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Zoe Girl
12-5-15, 1:54pm
I have been looking for this http://www.dalailama.com/messages/world-peace/the-reality-of-war


, One of my personal tenets of non-violence is that by pushing, forcing, manipulating others into my point of view is a form of violence. There are so many ways that we can practice violence or peace in our daily lives, in our words, actions and all forms of communication. I do not know if I am expressing this well or if my actions show this, however it is my intention. A teacher (not sure where to credit this unfortunately) said that our practice shows when we are someone safe to be around. I don't practice to change anyone else, I work very hard at practice to be a person who does not pass on violence to the extent I am able.

rodeosweetheart
12-5-15, 2:13pm
I have been looking for this http://www.dalailama.com/messages/world-peace/the-reality-of-war


, One of my personal tenets of non-violence is that by pushing, forcing, manipulating others into my point of view is a form of violence. There are so many ways that we can practice violence or peace in our daily lives, in our words, actions and all forms of communication. I do not know if I am expressing this well or if my actions show this, however it is my intention. A teacher (not sure where to credit this unfortunately) said that our practice shows when we are someone safe to be around. I don't practice to change anyone else, I work very hard at practice to be a person who does not pass on violence to the extent I am able.




Oh zoe, I really like this post so much. I woke up this morning thinking that for my upcoming life (am currently on vacation) I want to strive to be a more peaceful person, with a peaceful mind. I want to practice peace, if that makes sense--peace, not strife. I was just thinking this earlier, so I am so glad to read your post.

Thank you for this!

Zoe Girl
12-5-15, 4:15pm
You are welcome, I am glad to have some read it and respond in the middle of increasing anger in our society

bae
12-5-15, 4:17pm
You are welcome, I am glad to have some read it and respond in the middle of increasing anger in our society

Is anger increasing for real, or is it simply getting more instant press coverage?

ToomuchStuff
12-5-15, 4:19pm
Is anger increasing for real, or is it simply getting more instant press coverage?

And can't the press coverage itself, be one self feeding anger driver? *upset about the news, get angry and become more news*

Zoe Girl
12-5-15, 4:35pm
I do not know bae, i do think it is getting more coverage. I personally cannot watch the regular news but I do stay informed in ways that are not overwhelming. I was not able to find many peaceful things such as a meditation on peace after these events. I know my meditation group does a 'metta night' (buddhist term for lovingkindness) periodically, and I usually try to lead one about the anniversary of the Aurora shooting since that is my strongest personal connection.

I know the schools in my district are doing more restorative justice practice around problems there, and there are some people doing this even within the adult population of the justice system. It is a way of helping offenders see the harm and giving them an opportunity to make some type of amends. That is one way to address the snowballing of anger and violence. In my world we say that 'hurt people hurt people', so what are the ways to address that root? For me it is a fierce stand for peace, while watching when I get to the point I justify my own angry responses.

Gardenarian
12-5-15, 5:19pm
Thanks for the reminder to keep peace in our hearts and minds, Zoe Girl.
These can be scary times.

Williamsmith
12-6-15, 4:03am
I know peace when I experience it. But it is fleeting.

catherine
12-6-15, 8:51am
I also appreciate your thoughts, Zoe Girl.

I strongly believe, like TooMuchStuff and what bae suggests, that the media pollutes reality, and for that reason, I watch TV news on a "need to know" basis, but to sit there all day while the CNN fills up air time with fear mongering and speculation is not something that's going to preserve my serenity. "Being peace" definitely requires a lot of practice in order to stitch those fleeting moments together.

flowerseverywhere
12-6-15, 12:35pm
Is anger increasing for real, or is it simply getting more instant press coverage?

I know you are a big reader and my eyes have really opened up the more I read history. if you read history, say of the Spartacus rebellion, the crusades, the English archers, Mongolian warriors and so on, these times are in many ways less violent. People have been raiding each other's camps, brutalizing women, burning crops as they march through the countryside, performing acts of unspeakable cruelty and so on since almost the beginning of time. And a lot of it has been about which god you believe in or your ethnic origin. It seems now more than ever it just does not have to be that way.

rodeosweetheart
12-6-15, 1:13pm
And a lot of it has been about which god you believe in or your ethnic origin. It seems now more than ever it just does not have to be that way.

I think human beings are very territorial by nature, and it mostly has to do with that, with the maya of there being "not enough."

I think it's one's belief system, rather than "which god you believe in or your ethnic origin"--but maybe I am just using different terms to describe the same set of human impulses.

Anyway, I see the territorial thing in myself and others with respect to beliefs, too. Like we want to claim some "moral highground/holier than thou/more enlightened than thou" territory for ourselves. Like the line in The Music Man--"you gotta know/[have/claim] the territory.

Which leads us to the question of how to maintain one's peace in the face of conflicting belief systems, how to maintain one's peace in the midst of taking action if one needs to take action.