230619 What I learned in my studies this morning 3

Thoughts:

I'm a lucky guy.

First, thank you to Mrs. Student and the Stüd-lets(?!) for a great day yesterday and for my touching gift.

Today's meditation is filled with great quotes. Lots of important thoughts on conscience. Put a pin in that, we'll come back to it.

Also, Marcus's admonition to find stability in the details: do the next right thing and let the future sort itself.

Then two from Buddha. Long-term happiness and following the Tao, to mix traditions (though I think Buddha would see that wisdom is wisdom, even if I use another's name for it).

(And I didn't even include the four quotes about knowledge and choosing to focus on specific great works rather than wide-spread but shallow pursuits.)

Back to conscience . . .

Fear all that is not accepted by your conscience.

What a wonderful phrase. How remarkably perfect.

Fear all that is not accepted by your conscience.

It's so easy, isn't it? Something comes up and I know what I should do. We all do this, right? You just see what needs to be done. Maybe it's hard to do, but the direction is clear. The compass is pointing north.

Except when it's not. When something comes up you — I — can't just grok and see where Nature leads. When my mind is challenged with new ideas and being stretched beyond it's upbringing.

And THAT'S why I study, and why I teach my kids, so we have experience thinking about this sort of thing before it becomes reality. I want them to have a history of working through difficult questions, looking at different viewpoints, and understanding what they must do to support their decisions.

They learn and use powerful, practical methods to give themselves the best chance of making the right choice. Acting correctly instead of reacting and hoping it turns out all right.

Conscience points the way. Study gets you through it . . . on purpose.

Today's Meditation: