I woke the other morning chuckling, how often does that happen?
How do you escape a troll? Take the high road, you'll never see them there.
I had a more specific term than troll but no need to associate one bad egg with a whole group. Or even a whole generation or segment of population with a tradition, culture or world. But this is a serious issue in human society. I used to see the bumper sticker "Mean People Suck" - I don't know what that related to for the person who put it on their car but it was kinda sad to see, what I realized was that "Mean People Are Hurting." It is good to keep in mind. Hurt is the source of their behavior and hurt- especially to themselves, is the outcome of their behavior. It is a vicious cycle, it really happens to everyone not infrequently. We are hurt and we respond from that hurt and the cycle goes on. Sensei teaches that there are 4 times to stop this cycle. First is after you have already acted out, second is during your response, third is when you see it coming and fourth is well in advance when you lay the groundwork for a beneficial relationship with the world. Meditation cultivates awareness of the time between perception and response, time to reflect, view the big picture, consider the frame and the other person's point of view, an awful lot goes on in that blink of an eye. As Buddhists we are lucky to have a teaching that prepares us for Dukkha and develops the capacity for learning on the agility course of life. We have the ready made and always to hand tool that is Compassion Meditation. Just grab it and go, its holster is May I Be Happy, May I Be Peaceful, May I Be Well. Press the trigger and it fires May you be happy May you be peaceful May you be well. There are advanced settings that make this multi-tool invaluable in all four stages.
You can pick one of these babies up for just $19.99 at Cloud Nine Superstore, see you there.
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