Buddhist Insight into Effective Social Protest and Change

“When we attack injustice, cruelty, and suffering with intolerance and loathing, we make the mistake of believing that hatred can generate compassion and goodness.  Hatred is suffering, and can only perpetuate suffering, not alleviate it. Change that arises from duality is change in content only -- the what’s change, but the how’s remain the same. The oppressed become the oppressors. We only change roles.

Profound change—change in *how* we do not what we do—happens only with complete acceptance—acceptance that goes beyond the dualities of right and wrong, them and us, good and bad.  This acceptance demands our full attention, our complete willingness, our unconditional love, and our deepest wisdom and compassion. There is nothing passive about it.”

Zen teacher Cheri Huber

For more in-depth dharma articles and instruction, visit:  METTA REFUGE

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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

For more in-depth dharma articles and instruction, visit:  METTA REFUGE

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