Taking a Clear Stand Against Oppression and Injustice
Dear Sangha,
Below is a mesage form Keith Miller of Stillwater, MN Sangha about an upcoming event that might interest some. Marion and I have also watched Dharma talks by Mitchell Ratner and find him an inspiriing and insightful teacher.
Even if you can't attend the Thursday online meeting, Ratner's statement included below is helpful.
May all be well, peaceful, and happy.
Warren & Marion
Reply-To: stillwatersanghamn@googlegroups.comDear Sangha,I subscribe to the Still Water Mindfulness Practice Center, in the Washington DC area, weekly newsletter. Attached is some information about their online Sangha meeting this Thursday evening. After the sharing at our Sangha meeting last night, I thought many of you would be interested.Whether you you want to attend the online meeting or not, I enjoyed reading the note from Senior Dharma Teacher Mitchell Ratner about his talk on Thursday on Taking a Clear Stand Against Oppression and Injustice (attached below). I've studied with Mitchell in the past and he is a wonderful teacher.Please note that you must register if you want to attend the Thursday meeting.With love and gratitude,Keith
Chicago, June 1, 1966.
Thursday Evening Online Program
February 20, 2025, 7:00 to 8:45 pm Eastern time
Dear Still Water Friends,
Dramatic changes are now occurring in the United States, with what seem—to many of us—very adverse consequences for ourselves, the people we love and support, and the world at large. Among the many adjectives often used to describe the recent policies and actions of the executive branch are: antidemocratic, illegal, shortsighted, and unjust. This Thursday evening I would like to explore the question, "What are mindful ways of responding?"
It is not a light or easy topic. I certainly don't have all the answers. And watching it play out over the past four weeks has often left me feeling sad and sometimes fearful. Guessing that many others have similar feelings, we'll begin Thursday evening by nourishing our joy with this rendition of What a Wonderful World.
When I reflect on how mindfulness practitioners might respond to the dramatic changes, I appreciate that there are many skillful responses and that each of us must choose the ones that are appropriate for our circumstances and who we are. I also acknowledge that there are no magical solutions; there is nothing we can do that will immediately make all things better.
However, after hearing many practitioners say, "I just don't know what to do," I've come to feel that it is important to have this conversation. There are, I believe, many positive actions we can take to heal ourselves, others, and the world. I would like to open our mindful consideration by suggesting four types of actions:
1. We can deepen our personal mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness practice is at its core a spiritual practice. It offers us a way of being in the world that is an alternative to materialism, greed, self-centeredness, and alienation. Rather than accumulating fame, fortune, and power, our aspirations as practitioners are to develop mind-body states such as kindness, generosity, deep understanding, equanimity, and joy. In terms of the situation we now face, three of Thầy's (Thích Nhất Hạnh's) mindfulness practices are for me particularly relevant:2. We can support our mindfulness communities and other supportive communities.
- Mindfulness is to be present and aware of what is alive in us and around us. Rather than denying or hiding, our intention can be to lean into our difficulties and challenges. As with much of the practice, this is simple to say and often not easy to do. But we do the best we can, and over time, we usually get better at it.
- When our awareness of what is going on triggers our habit energies, often difficult mind-body states arise, such as fear, anxiety, avoidance, incapacitation, or hostility. There are many practices we can use to calm our bodies and minds and cultivate relaxation and equanimity. Once we are calmer, rather than being controlled by the difficult energies, we can acknowledge, embrace, and transform them. Bit by bit we develop increased clarity: we know what to do and what not to do.
- And with increased clarity, we act. As Thầy emphasized in Peace is Every Step: "Once there is seeing, there must be acting. Otherwise, what is the use of seeing?"
