Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We usually don’t scrutinize the teachings that sound righteous to our ears, simply because we respect those teachings. But watch out, many of those teachings are not so righteous, because they come from an arrogant mode of thinking. Some examples:

– Be humble. Lower yourself to the same level of the poor and the undereducated. So, you really think you are higher than the poor and the undereducated?

– Forgive people who do wrong to you. So, you really think you have the power to forgive them for their sin (or mistake)? Except God, no one has the power to forgive anyone’s sin. You only have the power to feel unbothered by the wrongdoer.

– Equality means you lift others up to your level. Here we go again, you seriously think you are at the higher level? Equal is equal. Period. No higher or lower to lift up or press down.

– Take pity on the unfortunate. They don’t need your pity. If you love them and want to help them, then love them and help them.

– Tội nghiệp the beggar. Tội means sin. Nghiệp means karma. Tội nghiệp means karma from sin, or sinful karma. The beggar is poor because he is poor. Don’t blame him for being punished for his sinful karma.
…

If you think for a while, maybe you will come up with a bunch of examples to extend the list.

You get my point. Many teachings and proverbs may carry a fundamental position of a higher-ranking person talking about a lower ranking person.

We all are equal under the law. No rank.

But more than the law, we all are equal before God, before Buddha and before all the saints and Bodhisattvas of the universe.

Wish we all think and act equally to one another, with full respect.

With compassion,

Hoành

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Trần Đình Hoành
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