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Buddhism and Activism
chela
Veteran
In the past, I've always been very vocal about and sometimes more involved in bringing attention or working towards bringing equanimity to unjust situations that are perceived in the world. Currently, I find that I'm having a difficult time thinking about how to meld my activist side with my newer Buddhist side.
There is another thread in the forums about a person who was very involved in activism and has grown to be very hateful, and is seeking peace in his life. I understand this very much, although I have not been nearly as active as he has, I do internalize all of the wrongs I see going on in the world.
One thing that I understand is to love the enemy instead of hating him (the whole non-duality thing, which I do perceive as a truth). Wow. This is extremely difficult. In trying to work this idea into my self, I notice that I am tending more to avoid paying attention to injustices perceived so that I don't get all worked up and so that I remain more peaceful. This is causing some internal conflict: Do I stand up for those suffering from injustices or do I just keep quiet and ignore? How do I draw attention to these injustices without sounding hateful? How do I express love for someone committing an atrocity? And there is internal conflict caused by the internal conflict: Who am I? What kind of person am I if I can't love everyone? I shouldn't judge, yet I can't wrap my head around that in certain circumstances.
So there is this idea of the three nutriments: food, sense impressions, will/intention, and consciousness. Even before Buddhism came into my life, I was thinking about sense impressions. Quite a few years ago, I realized that I just couldn't handle certain kinds of movies and the thought of putting myself through turmoil just to watch some grisly act happening to someone for the sake of entertainment seemed wrong. Then, just a few years ago, I realized that watching the news really upset me (especially certain stories having to do with children or animals). So I stopped watching the news. This has really helped me feel more peaceful. But now I feel like I'm ignoring what is happening in the world outside of my bubble (not the entertainment, but the actual things that are going on) so that I can be more peaceful. To me, avoidance seems like selfishness.
It seems that it is a matter of not getting attached emotionally to the injustices that are happening. I just can't seem to get to a place of balance in this. Is there a practical approach to this dilemma? I understand that immersing myself in all of the wrongs happening is not very healthy. But can I continue to be a voice for those suffering without getting tied up in hatred and anxiety? Is the nutriment of consciousness what I need to work on? I am sure it is possible for advanced practitioners (I know this to be true). I know I haven't been practicing very long (a few months), but I need to know how to practice this-- it seems that this is fundamental to the core of Buddhism and it seems that it is fundamental to bringing a wholeness to myself.
There is another thread in the forums about a person who was very involved in activism and has grown to be very hateful, and is seeking peace in his life. I understand this very much, although I have not been nearly as active as he has, I do internalize all of the wrongs I see going on in the world.
One thing that I understand is to love the enemy instead of hating him (the whole non-duality thing, which I do perceive as a truth). Wow. This is extremely difficult. In trying to work this idea into my self, I notice that I am tending more to avoid paying attention to injustices perceived so that I don't get all worked up and so that I remain more peaceful. This is causing some internal conflict: Do I stand up for those suffering from injustices or do I just keep quiet and ignore? How do I draw attention to these injustices without sounding hateful? How do I express love for someone committing an atrocity? And there is internal conflict caused by the internal conflict: Who am I? What kind of person am I if I can't love everyone? I shouldn't judge, yet I can't wrap my head around that in certain circumstances.
So there is this idea of the three nutriments: food, sense impressions, will/intention, and consciousness. Even before Buddhism came into my life, I was thinking about sense impressions. Quite a few years ago, I realized that I just couldn't handle certain kinds of movies and the thought of putting myself through turmoil just to watch some grisly act happening to someone for the sake of entertainment seemed wrong. Then, just a few years ago, I realized that watching the news really upset me (especially certain stories having to do with children or animals). So I stopped watching the news. This has really helped me feel more peaceful. But now I feel like I'm ignoring what is happening in the world outside of my bubble (not the entertainment, but the actual things that are going on) so that I can be more peaceful. To me, avoidance seems like selfishness.
It seems that it is a matter of not getting attached emotionally to the injustices that are happening. I just can't seem to get to a place of balance in this. Is there a practical approach to this dilemma? I understand that immersing myself in all of the wrongs happening is not very healthy. But can I continue to be a voice for those suffering without getting tied up in hatred and anxiety? Is the nutriment of consciousness what I need to work on? I am sure it is possible for advanced practitioners (I know this to be true). I know I haven't been practicing very long (a few months), but I need to know how to practice this-- it seems that this is fundamental to the core of Buddhism and it seems that it is fundamental to bringing a wholeness to myself.
