Today, November 6, 2020, the United States, my home, is a nation divided against itself, with all sides striving to win. This is the karma of white supremacy and colonization manifesting in the midst of a global pandemic and climate crisis. I live in California, a state that is, literally, on fire.
The Buddha said this:
Winning gives birth to hostility.
Losing, one lies down in pain.
The calmed lie down with ease,
having set
winning & losing
aside.
“Winning gives birth to hostility.” Another translator more colloquially put it this way: “The winner sows hatred because the loser suffers.”
I believe in strategic political action and liberatory movement-building. I have cast my vote. And these are my Bodhisattva vows as I move with you into the coming months and years: What actions can I take to lessen hostility and extreme reactivity, and to encourage civil discourse and respectful democratic process?
May we all complete the great journey of awakening together.
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