Election season anger and fear

This morning while I was meditating, I pictured myself punching a particular Presidential candidate in the face. I wished he was dead. I found myself hoping that someone would kill him.

While I was meditating, y’all. As lame as I may be as a meditator and a Buddhist, I recognized that this was the wrong way to go. Even though I know I am “right,” I also know that whatever hate I feel will only worsen the situation. A cursory glance at the entire scope of recorded history proves my point: Hate leads to hate. The hatred I feel for others further fuels the hatred they feel for me. This is unavoidable.

Someone has got to put an end to it.

But how? There is no way I can or will try to cajole myself into feeling anything whatsoever soft towards those I believe are doing harm to others and this world. Some people represent very real threats. Action must be taken, and it should be swift, decisive, and unrelenting until all beings are protected from harm.

How then can we take powerful and potent action against what we know is wrong (and hateful) without hate and anger in our hearts?

I don’t know how to answer this question, I’m sorry. However, I do have some clues and here they are.

1. Begin by examining your own personal view of humanity. Do you believe, or, more importantly, do you feel that, at our core, we humans are A. good or B. bad? By A, I mean, do you trust us? Do you trust yourself? Do you believe that underneath it all, we care about ourselves and each other and are full of tenderness and grace? Or, B, do you believe that underneath it all, we are craven, self-centered beings who are only out for ourselves and are incapable of seeing past our own small viewpoint?

Albert Einstein said, “The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.” Please consider that everything that proceeds from A creates more A and everything that proceeds from B creates more B. Just for now.

2. If “A” is true, then all of the heinous, vicious, violent, hate in the world is actually a form of extraordinary, wrong-headed, deep, and vile confusion—but not of evil. To hold this view does not make anything better, not at all. However, it does create space in our hearts and minds, some sense of, this is totally not the way things are supposed to be, how can we fix it…rather than, until these people are gone, there is no hope. 

What I’m trying to say is that choosing “A” is akin to choosing a sense of unification with our fellow humans, some of whom are profoundly, vastly fucked up. Choosing “B” means only one thing: there is “Us” and there is “Them” and until They are gone, We are screwed. As alluded to above, this does not work. The problem is not whether we agree or disagree on certain positions or values. The problem is that we hate and distrust each other.

3. With some sense of sorrow and rage for the confusion of our world rather than icy, dismissive, degrading disdain for our opponents, we could take this view: Hating someone or something is okay even though it causes you way more pain than it does to anyone else. However, we’re human so it’s going to happen. There is only one thing that is not okay and it is to think that you are different from the person or people you hate. With a few small changes in your history, you could have been the person you hate. So, rage with revulsion. Keen in horror. Be repulsed and mercilessly unforgiving. I repeat: No problem. However, don’t think for one second that you are any different than whomever or whatever you despise.

4. Here is a practice that could help when caught in moments of hatred. When you find yourself engulfed in rage and terror, take a pause. Instead of fueling it with thoughts such as, “I can’t believe what these people think” or “can’t they see how wrong they are?” take a look at what is just beneath your anger and fear. Given that “A” is true, here is what I believe you will find: Sadness. Bottomless, searing, human sadness. Unremitting love for Planet Earth and its inhabitants. Supreme protectiveness of what you hold dear. 

These things are beautiful, workable, expansive. Take refuge in them.

Fear shrinks your mind. Tenderness expands it. Know that your “opponents” are exactly this way too. You may think they are idiots, but that’s okay. They think you’re an idiot. We could all examine going beyond this. 

Let’s you and I go first.

I wish you well in your struggle with hatred and fear. I have great, great faith in you, you, you, and you, and also in myself, even though I am obviously a bad Buddhist.

For now, hate and rage on. But use it as fuel for love. This is totally possible and I will be trying right alongside you.

categorized in: dharma, open heart project