All interpersonal and organisational problems arise from people with different extents of delusion interacting with one another. It is usually the initiative of those who have less delusion to help those with more delusion to realise any problematic issues at hand. But another problem arises when these people (with less delusion on the issues) are deluded in another way – when they do not know how to skillfully raise these issues. They might thus be seen as the ones more deluded on the same issues – by those who are really more deluded about them – when it is the other way round.
Delusion is after all, not being able to see things as they really are. This problem from interrelations will always arise until the ones who raise the issues acquire the appropriate skilful means out of compassion to awaken the others with their wisdom. Delusion can only be resolved by compassion and wisdom – for oneself and others.
This is very true in my experience, from both sides of the issue. Before I started practicing Zen meditation, I was extremely deluded – depressed, judgmental of myself, my life, others. And I always thought, “Everyone around me is so smart! So cool! So fortunate! Why is it that not a single one of them can help move me closer to happiness? Why does not a single person understand me?”
Now, I am much happier, less deluded. I have become vegan and passionate about it. But I have a history of anger problems and relationship problems with people who I feel are being illogical or disrespectful, which I have been very slowly overcoming. Anyway, the majority of my experience as a vegan has involved online discussions in which vegans and non-vegans end up in heated debates are fussing over who’s worse: angry vegans or placid meat-eaters. And of course since most people in the room are meat-eaters, I tend to lose those debates. You’re right… it’s a struggle, but vegans must learn how to better communicate with non-vegans because non-vegans don’t have a vested interest in it and won’t try to improve communication until we do.
Hi Louche, I was discussing this with some vege friends recently, about how some non-vege folks keep using this question to challenge vege Buddhists – ‘Which is better – a veg*n with poor character or a non-veg*n with good character?’ This is a silly question because it forces us to choose between two poor choices, while there is a better third option – ‘It is best to be a veg*n with good character!’
😉