Whispering Wyrd

I had a post ready to publish today but just as I was about to hit “publish” I stopped myself. That post was driven by my own anger and I didn’t want to put that kind of energy out into the world. We’re all suffering enough already. I didn’t want to add to anyone’s suffering. There is too much of that going on right now.

The things that stirred that anger are still there like war, rising costs, people losing access to healthcare, racism, hatred, and apathy. The list goes on and on.

One of my favorite bands, Pink Floyd, released a song in 1987 called “On the Turning Away”. I think that song is even more relevant today than it was back then. It talks about a kind of apathy that feels like it’s everywhere right now. My wife isn’t a big Pink Floyd fan, it’s not really her style, but even she likes that song.

As I sat there with my finger ready to publish that angry post I realized something… if I put it out there in that tone, I would be no better than the things and people I was raging against. I would also be a hypocrite. If I claim to follow Buddhist principles but speak out with hatred and contempt then even that justified anger can turn me into the very thing I oppose.

So I didn’t hit publish. I scrapped that post and started this one instead. I deeply believe it’s right to speak out against injustice, prejudice, racism, cruelty, and harm. Silence in the face of those things only helps them grow. But how I (or anyone) speak out makes a difference.

There is a raging fire right now, you could even call it a dumpster fire, but you don’t extinguish an out of control fire by pouring gas on it. Yes, a fire is an emergency, but panic only creates more chaos, and chaos doesn’t produce smart decisions. I’ve seen that firsthand in a house fire.

To stop a fire you attack it at the base. You have to remove what feeds it. This particular fire seems to feed on anger and chaos. Those are its gasoline and deception and lies are its oxygen. Hypocrisy is the dry brush or kindling that helps it spread. People claiming to be “people of faith” while abandoning every single principle of their own faith. People claiming moral values while protecting sexual predators, hurting the vulnerable and poor, enriching themselves, and cheering war from a safe distance.

Until that hypocrisy is confronted nothing really changes. Those of us who are appalled by what’s happening have to be careful in our approach. We are dealing with angry people, and most of us are angry too. But anger has never overcome anger, ever.

It reminds me of martial arts sparring and tournaments when I trained in the 1980s. If you faced somebody larger or stronger, staying calm was crucial. If your opponent got agitated or angry that was good because they made mistakes. They overcommitted and were overconfident. That made them vulnerable to timing, strategy, and skill.

The same principle applies now, a calm and clear mind is stronger than a chaotic mind. And there is one very real and very powerful thing we can do… Vote in November.

Even though these people try to convince us we are powerless, we are not powerless. Our voices will count and be heard. Our votes will matter. That is exactly why they work so hard to make people feel defeated, cynical, or too exhausted to care. So stay calm. Don’t feed the fire with more fire. Meet that fire with courage and clarity. And in November, meet it with action with your vote.

Amituofo
~Buck