1
Comments
Are you sure you are a voice for those suffering or are you a voice for your own suffering?
The place of balance I would like to experience is a place where I could continue to bring awareness to a particular happening, be a voice, so to speak, and yet not be full of angst and hatred for the wrong-doers. I can't seem to pay attention to anything involving suffering without getting attached to the point of feeling hateful. Am I supposed to feel hateful? I don't know. Supposedly I should feel love, but I don't, and I would like to know if anyone has any practical advice on a way to practice feeling more balanced in this situation. What I mean by balanced is, at least not feeling hateful to the point where I'm avoiding.
First, activism usually translates to 2 sides with radically different viewpoints. And too many activists do what you have done -- see the opposition as the enemy. Just because someone has a different viewpoint than I do, doesn't mean that they are an "enemy".
Second, perhaps Buddhism doesn't need to "meld" with your activism. Perhaps they are actually separate entities?
Isn't this what the four noble truths, address?
@how, yes. I think, after some thinking today, that I simply need to practice the path. I haven't been at this very long and I shouldn't expect a miracle to happen in a few weeks or whatever. I was hoping for a magic bullet because it's what I wanted to believe existed. In some way, I think it does, but it has to be cultivated over time. It seems silly, now, in retrospect.
Thanks.
Do you usually feel angst and hatred towards wrong-doers?
How do you feel when you do wrong?
Does the angst or the hate redress the wrong?
Is the angst and the hate more likely to make you act 'right' or 'wrong'?
I'm not sure what one is supposed to feel in any situation - you just have to deal with whatever it is that you do feel whenever it is that you feel it.
Perhaps start by unravelling the patterns and consider the correlations and trends - maybe that will provide some avenue to work along.
You mentioned Gandhi, King, and Thich Nhat Hanh. Very good examples of activism. But -- and I may be wrong here -- I didn't often hear them talking about enemies. But some people saw Gandhi as an enemy...and resorted to violence and murder. Some people saw King as an enemy...and resorted to violence and murder.
Wouldn't it have been better if Gandhi's and MKL's enemies had seen him as something other than an enemy and had worked to see if there were compromises that could be made and a more peaceful way to proceed?
As sometimes happens in misguided Buddhist practice, activism has a tendency to want to "improve" things. Such improvements are never rewarded perfectly ... there are always unexpected consequences, so the "improvements" then need to be improved ... endlessly. This is painful and confusing in direct ratio to the righteous or virtuous attachment anyone might have to improving things.
Setting so-called improvement aside does not mean anyone has to melt into a pool of passivity. There really are situations that deserve attention and effort.
So ...
Make the effort ... and lose the virtue.
@vinlyn I agree with you about extreme "activism" and I do think it is sort of a problem for many people, especially in America. Everyone is riding on a wave of emotion-- something I have been doing for most of my life, for sure. Maybe that is also why we have a lot of issues in our time caused by the fear of litigation, because people are so sue-happy. In the last 10 years or so, I've realized how emotionally charged I've been and I've really tried to tone down my reactions and to see things in a more realistic light, when it comes to things that are not especially life and death related. I think I've made some progress, and this has probably helped lead me to the path.
I completely agree with your statements about seeing an "enemy" and the resulting violence-- that is exactly what I would like to change in myself. My reaction to pain and suffering seems to be more violence.
And so I will take another step...
- One of my favorite quotes is from Aristotle: "Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy."
- From Sharon Salzberg's Loving-kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness: "Once I gave a talk on the differences between aversion and compassion. Someone came to speak to me, quite upset. He told me about his sister who was severely brain-damaged and in a nursing home, all too often receiving substandard care. He insisted that only his repeated, infuriated interventions were keeping her alive in that institution. His whole body was trembling as he spoke. After some moments, I asked him, "What is your inner reality like?" He replied, "I'm dying inside. The anger is killing me!" Certainly there are injustices to be named in this world, and hate-filled situations to be changed, and inequities to be remedied. There is appropriate treatment to be demanded, without prejudice or fear. But can we do these things without destroying ourselves through anger?
