We Know Not What We Do

The ego loves it's resentment of reality. What is reality? Whatever is. Budda called it tatata ---the suchness of life, which is no more than the suchness of the moment. Opposition toward that suchness is one of the main features of the ego. It creates the negativity that the ego thrives on, the unhappiness that it loves. In this way, you make yourself and others suffer and don't even know that you are doing it, don't know that you are creating a hell on earth. To create suffering without recognizing it -- this is the essence of unconscious living; this is being totally in the grip of the ego.

The extent of the ego's inability to recognize itself and see what it is doing is staggering and unbelievable. It will do exactly what it condemns others for and not see it. When it is pointed out, it will use angry denial, clever arguments, and self-justifications to distort the facts. People to it, corporations do it, governments do it. When all else fails, the ego will resort to shouting or even to physical violence. Send in the marines.

We can now understand the deep wisdom in Jesus' words on the cross: "Forgive them for they know not what they do."

~~Eckhart Tolle~~