dharma monkey

embrace the monkey

If we could see ourselves in others, no matter what the situation…

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I sometimes wonder what would happen if just a single individual who is firing weapons on either side of the Israel / Gaza border could see the Facebook page or Instagram account or Twitter feed of the person or people who would be hit by the bullet, rocket or shell.

Empathy_Towards_OthersWhat if they saw pictures of a young soldier spending the day at the beach under the warm Mediterranean sun, eating watermelon with his friends?  What if they saw a father, smiling with his family as they celebrated their blessings at the breaking of a fast?  Wedding snapshots, a midnight kiss, schoolmates hamming it up for a camera…a proud uncle holding a newborn nephew, #TBT pictures from a vacation, or a photo of a cherished parent on the anniversary of their death?

Would they still pull the trigger if they could see — somehow, someway — that the person on the other side of the border was simply another version of themselves?

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” — His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama

Author: Sean

I am Sean, a writer/PR guy originally from the Rural South who grew up and settled down in Washington, D.C. My interests include local politics, Eastern philosophy, languages and reality television.

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