Awakening in Times of Social/Political Unrest
Socially and politically, these are trying times. Core values are being challenged and divisive rhetoric and actions are erupting all around us. It’s important in times like these that we don’t put those who think differently than we do out of our hearts. This is challenging. On the one hand, we want to be true to our own values and beliefs, which may mean taking a strong stand and acting decisively, but on the other hand, we want to be careful that we aren't creating even more division by being intolerant and rigid ourselves.
As Pema Chödrön says in Practicing Peace in Times of War:
"We have to be brave enough to soften what is rigid, to find the soft spot and stay with it... That's true spiritual warriorship. That's the true practice of peace."
And to counter the possible objection that “finding the soft spot” is somehow accepting harmful behavior, Jack Kornfield says in Tolerance in Difficult Times:
"To prevent further suffering, we may need to respond with great strength. But when our heart is connected with our actions, even this strength can be combined with compassion and understanding."
Videos and Readings for this module
- Introduction - Jon Kabat-Zinn [8 min intro], Dave Potter [20 min meditation]
- Tolerance in Difficult Times - article by Jack Kornfield
- Awakening Consciousness in Shadowy Times - Tara Brach [26 min]
- Awakening from the Trance of Bad-Othering - Tara Brach [47 min]
Supplementary Resources
- National Trauma–Now What? - Jon Kabat-Zinn [59 min]
(this is the full interview corresponding to the 8-min excerpt shown in the "Introduction", above) - Practicing Peace in Times of War - book by Pema Chödrön
Excerpts related to this topic
The Three Marks of Existence
No one is exempt from Suffering.
All things are Impermanent.
There is No Separate Self.
"Street" version by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Shit Happens.
Everything changes.
It's not about you, anyway.
To the degree that each of us is dedicated to wanting there to be peace in the world, then we have to take responsibility when our own hearts and minds harden and close. We have to be brave enough to soften what is rigid, to find the soft spot and stay with it. We have to have that kind of courage and take that kind of responsibility. That's true spiritual warriorship. That's the true practice of peace.
- from Practicing Peace in Times of War by Pema ChodronWe don’t have to like, let alone love those we tolerate. The truth is that even spiritual teachers do not always like one another, nor do they necessarily get along. Many respected Zen masters and swamis, ajahns and sheikhs, lamas and rabbis have powerful disagreements. Some have a distaste for one another’s teaching or style. Yet the wise among them embody a genuine tolerance, knowing that another person’s reasons may be invisible to us, that another person’s way is as worthy of respect as our own.
Tolerance does not mean acceptance of what is harmful. Just as detachment and numbing can be spiritually misused to hide from our feelings, so tolerance can be misused if we avoid seeing the truth or fail to take a necessary stand. Tolerance does not mean turning a blind eye to abuse. To prevent further suffering, we may need to respond with great strength. But when our heart is connected with our actions, even this strength can be combined with compassion and understanding.
- from Tolerance in Difficult Times by Jack KornfieldThere is a light in this world, a healing spirit more powerful than any darkness.
We sometimes lose sight of this force when there is suffering, too much pain. Then suddenly the spirit will emerge through the lives of ordinary people who hear a call and answer it in extraordinary ways.
- from In the Heart of the World by Mother TeresaCarolyn Myss, the medical intuitive who writes and lectures about why people don't heal, flew to Russia a few years ago to give some lectures. Everything that could go wrong did: flights were canceled or overbooked, connections missed, her reserved room at the hotel given to someone else. She kept trying to be a good sport, but finally, two mornings later, on the train to her conference on healing, she began to whine at the man sitting beside her about how infuriating her journey had been thus far. It turned out that this man worked for the Dalai Lama. And he said – gently - that they believe when a lot of things start going wrong all at once, it is to protect something big and lovely that is trying to get itself born - and that this something needs for you to be distracted so that it can be born as perfectly as possible..
- from Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott© 2015 Palouse Mindfulness Inc.
