Politics have no place in meditation and mindfulness, true or false? I say a resounding FALSE!
Now I know this may surprise you, and this revelation surprised me a bit too. Many of us are struggling with that state of the world right now and it comes up often during our open discussion at meditation group. So recently I had to really explore if my meditation practice and my politics intersected, and how.
Meditation is the exploration of not just the inner world, but the outer world as well. It’s about our place in this world. Meditation isn’t about hiding from what’s happening, or not facing reality, or looking through rose-colored glasses. Through meditation, we learn that we are in control of our thoughts and our responses, and nothing more. Through meditation, we recognize we are all connected and have more in common than differences. Through meditation, especially lovingkindness meditation, we can cultivate compassion, even for our enemies. And that is not to say that we have to like our enemies.
Zen master teacher Thich Nhat Hanh practiced “engaged Buddhism” with his anti-war activism. Exiled from his home in Vietnam in 1966 for his opposition to the war, he made it his life’s work campaigning for peace. According to Thich Nhat Hanh “Meditation is not to escape from society, but to come back to ourselves and see what is going on. Once there is seeing, there must be acting. With mindfulness we know what to do and what not to do to help.” Mindfulness is the act of noticing, and once we know, we have a duty to act.
His friend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. also knew the importance of spending time in quiet reflection. It was mission to bring about change through nonviolent action and he lived his life in a way that embodied nonviolence.
The point here is this: meditation and activism are not mutually exclusive. In fact you can say that mindfulness and meditation support activism. Mindfulness helps you see things as they really are, not just what the headlines say, and then we want to do something about it. We have a curiosity and a willingness to explore without judgment. This can lead to more meaningful dialogue.
Many of us are feeling overwhelmed by today’s politics in the U.S. and around the world. That’s where meditation shines. Among it’s many benefits, meditation has been shown to lower stress, increase resilience, decrease anxiety, help us to regulate our emotions such as anger and helplessness, and reduce burnout.
Admittedly, I haven’t always acted mindfully as an activist, and in my younger days, there were some very tense, heart-pounding moments when confronting injustice. Here are some things that I’ve learned about how practice activism mindfully:
Keep a beginner’s mind
I have so much to learn and when I set aside the tendency that I sometimes have to think I already know, I am always grateful for the new lessons. You can learn something from each person that comes into your life, friends and enemies alike.
Remember that we are all connected
Genetically speaking, humans are 99.9% identical. Ninety-nine point nine percent! We all want to be safe and happy and healthy. We want to take care of our loved ones, the basic human needs. We have all experienced loss and we all have a deep sense of belonging. Even if we look for it in different places.
Practice acceptance
The Serenity Prayer starts like this: God, grant me the serenity/to accept the things I cannot change,/the courage to change the things I can,/and the wisdom to know the difference. Good advice.
It’s okay to be angry
Just don’t let anger consume you. And remember that fear, or guilt, or pain, or sadness, or hopelessness may be masquerading as anger and make room for those emotions too. That means spending time in self-care practices such as meditation and practicing non-judgment around those emotions. As a side note, self-care will help prevent burnout.
Will I always confront injustice mindfully? Of course not (there’s that humanness again)! And I’m doing better. The good news is, you don’t have to hide from the news of the world, and you get to control your response to it. One final reminder from Thich Nhat Hanh: “Once there is seeing, there must be acting.” Pretty clear instructions from a man who campaigned for peace, I’d say.
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