if you hold a gun and i hold a gun, we can talk about the law. if you hold a knife and i hold a knife, we can talk about rules. if you come empty-handed, and i come empty-handed, we can talk about reason. if you hold a gun and i only have a knife, then the truth lies in your hand. if you have a gun and i have nothing, then what you hold in your hands isn’t just a weapon, it’s my life.

the concepts of law, rules, and morality only hold meaning if they are based on equality. the harsh truth of this world is that when money speaks, truth goes silent, and when power speaks, even money takes three steps back. those who create the rules are often the first to break them. for rules are chains for the weak and tools for the strong.

in this world, anything good must be fought for. the masters of the game are fiercely competing for resources, while the weak sit idly, waiting to be given a share; and for the weak, don’t celebrate too early when you’re handed a small piece of the pie. the strong might come for it later, asking for something in return... a request you cannot refuse.

rather than diving too deeply into concepts like non-differentiation and the six sense doors, and also have to remind myself to be the player, not the character... actually in Buddhist thought, there’s an even deeper insight known as selflessness.

your thoughts remind me of a verse by the Buddhist master Shenxiu:

身是菩提树，心如明镜台。
时时勤拂拭，勿使惹尘埃。

Translation:
The body is a Bodhi tree,
The mind is like a bright mirror stand.
Diligently polish it at all times,
So that no dust can settle.

in contrast, Huineng, the founder of Zen Buddhism and now recognized as the Sixth Patriarch, offered this response:

菩提本无树，明镜亦非台。
本来无一物，何处惹尘埃。

Translation:
Bodhi has no tree by nature,
The bright mirror is not a stand.
Originally, there is not a single thing —
Where can dust possibly land?

not claiming to be on either of their levels, nowhere near it in fact. just sharing a bit of reflection, in case it's something you'd like to explore too...