"Things I don’t want to remember" in review

This is a follow-up to my post “Things I don’t want to remember.”

I’ve realized that I shouldn’t take that whole story as a literal past-life, but as a wakeup call, a gentle reminder to get off my high horse. I feel that, while the actual events may or may not have happened, the emotions and the motivations were very intense, immediate and powerful. So intense that it’s hard to imagine that I haven’t been is some situation like that, somewhere, sometime, and succumbed to the temptation.

When I look at the world today I see religious sects at war with each other, countries invading each other, Christian extremists preaching hate for pretty much everybody, unarmed black men being gunned down by whites with no apparent consequences, institutionalized greed run amok and political parties who can’t agree on anything, even among themselves. I see a world that has decided that the solution to every problem is rampant slaughter of anyone you don’t like, or gets in your way, or you might not like, or who could get in your way. How could I possibly not slide into despair and cynicism?

There lies the danger. Being holier that thou, better than that. How could those people possibility be so cruel and heartless? Why can’t everyone just get along, like me? Oops. There it is. I’m so much better than them. I wouldn’t get pulled into that cycle of hate, fear and violence. Yah, sure, maybe. Watch out, set yourself on a pedestal and it only takes one misstep for you to fall off.

So, the message is to have compassion. In deed, I am no different than the worst of them, so don’t assign myself any moral superiority. The footing on that moral high ground can be extremely precarious. Can I decry their actions without denouncing their being, while I attempt to understand the forces that put them where they are. Ultimately, we are all responsible for our own actions, and violence for violence and killing for killing solves nothing.

The Dalai Lama meets the genocide of his people and destruction of his culture with love and compassion, while working for peace and reconciliation. People are and will continue to be. We must allow them dignity and self respect, if we are going to heal the planet. To heal the planet, we must heal fear.

Everyone is afraid. Average Joe is afraid of losing his job. The CEO is afraid of the next quarterly report. The 1% are afraid of the stock market. Christians are afraid of God, Muslims are afraid of Jews, Jews are afraid of pretty much everybody. Everyone is afraid of change and the possibility of losing what they have. It all boils down to “stuff.”

Perhaps the Dalai Lama takes the long view. When you’ve lived fourteen lifetimes, all the “stuff” we fight about, money, resources, land, power, faith, “honor,” don’t mean a whole lot. Nothing, really. Spirit is the only thing that survives. As monuments crumple, empires disintegrate, wealth disperses, deeds are forgotten and faiths fade, all that remains is spirit. The only constructions that can survive are those built of love and community. Spiritual growth bridges the gaps between generations, and is the only thing that will, ultimately, heal the planet and ourselves.

I am not above the system. I am not better than the system. I am within the system. I am the system. We must use the tools of the system, flawed as they are, to heal the system. Our flaws make it possible to understand and relate to the difficulties we face. We must use them without being used by them.

Thank you for listening.