Friday, October 13, 2006
Peace
"Can we be permitted to be at peace when millions are dying from violent war and crime every year?" ....a question that formed the basis of so much of our deeper discussion at Menla ...and the answer of, of course: We must find peace within ourselves, or we are, indirectly, responsible for the very thing we want to remedy. In the most basic sense, we are all so vitally connected to each other, that the very fabric of the planet is composed of how we interelate, even though it may seem most of the time that what we think, who we are, and how we behave has no effect at all.
The most violent societies in man's history are the ones where the people conceive of themselves as "good" and others are "bad"....People who are able to tolerate ambiguity about themselves are able to tolerate others more patiently.
The most illogical thoughts are ones of self-righteousness, because, no matter what it is we sit in even the mildest judgement on, we have all done it too!!! That is what unites us! And the more self-cherishing is crushed, the more the selfless, blissful self is released....that does not mean becoming passive or permissive of "evil" or "badness"...we must still be alert to what crushes the human spirit. But being re-active is different from being positively recognizing: re-activity is animalistic and a form of mental killing....bad karma....postive recognition leads to taking personal responsibility, and to possible fruitful action....
All this sort of stuff is what we discussed at the 5 day Menla retreat...and so much more...all based in Buddhist teachings written down 2000 years ago!!!! The very idea that over the centureis, we all still have to re-invent the wheel, rediscover the good of peace and the bad of war...it's all so odd...can we never learn? Is it always a losing game? The more powerful ways we invent to destroy ourselves, the more powerful ways we must recognize to love each other. And to recognize our very selves in each person we meet. Ihave been trying that a lot ont he subway this week...whew! It is hard and emotional work...but, after all, worth the effort...
And I share it with my classes....they seem to deeply understand it. And the subsequent work in class reflects that understanding.
I am very proud of them. My students.
An absolutely stunning cool and clear day out today...NYC is glorious in this sort of early Fall weather...a gift waiting to be opened...a shiny toy ready for play.
And there is an extra bounce in peoples' walk, as they anticipate the joys of the season ahead, if they are lucky enough to have warm soup whenever they want it, cozy clothing in the latest styles and money with which to buy a Christmas tree...the smell of cinnamon and apples...can be comforting. If you have an oven to bake a pie in. So, Peter and I have decided to have a special Thanksgiving here at our home this year. As generous one as we can manage. After all, we have so much for which to be grateful.
The most violent societies in man's history are the ones where the people conceive of themselves as "good" and others are "bad"....People who are able to tolerate ambiguity about themselves are able to tolerate others more patiently.
The most illogical thoughts are ones of self-righteousness, because, no matter what it is we sit in even the mildest judgement on, we have all done it too!!! That is what unites us! And the more self-cherishing is crushed, the more the selfless, blissful self is released....that does not mean becoming passive or permissive of "evil" or "badness"...we must still be alert to what crushes the human spirit. But being re-active is different from being positively recognizing: re-activity is animalistic and a form of mental killing....bad karma....postive recognition leads to taking personal responsibility, and to possible fruitful action....
All this sort of stuff is what we discussed at the 5 day Menla retreat...and so much more...all based in Buddhist teachings written down 2000 years ago!!!! The very idea that over the centureis, we all still have to re-invent the wheel, rediscover the good of peace and the bad of war...it's all so odd...can we never learn? Is it always a losing game? The more powerful ways we invent to destroy ourselves, the more powerful ways we must recognize to love each other. And to recognize our very selves in each person we meet. Ihave been trying that a lot ont he subway this week...whew! It is hard and emotional work...but, after all, worth the effort...
And I share it with my classes....they seem to deeply understand it. And the subsequent work in class reflects that understanding.
I am very proud of them. My students.
An absolutely stunning cool and clear day out today...NYC is glorious in this sort of early Fall weather...a gift waiting to be opened...a shiny toy ready for play.
And there is an extra bounce in peoples' walk, as they anticipate the joys of the season ahead, if they are lucky enough to have warm soup whenever they want it, cozy clothing in the latest styles and money with which to buy a Christmas tree...the smell of cinnamon and apples...can be comforting. If you have an oven to bake a pie in. So, Peter and I have decided to have a special Thanksgiving here at our home this year. As generous one as we can manage. After all, we have so much for which to be grateful.
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