There’s never a case in the Dhamma where good ends justify unskillful means. The means have to be good — in fact, everything is all means. After all, where would you put the ends? You settle one issue then everyone dies, they get reborn, and things start up again.

"There are some unskillful things happening in the world that really are worth banding together with other people, getting your energies together, and seeing if you can put a stop to them. But you have to do it in a skillful way. There’s never a case in the Dhamma where good ends justify unskillful means. The means have to be good — in fact, everything is all means. After all, where would you put the ends? You settle one issue and there’s another issue. You settle that issue, then everyone dies, they get reborn, and things start up again."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Justice vs. Skillfulness" (Meditations8)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

You Don't Have to Be Afraid of Missing Out on Your Karmic Legacy

The more observant you are in the way you relate to the breath, the more your muddle will turn into a process of discovery.

All kinds of negative things may be happening in your world — but you’re shaping a good world when you train your mind.