A post on Elephant Journal calls us to action from a Buddhist perspective:
…practice is the greatest protestation of injustice, because it is a refusal to participate in the insanity that creates injustice. I hope more people will realize that the most potent political decision they can make is to invest in their sanity, which consists of nothing more than observing their own confusion. The observation of confusion is the revelation of wisdom, and wisdom is the fuel of a revolution. When we take the time to appreciate the gap between thoughts, we allow thought to touch the present moment.
One main reason I appreciate this post is the tensions that arise for me around the calls for activism and being the change, the seeming largeness of the issues at hand, such as the 99% and humanity’s future, and my own preoccupation at times with where to put my resources and energy on a day to day basis. What is an integral expression of activism? Might it be part of a more holistic way of being and living, and one that includes targeted concrete actions, as well as an internal stance of maturity and intelligence growing from emotional, spiritual, and psychological work on ourselves?
While the author is spot-lighting the transcendent and oneness aspects of practice in my opinion, I don’t want that to be an excuse for non-action. For some of us there is plenty of work to do inside. Through my own inner work, it is my vision that I will be more resilient in the face of the confusion and insanity, and that I can shine light on the internal blind spots caused by the ignorance I perpetuate by failing to observe myself in this way.
It is becoming clearer and clearer to me that these moments of change in ourselves and the world can be an opportunity for growth. Will I and we act in alignment with this growth and future oriented impulse some of us have, and how will that contribute?
Karilen Mays 