No Longer Playing It Safe
Ya no juegas sobre seguro--por bell hooks
Para trabajar por la paz y la justicia, comenzamos con la práctica individual del amor, porque es allà donde podemos experimentar el poder transformador del amor de primera mano. Fijarnos en el impacto dañino del abuso en muchas de nuestras infancias nos ayuda a cultivar la mente del amor. El abuso siempre tiene que ver con la falta de amor, y si llegamos a la edad adulta sin saber amar, ¿Cómo podemos crear movimientos sociales que terminen con la dominación, la explotación y la opresión?
Para comenzar la práctica del amor debemos reducir la velocidad y estar lo suficientemente quietos para dar testimonio en el momento presente. Si aceptamos que el amor es una combinación de cuidado, compromiso, conocimiento, responsabilidad, respeto y confianza, podemos ser guiados por este entendimiento. Podemos usar estos medios hábiles como un mapa en nuestra vida diaria para determinar la acción correcta.
Cuando cultivamos la mente del amor, estamos cultivando el bien, y eso significa "recuperar el poder incandescente del amor que está presente como un potencial en todos nosotros" y usar "las herramientas de la práctica espiritual para sostener nuestra experiencia real y momento a momento de esa visión".
Ser transformad@ por la práctica del amor es nacer de nuevo, experimentar la renovación espiritual. Lo que presencio diariamente es el anhelo de esa renovación y el temor de que nuestras vidas cambien por completo si elegimos el amor. Ese miedo paraliza. Nos deja atrapados en el lugar del sufrimiento.
Cuando nos comprometemos a amar en nuestra vida diaria, los hábitos se rompen. Debido a que ya no estamos jugando con las reglas seguras del status quo, el amor nos traslada a un nuevo terreno del ser. Estamos trabajando necesariamente para acabar con la dominación. Este movimiento es lo que la mayorÃa de la gente teme. Si vamos a llevar a cabo el deseo colectivo de bienestar espiritual que se encuentra en la práctica del amor, debemos estar más dispuestos a identificar las formas que este deseo tendrá en la vida diaria.
La gente necesita saber cómo cambiamos y cómo somos cambiados cuando amamos. Solo al dar testimonio concreto del poder transformador del amor en nuestra vida diaria podemos asegurar a aquellos que tienen miedo, que el compromiso de amar será redentor, una forma de experimentar la salvación.
Preguntas semilla para la reflexión: ¿Cómo te relacionas con la idea de que ser transformado por la práctica del amor es nacer de nuevo? ¿Puedes compartir una historia personal de un momento en que experimentaste tal transformación? ¿Qué te ayuda a trascender el miedo y comprometerte a amar?
Gloria Jean Watkins, más conocida como bell hooks, es autora, profesora, feminista y activista social estadounidense.
Gloria Jean Watkins, better known by her pen name bell hooks, is an American author, professor, feminist, and social activist. Excerpt above from this article.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the notion that to be transformed by the practice of love is to be born again? Can you share a personal story of a time you experienced such a transformation? What helps you transcend fear and commit to loving?
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7 Past Reflections
On Apr 8, 2019 jerard lizares wrote :
Transformation of love is to live a life with God. We overcome the fear of committing love as we let ourselves live with the trust in God that things will be alright in all walks of life.
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On Apr 5, 2019 Keith wrote :
Currently going through a difficult relationship with another sangha (Buddhist group of practicioners) member. It's like the proverbial thorn in the lion's paw. (I'm very strong-willed.) Last night I made up my mind to love him regardless of his rejection or acceptance. I'm determined to do this for the strength of the sangha as well as my own inner strength. I guess I could say that I felt some kinda "born again" experience in my resolve.
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On Apr 3, 2019 Quacinda wrote :
I really appreciate this profound and thoughtful reading; thank you. And thank you Creator for my life, for life and love all around me, and others who share this experience of love with me.
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On Apr 2, 2019 Judith E Simpson wrote :
I have discovered that love multiplies. It never divides. This is an amazing and humbling way to live. I have lived what some would call a very long time. I hope I live this way for the rest of my existence.
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On Mar 30, 2019 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
I love this beautiful passage. Pure love, non-possessive and unconditional love, is the key to transformation, spiritual renewal. The old shackles of fear, anger and abuse are shattered by cultivating skillful means of love. Such love frees us from the past abuse and brings clarity and inner strength to love ourselves and others in our life authentically. Such spiritual awakening gives us a new birth.
Last week a young grandsonof a grandmother we know came to our house for a weekend visit. His grandmother has been holding on a deep emotional wound she had received from her daughter who happens to be the motherof this young man. She has displaced her anger against her daughter to her grandson and she refused to come to see him and have a dinner with him. The grandson loves his grandmother in spiteof her wrath towards him. He had bought a bouquet of flowers for his grandmother hoping she would come to see him and eat with her. Both my daughter and I asked her to let go of her displaced a... [View Full Comment]
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On Mar 30, 2019 David Doane wrote :
For me at this point, love means union. Once upon a time it was falling in love with and union with individuals that was transforming via excitement and losing myself and finding more of myself and expanding myself. Now that I am older, the practice of love is more general and spiritual. That is, I've come to feel union to some degree with all others and with all that is, which has been transforming and is my born again into being more kind, patient, understanding, compassionate. I have experienced such transformation being with my wife, being with my children, interacting with other people, and being with natural miracles such as looking out ito the Milky Way on a clear star filled night. I'm not feeling fear in loving these days -- I think what helps me to transcend fear is knowing how fulfilling loving is.
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On Mar 28, 2019 sheetal wrote :
Thank you for this superb passage. How we all long for love but are afraid to practice it or even embrace it when its in front of us in many ways. Recently, i have been experiencing "shattering of habits" by practice of love. The work-in-progress that began with only embracing love and leaving all other stories, attachments, coloring, perceptions and expectations has given rise to a sense of silence where only flowing from heart exists. With continued practice the intellect is able to understand the rest of the aforementioned as noise that disturbs the peaceful flow of love in thoughts, speech and action and has become more observant. As it is WIP there's a gradual transformation taking place, giving space to more openness and acceptance to commit to loving and thereby to being born again. Being born again thus, also helps heal old patterns and the movement from abused lovelessness to abundant lovingness emerges.