Kill or Be Killed?
Interesting question, but what is really intriguing is that it is a question at all... I will base my answer on some excerpts from the Tao Te Ching that apply to this question. The excerpts from the Tao Te Ching also help put the the 3 foundations for living the "Piece" 2.0 Lifestyle, which I will also use, into context. The 3 foundations for living the "Piece" of 2.0 Lifestyle are:
- Live with Infinite Possibility
- Live aligned with Your Goodness, not Your Ego
- Live with Simplicity
Here we go:
Excerpt from the 13th Verse
Man's true self is eternal, yet, he thinks, I am this body and will soon die.
If we have no body, what calamities can we have?
One who sees himself as everything is fit to be guardian of the world.
One who loves himself as everyone is fit to be teacher of the world.
So, Living with Infinite Possibility means viewing the world and all situations from the 30,000 foot, universal, level - I call it gods view. Fly up to the moon or to Mars or to Pluto (poor Pluto - not even a planet anymore!) and look back, what do you see? Well, what you see is how small the situation of kill or be killed is in the grand scheme of things. The reality is every situation in our lives should be viewed this way. We should just live each moment to the best of our ability. The great thing about the 30,000 foot view is that we get a first hand glimpse of all the possibilities we have! It is a big world out there and anything - ANYTHING - is possible if we are aligned with our goodness, not our ego - which brings us to the next step in the "Piece" 2.0 Lifestyle - aligning with your goodness, not your ego.
Excerpt from the 49th Verse
Those who are good he treats with goodness.
Those who are bad he also treats with goodness
because the nature of his being is good.
He is kind to the kind.
He is also kind to the unkind
because the nature of his being is kindness.
Aligning with your goodness, not your ego...what the fbomb does that mean? Well, it means everyone is good to start and regardless of your past, anyone can be good in the present and the future. All of us are good to the bone, if we choose to be. Goodness, my friends, is a choice. In fact, it is one of the core choices we make each and every moment of each and every day. Unfortunately, humans have chosen to create an ego centered culture, not a goodness centered culture. The result is that our choices typically are aligned with our egos and our own self interests. That said, the fact that "Kill or be Killed" is even a question has everything to do with our egos. Our egos complicate our lives and make everyday living "gray" - which brings us to our next item - living with simplicity.
Excerpt from the 37th Verse
When life is simple, pretenses fall away; our essential natures shine through.
By not wanting there is calm, and the world will straighten itself.
When there is silence, one finds the anchor of the universe within oneself.
Living with simplicity - simply means clearing out the clutter so that you can listen to the voice within you. That voice is the universal intelligence, god, the source or whatever you want to call it. When we do not live with clutter in our skulls, it opens up our hearts to the goodness within us and allows that goodness to flow freely into our actions and reactions. Time to grab the bong.....just kidding. Finally an Excerpt from the 79th Verse
Someone must risk returning injury with kindness, or hostility will never turn to goodwill.
So, Kill or Be Killed?
Well, I am hoping given the information above you have backed into my answer to the question, but, just in case. First, I realize that as important as I am, and as many loved ones as I would miss, there is a larger purpose at play in everything and I choose to let that unfold naturally. Maybe the guys gun will misfire or the bullet will miss my skull or something else. I am but a small, yet very important "piece" of the universe - as are you. Second, I am good to the bone and have chosen to be aligned with my goodness, not my ego. That said, I would not kill someone on purpose, regardless of the circumstances. Because of the first two, my life is very black and white and simple - I have "piece" of mind and I live the "piece" 2.0 lifestyle.
So, not surprising for me, the answer is:
"Be Killed"
What's your answer and why?