Have greed and anger?

You’re ignorant! 

Having written, edited, re-written, and finally filmed a lecture on Buddhism’s three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, I faced the toughest part of producing a Dharma talk: coming up with a title.

While I was lamenting my problem and struggling with possible options, another nun looked over and asked me what the talk was about.

“The three poisons,” I replied.

She whipped back, “Have greed and anger? You’re ignorant!”

Wow. I wished I had come up with that. Regrettably, I couldn’t use her idea. (It was a bit too forthright.)

But she was so right. If we indulge in greed and succumb to anger, it’s due to our ignorance, our failure to deeply comprehend cause and effect. All that we’ll end up with from giving in to the three poisons will be disappointment and regret. The three are a package deal: due to ignorance, we crave, and when this is unfulfilled, we get angry.

This is one deal we can live without.

Forgiveness is not just for major wrongs. (Click image for video)

No one is too important to say 

“I’m sorry.” 

We’re in the grocery store, pushing our shopping cart around the end of the aisle when we suddenly come face to face with another person doing the same thing. Narrowly avoiding a collision, we both smile, murmur “Sorry!”, and good-naturedly negotiate around each other.

See how easy it is?

When we’re not captivated by thoughts of self-importance, we can freely act like civil human beings.

Why can’t this happen all the time?

Is it because apologizing to someone who is less influential or wealthy would be demeaning? And so Mr. All-important doesn’t consider it necessary to apologize, for anything. How sad. Too often, people prance around with inflated egos due to their current good fortune, which they incorrectly credit to being more clever than others. No one is so important that he doesn’t need to apologize for uncivil behavior.

Better to say “I’m sorry” now than be sorry in the future when our past arrogance and misdeeds catch up with us.