Today is the last day of the year in the Church's liturgical calendar, so I thought it was fitting that the Gospel reading was the parable of sheep and goats in Matthew, by far one of my favourite passages in the Bible. Fr. Michael's homily summarized the parable by saying that we don't treat darkness with more darkness, or violence with more violence, but by being a community of shepherds and healers (bringing to mind Dhammapada verses 3-6). We should continually ask ourselves, How have I treated others today?
This is the single most important teaching for me. Everything flows out of it and leads to it. In this parable, Jesus teaches that, to enter the kingdom of heaven, one must help relieve the suffering of others (to possess a mind suffused with bodhicitta from a Buddhist point of view). The teaching itself arises out of a spirit of love, compassion, and generosity, and the spiritual practices we do are designed to help us develop these qualities within our heart. Have I found the lost? Have I bound the injured? Have I fed and clothed and comforted those in need? It's not rocket science. These are the important questions in life.
It's also one of the hardest teachings for me to put into practice. I'm lost myself, and more than not, I'm too busy worrying about feeding and clothing and comforting myself to pay much attention to the people around me. I ask myself how I've treated others today, and the answer disappoints me. If I were to be judged today, I'm afraid that I'd be counted among the goats rather than the sheep. Buddhism teaches that the more we cling, the harder it is to let go and truly give. Maybe that's why Jesus encouraged his followers to deny themselves and give up everything to follow him into the 'kingdom of heaven.'
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