Learning to Love the Haters & Chicken Livers

Hate brings great misfortune,
hate churns up and harms the mind;
this fearful danger deep within
most people do not understand.

~Itivuttaka 3.88

I need to start making a list of disclaimers about my claim to being 'buddhist'... sorta like I did on a socializing website after six years there of silly questions from inquirers who obviously never read people's actual profiles. I finally put up disclaimers there like this one, in response to the oft-written query, "Oh, you're a writer! What books have you written?":

* No, I haven't written a book.

* I write copy. Whatever pays. Look around and you'll notice words all over the place -- online, in magazines and newspapers, on the radio and TV, on billboards, flyers, postcards, mailers, emails... There's a whole army of us out there writing that stuff.

It's worked to screen out conversations that drag to a standstill when curious folks finally "get" that I'm no tortured author dwelling as a country hermit. Kinda works the same as expressing intentions and expectations up front, like with your toddlers when you say, "We're going to Aunt Martha's now, and if you start to dig holes in her backyard with the dogs, you'll have to come and sit with the grown-ups." Or when they're a bit older and you have to warn, "If you run around telling all our new neighbors that we're buddhist, at least some of them are going to think you're odd." Something like that.

The universe is full of rules, written and not so much. Just because you don't know all the rules, doesn't mean they're not there. And certainly it holds that just 'cause you don't like the rules, don't mean that the consequences of ignorin 'em ain't gonna git ya. Peace and anarchy simply don't go together.

Sometimes, I get the feeling that because I'm buddhist, some relatively-like-minded folks think my place and space are good for slamming other ways of doing things.

Now, I recognize -- or rather, choose to believe -- that the situations and people I encounter are "mirrors" for me; if not out and out put there by some sorta Force, at least I can sure use 'em that way.

And yeah, I've been called "hater" a time or two in my life. Or three. Or more. A lot. Just ask some of my longest-time friends... I'm forever amazed that they've hung in there with me 'til this day.

So I understand that tiny 'ping' in my ears when I hear hateful comments about religion. It's really just a thunk on the skull from the Universe (or God, or Mother Nature, or whatever...) And boy, oh, boy, am I ever glad for the opportunity to learn some more.

Ergo, this here Disclaimer is for Me. You're welcome to consider it, and I wish that you would, given that this here corner of the Internet IS sorta my house. I love you, I do. But please don't poop in my livingroom.

Disclaimer: Just because I'm buddhist doesn't mean I hold ill will in my heart for any other religion. Not a single one that I've heard of yet. And furthermore, I do not whittle at the value of my acceptance -- NOT tolerance, but acceptance -- of all other religions and spiritual points-of-view by tacking on clauses that call exception to certain individuals or groups of individuals who claim to hold any beliefs.

In fact, looks to me like I need to start loving all you fellow haters out there. Bless your hearts and mine.

So, now that we're all about holding hands and singin kumbaya again, and continuing with our recent trend toward International Trailer Parkery, here's a quick recipe from a compadre in the onward march toward global compassion. If you don't already love chicken livers, consider it.
Just consider it:

Valentina Ievleva's Ukrainian Chicken Livers

1/2 sliced onion
1/4 cup oil
chopped garlic
about 1/2 pound of chicken livers
1/2 cup to a cup sour cream, preferably non-fat

In frying pan, cook onion in oil over medium heat until soft.

Stir in chopped garlic & chicken livers. Cover with sour cream. If you're using high-fat cream, add a little bit of water.

Cover pan and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes. To test done-ness of livers, stick a fork in them -- if the fork comes back out easily, they're done.

Add a little extra garlic just at the end of cooking to boost the delicious garlic-y flavor. Awesome over rice.

Comments

[coach suitcase]

These are the days in which it takes two salaries for each home,but divorces increase; these are times of finer houses,but more broken homes; why?

[the editor]

hey coach, good to see you posting, but i think tldr might have been a more succinct response.