The Buddha's teaching on light and darkness is simple: they depend on each other for their existance. For collective awakening against injustices that affect us all, we need to learn how to transform our feelings of anger, outrage, despair, fear into compassionate and non-violent action if we want this kind of resistance to be effctive. This kind of resistance requires satyagraha or soul force, the fire of determination in our hearts and a willingness to see that we depend on each other even on those whose views are very different form our own.
Mahatma Ghandhi's civil disobedience or resistance movement against the unjust British rule of India was based on satyagraha. His satyagraha freedom movement was also based on building up inner resistnace to anger, hatred, fear and despair. Both kinds of resistance come down to our own conscious choices. I learned this great lesson from Gandhiji as a role model and from others folloing his path. Satyagraha as I understand is a soul force, a strong detremination for taking a courageous and non-violent stand against injustice. It is not like making a deal. I encounter such happenings in our country on a regular basis. I practice satyagraha as enunciated by Mahatma Gandhi.
When non-compassionate and judgemental thoughts and feelings of resentment and anger arise my mind and heart, I process them mindfully until the heavy clouds of judgemental thoughts and feelings and tense bodily sensations go away from my mind and body. I call it mindfulness cleansing process. With daily practice of this cleansing process the time on holdong on to the inward walls gets shorter and shorter. It is indeed conscious choice making.
On Jan 4, 2019 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
The Buddha's teaching on light and darkness is simple: they depend on each other for their existance. For collective awakening against injustices that affect us all, we need to learn how to transform our feelings of anger, outrage, despair, fear into compassionate and non-violent action if we want this kind of resistance to be effctive. This kind of resistance requires satyagraha or soul force, the fire of determination in our hearts and a willingness to see that we depend on each other even on those whose views are very different form our own.
Mahatma Ghandhi's civil disobedience or resistance movement against the unjust British rule of India was based on satyagraha. His satyagraha freedom movement was also based on building up inner resistnace to anger, hatred, fear and despair. Both kinds of resistance come down to our own conscious choices. I learned this great lesson from Gandhiji as a role model and from others folloing his path. Satyagraha as I understand is a soul force, a strong detremination for taking a courageous and non-violent stand against injustice. It is not like making a deal. I encounter such happenings in our country on a regular basis. I practice satyagraha as enunciated by Mahatma Gandhi.
When non-compassionate and judgemental thoughts and feelings of resentment and anger arise my mind and heart, I process them mindfully until the heavy clouds of judgemental thoughts and feelings and tense bodily sensations go away from my mind and body. I call it mindfulness cleansing process. With daily practice of this cleansing process the time on holdong on to the inward walls gets shorter and shorter. It is indeed conscious choice making.