The sins of the fathers?

The sins of the fathers are not my sins. I can't speak for those who came before who committed genocide against the native Americans, stole the lands from Mexico, commanded the slave ships or, even futher back, robbed, pillaged and raped throughout history from the day man took his first steps.

I have no argument that such things have occured in abundance - but I was not there and so it is not my place nor my burden to atone for them.  Possessing no time machine, nor as far as I can tell a genetic karmic debt, I am only responsible for my own actions I choose to take, or for my inactions, during my brief span of years on this green and blue planet.

No doubt we are a conflicted group of omnivores - not completely aggressive meat eaters and yet not plant eaters either, still adapting and developing, who continue to have traits of aggressiveness, jealousy, greed, etc. that pull at all of us.  How we react to those urges is what frames our lives.

As for myself, I can only make my far from perfect attempt to treat my fellow man as best I can, helping more and harming less and realize that in the end the measure of a person's life is not the goods they accumulate, but cumulative good they achieve.

It is, as you say, an individual journey and I agree that is the place to begin.  Meanwhile the world keeps turning and if we lose sight of the tides of man sweeping about us while we have are on our spirit quest we will find ourselves swept under as have the millions of victims before us.

I do not desire to be the oppressor, neither do I desire to be the victim.  It is quite fine to have your lofty head in the clouds, but in the real world, you best keep your feet on the ground too.

DQ

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