Volume 54. August 3, 2024
On July 21, 2024, after a tortuous decision, President Joe Biden graciously bowed out of his reelection campaign.
He announced, “I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation.”
What a lesson in humility!
Imagine being the most powerful person on the planet, then voluntarily, on your own free will, giving up all that power.
Most mortals could not do it. Most would kick and scream. Some might even incite an insurrection and unleash a murderous mob to hold on to presidential power.
There is no force more tenacious than one’s ego. The tornado of personal desire can obliterate anything in its path.
Yet, Buddhism believes there is no ego. Buddhism urges us to let go of ego-desires and replace them with selfless compassion.
This aspiration to redirect selfish behavior is beautifully expressed in an old Tibetan verse:
“Whenever I am with others, I will see myself as the lowest of all and, from the depths of my heart, respect them as the highest.”
Such a noble sentiment obviously is difficult to put into practice.
But many centuries ago a Tibetan monk gave it a try.
One day, Geshe Ben was sitting in a large gathering of disciples. During a break in the proceedings, yogurt was offered to the guests. Geshe Ben, sitting in the middle, noticed how much yogurt the guests in the first row were taking.
The hungry monk wondered whether he would get his fair share.
Suddenly, realizing his self-centered thoughts, he reprimanded himself. “You yogurt addict!” He turned his bowl upside down.
When the yogurt finally came round to him, he refused saying, “My bad thoughts have already taken their share.”
Whether it be yogurt or ultimate global power, egotistical desires cause needless suffering for ourselves and other people.
For peace of mind, we need to let them go.
It takes wisdom to understand the principle of egoless-ness.
It takes humility to put it into action.
Yet, when we let go of our ego, we gain a new perspective. We see that all life, all things, indeed all people are really interconnected.
We are all in this together.
Joe Biden phrased the Buddhist wisdom of interconnectedness this way:
“It’s not about me. It’s about you, your families, your futures. It’s about we the people, and we can never forget that.”
President Joe Biden, in a Sunday stand down that astonished the nation, displayed the Buddhist ability to let go.
Joe Biden had the humility to pass the torch to a new generation.
Do you?
The Buddha Times 