Quitting in a huff, earthquake, death and meaning of life

As my life is drawing to the end, it's getting more and more interesting with each passing day. Yesterday, I ventured out of my shell and spoke my mind, not for my own glory, but for the honor of the community of which I have been a member. Then late in the evening, two news items hit me hard. A lady quit her job in a huff. And a big earthquake occurred 150 miles off the east coast of Japan, creating a destructive tsunami whose ferocious fury was in full display live on the TV screen.

I felt a pang of sadness when I learned through the grapevine an emotional and high-strung lady just walked out of her job after being on board for barely a week. I think she was not empathetic enough. She failed to understand the views and visions of others. She was indeed myopic. She was too wrapped up with her own vision. She didn't understand she didn't hold a monopoly on truths. What she took as a craven hankering for publicity was merely an attempt to pay back an emotional debt of gratitude. We wanted the one who once helped us know that we appreciate their help. We saw nothing wrong to express our gratitude publicly instead of anonymously, especially our benefactors themselves are now victims of a natural disaster. Their sufferings are public, not private.. We assume, and our assumption can't be wrong because it's based on common sense and logic, that our once benefactors would be glad to see that we didn't forget them in their current hour of grief. The matter is as simple as that. Why did she have to attribute and ascribe unsavory motives to the normal human act of expressing public gratitude? Why did she have to accuse those who wish to do so as publicity hounds? As I pointedly mentioned elsewhere, she should learn that tolerance and understanding, not self-righteous condemnation, are the true marks of spiritual advancement. She is fond of using the Sanskrit term Metta (loving kindness) as a sign-off in her emails, but so far all I have seen are sweeping condemnations couched in inflammatory, provocative, uncompromising language. She has a long way to go in learning about Metta. I think she is suffering right now, all because of ego and self-righteousness and illusory spiritual superiority. A spiritually superior and loving and kind person tends to be gentle in speech. Vehement speech is a reflection of a soul all stirred up by the passions of the moment and lack of self-control. I should know what I am talking about for I was exactly like her not too long ago. I insisted too much on justice, on my being right. I didn't have much loving kindness inside me at all. One day I suddenly realized despite all my readings and intelligence, I was twisted and contorted in anger and anguish because of my ego. I was ashamed of myself. I knew I could be better. And so I changed. I am still emotional and full of turbulence, but there is less of an attitude of self-righteousness. I am learning to accept differences of opinions. Dogs, hogs, and fools have a right to be on this planet as much as I do. They also have a right to hold onto their opinions, however misguided and stupid those opinions may be. I don't have to accept those opinions, but I have no right to denounce them in public as misguided and stupid. I can present my own opinions and contrasting them with theirs. Let those dogs, hogs, and fools and the bystanders make up their own minds about the merits of the contrasting opinions and views. Well, you could counter-argue that by virtue that I use terms "dogs, hogs, and fools," I already imply a put-down. I then would just reply to you that in this life and on this planet, there are indeed dogs, hogs, and fools. We can't deny that fact. Additionally, we can't deny that these creatures lack self-awareness and the ability to search for truths. But that does not mean they have no right to state their opinions and views on whatever topics that move them. Dogs bark, hogs wallow in the mud, and fools talk nonsense while trying to appear wise. That's their nature. They can't help themselves. Maybe I am a fool for writing all this shit today.