I used to be a criminal
I was a very good shoplifter and small time drug dealer
I also used to regularly fight others
I never killed anyone but caused many bruises and cuts
I would often feel a surge of pride after winning a fight and simply take it as a loss if I was beaten
I was eventually arrested and had to look at where my life was headed
I found Buddhisms and made countless changes to my life
I began to work at a factory where I meant a man named Arin
Arin was and is an American Patriot
Arin joined the marines after highschool
Arin had been a hunter and was picked to be a sniper
Arin's tour of duty took him across three countries
Arin proved himself to be a very talented sniper
Arin returned home and was left to deal with what he had done alone
Arin struggled to think about what could have been if the man at the end of his rifle hadn't been brainwashed
Arin could have gotten a job in almost any government agency
Arin refused the offers he got believing the government to be the ones responsible for what happened
Arin's path was different than my own
Arin did what he did in the name of honor and duty, My actions were fueled by money and a drug addiction
Yet somehow Arin and I came to the same conclusion
We both found the Buddha and Non-violence
