So declared the man on the other side of the gas pump last night. The amount represented at least a twenty cent increase from the day before. It was late, and although I am usually more diplomatic than this I responded, “Assassination is expensive!” He looked rather shocked, and I surmised that we didn’t share the same political perspective – or the same perspective on reality. I wished him well and put my hose away.

One of the key principles of Buddhism is known as dependent co-arising. It’s the idea that everything that happens is caused by a number of other factors. On a simple level, when you plant seeds in the ground in the spring they will need good soil, rain, and sunshine in the right amounts for the seed to grow. If you reverse the process, you can surmise that if you water good soil and the sun shines on it, if there is anything in the soil waiting to grow, it will. This is the origin of the weeds that cause people like me to stop gardening!

Whether we are national leaders or just trying to manage our lives, we need to recognize that everything we do has a kind of ripple effect and generates consequences. Let your dog crap on the neighbors lawn and the odds are you won’t have a friendly relationship with that neighbor. Parking your car in front of your neighbor’s garage will have the same effect. Grab women by their genitals and you might end up being President of the United States. These things don’t always make a whole lot of sense, but we do know without a doubt that since none of us lives in a vacuum, actions do have consequences – intended and otherwise.

Before we act, and before we support potential actions of our leaders, we should consider the realities of dependent co-arising. Oh, and gas at that same station today is $2.35, reminding us of another truth of Buddhism – Impermanence.