Outrage perspective
I am saddened and outraged by corruption in the Sanders-Clinton primary. Truth vs. Lies: the lies won, in the short term anyway. Outrage, however, is a thin substitute for action that springs from compassion and big mind.
Anger is the outer face of fear, and fear is the prime symptom of spiritual isolation. Pervasive underlying dread seizes on external scapegoats; obsessive dynamics develop between self and corruption or death or snakes or communists. The self becomes increasingly defined by what it fears.
The recognition and re-establishment of big mind is the way back to health. Meditation can help with this* And art which moves one toward the beautiful, where the unique and the universal animate each other.
This campaign has been maddening---unfair and unbelievably ignorant. We should react with resolution and kindness, rejecting the paradigm that the end justifies the means and power is all that matters. We must not destroy the democratic machine in order to save it. Hillary Clinton is a living shipwreck. She should be resisted, pitied, even forgiven. She is, after all, a child of her culture, to some extent one of us.
We are on the side of truth, love, and community. We will prevail. Perhaps Bernie and Jane's most important contribution has been to show us how to win the struggle without losing ourselves.
*Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki is my favorite of the many good books on meditation.
Comments
Good sentiments, with one caveat from my perspective
Some of us see no reason to save the Democratic (big "D") machine, which is demonstrably undemocratic despite long-term assertions to the contrary. And some of us recognize that whatever system we're living under, it's demonstrably not a democracy.
Love bombs have their place; I don't have it in me to lob them at the perpetrators and beneficiaries of widespread election fraud, especially when an election matters as much as this one does. But you're right about the good things, rippling from self outward, that can come from meditation and loving kindness and generosity of spirit and forgiveness. I'll work on some now and perhaps try to get around to others later.
To be clear: No disparagement intended here toward your essay. It contains important reminders, I think.
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." --Jiddu Krishnamurti
democratic machine
Good point. I think "democratic ideals" would be a better way to put it. Thanks.
Outrage
Is like a heat that makes the ingot of a movement malleable. With the right minds in charge, the movement can use the outrage to mold the movement into something productive and worthwhile.
Hillary does not deserve any pity or forgiveness. No monster that dismisses the death of hundreds of thousands of civilians as a business opportunity deserves either.
It's not the 60's anymore
It's time for outrage. I'm not having any of your prozac, sorry.
not the sixties any more
Hey Scott, too bad. I think a lot of the sixties protesters had it right. Were you there? Thanks for the comment, though. It made me laugh. A good thing. Meditation opens you up, makes you more alive. Kind of the opposite of prozac.
As someone here said to me this morning, outrage
and anger at betrayal is an appropriate response. Many somewhat [short] cruel tests of animal behavior indicate that this is not just humans who detect wrongness or favoritism. And our not-so democratic process has showed us that. But instead of tantrums, that anger is best channeled.
So back to your meditative essay, I think I have been meditative enough to recognize betrayal (not personal) and be angered and channel that right out of me into something productive, not suppress it internally. That leads to illness of the mind and body.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
channeling
right on! (sorry, Scott)
Perhaps we need to cultivate a lil Zen garden on c99
Kinda like the Caucus Critters or the Photography Assignments. A place to pause. Breathe. Reflect. Hmmmm. Worth a thought and, mixing mediums here but, every home needs a good smudging on occasion. Even those homes of the mind.
"Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change." Stephen Hawking
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