oh, but my eyes still see
Silence is no longer golden.

One thing that I have heard a lot of lately, and that has made me shake my head in sorrow, is the idea that what one is or feels inside is a thing to be gotten rid of.

During one's life, one will make mistakes, and one will acquire what we call "baggage". That's a good term, for to attain enlightenment, that baggage needs to be unpacked, examined, and the lessons it teaches must be learned.

But what we are inside...to cut that out with a knife...no. It's there for a reason. If you say "This thing I am/think/feel/desire on a regular basis is wrong; I must excise it," you are excising YOURSELF. If it's been there over several lifetimes, particularly...you are making a terrible mistake, and you will pay for it later.

I understand why people say these things; I really do. I've done it myself.

And I paid.