Getting off the Wire, Part 3
Repairing the Breach
Loving Our Enemy
In the 1960s Thich Nhat Hanh (Thầy) authored the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings, “a wonderful blend of traditional Buddhist morality and contemporary social concerns.”1 All of these trainings are pertinent to the situation we face today, but the first three especially speak to our discord and division.
The First Mindfulness Training: Openness
Aware of the suffering created by fanaticism and intolerance, we are determined not to be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. We are committed to seeing the Buddhist teachings as a guiding means that help us learn to look deeply and develop understanding and compassion. They are not doctrines to fight, kill, or die for. We understand that fanaticism in its many forms is the result of perceiving things in a dualistic or discriminative manner. We will train ourselves to look at everything with openness and the insight of interbeing in order to transform dogmatism and violence in ourselves and the world.
The Second Mindfulness Training: Non-Attachment to Views
Aware of the suffering created by attachment to views and wrong perceptions, we are determined to avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. We are committed to learning and practicing non-attachment to views and being open to others’ experiences and insights in order to benefit from the collective wisdom. We are aware that the knowledge we presently possess is not changeless, absolute truth. Insight is revealed through the practice of compassionate listening, deep looking, and letting go of notions rather than through the accumulation of intellectual knowledge. Truth is found in life, and we will observe life within and around us in every moment, ready to learn throughout our lives.
The Third Mindfulness Training: Freedom of Thought
Aware of the suffering brought about when we impose our views on others, we are determined not to force others, even our children, by any means whatsoever — such as authority, threat, money, propaganda, or indoctrination — to adopt our views. We are committed to respecting the right of others to be different, to choose what to believe and how to decide. We will, however, learn to help others let go of and transform fanaticism and narrowness through loving speech and compassionate dialogue.
At the core of these teachings are three spiritual antidotes to the toxic political divisions roiling America.
Non-dualism, which is a cure for us vs. them thinking.
Openness to learning, which is a cure for “I am right” certainty.
Respect for difference, which is a cure for the demonization of the other.
The point is simple: we must live as if the world is already the one for which we hope. By doing this, we catalyze the arrival of that hoped for world.
These trainings require energy and commitment. As we love and support those who are abused and oppressed by powerful people managing systems that dehumanize and dominate, the great temptation is to go to war against those powerful people. Yet this will only compound the suffering and harm. We must learn another way, and that way is to work for the well-being and liberation of all beings. We must cultivate love and forgiveness for those who do harm to us or to others, while not condoning their actions. We must work to love and protect those who are abused and oppressed, even as we work to love and liberate their oppressors as well.
You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
— Jesus, Matthew 5: 43-48
Hatred does not cease by hatred, but by love alone is healed.
— Siddhārtha Gautama (The Buddha), The Dhammapada
Without a proper understanding of love, it is tough to imagine loving our enemies. How can I feel the same way about somebody who is causing me pain as I feel about those in my life to whom I am the most connected? As long as we see love as a feeling, this is indeed impossible.
But love is more than a feeling. To be loving is to see the other person as a precious human being, and then to act with care and concern to try and support them as they realize the fullness of their humanity. When we encounter people full of pride, violence, or destruction, we cannot condone their actions, nor can we condone treating them violently or trying to destroy them. If we do this, we simply become like them. In his poem Recommendation and the commentary that follows, Thầy reminds us that “[humans are] not the enemy. Our enemy is hatred, anger, ignorance and fear.”
The Practice Refuge
Our society actively works against attaining and maintaining a mind that would allow us to love our enemies and work for their well-being and liberation. This means that we must be even more diligent in our efforts to attain and maintain the mind of love. We need to develop a solid practice that can serve as a refuge from hatred, anger, ignorance, and fear.
The most important thing one can do to build a refuge from the afflictions that plague our world is to join a community of practice. There is a listing of communities that practice in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh at plumline.org. I belong to an interfaith community listed there called Living Christ Sangha, and we would love to have you join us. Our meeting schedule is available on our webpage.
A community of practice serves as a catalyst for us to develop our compassion, loving-kindness, joy, and equanimity. We can participate in group meditation sessions, develop new friendships, practice loving speech and deep listening in order to arrive at new insights, and learn to create a calm and peaceful mind, even in the midst of suffering and confusion. With friends on the path, it is easier to cultivate the ground of goodness.
Conclusion
This three part Getting Off the Wire series has been much more challenging to write (and taken much longer) than I anticipated. Our world appears so complex, and our challenges seem so chaotic and overwhelming. Yet as I pondered their antidote, again and again what struck me was the simplicity that was at the core of our spiritual traditions.
Our traditions ask us to see the dignity and worth in all people. They teach us to become tolerant of difference. They requires us to stand up to injustice. They invite us into community. They catalyze us to cultivate love, and to express that love in the world. We can do this, and we must. It is the only hope we have.