I.

M: That's it. Save but don't interfere.

O: So you are not a Christian missionary.

M: Not one bit of that.

O: So what's this about "walk on the Earth as if it is your mother's face." How do you walk on your mother's face?

M: With a lot of attention. Being careful not to make any indentations.

O: So it seems like a paradox. You say "save all sentient beings" and then you say "do not interfere." You can't have your cake and eat it too.

M: I'm not eating cake these days.

O: The cake will be eaten without your assistance.

M: I guess your question is "how can you save by not interfering."

O: Sounds like "laissez-faire" to me.

M: That has gotten a bad rap, esp. in liberal circles.

O: So what do you mean?

M: Well, imagine walking through the forest and not disturbing a twig or leaf.

O: But one leaf is soon to be eaten by an insect. Don't you want to save that leaf?

M: As much as I care for the life of the leaf, I also care for the life of the insect. I shouldn't save one from the other. That's interfering... and if it isn't for God, it isn't for me.

O: Sounds like you are playing God by not interfering?

M: No, just trying to let the forest be as it is. Enough will happen to it without my assistance. It doesn't need me.

O: How about to keep others from interfering?

M: Now we're talking!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Your conundrums make me dizzy!

Who's in the world?

Xiushan said, "What can you do about the world?" Dizang said, "What do you call the world?"