As I have been writing on this platform for quite a long time now, I have come up with things to write about, through books, experiences, conversations etc. that made me think about things I don’t would have normally thought about. The last book I was reading “Ethics for the New Millennium” by His Holiness the Dalai Lama (“Das Buch der Menschlichkeit”, DEU), I had one of such thoughts: Do we owe the world anything?
Bad and good people…
Think about this for a moment. Sure, we all know that there are better and worse people, people who do more good and people who do more harm. Some heal, and some hurt. And of course, I always thought, people should only do good and everything who does bad should be punished or hindered or taught better in some way. But then I’ve learnt that primarily, the world is a school, a playground if you will, where souls come to learn.
Some are older and more mature, others are still young and still need to learn a lot. They might make more of a mess while they’re visiting, just like a little child sometimes does, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do better. I have stopped blaming single people or groups for the harm they’re causing here. Suffering is inevitable. And every soul knows this before deciding to come here. Through suffering we learn, which is why I not only consider it as a bad thing only, but that’s just a subjective point of view and my personal opinion.
It’s not the goal to eradicate suffering
Having said that – that suffering is inevitable, we all cause harm at some point, and making mistakes is just part of the DNA of a student (which we all are on this planet) – I think, we still need to see it a bit differently. The Dalai Lama to me seems like this big teddy bear, this angel on earth, goodness and wisdom in human form, and I’m interested in what he says, of course. But I think he got it wrong, when he wrote that we should/and could shift to this higher state of being where we don’t cause any harm like we currently are – because our consciousness might be changing.
I don’t think we can just eradicate all bad from this planet, as we’re all so imperfect. But living in a place of perfect harmony is not the point of coming to earth and live this life. We wouldn’t learn anything anymore. Suffering will always be there on a grander scale. Only the individual can hope to grow and learn as much to be the most kind version they can be. The rest is out of their power. But still. Do we owe the world anything? And if yes, what?
The responsibilities you carry
The question is a truly difficult one and stands at the center of morale- and ethics-studies. No, we don’t have to be good people. We don’t have to treat others with kindness, we don’t have to recycle our waste, we don’t have to become vegetarian, we don’t have to help people in need, we don’t have to restrain ourselves from any malicious act we would want to act out. But everything carries consequences. If you kill someone, you go to jail, if you hit someone they might hit you back. Some actions don’t seem as immediate. You can consume whatever and not care about the mess you make. But there is always karma. There is your consciousness as a soul.
Everything comes back to you
Everything you are and everything you do is energy. And energy attracts and repels itself. You have no idea what invisible footprint you’re leaving. It is never wrong to step out the house as the best version you can present the world today. You will soon see that if you act based off a peaceful and pure heart, the course of your life will change. Your actions are reflected in your state of mind, in your moods, the health of your heart and body, your relationships to others, your opportunities, your contentment. The world will show up to you how you show up to it. Nothing in life comes without consequences, even if you think you can just do whatever you like. And the people who are reading this who know they are trying the absolute best they can to be the best person they can be, know what it feels like when life smiles back at you. Let this be your major take away.
So… Do we owe the world anything?
So, no, technically you don’t owe the world anything. But everything you emit, will come back to you. This concept is not restricted to: you do bad, bad will happen to you. It’s an energy. And you can feel it in all aspects of your life.
“The planet does not need more successful people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of all kinds.”
Dalai Lama
And lastly, you owe it to yourself to allow yourself to live all the experiences you can grant yourself to push your own soul onto that journey that life is. The world is your playground, the path you walk on. If you mistreat it, how do you think that will work out for you? Your journey as a soul would be so impaired without this planet. So you might as well do the right thing and pay it some respect. If you have grown as far to understand that this is a relationship you agreed to be in a long time ago and you committed to it, it’s easier to understand that kindness is the only way forward. So, be that best person you can be. And you’ll come far!
Love, Valentina
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