One Rule

It’s been a while since I last sat down to write…  I can’t say it’s for any good reason, save that I just got preoccupied with living life – and it’s a beautiful one, no matter what circumstances might bring.

 

I’ve been thinking for some time about the way I choose to live, the code of honor I choose to follow.  I’ve long held that what is lawful and what is right are often two entirely different things; virtuous behavior must come from the heart, without coercion, or else it isn’t genuine virtue.  Or, to paraphrase the Tao Te Ching, the moment we need rules to make us act kindly and justly, it is merely an act, and the surest sign that there is no true kindness or justice.  So I’ve lived by my own personal code for quite some time now, but I’ve never tried to write it down or formalize it.

 

It wasn’t until I started trying, about the time of my last entry, that I realized that it all came down to one, single, simple rule.  Saint Augustine said it best:  “Love, and do as you please.”  My one rule.

 

If I genuinely love someone – and I’m not talking about mere eros, here, although it may certainly be relevant…  I’m talking about love in its totality, including the aspects of charity, of affection, of friendship – I can do no wrong.  Love places the needs and desires of another above those of the self.  I would never lie to those I truly love, nor seek to harm them in any way; I would seek to bring about what is good for them without regard for myself.

 

If I genuinely love my community, I can weigh the merit of my actions by how they benefit all of the people whose lives I touch.  I would seek to give of my time and effort to build up the community, through acts of service or hospitality, lending my best qualities to the edification of all.

 

If I genuinely love myself, I can know my limits and respect them.  I would know when I have given enough of myself to need time for solitude and meditation, knowing also that burning out does not benefit anyone.  I would know when to rest so that I could return to the community feeling refreshed and rejuvenated and able to love them fully and without reservation or condition.

 

The trick is, of course, to live by this one rule.  It’s much easier to talk about than to actually live…  but then, even if never get it perfectly right, at least I’ve got something to strive for.

 

Here’s to love.