If you cannot find that place in you that is free of fear, even though
you acknowledge that there might also be a part of you that is
frightened, you are not going to be able to contribute to a universe
that is free of fear. So, as far as I am concerned, social action must
have at its very foundation a spiritual focus.
But even though we find ourselves afraid, and not feeling peaceful, and
less than fully loving and compassionate, we must act. There is no way
you can be in an incarnation without acting. We cannot wait until we are
enlightened to act. We all hear the way in which our silence is itself
an act of acquiescence to a system. That is as much an action as
walking.
Since we must act, we do the best we can to act consciously and
compassionately. But in addition, we can make every action an exercise
designed to help us become free. Because the truth that comes from
freedom, and the power that comes from freedom, and the love and
compassion that come from freedom are the jewels we can cultivate to
offer to our fellow sentient beings for the relief of their suffering.
- Ram Dass -
