(Pic: Kites flying by Buangkok train station)
A kite without a guiding string
is a dangerous kite,
that endangers itself (when it crashes),
that endangers others too.
A car without working brakes
is a useless car,
that cannot be slowed down,
that cannot be stopped either.
The moral precepts are guidelines
that protect us more than they restrict us,
that lead us away from unhappiness,
that guide us towards True Happiness.
True freedom is not
being able to do whatever you want,
which can harm oneself and others.
Real freedom is from mindful self-control.
When the string is overstretch, it risks breaking, potentially losing the kite into the wind. A case of middle path?
Nice extension of the analogy! Yes, when the precepts are abided by too rigidly, one misses the spirit of the law and becomes attached to the letter of the law. That’s when suffering occurs. Amituofo
😉