so much suffering at the hands of delusion, grasping, and aggression. so many lives endangered, harmed, and lost to the hands of war.
may all beings be safe, at peace, and free from suffering.
may our thirst for violence and retribution find its end.
may we also not lose our awareness of the suffering that has been, in light of the suffering that might be.
it is my hope and prayer that in the light of these latest escalations, that the Israeli hostages and millions of Palestinians facing imminent starvation, the tens of thousands of lives already lost, and the underlying issues and challenges, are not forgotten.
it can feel overwhelming when we look out into the world and see so much suffering.
we have a tendency when our heart is moved by such suffering to take it all on in some way, if not in action, then in thought. this can lead to anger, burnout, and distress, even depression and despair. we get pulled into and swept up by the storm.
we can also have a tendency when our heart is moved by such suffering to close up and stick our head in the sand, choosing an “ignorance is bliss” attitude to avoid the discomfort and feeling of powerlessness. but it isn’t so easy to unsee what we have seen or to un-know what we have known. so it stays with us, perhaps buried, but waiting to reappear at some point in the future.
neither of these approaches are sustainable or beneficial. and we may end up causing even more harm to ourselves and others.
instead, we can take up a middle path of not closing ourselves off to the suffering we see. we can stay aware, but take smaller actions towards alleviating suffering and adding benefit to our immediate relationships, surroundings, and community. and if able, we can support the work of organizations who are taking up the large scale issues, all the while being mindful of our own well-being. mindful of what level we can participate and maintain an open heart and steady mind. we can take up practices that support our own well-being, including valuing rest.
each thread of love, of empathy and kindness, we contribute adds to the larger tapestry of compassion people are weaving for a world in need. in the words of another Stephen, Stephen Sondheim, “Bit by bit, putting together. Piece by piece, only way to make a work of art…”
in humble and grand ways, with those close and far, we have the incredible opportunity, privilege, and responsibility to be the instruments of love and healing needed in this world.
we can CHOOSE another path besides harm. we can commit to a path and practices that recognize our interdependence and bring benefit to others and the world, rather than harm. we can engage a way of living that embodies love and honors our own life and embodiment. this is living by vow.
it doesn’t have to be something official or uptight. it’s as simple as just remembering that everything we do has consequence, has importance, carries weight, has meaning for ourselves and others, and plants seeds for future fruit. what kind of seeds do we want to plant? do we want to add to the harm, the destruction, the suffering we see? or do we want to be a vessel of healing, of kindness, gentleness, compassion, balance, and joy – all of these, embodiments of love.
what an incredible power, opportunity, and responsibility.
the questions can be a place of practice, a place to work with our curiosity and our capacity to be with the uncertainties of life. they can also be an opportunity to practice keeping our heart open and steadying our mind.
practicing patience and opening to uncertainty, allowing our hearts to open to life and trusting life, can be a practice of and a way of embodying love.
“We have to find the power in kindness, the confidence in kindness, the release in kindness; the type of kindness that transcends belief systems, allegiances, ideologies, cliques, and tribes. This is the trait that can transform our lives.”
~
Sharon Salzberg
embodying division, tribalism, aggression, and hostility seem to come quite easily for us. perhaps, because they spring out of our fears, fears that are rooted in the misunderstanding of thinking we are separate, rather than the ultimate truth that we are not separate from each other or all life.
these traits of division, tribalism, aggression, and hostility may come quite easily for us, but they can cause immense harm, and they betray our true nature, which is one of love, spaciousness, and wisdom.
with awareness, we can come home to and choose to engage our true nature. we can choose to embody kindness which is the outpouring of our love, spaciousness, and wisdom. when we choose to embody kindness, we bring heaven to earth and are in union with love, and by doing so we are choosing to bring benefit to ourselves and others in the world, instead of contributing to harm.
The Metta Garden 