Our past actions and even at our present actions are like looking at a bramble patch through which if we explore our freedom of choice leads to a path out of suffering.

"A lot of people don’t like looking at their actions because, after all, they’ve done a lot of unskillful things. Well, just remind yourself, all human beings have been doing unskillful things. If we had no unskillful behavior in our background, we wouldn’t be here, we’d be someplace else.

So we all have habits that we have to learn how to undo, and new habits that we have to learn how to develop. But it’s in exploring the potential we have for choosing freely between different courses of action that we find a different kind of freedom ultimately. It’s a freedom that’s not conditioned.

Now, looking at our past actions and looking even at our present actions is often like looking at a bramble patch. That’s where we want to say, “Forget about that, let’s just go for the larger Oneness.” But it turns out that you have to go through the brambles to get to the nice part inside the bramble patch — those brambles are protecting something. It’s not brambles all the way. But you explore your freedom of choice now and you find that it leads to a path that opens up to a greater freedom — total freedom from suffering.

So, take the large view to get your perspective but then focus in on what you’re doing right now, like the Buddha did."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Large Perspective, Small Focus"

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