But, Justice and The Law were conceived first in all holy works, as the ways to keep peace between unaware, unawakened, souls in the world… until such times as each could develop further

Long ago, eye for an eye was replaced by Love…love thy neighbor as theyself; do unto others as you would be done to; and what I would call, Live and let live.

Holding human acts up against a larger sense of Justice and seeing what's needed for containment or teaching, is very different than an unmediated drive to punish, and calling that and only that, 'justice'. There are times to confine, to teach, to evoke… and these often way outnumber the times to destroy.

What kind of Justice or justice you and I might bring to a crisis situation in our own lives, sparrow, most likely will depend on the moment; what our reaction/ action would be is something that we can speculate about til forever, but we will never know what will be asked of us if a critical moment comes upon us.

I think part of ongoing inner peace for the spirit is in knowing however we are asked to act in such moments, we would try to heed. My experience in life tells me it is sometimes just as hard to destroy when such is merited, as it sometimes is to let things pass in silence or with gentle mediation.

yet, for many of us, I dont think the difficulty of enacting the called-for response is as hard as listening for which is the right way through in this very moment.

I hope we're not called to be perfect, for God knows, my voice would have an echo from being at bottom of the barrel. But, I think sparrow, we're called take sharp observation of the overview, take counsel from heart, soul, spirit as well as drive for self-preservation and protection of others… then determine how to act. Sometimes that counsel might take years to garner and enact, other times, only a second.

I like what Aquinas says: Given in clarity, but much more muddy when coming through the human condition.

Let's keep rowing on this river, River.

dr.e

Seems to me. . .we are collectively standing on the verge of we know not what. . .perhaps in a space we have not been before (at least not as a collective). In our pursuit of happiness, beauty and truth many seem to be stretching to touch the masculine with one hand while clasping the feminine with the other hand in the deep places. . .which simultaneously links the global East and West, inner and outer, skepticism and faith, pragmatism and idealism, karma and grace, ancient and modernity to list a few. . . It is such a small planet these days and with a few links left we stand in a tender, raw, throbbing groundless space of unknowing of not quite there. For some it seems to be annihilation/armageddon or for other tomb time before resurrection depending on whether there is the belief that lasting security can be attained from the material . . .

maybe this is true or maybe not. . .maybe just a defense of nothingness. . .there are those that say that too. . .

Dr. E. the biggest contradiction to the pursuit of Beauty and Truth glares at me with the new faces of the pirates/”murders” from your last posting. Same story with different faces, that other shadowy world that kills plunders and maimes for greed, and power lust. Yes, that is where i get stuck. . .” Mean people suck”. . . .” not from the glut of truth and beauty, but for the want of them.”. . .yes! yes! yes!. . . .This is where i have to die, or harden and become cynical. . .i had rather feel the pain and the death of the dream over and over again than to harden and live without heart. . . With each round when i am able to let it go, those cherished beliefs of goodness and justice, that space, “forgive them for they know not what they do”, then there is just spaciousness after the deathing of this is how it could be, if only we could all hold life with reverence and honor. . . .Maybe even that has to go. . . .

But what to do about justice?

Maybe this is what the Buddha meant when he said; ” Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.”

Hope that you and all have a Happy Easter. . .

river