Protesting from a Calm Center
Working for peace almost always requires coming in contact with persons who for various reasons are opposed to our point of view. The whole idea of activism, of course, is to influence others, to convince them that what we offer is better than what they may presently hold. How we can most effectively accomplish this aim, therefore, is a fundamental question. Styles of peace activism range over a whole spectrum, from quiet influence by the example of our lives to confrontational protest with civil disobedience. We may choose relatively anonymous actions, like posting notices on bulletin boards or stuffing envelopes for a peace group. We may take the opportunity of bringing up our view in conversations with relatives and friends or we may write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper. We may march in a nonviolent protest or place a bumper sticker on our car. We may provoke an arrest and land in jail. What kind of activity we decide to participate in will depend in part on how comfortable we are with it and what we feel called to do. With time and experience, we may progress to more daring styles of action (or we may not). Objectively speaking, all the various styles together form a broad-scale strategy which is more effective than one or two alone. All are needed, and it is important that different persons do different kinds of peace work. The best way is for all of us to do what we do best in cooperation with all the others. All these considerations, however, overlook a most important factor—our internal mental, emotional, and spiritual condition. Whether we protest out of anger or from a calm, loving center makes a great difference, both to ourselves and to the effectiveness of the effort. Working from our western cultural paradigm, driven by objective perceptions and specific goals, we tend to minimize the importance of our internal state. After all, what is important is the outcome, or so it seems to us. But the outcome may be only partly visible on the surface; it may also include profound but hidden aspects. We have all had the experience of walking into a room and feeling an aura of anger or hostility, even before hearing anyone speak or reading their body language. On other occasions we may have felt a calm, loving welcome emanating from a group of strangers. The truth is that our internal state does make a difference. When we feel hostility, we tend to close our minds to new ideas, even to take the opposing stance. When we sense calm, we tend to be more calm ourselves, more open to persuasion. In a protest march it is invigorating to hear the chants and feel the emotional surge as we listen to slogan-wielding speakers. We laugh as we read the creative, if insulting, messages on the signs. All of these things help boost our determination to stick to the effort as long as it takes. They can also, however, boost our anger, hostility, and even hatred. Acting forcefully from a calm center requires a lot of preparatory work. It is naive to think that an intellectual understanding and a firm intention will serve us in the heat of the action. We need to develop the habit of loving serenity in our everyday life. Of course, all the great religions, including Christianity, are focused precisely on this objective, offering prayer and ritual as the ordinary means. Another effective means is meditation (which may be considered a form of prayer). In particular, the “loving kindness” meditation in various forms is a central part of religious practice in the Buddhist tradition. The instructions for one form of the loving kindness meditation are summarized as follows: After settling into a comfortable, upright posture with eyes closed, begin with a period of focused concentration on the breath while retaining a diffuse awareness of sounds, fragrances, and bodily sensations. Whenever distracting thoughts or images arise, simply note them and return to focusing on the breath. Visualize yourself in a scene where you have been giving (or receiving) loving kindness. Loving kindness is understood to mean a heartfelt desire for the welfare of the recipient. It includes both an intellectual and an emotional component. Try to inflate this feeling so that it fills your whole body. Now visualize yourself in a scene where you have need for loving kindness. Repeat the phrase “May you be filled with loving kindness,” directing it toward yourself. Continue for a few minutes, allowing the visualized image to change as it may (or remain as it is). Now visualize a close friend or relative, one whom it is easy for you to love, and for a few minutes repeat the same phrase in the same way. Next, visualize a person whom you do not know well, one for whom you have neutral feelings. Finally, visualize a person who is particularly difficult for you, someone who is annoying or perhaps has been hurtful toward you. Traditionally, this person is referred to as an “enemy.” To wish loving kindness to an enemy is undoubtedly the most difficult of the steps, but it is the most powerfully life-transforming. Of course, the sentiment is nothing new to a Christian who reflects on the injunction of Christ to “love your enemy.” The loving kindness meditation as described is intended for a period of formal meditation practice. Perhaps even more powerful is a simple extension of it. In your daily life, whenever you remember to do it, when you encounter another person simply say to her silently but feelingly “May you be filled with loving kindness.” Many of your encounters will be with friends, and this part is easy. Some of them will be with, for example, a driver who cuts you off, a young person who annoys you with loud music, a scam operator who rips you off, and so on. A few seconds of beneficent intentions in these cases can be quite powerful. In the end peace is achieved by peace, not anger. Working on ourselves is the starting point for changing the world. Dom Roberti Dom is a retired professor from St. Joseph’s University and a member of CPF. |