There are definitely situations in the world that need to be addressed and rectified. It's perfectly natural to feel great pain at the suffering many are subjected to, and to become quite enraged at the cruelty or selfishness that precipitates in that suffering. The spirit of ahimsa (nonviolence) is not about keeping our mouths shut and devolving into quietism. It's about addressing suffering without making things worse -- without adding more karma into the mix that will play itself out in another sphere. Vilifying someone, excoriating them, dehumanizing them... this does not end the cycle of suffering. In fact, it usually adds more suffering into the world. However, what we can do is pinpoint exactly where the karma originated: what actions so-and-so took to harm or violate this person? What can be done to help or heal the person who was harmed and never allow the harmer to do this again? What are some examples of continuing suffering, what are their causes, and how can we eliminate those causes? (The 4NT applied outside ourselves, essentially.) The key is critical evaluation and constructive action.The state of compassion as the trembling of the heart arises with a quality of equanimity. Can you imagine a mind state in which there is no bitter, condemning judgment of oneself or of others? This mind does not see the world in terms of good and bad, right and wrong, good and evil; it sees only "suffering and the end of suffering." What would happen if we looked at ourselves and all of the different things that we see and did not judge any of it? We would see that some things bring pain and others bring happiness, but there would be no denunciation, no guilt, no shame, no fear. How wondrous to see ourselves, others, and the world in that way!
When we see only suffering and the end of suffering, then we feel compassion. Then we can act in energetic and forceful ways but without the corrosive effects of aversion. Compassion can lead to very forceful action without any anger or aversion in it. When we see a small child reaching toward a hot burner on a stove, we instantly take action! Our response is born out of the compassion we feel: we move to pull the child back, away from harm. We do not reject or condemn the child."
Chances are, you will probably never reach a point where you can become immune to reacting to horrific situations. I don't believe you would want that to happen either. What you can do is step back, take some deep breaths, and then look at (or research) the bare facts of the situation while letting your heart break for those who are harmed. Acknowledge and honor the compassion and rage as aspects of your humanity, but don't let them pull you into blind wrath. When the Buddha spoke of "anger", what he was really talking about was wrath -- anger with a vengeful component, with the intention to inflict harm on the other person. Anger, in itself, can be a very benign movement of the heart outward that protects us or those we love from violation or harm. Sometimes you'll discover the one who harms is suffering, too, and then you can find genuine compassion for them. Sometimes, you will not be able to understand them. There are certain people I've heard about whose cruelty I will never be able to fathom. I think that's fine, too. I simply accept whatever comes up (grief, fear, hatred), commit to nonviolence, and focus my energies on preventing any more suffering from entering into this world.
To leave these these kinds of activities and decisions solely in the hands of others, some of whom are slaves to their defilements, isn't wise, in my opinion. And if we choose to live in the world, then I think we at least share some responsibility for shaping it; and it makes sense to have people motivated by things like non-greed, non-aversion, and non-delusion add their voices to the mix, not to mention helping do what they can to fix things like inequality and injustice as long as it's done with a spirit of compassion and harmlessness. The greatest danger of the practice, in my opinion, is the tendency of practitioners to ignore the world around them while seeking their own happiness.
Moreover, just from a practical standpoint, not addressing many of the material conditions giving rise to and supporting society's suffering ultimately serves to help maintain their continued existence (when this is, that is), which can negatively affect our practice, as well as that of others. If the society one lives in isn't conducive to practicing Buddhism, for example, then it does matter what kind of society one lives, so we should naturally try to make it as conducive for ourselves and others as possible. As the Buddha said in Khp 5, "To reside in a suitable locality, to have done meritorious actions in the past and to set oneself in the right course — this is the greatest blessing."
It'd be great if everyone were free from greed, hatred, and delusion, and everyone treated everyone else with kindness, compassion, and generosity—if the world was free from all forms of exploitation, privation, and gross inequalities. But the world isn't a perfect place, and we're not all saints; and one of the ways we can help alleviate some of the world's suffering is by trying to materially change it for the better. And from this point of view, it's not about making our Buddhist practice political, but about applying the ideals of Buddhism in all that we do, which for me includes being political active.
The trick is finding a balance between the two, where one doesn't completely overwhel the other. That part isn't easy and takes a lot of work, in my experience, as I'm wont to get carried away with whatever I'm involved in and often get frustrated about, and overwhelmed by, the sheer amount of suffering in the world. Here I think the four brahmaviharas are handy, as loving-kindness practice can help with engaging with people we don't necessarily like, compassion can help motive us to be more sensitive the suffering of others and want to help, sympathetic joy can help us celebrate in our victories and the good fortune of others, and equanimity can be used to help us maintain an even emotional keel.