Summary: Ep. 20 ~ Compassion for Abusers<br> I know the basis of all this is we’re One, we’re Love, we’re Compassion, we enfold. And then I go home and I’m on the periphery of a group that deals with abused animals. And I really have a hard time putting together “We are One, We are Compassion” with how do I go about treating the abusers. Now I know what I want to do, but that would put me in jail. I’m stuck in this place that says, “you shouldn’t do that” and I know that that’s, I know I’m right, and I know that’s my ego and all of what I’m studying or learning or becoming is to get rid of the ego, to let the ego go. <br> “Ramana Maharshi said, “If you ask the thief to be the policeman, there will be a lot of investigation, but no arrest will ever be made.” So, you’re asking the thief to make everybody else obey the rules whereas you’re already a thief and you’re not obeying the rules yourself. These things you’re talking about, they’re not things to be used to either beat yourself up with or beat other people up with. Nor is it something that you’re supposed to think about. These are things that you realize through practice. In the meantime, you try to get through life doing as little damage as possible to yourself and the people around you.” – Krishna Das<br> Q: I’ve been meaning to ask you this question but I’ve never gotten up the nerve to.<br> KD: Next question.<br> Q: Ok, I go to Bhakti Fest, I come here, I have a Guru, I know the basis of all this is we’re One, we’re Love, we’re Compassion, we enfold. And then I go home and I’m on the periphery of a group that deals with abused animals. And I really have a hard time putting together “We are One, We are Compassion” with how do I go about treating the abusers. Now I know what I want to do, but that would put me in jail. I’m stuck in this place that says, “you shouldn’t do that” and I know that that’s, I know I’m right, and I know that’s my ego and all of what I’m studying or learning or becoming is to get rid of the ego, to let the ego go.<br> KD: Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.<br> Q: I’m in a lot of conflict.<br> KD: Who’s going to get rid of the ego? The ego’s not gonna.<br> Q: So how do I incorporate these abusers?<br> KD: Ramana Maharshi said, “If you ask the thief to be the policeman, there will be a lot of investigation, but no arrest will ever be made.” So, you’re asking the thief to make everybody else obey the rules whereas you’re already a thief and you’re not obeying the rules yourself. These things you’re talking about, they’re not things to be used to either beat yourself up with or beat other people up with. Nor is it something that you’re supposed to think about. These are things that you realize through practice. In the meantime, you try to get through life doing as little damage as possible to yourself and the people around you. Period. If you’re treating abused animals and abusing people, what are you doing? First of all, every one of your own actions creates a karma in the first place. That’s where you should be focused the most. What is your motivation for your own actions? If it’s anger, what are you going to create with anger? More hatred. More anger. More suffering. So, as that guy said, “Take the splinter out of your own eye first.” Wow. Oh, it’s Shivaratri, of course. We have to talk about Jesus. Take the splinter out of your own eye first, and then things will look different, and then you can operate on everybody else. So, it’s good that you see what you’re caught in, but you’re trying to figure it out, you’re trying to pick yourself up like this. But you can’t, there’s no leverage. You have to quiet your mind, calm yourself down and take responsibility for your actions. Thinking and knowing that thoughts are actions as well. They don’t make as big a ripple in the karmic field as physical action, but it’s also a definite karma. This is a question that everybody’s asking me now. “What I do with that guy in the White House?
