Can resisting change be good?

tony67

Hello all,
This is a question I’m having some trouble with at present. Please let me outline my problem.
The county council has decided to merge 3 local high schools into one “super academy”. This will be linked to the local university and have the best facilities and a huge cash injection. Sounds great! But here is the catch. For some reason and without public consultation they have decided to build it on one of the only green sites in the town. The area has 4 football and 2 rugby pitches. It’s used by town, pub and factory teams to play on. Kids play here, football, rugby, cricket, kite flying and general rough and tumble.
The people have asked the council to consider other sites but they have refused. Saying the town will lose the academy, the money and the children’s education will suffer. This has now led to much bitterness and conflict. My friend has asked me to help out with stopping the academy being built. I think and academy will be great, however I think the location is a terrible choice. But the council are entrenched. The people are entrenched some for good reasons some just because they hate change or for selfish reasons. The objectors plan a court case and then civil disobedience (stopping the trucks to the site etc).
So my predicament is do I join and help this group, resisting change and perhaps getting dragged into conflict. Or do I have other options? I think the social and environmental advantages of the site outweigh the good it will have for the kids.
Thanks and sorry for a long first post

AllbuddhaBound

Accepting what is, reduces suffering. To resist evil, can also reduce suffering. The Jews during the holocaust, would have reduced much suffering had they been more resistant. Another belief that appears to apply is that evil flourishes when good men do nothing. Accepting change that has occurred is one thing. Working towards a just and desired solution in the course of change before it occurs, is another. If you resist proposed change you disagree with, you are being a conscientious citizen.

Nios

Hmmm, difficult one.

A lot of research would need to be done. Eg, what are the reasons for keeping the green land?... what are the benefits?... what are the losses?... Have the council actually looked for another place to build?... If not, why not?... If so, why were they rejected?... What are the pros for the building going ahead?... How many jobs will it create?... Will there be more places for local children?... How will it be funded?... What effect will it have on traffic & local community?... Why wasn't the community involved from the get go?... Where they given a large sum of undisclosed money for the green site??... etc etc.
I could list loads of questions... sometimes it's not as simple as "must keep green land" (although I'm all for it ) If the benefits out-weigh the losses then it's a good thing, though it's strange that they think they'll loose the academy if they don't put it on the green site... hmmm :hrm:

Sorry I haven't given you an actual answer.

Nios.

BrotherBob

Hi tony,

I face this in our community in Salem, Oregon in other ways.

I've concluded that the best service I may provide is to speak the truth as I see it, to authority, to neighbors, etc. and do my best to find ways to strengthen the community through peaceful dialogue, not really knowing how to do this skillfully yet!

On divisive issues, I simply state my objective observations and feelings, based on my wants/needs and then make requests; usually for respectful discussion.

I personally see no benefit in taking a partisan stand in these issues and remain as neutral as possible, allowing the community to decide while I engage with joyous effort to facilitate this process.

I look for those who can lead with graciousness and support them, no matter which side of the issue they may be on. Because, for me, it's less about the current issue and more about the long-term wellbeing of individuals and our community.

AllbuddhaBound

I sometimes wonder if I should be striving to be a Buddhist at all. Some of the things that occur to me naturally, may never occur to a Buddhist at all. Most of the beliefs are more than acceptable to me. I have found much truth in the teachings. I find value in applying concepts throughout my life.

Then, an issue such as this comes up. Is passivity the only way that issues are to be dealt with? I wonder, if a person slows everything down for themselves, and re-examines over and over and over, then things get decided before you even get out of the gate.

No doubt, I am struggling with my ego here. No one said it was going to be easy.

skydancer

Brother Bob wrote: »

Hi tony,

I face this in our community in Salem, Oregon in other ways.

I've concluded that the best service I may provide is to speak the truth as I see it, to authority, to neighbors, etc. and do my best to find ways to strengthen the community through peaceful dialogue, not really knowing how to do this skillfully yet!

On divisive issues, I simply state my objective observations and feelings, based on my wants/needs and then make requests; usually for respectful discussion.

I personally see no benefit in taking a partisan stand in these issues and remain as neutral as possible, allowing the community to decide while I engage with joyous effort to facilitate this process.

I look for those who can lead with graciousness and support them, no matter which side of the issue they may be on. Because, for me, it's less about the current issue and more about the long-term wellbeing of individuals and our community.

I used to live in Oregon. I wonder if our paths ever crossed at a Buddhist teaching.

BrotherBob

if you read my posts i imagine you may find i'm not passive. i imagine Buddhist training as a way to know how to deal with circumstances with clarity and true power, not passivity, and that it's not about striving to be Buddhist but about embodying the principles of training in order to do the right thing based on what's called for by circumstances, on a very deep level - usually beyond common understanding/knowing.

BrotherBob

i imagine you left the state in 91? i was in prison. in the mid 80's i hung out with the breitenbush folks and did some stuff with steven levine, ram das, and ruth dennison there.

if you know the folks at dharma rain zen center or great vow monastery we may know the same folks.

sorry, i'm eatin with one hand and typing with the other.

skydancer

Brother Bob wrote: »

i imagine you left the state in 91? i was in prison. in the mid 80's i hung out with the breitenbush folks and did some stuff with steven levine, ram das, and ruth dennison there.

if you know the folks at dharma rain zen center or great vow monastery we may know the same folks.

sorry, i'm eatin with one hand and typing with the other.

I left Oregon in 2002 to move to Chagud Gonpa in California for retreat. My first Buddhist retreat was at Breitenbush with Joseph Goldstein, Alan Clements and Munindra. I was at the retreat in 1982 when Dinah and Greg were killed in an auto accident.

I studied with Ruth Denison, Ram Das, and Stephen Levine too. More with Ruth than Ram Das and Stephen Levine.

I used to know some of the folks from the Dharma Rain Zen Center in Portland. I sponsored some of my teachers to teach there.

BrotherBob

cool! sky! yeah that wreck was tragic. logging truck. her hair kept the deer outta the fruit trees for some years.

2002 hum. i was still in prison, paroled in may 2008. studied with getsushin brox, dharma rain. did their seminary course by correspondence. took shambhala training, trained with ven. thubten chodron by occasional visits and correspondence, and regularly with jerry braza, dharma teacher of the order of interbeing while inside; along with support from liberation prison project. received precepts and installment in the zen peacemaker order in 1998? with claude anshin thomas as preceptor. still training as a novice monastic. not a lot of contact with claude or getsushin now. a little more with ven thubten chodron, still working on preliminaries - doing retreats from afar. a lot of contact with jerry and the oib, just did a weekend with them at yachats, wow! by the way jerry's going to be a guest retreat leader in redding, ca. this year. you may wish to meet him.