Ali, Webmaster responds to Ali regarding
Civil Disobedience
When you first read this, the answer may not seem to be what you are looking for. Please think and pray about this for some time, and I hope you will gain a deeper understanding of what at first may seem far too simple and gentle in character to be truly effective:An old Hopi Indian from the Hopi Nation in Oraibi, Arizona, USA spoke these words:
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"There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift, that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly. Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water. And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally. Least of all, ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt. The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. WE ARE THE ONES WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR. " Oraibi, Arizona, Hopi Nation---------------
When it says to banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary, this does not mean to ignore injustice and not take a stand. What it means is that we can stand up for what is right and just and good while still doing so in a sacred manner and in celebration. If we allow it to make us angry or if we allow ourselves to be hateful then we are stuck on the shore and will be torn apart. This world around us is changing. Tension is mounting and sometimes we can see it in the people around us. Sometimes we can feel it in ourselves. This comes from holding on to the shore.Do not see anyone as an enemy no matter what they have done or are doing. It is good to remember that no matter how they may seem to you, your "enemies" almost never think that they themselves are bad or evil. Study those who oppose or oppress you. Learn how they think. Understand how they see themselves. Gain a fully sympathetic understanding of them and you may find a way to build a bridge of communication and mutual respect, and eventually create a friendship. This is very difficult and easily misunderstood, but it offers the best chance to bring about real change.
If you find you must take a stand, do so without resorting to violence, anger, or hate. Learn to speak your truth so that those who oppose you can understand and be persuaded to consider the points you make rather than feeling verbally threatened, attacked, or blamed. Remember that slogans that are shouted will only communicate to those who already understand and agree with the sentiment behind the slogan. Slogans will not bridge the divide that separates you from those who oppose you. They may even widen the gap.
The best example of effective civil disobedience was when Gandhi stood up to the British. I'm sure you will find plenty of Gandhi references on the Internet.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that our greatest enemy is ALWAYS ourselves. This is true even when external enemies seem so very obvious and oppression is so very real. One of the saddest truths of the human condition is that we often want to seek the enemy outside of ourselves because to fight the enemy within each of us is so very painful and involves seeing things about ourselves that are more terrifying then even death itself, while fighting an external enemy makes us feel righteous and good about ourselves (feelings that we do not deserve.) It is so very easy to see the enemy outside, and so very hard to see the one hidden in our own hearts. We lie to ourselves and convince ourselves of our own righteousness and goodness, when at the heart of our beings we are really no different than the worst of our enemies and oppressors. Had each of us grown up in their circumstances, we cannot say that we would have behaved any differently. When we have the strength to show compassion and understanding to our enemies and oppressors, we go a long way towards healing ourselves. It is all too true that the world that we see around us is a reflection of who we are on the inside.
I wish you Peace and Sacred Celebration in your world!
Welcome to the River!
-Web |8-)
P.S. Thanks to Lou Gold for sending me the Hopi quote, and thanks to the Hopi elder who spoke those wise words.
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