Everyday media is filled with the atrocities of human beings, one against the others. Parents and strangers killing the babies. Cops are killing people. People are killing each other. Madness and mayhem come from every direction. The innocent and the guilty wrapped in a macabre embrace which enfolds all of humanity in shame, disgrace, pain, and unending suffering. We push it all to the back of our minds as we struggle to create peace in our space. But, beneath it all, we are traumatized by these events as we realize that there is no longer any place that we can claim as safe. We are living in a house afire.
Over the past fifty years, we have slowly moved from connecting with each other with compassion to destructive attitudes and actions that exclude all except a few in our immediate circle. We reflect this exclusive attitude in every aspect of American society. We have a president who spreads hate and greed. Public officials at all levels have only their interest at heart. Police randomly kill anyone they choose, destroy the dignity and property of everyone without regard for the sanctity of life or their position as servants of our communities. Men and women are at odds with each other and show little if any respect. It traumatizes our children from birth and exhibits this in their behaviors as bullies, thieves, drug users, and murderers. I say, ENOUGH!
There is no one cause for the effects we are seeing in our environment, our families, our communities or our country. Our prayers and pleas are not heard because we do not align our hearts with peace and harmony for self and all others. Confusion and powerlessness subdue us because we do not understand who we are or our innate power. Until we are fully aware of who we are in the grand design of the universe and what the power within is and how to use it, things will continue to deteriorate until we do. The external focus that many of us espouse in seeking solutions is an impotent position that will keep us weak and our prayers and pleas for change unanswered. Until we take total responsibility for all that we see, move our focus to one of introspection and personal change, things will continue in the same vein.
Daisaku Ikeda, President of the lay Nichiren Buddhist Organization states:
It is not about how others are or how society is. The most important thing is to ask yourself, “What should I do?” and “What can I do?” One who stands up with moral courage and conviction can change society and create waves of transformation around the world. (Ikeda, Daisaku https://www.ikedaquotes.org/human-revolution/humanrevolution578.html?quotes_start=7)
Until we take this stance, our country, society, communities, and families will not be safe or at peace.
We all have an ability that is unique to us. Like me, some of us are writers, others work in their community as volunteers to help correct the societal wrongs. Still, others, are on the front lines in their daily lives doing their small part to bring about change. We each have a path that gives us the responsibility to bring about harmony and balance within and outside of ourselves. It starts with the internal work that we do to release our hearts and minds from greed, anger, and ignorance that colors much of our behavior. There is no quick fix. Day by day we must fulfill our obligation to ourselves by opening to receive the knowledge and wisdom that is the energy of the universe to direct our steps toward our healing as individuals. Ikeda also says that “A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of all humankind.” I call upon you to delve inside and find the power for change within that guarantees a change in all things.