right or wrong

Right or Wrong

There is nothing right or wrong,

No matter how you might long

To have all the answers to

Everything you believe is true.

There is nothing good or bad;

You choose to be glad or sad.

For whatever you believe is true,

It only depends on your point of view.

So I suggest you consider, my friend,

This thought you hold to the end.

If you want to know what is true

Separate it from your point of view.

In society where we have invested so much in the concept of right and wrong, it may be hard to accept the idea of this poem. What is the insight of this poem? Many will admit there were things they thought were right and later found they were just the opposite. We have laws of the land, which supposedly define right or wrong and even punishing people who behave in opposition to the law. Yet, how many laws are changed after someone paid the price of breaking the law.

There is a story of a Chinese nobleman who had two things he loved above all else - his son and a beautiful white stallion. One day the stallion ran away. His neighbors came to console him. They said it was such a tragic loss. He said to them, maybe yes, maybe no. About a week later the stallion returned leading a herd of wild horses and led them directly into the corral. When the neighbors heard about it they came to congratulate him on his good fortune. He said to them, maybe yes, maybe no. After a couple of weeks his son was tossed and broke both his legs as he was trying to break the horses so they could sell them. When his neighbors heard of his misfortune they came to console him. He said, maybe yes, maybe no. A couple of months later, the country went to war and every young man in the area was taken into the army and killed in battle, but his son with the two broken legs remained safe at home. His neighbors came again to ask him how he could be so fortunate. The gods must be smiling on him. And he said to them, maybe yes, maybe no.

Since no one has all the information past, present or future and how it will affect everyone concerned, it is impossible to know with certainty what is right and what is wrong. The only way to know what is the most appropriate response to anything is through our Intuition.

Unfortunately, most have been taught to ignore this powerful guide for living. If we could be more in tune with this powerful tool, we would be able to live more peaceful and joyous lives. The stumbling block to the use of this gift is our conditioned habit of value judging the unwanted realities in our lives and the resulting stress it causes. Since our awareness of what is happening around us is so limited, it would be wise to work to remove this stumbling block to our peace of mind and happiness.

To use this poem ask these questions. What benefit do I get by insisting I know what is right or wrong? Do I spend time defending my position or would I get better outcomes if I spent my time doing something else? Do my relationships suffer when I insist on being right? How do other people view me when I want to be the know-it-all? Do I have a hard time apologizing after I fought to prove I am right, only to find out later I was wrong? If you are satisfied with your answers to these questions, stay where you are; but if you not, work on yourself to get the needed information so you can get better results in your life.