My Karma ran over my Dogma

There in the garden, a young monk speaks: "Master, I've been thinking about getting a dogma, and I seek your advice. Any thoughts on the matter?"

The Old Monk collects her thoughts, and calmly replies: "Well my son, everyone has a pet belief, so why should you be any different? Yes, we human beings have had dogmas since the dawn of recorded history. This is understandable. You cannot imagine how comforting it is to curl up with a warm fuzzy dogma on a dark night of the soul. Or to take him to the park on a fine sunny Sunday in January and watch him sniff and chase other dogmas, and bark at strangers. Some folks keep dogmas for protection. It's reassuring to have a guard dogma to scare away frightening thoughts - and it's great to have a loyal companion to fetch you an explanation when you get home from a hard day at work. And dogmas come in all varieties. Some humans like big dumb dogmas, and others prefer squeaky little irritating ones. And with compassion, someone has to stand for the underdogma. Dogma is truly wo/man's best friend."

"Now, some may ask," she continued, "Why not let sleeping dogmas lie? But who really wants to be lied to? And what about menacing dogmas that bite? Or dogmas that run wild and get in everyone's garbage? I know, I know you're probably thinking, "It isn't my dogma making all the mess, it's my neighbour's dogma." And indeed you can look out any night and see a pack of aggressive dogmas running down the street chasing a doubt. And what should you do when you are walking down the road and a threatening dogma appears in your path? Stay calm and let the unfamiliar dogma know who's boss. Say, "Bad dogma, roll over!"

"It is a fact of life that dogmas have sharp teeth, and when backed into a corner, they can bite. As a dogma owner it is your responsibility to see that your dogma does not bite. And - if it does, well, sometimes a vicious dogma has to be put down.

"Another fact of life is that dogmas inevitably get old and sick. Perhaps you've spent years lovingly taking care of a tired old dogma - and yet the time comes to put that old dogma to sleep. It is sad when you must give up a loyal dogma like that - so I say enjoy your dogma while it is alive and playful. You know how uncanny it is that dogma owners come to resemble their dogmas. So, my son, you may have dogma. But just make sure your dogma doesn't mess on your neighbour's lawn. And know that on Non-Judgment Day, all our dogmas will run free, and surely they will bother no one." 

Adapted from Swami Beyondananda 1996