Oneness

One evening, while driving back from work, I saw a car hit a bird and proceed on its way without stopping. Being an avid animal lover, I pulled over on the side of quite a busy highway and placed the bird in my car. It turned out that the bird was a red-tailed hawk. I drove for two hours with it in my car looking for a veterinarian that could tend to it. Eventually, wildlife rescue personnel examined the bird and luckily no bones were broken. He told me how dangerous it was to drive around with a wild bird in my car, and I also found out that it was against the law to have had the hawk. There was no time when I was afraid of the bird. I was only moved by my internal drive to do what seemed right and I think he felt that.
As I said previously, selfishness and lack of concern for others is not a new phenomenon. Some people have pets and then move to another location, or have babies after which, they get rid of their furry companions. It is as though they used their pet to satisfy their own needs for a certain period of time and then like an old newspaper discarded of it. Some people do the same with their aging parents.
Anyone can come up with an excuse for why they do not do a certain thing. Excuses turn out to be our guilt blankets. What people do not recognize is that each and every one of us is that other afflicted being. Because of the events in our life and largely because of the choices we make, we can become the victim or the perpetrator. We are not immune against having strong feelings and then acting them out. This is common to everyone. Instead, what we can do is try to become mindful of how we affect other sentient beings through the choices we make.
This is a patriotic gesture but many people mistakenly use it as a reason to focus on our differences further. Dividing ourselves from others can only lead to more suffering and hinder our inner growth. The statement “One nation indivisible under God….” does not have to pertain to a specific culture. Since there is one God, there is one nature – humanity. We choose to separate ourselves by judging others. This behavior can only lead to resentment, anger, hatred, and eventually to harmful acts. Our circle of love can be either large or really small. What I mean by circle of love is the one made up of those sentient beings that are part of our lives. In Western society, I have observed that people’s circle is very small. It is usually made up one’s partner and biological children. If one loves all of life, one’s circle will be ever-expending. Is it necessary to be focused only on our own children’s welfare and our own well-being, satisfaction and peace of mind?
Excerpt from Guru in Jeans: Inward Journey to Psychospiritual Awakening