Engaging and Disengaging

(NOTE: at the bottom of this post is the credit of the artist who created the image used here)

This morning I created and posted a meme to Facebook as visiting there too often as of late has contributed to anger I still hold inside about many things. As a founding member of the Idaho Peace Coalition I do my best to work for peaceful solutions to war and injustice and teach methods of reconciliation. But admittedly I too often fall short of these goals. Facebook these days is so full of anger from the political divides, the opinions on wars, the treatment of black America by the police to the treatment of Native American Indians.

To ease this anger I have been trying to utilize the tools of The Work Of Byron Katie. Also reinforcing my fundamental belief that we create own own reality. From metaphysics to quantum physics the fact that we have this power is evident. I am not going to go into any attempt to convince any one else about this, only myself. A questioning of “even though I say the words” how powerful is my belief in this basic concept? I acknowledge as a reality Saṃsāra and sigh as I think of the Buddhist First Noble Truth. And all of these and more teach the only thing I can really change or have control over are myself and my avenues of thought and belief. Ah, being human.

Among the issues that vex my spirit as of late are issues of the “Fear of the Other” which I see as such a motivator in our current climate of discontent. It permeates so much of the discourse seen today.

The historical the treatment of black America as illustrated in the new film by Ava DuVernay "13th".

Or the situation of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (Facebook Link) and the August 25, 2016 article by Nick Bernabe "Why There’s a Media Blackout on the Native American Oil Pipeline Blockade". Was amazed and happy to see MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell's report on the Standing Rock protests but such reports are few and far between.

I appreciate those who post on Facebook more uplifting things that are on spiritual matters or funny memes and videos but they seem like just a sprinkling in my news feed. And even these at times make me angry and my mind screams, “Do these folks even care that the world is falling apart as we post?!!” And there ya go. My anger rising which I can't blame any one or thing or event on really other than myself.. Even facts like the world is not falling apart garner less attention to me than they would normally as I allow myself to focus on the horrors of the world.

In my “real life” as of late I have been surrounded by death. A half dozen souls close to me very recently have either moved on or are standing at the doorstep at this very minute. I have found myself asking, “What is really important?” I have been taking the time to reach out to many who I love and care about but have not connected with enough, getting a truer sense that we know not what the future may bring and each of us may leave at any moment or loose someone dear to us.

So in closing I will say I hope we all can focus more on those we love. More on what is really important in life. Think about the sentiments of the Serenity Prayer. While not being oblivious the the outer world I know that change comes first from within ourselves. Namaste

This image was created by one of my closet and one of my longest time friends known as the artist O-Ah-Key who is currently dancing with the angel of death.