Buddhism on a grand level is not a saving nor does its practice embrace the concepts of saving for futures or days yet to occur. The Buddha often viewed such ideas of looking beyond ones moment, looking outside of one’s own self to be saved as delusional.
Living for days yet to come or promises of futures yet to unfold are on a bigger level unrealistic and not being plugged into reality. The Buddha said you’re responsible for your own actions and those actions produce karma. This concept is that your actions whether understood or not have consequences.
I think grace fits in with the concept of karma because it’s a positive guiding force. It’s a mindfulness tool to bring you to the present moment where you can try to make your best decisions. Grace is action, grace is love, grace is the gift of love that invites us into a relationship with all of life, good and bad.
So, when we think of grace through that lens it reminds us that we each are alright. That we can make mistakes and through our grace our goodness at heart remains untouched. Grace is the acceptance of the gift of reality, the ability to touch into the present moment. Buddhism is big on the truth, looking at our lives for what they are. Grace is/can be a big dose of truth as we’re usually humans who are constantly living anywhere but the present and struggling to move forward at times.
So infuse your life with action. Don’t wait for anything to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your efforts, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen. . . yourself, right now, right here on Earth.
Peace and Love, Jim
