President Trump. Now What?

Via Sri Prem Baba

Via Living Blue in a Red State / FB:

ViaTricycle: Buddhist Teachings for Post-Election Healing

It is not possible To control all external events But, if I simply control my mind, What need is there to control other things? —Shantideva

The anger, fear, and confusion that has rippled through the country for some time came to a head last night when Donald J. Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States. Regardless of your political affiliation, it’s undeniable that the nation has entered uncharted territory. Here in New York City, where Tricycle is headquartered, the tension is palpable.

What do the Buddhist teachings have to offer us in such times of stress, turbulence, and uncertainty? In sum: the radical notion that when we cultivate an equanimous mind, even the most extreme external circumstances do not hold sway. Here are five essays and one video teaching that offer refuge amid great anxiety and change. Consider these pieces a Buddhist “care package” to inspire healing in the often acrimonious and dispiriting atmosphere of the recent political upheaval. May all beings benefit.

Encouragement from 'Abdu'l-Baha:

The darkness of this gloomy night shall pass away. Again the Sun of Reality will dawn from the horizon of the hearts. Have patience, wait but do not sit idle; work while you are waiting; smile when you are wearied with monotony; be firm while everything around you is being shaken; be joyous while the ugly face of despair grins at you; speak aloud while the malevolent forces of the nether world try to crush your mind; be valiant and courageous while men all around you are cringing with fear and cowardice. Do not yield to the overwhelming power of tyranny and despotism. Serve the cause of democracy and freedom. Continue your journey to the end. The bright day is coming. The nucleus of the new race is forming. The harbinger of the new ideals of international justice is appearing. The trees of hope will become verdant; the copper of scorn and derision will be transmuted into the gold of honor and praise; the arid desert of ignorance will be transformed into the luxuriant garden of knowledge; the threatening clouds shall be dispelled and the stars of faith and charity will again twinkle in the clear heaven of consciousness." 

- Abdu'l-Baha , Baha'i Scriptures, p. 547