Perspective – it’s a fascinating concept…

Kendo has spoken at length on how the whole of nature around ourselves is the biggest of all “big pictures”, and we need to humbly appreciate that we are a part of that specific realm if we want nature to treat us favourably. This is the kind of humility that is practised in prayer – accepting that there are bigger things than ourselves – and it helps keep the ego in check.

But, sometimes we can find ourselves asking, “What is my place in the ‘big picture’?”

It’s a question that is typical of the mind, fabricating a reason to analyse, instead of just getting on with things! But – is there an answer?

Kendo points out that there most certainly is.

Of all things, ideas, and concepts, there is one immutable truth about human life: our societies pre-exist us, we are born into them and adapt to them, we contribute to them, and they continue to exist after we have moved on. This is both an example of bigger things than ourselves, and an illustration that our actions matter.

Everything we do creates ripples in the society around us, and changes the quality of society for everyone; our lifetimes can have a profound effect on the lives of many others, and because in the west we spend so much time wrapped-up in ourselves, we can fail to realise this.

There is another fascinating dynamic here, says Kendo – when you reach out to society, it reaches back – you become aware of needs that it collectively has, and you may be the person who is uniquely positioned and skilled to make positive change at that moment; if you have a heart and a social conscience, you respond.

All the foregoing is why caring about the society around us is so important to Kendo, springing as it does from the roots of Buddhism. It’s so much more than playing the role of a caring person – it’s making quantum shifts in the entire fabric of reality, forever.

Kendo’s healing message for October is: never under-estimate the magnitude of the difference you can make, just by having the right approach and being ready to reach out. We are in the Astrological time of Libra – Kendo’s illustration should help us understand how inportant it is, and how easy it is, to make our society fair, just, and positive for all.