Equality Equals Equal

02.04.09.


Today when I was delivering letters from Christopher, from Kolkata, from India, I crossed paths with Emily and Lauren on the third floor in the library, and they were engaging with others, English as a Second Language-ing. With there being a near hour before tutor mentoring at the Newburgh Free Academy, I decided organically to join the group. My intentions at first were only to observe. Well, the man I seated next to looked in appearance just like the custodian man that raised his vocals at me when I unmindfully walked across his freshly mopped hallway earlier this week. But I was uncertainly unsure. In the meanwhile, this man was radiating a sense of welcoming from within him. Not before too long my dormant observing him proceed along with ease, then misspell words, and sit pondering, evolved into a friendly greeting, manifesting into working cooperatively together.

His name was Douglass and we thought each other were funny. I liked his nature, and felt as if, if he were that custodian man, I felt reconciled, a reoccurring pattern that has been present in my life lately, especially in meditation, dreams, and prayer to the powers that be. Douglass has a basic rooting in his understanding of the English language. I comprehend him when he communicates verbally, and the way he writes is well. Presently he is practicing developing his grammatical skills writing. It was a pleasure to work together with him. We shared happiness and wisdom.

Emily had contributed sentence structure along with verb tenses worksheets, so we spend our time together in such a way. Douglass encountered with balance, struggle and ease. For the most part he had it, so I would help him when he got stuck, or reassure him when he was in doubt, or cheer him along when he was sailing on. We were so immersed in it, and before we even knew, everyone else there was packing their belongings to leave. Douglass, grounded in his chair, unready to depart, noticed a word he became curious about. He had heard the President Barack Obama say it repeatively, and the word was “equal.” Mi amigo asked me what the president meant when he said that? And I responded in the essense of…”Equal is a word that means “the same.” When the president is saying it, he is talking about equality. Equal rights, equal opportunity, and equal treatment that he wishes to be the same for all. Everyone. Just like you and I should both experience equality equally.” Douglass laughed happily. Pencil across paper, he wrote in a sentence…”We are all equal.” “I like that word” he said.

Equanimity is the Buddhist concept that Douglass revealed in his life presence to me. Cultivating equanimity is to love and accept all. It begins with becoming loving and accepting of all of the qualities within oneself. Practice expands this love and acceptance to encompass all beings and creatures. To love all like you would your own mother, and not to decrease the love for your mother to such depths, but to elevate love for all to reach such highest heights.

All love
Loving all
All for love
Love for all

-anthony