The World Now

Well, first of all, I think it helps to read history and recognize this is not a unique time. I mean, even just in the 20th century, there were two huge, stupid wars. Always there have been aggression and takeovers and the exaltation of the lowest denomination in human emotions. It's always been there since the beginning and quiet, peaceful people get taken over by the more aggressive. The sad thing is we don't seem to have learned much, but I think it's very important.

I mean, I sometimes say that we talk about physical pollution and take photos of cities which are under the pole of their polluted air and so forth, and if you look at the planet, so many parts of it are just covered in this darkness of all our polluting agents. But if we could see the psychic pollution, the spiritual pollution of negative thinking, fear, aggression, paranoia, and so forth, greed also, competitiveness, all these negative emotions, if we could see that, that would be thicker than any physical pollution at this time because it is so exalted. And so I think it's very important for those who are aware of that not to add to the pollution by anger or aggression towards the aggressors or paranoia and fear and despair and depression and all these negative emotions which are just adding to the negative. And therefore it's very important to really give out lots and lots of love and kindness and compassion and just deep healing energies out there, not send out the light, not contribute to the darkness. And the Buddha always said that when we cultivate love and kindness and compassion, we have to start with ourselves and come to terms and peace with ourselves in order to give out love and peace and kindness and compassion to others.

If we don't have it first to ourselves, then how are we going to help others? That doesn't mean self-inflation, but it doesn't mean making friends.