contemplation and social justice

One of the issues that I struggle with is the Gospel call to end suffering and injustice and the contemplative stance of not knowing. How are these two reconciled in my life? Often these two calls seem to contradict each other. Not knowing seems to preclude me from telling someone they are wrong. Social justice seems to push me to point out the inequities in our lives and society. How are the two welded together? I constantly ponder this question. The Zen teacher, Bernie Glassman, has an answer.

While we cannot say that you are wrong, we can say, and often need to say, “From my point of view, I/our children/the community are being, or are going to be, affected in a very in destructive way. From my point of view, this must change.” Obviously from the perpetrators viewpoint which is based on their conditioning and experiences, their actions are in some way good or necessary, or they would not be doing them. As the Dude says, “It is just your opinion, man!” however bad it appears.
If our vow is to enhance life, this may mean restraining those that are dangerous and causing harm while we work to find a resolution that benefits all.

The manner and means of communicating and enacting our view however are crucial to the outcome. Not knowing, bearing witness and loving action are here, as always, a powerful way to proceed. Dropping our first reactive opinions, from a place of not-knowing, we need to open and bear witness to our own and others viewpoints and actions, to motivation, and to where these create suffering or harmony for all. Then we are empowered to act lovingly to the best of our ability, while being able to respond also to unpredicted consequences of our own and others actions. We will make mistakes, we will fail to achieve our aims over and over, but we will live a passionate, loving, and meaningful life, and inspire others to do so too, including maybe, even those of opposing view.

There are as many ways of putting forward or enacting our views skillfully as there are people. We each need to look at our strengths, skills, and resources and chose our most effective way of taking healing action. Some of us can organize, some can write, or speak in public, some can express artistically, understand and use the law, vote, analyze the parameters, use the media well, persuade friends who are influential, donate money, inspire others to put forward their views or change their actions, teach the children, tend to the suffering or dying, devise ceremonies of awareness or experiential healing, listen from the heart to dissension, organize celebration of resolution, or simply enact harmony within the situation in every encounter. Every morsel of nourishment offered feeds us all in ways we will never know.

When action comes from the heart with passion, expresses love and inclusion of all beings, remarkable changes can be wrought. Slavery can end, a Constitution can be written, women can be enfranchised, universal education and health care provided, the homeless can become part of community, age old enemies become friends, and maybe even a war can be ended, and further global warming halted.

Philosophizing aside, the real question is, what are the issues resonating in your life? How will you act?

Amen.