Authoritarianism increases its hold when people feel atomized, afraid, and isolated. When we come together to practice in Sanghas, when we meet with our spiritual friends, the connection and sense of community is often profound. These are safe spaces in which we can share about what is going on inside us and around us, how we feel about it, and how we might respond. Thầy writes in Interbeing: We all need a Sangha to support our personal practice and transformation. A Sangha flows like a river so that we do not evaporate as an individual drop of water. The world needs spiritual communities because they contribute a collective energy of peace to the world.
3. We can support organizations that promote our values.
In a democratic society we can influence the government and the collective consciousness not just through our votes but also through the organizations we support. There are many groups now actively working to promote civil rights, rule of law, justice, equity, generosity, and planetary health. Groups I support include Brennan Center for Justice, Sierra Club, Equal Justice Initiative, and The Contrarian (a recently formed media group).
4. We can "take a clear stand against oppression and injustice."
In the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing, Thầy offers practitioners many guidelines for action. The Tenth Mindfulness Training, "Protecting and Nourishing the Sangha," begins:Aware that the essence and aim of a Sangha is the practice of understanding and compassion, we are determined not to use the Buddhist community for personal power or profit, or transform our community into a political instrument. As members of a spiritual community, we should nonetheless take a clear stand against oppression and injustice. We should strive to change the situation, without taking sides in a conflict.Perhaps because of his experiences in Vietnam, where many politicians were driven by ambition and the desire for power, Thầy was deeply suspicious of politics and political parties. He believed that if a spiritual community was tied to a political entity, it would limit what they could think, say, and do.
However, even though Thầy advised against Sanghas taking sides in an election or political struggle, he also recommended that when individual practitioners have an opportunity to vote, they should support candidates whose values and lives are in line with mindful living. In Good Citizens: Creating an Enlightened Society, he wrote:When we vote for members of Congress, parliament, or city hall, remember that we have the right to find out whether the candidates practice the essence of the Third Mindfulness Training and can truly represent us. We have a right to know. … We should consider not only their words but also the way they live their lives. We should vote only for candidates who live according to the principles of civilization and nonviolence.
In terms of "taking a clear stand against oppression and injustice … without taking sides in a conflict," I believe it is not that difficult when we focus on what we are for, rather than whom we oppose. Thầy in the 1960s spoke out and advocated for peace in Vietnam without taking sides or supporting either the regimes in the North or in the South. It was a controversial and brave position to take in the middle of that war. Similarly, it is possible today for us, as individuals and as Sanghas, to speak out for and advocate for peace, compassion, equity, civil liberties, and other core values, without having to take the side of a political party.
So perhaps a good starting place would be to become more aware of our own core values, perhaps by writing out our own personal mission statements. (Still Water's mission statement is available on our website.)
Then, in kind and subtle ways, and when appropriate, we can open conversations with family, friends, and acquaintances about how specific governmental actions are in opposition to what we consider to be our core values. In some ways it is like skillfully addressing racist statements made in our presence, rather than remaining silent. When we authentically engage with those with whom we disagree, we are taking a stand and nourishing a collective awakening. (Many people have recommended Braver Angels, an organization that "brings Americans together to bridge the partisan divide.")
The concluding sentence in The Ninth Mindfulness Training, "Truthful and Loving Speech," is: "We will do our best to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may make difficulties for us or threaten our safety."
For many of us, there may come a time when our public position or employment may impel us to "take a clear stand." It is happening right now for many professional civil servants and contractors who have been removed abruptly and illegally from their positions. My sense is that in the coming weeks and months, the need and opportunities for taking a clear stand will become more apparent.
I believe what I have been calling "taking a clear stand" is related to what Tim Snyder, a historian of authoritarian regimes, considers Lesson Number One in his book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century:Do not obey in advance.
Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.
You are invited to join us online this Thursday evening. I look forward to our shared exploration.
Sending warm wishes and many blessings,
Mitchell Ratner
To participate in this and future Thursday evening programs, please register here. (If you already have the Thursday Zoom link, there is nothing you need to do.)
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to stillwatersanghamn@gmail.com
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