"When understood, the Buddha’s universe..is anything but alien and inhibiting. It is a world full of hope, where everything we need to do can be done and everything that matters is within human reach. It is a world where kindness, unselfishness, non-violence, and compassion achieve what self-interest and arrogance cannot. It is a world where any human can be happy in goodness and the fullness of giving." ❦ Eknath Easwara

September 4, 2011

On Taking Care of Our Hearts as Social Activists

"As social activists we must be careful when exorcising demons, not to push away some part of ourselves that is crying out for attention and healing.  Or to become what we oppose.

We must be watchful of narcissistic anger if we are to remain balanced in the midst of attached concern for another’s well-being.

The Dalai Lama, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Desmond Tutu point out that it takes more than a sense of injustice and the righteousness of anger that often accompanies it to fight “the good fight;” it takes peace.

Even though we may comprehend the cause of suffering—even how pain can become suffering—there can remain beneath it all the righteous anger of the hungry ghost.

Gandhi reminds us our resistance needs not be passive, only non-violent.  In any act of resistance we must remain vigilant of the difference between aggressive protection of those in need  and the quality of hostility that may arise from impotent rage that lies uninvestigated beneath the level of awareness.  A latency that can obscure the heart’s intuition for healing solutions."

Stephen Levin from Turning Toward the Mystery
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2 comments:

  1. "In any act of resistance we must remain vigilant of the difference between aggressive protection of those in need and the quality of hostility that may arise from impotent rage that lies uninvestigated beneath the level of awareness."

    That reminder of Gandhi's about the quality of our protections and advocacy for other's so our frustrated, "impotent rage" is ignored and then erupts to sabotage our efforts and our "better selves". I liken it to a Mother able to operate out of her strengths, supported by love, to facilitate relationships among her children wisely.

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  2. Thanks, NativeLeagle Eagle. Great comment and I agree. Thanks for stopping by the blog.

    Steve

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