Everyday Mindfulness

Just now I had finished showering and found myself at the sink going through the motions of shaving my head. As I thought about various topics mindlessly, I recalled an earlier discussion on Facebook about the Buddhist view on anger. From this thought I hit a tangent and contemplated how best to communicate via FB comments the importance of mindfulness. Then I harked back to some practices, to words from Eckhart Tolle, Buddhists teachings over the last year... I wasn't being mindful. The feeling was immense as my Watcher kicked in. I quickly assessed my state of mind.

I had been thinking about a party later tonight, looking forward to a good time (desirous attachment). I had been thinking about an early Facebook post, proud of my wording of a complex thought (Ego). I had been thinking about my impending move and all the tasks associated with that (attachment leading to worry). None of these things were happening currently. Either past or future. Not present. Right then, I was shaving my head. And that's all I did. I felt the razor bouncing across the stubble as I hadn't felt in a long time. I noticed the gloopiness of the conditioner I use as shaving cream now. I watched the water and whiskers splash around the drain. I was present. Here and now.

The party will happen later. We'll get there, we'll have fun as we always do. It shall be as it shall be. My posts and comments are out there for all to read. If I wasn't sincere and with intention to spread knowledge and help others, I wouldn't have written whatever I have written. If people comment, or disagree, or agree, or whatever, that'll be a task to address later. Right now, it's there and it's fine. The move too will all come together in good time. We took a couple steps today, a few more later, but there's absolutely nothing in my power while standing at the sink to shave that I can do to change any aspect of moving. I was shaving, there in the present moment. Right now, I'm scanning my memories while I sit and type at the computer. Things will happen later, things have happened in the past, but the most important things are happening right now. So wrapping up here to do the next tasks of the day, hopefully with some mindfulness. Peace and Love to you all.

Terrorists are Human Beings

Yes, you read the title correctly. It is important not to demonize other human beings. The threshold used to split the population into "demons" and "decent humans" is arbitrary and all in your mind.

This topic arises as we joined together last night for my Buddhist meditation class and one member asked our teacher something along the lines of "how do you treat all humans with compassion in light of the recent terror events" (in the past couple weeks we've seen shootings in Paris and Beirut, at a Planned Parenthood in CO, and in San Bernardino).

This is an important question.

I had already thought about this some previously. I found a way to humanize people who perform such violent acts by contemplating their life as a human. I realize they were not born terrorists. No one is. Everyone you read about spraying bullets in a crowd was once a child. Picturing them as an eight year old running around a soccer field helps me to see them as fellow souls who have lost their way. The turn of events in their lives to lead to such radical behavior is difficult for many of us to comprehend, especially for those of us who live in suburbia America. But we haven't had generations of wars destroying the world around us, uncles being murdered because you family's religious practices are a minority sect in that part of the world. So that's one way I've thought about this - all terrorists were born as innocent human babies.

Our teacher shared a couple other possible ways to look at this.

These radicalized men and women are just seeking happiness like the rest of us. Now, from our perspective, we know you can never find lasting peace through violence. Yet Most violence in the world is motivated by personal morality.  So yes, their world view has become so skewed that their justification of their actions exists on a plane of morality that we find difficult to comprehend. By using compassion and empathy, it is possible to see yourself drawn into a society with different teachings where the ends justify the means. And the ends one seeks is to find eternal happiness. So indeed, terrorists are human too.

Next if one has faith in Karma (and by that I mean the Buddhist view of karma, not the belligerent Facebook posts about someone stealing your parking space at the mall), you can use this understanding to help empathize as well. By committing these acts of terrorism, the perpetrators are heaping loads of negative karma upon themselves, and will be suffering in future lives in ways well beyond all the combined suffering they have caused here on Earth through their actions. In feeling compassion for all living beings, I wish no others to experience such horrendous suffering and wish that they had never taken on those actions. I wish all living beings to be forever free from all suffering, including terrorists.

There is another way as well I thought about later. Buddha teaches that all human beings have a seed within them to achieve enlightenment in this very lifetime. We all have that potential, and thus we should see that potential in all other living beings. This is challenging. It would seem that you need to be a Buddha, or at least a Bodhisattva, in order to see this special gift in those who perform unspeakably violent acts. But that seed is there because terrorists are human too.

To wrap up and bring back the opening statement, I in no way condone the violent actions of other human beings. However, if we demonize them, either as individuals or as a group, we are doing a disservice to all living beings. Only by treating all living beings with loving kindness can we individually travel the path of enlightenment. There are no exceptions. Even humans who have sadly not been touched by Dharma in this lifetime and have succumbed to the delusions offered by other delusional humans deserve our compassion.

 A man who conquers himself is greater than one who conquers a thousand men in battle.
-- Buddha

Love or Fear

The Premise: Some small portion of the population has strongly violent tendencies.

Option A: treat these individuals with love and compassion. Do research to understand their core problems, offer services to help them find alternative behaviors, show them empathy, patience and a willingness to help them.

Option B: treat these individuals with fear, and arm yourself to prevent them from harming you.

Results of Option A: this violent subset of the population is treated with respect and dignity. Many of them will find the help they need before they become a drain on society. The occasional outburst of violence may obviously still occur, but will likely be limited in scope and effect. The next generation learns compassion and patience.

Results of Option B: in order to arm anyone and everyone afraid of these people, you by definition provide access to weapons for them as well, creating an escalating arms race. As fear leads to anger, which leads to hate, which leads to violence, you are also enabling people who may not be fundamentally violent a means for violence, increasing the number of individuals you need to fear. By escalating the arms race, when a violent outburst occurs, it will not be limited in scope. Violence towards the public at large creates more fear, thus creating a negative feedback loop and even further escalating the arms race. The next generation learns fear and watches people trying to solve their problems with violence.

Option A has no downside and provides for a safer world for your children. Option B leads to America in 2015.

Can we change this? YES! But it comes down to YOU. How do YOU react to potentially violent people in your life? Do you treat them with empathy and compassion and try to get them help? Or do you ignore them, or worse, foster fear in your heart until it's so overwhelming you are willing to put your family in danger by owning a deadly weapon?

Darkness' only enemy is light. You have the option every moment of every day to be that light or to propagate the darkness. With either option, you lead by example, influencing others, especially the next generation. Do you want your children growing up barricaded in their house, gun in hand, fearing the world? Or do you want your children growing up seeing the love in the world?


"Do not make friends with an elephant keeper, unless you have space to entertain an elephant." -- Ram Dass