ethics post

I'm thinking about the 5 precepts.

The first precept is to not take life. How easily everyone breaks that. I kill the fly infestation inside my house. Israel kills Gaza, Hamas killed Israeli. Russians kill Ukrainians. Ukrainians kill Russians in defense against the aggression. There are many stories, but we find ways around the absolute to not kill.

Trump killed many by his anaction around Covid, a metaphysic maybe only one side of the political perspective believe, maybe more.

I mostly eat vegan, but I make exceptions for the occasional kefir for gut health, and the occasional meal when a guest at others houses. But I choose more meat by myself than I have to. I'm not quite there yet.

Humans are hugely selfish. Men create war to protect women, because women don't need men, except once, or twice if the first doesn't hold. War is violence so women feel unsafe.

We could tighten things up and at least not kill any more, other humans, and then spread it out to mammals. For me the last step would be insects.

No stealing. That means cooperatives, profit sharing, no stealing of the earth's legacy, dumping poison into the river, not more chopping down the rainforest. No more punching down at minorities.

No more sexual abuse or rape. Crystal clear on consent.

No more lying. Stealing others power. There are degrees of truth and having the deepest truths. 

No more substance abuse, internalized hatred, trying to blot out experience.

So to me the question becomes how do you operate in a system that doesn't believe this ethic?

Ethics support meditation, relationships, simplifying life.