| Revenge, the desire to hurt others who | | | | The greatest illusion is this: that we |
| have hurt us, only bears bitter fruit. | | | | can hurt and not be hurt, that we can |
| It hurts those whom we have inflicted | | | | wound another and remain unscathed. |
| our wrath upon. And it hurts us, | | | | When we inflict harm upon another, we |
| because no single act in the universe | | | | inflict harm upon ourselves. What goes |
| goes unrewarded. From that singular | | | | around comes around. A rudimentary |
| act, our own consciousness is wounded by | | | | study of history will prove this. |
| the expression of our animalism. | | | | When we love, we reach out to align with |
| Nations pride themselves on the | | | | life, to nurture and make others better, |
| swiftness of their retribution but | | | | and in that act, we redeem ourselves |
| inevitably collapse in on themselves | | | | from our own past follies. |
| because the seeds of discontent that | | | | This love is a precious act. It is our |
| they sow, hurts all of life. Rome, the | | | | extension of spiritual power in the |
| greatest civilization that the world had | | | | world. It is a moment of sympathy and |
| ever known, built on the finest arts and | | | | support that we have for life. When you |
| sciences known to the ancient world, the | | | | bend down and help a child tie its |
| epitome of legal and architectural | | | | shoelaces, you are tying up all the |
| order, collapsed from within, destroyed | | | | knots of the world. When you listen in |
| by its own impulse to use its mighty | | | | silence and understand another's |
| force to strike out and subdue. | | | | intention, you are spreading the meme of |
| Today our world is dying because of this | | | | empathy through all of time and space, |
| impulse to strike out. | | | | for thoughts are cosmic waves that do |
| We are destroying each other at an | | | | not know any barriers. |
| alarming rate, both individually and | | | | As we extend love to others, it comes |
| collectively. | | | | back to us. |
| And even the earth itself, is collapsing | | | | Yet we cannot love others unless we love |
| at a faster rate than we can repair. | | | | ourselves as well. |
| Scientists now estimate that by the year | | | | We cannot live without making mistakes |
| 2050, we will have exhausted the earth | | | | of judgment and do things that we will |
| of all its natural resources. | | | | later regret, because we are naïve and |
| The science that we celebrate, the | | | | do foolish things out of that naivety. |
| genius of our efforts, are wasted on | | | | But we do grow, and looking back at the |
| destructive uses. Instead of using the | | | | harm we have invoked, we feel grief. |
| power of the nucleus to build great | | | | Our act of love, then, is to forgive |
| civilizations we are busy using it to | | | | ourselves. Yet instead of taking this |
| stockade bombs. | | | | simple act, we damn ourselves |
| Billions of dollars that could be used | | | | repeatedly, and in this way, we still |
| to heal the broken places on our planet | | | | hurt life, because we are life. |
| are used to send people to horrific | | | | When we feel the urge to strike out, we |
| deaths. | | | | must remember how it feels to have the |
| When we seek to hurt life, we hurt | | | | wound inflicted upon our own flesh, |
| ourselves, for we are life. | | | | because everything returns to the author |
| Revenge it is said is a dish best served | | | | of a deed. |
| cold; but whether it is served with cold | | | | Help always, hurt never. Do this and |
| deliberation or hot reaction, it is a | | | | your life will be a blessing to the |
| dish in whose very preparation we imbue | | | | world and you must reap the harvest from |
| a poison that will return to destroy us. | | | | what you have sown. |