At a weekly teachings/meditation group this morning, conversation turned to… Dubya. If love and compassion for all beings is a goal, how do you reconcile that with strong negative feelings you have towards someone, whether a world leader or anyone else affecting your life in significant and negative ways?
Someone said that it helps her to think of humans like this as people who are seeking peace and love and contentment in their own ways, which she may or may not understand. We may disagree with how they’re going about attaining that contentment – even strongly enough to attempt counteracting the effects of their actions sometimes, when the price they are willing to pay is too high. But the fact of this quest is in itself worthy of compassion.
Then there’s something else. Negative feelings directed toward another human being happen sometimes. Like thoughts happen while you’re meditating. With the latter, it’s useless to deny their existence: you acknowledge them, detach your self from them, watch them pass like clouds. Over and over, gently, until (presumably; I haven’t gotten to that point yet) they stop coming. Maybe the negativity is like those thoughts; we can acknowledge it, but channel whatever feelings arise into love and compassion, and act from there. The resulting action may be the same; but where it comes from will inform its true content and impact, and maybe even how it is perceived by others.
Just idle thoughts; as my mom would say, I have an A in theory. Practice is harder. But in the meantime, I give you “Imagine This.” Do watch the video; it’s strangely inspiring and thoughtful, not at all a mockery, as I had expected it to be.
If you haven’t inspired me yet and feel like doing so, please comment there. And if you have, thank you. What people have written so far has brought home the astonishing reserves of kindness manifest in those I know.
