Tagged: non-violence
Levels of violence
When a country or the general agreement of the world is in non-violence, but the consciousness of the individuals have not changed, the result is “pretty talk.”
Violence has many levels and resistance arises in all of them.
Ananda observed that a girl got a fish with her fishing pole. The fish was struggling to get out.
The girl reacted with fear and amazement at the same time. Her friend; who was watching the scene was laughing out loud. After 30 or some seconds, the girl unhooked the fish and it was let go. The fish was thrown almost lifeless into the Ocean again.
Was that violence?
The consciousness of those girls is unable to perceive suffering and struggle from another being.
The girl’s intention may not have been to torture the fish, her intentions may have been to have “fun.”
“After all it is just a fish and the laws do not prohibit to torment a fish,” she may have learned at school.
Human laws and beliefs are of no consequence in the way life operates.
This issue is related with consciousness.
In Nature there is killing, although that is not the label used.
It is called “eating to survive.”
Humans may have a different view on that. Killing for profit may be just called “earning a living.”
As we can see, there are different perspectives according to different states of consciousness.
It is the way it is, but certainly there are consequences.
There is violence in a family, when someone’s perception of an issue in life is not acknowledged but rather “corrected” to fit someone’s view of what is correct under the threat to punish them, to disinherit them or to cast them away.
There is also personal violence when any level of our being is not fully respected. For instance the pursue of the “perfect body” through exercise and diet could bring a disease, it could bring an injury. That is unnecessary suffering, but our consciousness may not be able to catch that and rather use the masochistic cliché: ”No pain no gain.”
Asceticism is another way of inner violence if the body is not accepted in all its wholeness and holiness but rather when is viewed only as a means to obtain something in the future such as “illumination.”
Our thoughts could bring violence when there is rejection of what is for the sake of what “should be.”
As we could see violence exists in many levels and that is why it needs to be observed and understood.
Typically we have been taught to react.
There is a reactionary mentality in society because changes do not happen “right now.”
Malcom X, a human rights activist; is quoted as saying: “ I am for violence if non-violence means we continue postponing a solution to the American Black’s man problem just to avoid violence.”
Malcom X was assassinated.
Many times we forget about timing and that every occurrence in life does not happen all of a sudden but it has a process for being built and a process to disappear. To respect that process is to align with Nature, the Universe.
Changes will happen, because life is change but the greatest and most influential change, is the change of consciousness.
Non-violent resistance
In Nature, lack of flexibility, openness or suppleness equals a short life span when facing another force of Nature.
The beauty of martial arts is to deflect a force without spending much energy.
When 2 forces collide, the stronger one will prevail.
Physics 101.
That is why most value force, strength to overcome an issue. Nevertheless, the stronger force will be diminished as well.
In human terms, there will be damages in both sides.
“Non-violence” is resistance. Since it is resistance, it will receive damage.
That has been the teaching in history.
Gandhi and Luther King applied non-violence as a form of resistance. The result is that there is still people fighting for their “freedom” or a better way to live or not being discriminated against.
Gandhi and Luther King were both assassinated.
Cause and Effect.
Many people lost their lives through that “non-violent resistance.”
Gandhi was disappointed once the British left India for religious wars were taking place among “his people.”
In India, fights are not about the “color of the skin” but it is all about religion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_conflicts_in_India
Paradoxically, India is known for its tolerance of faiths… 🙂
In the USA as well as many Western countries, the “color of the skin” has much importance even nowadays.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism_in_the_United_States#Contemporary_issues_in_American_racism
Even though the issues haven’t been resolved, those issues seem to be “better” that is, more “tolerable.”
Tolerance is not a virtue. It is self-deception.
Perhaps another “non-violent resistance” is needed?
It is not a matter of “doing” something. It is a matter of collective consciousness.
Some “maverick” individual has always influenced collective consciousness. It just takes time to “catch on.”
Humans are unwilling to learn from the lessons of Nature… or even history. Individuals who are concerned with the well-being of “their people” are unable to perceive the Oneness of all.
Courage is not just a display of our views into the world with the willingness to “fight for that,” to resist.
Courage is about-facing our own fears. To take a closer look to our own beliefs, to dismantle them and then to act when the time is right.
To wait for the right time, takes courage. 🙂
A “good idea” is only “good” at a particular time.
Change will happen for life is change.
In history everyone will defend their own group however we want to divide it:
A color or “non-color” person will speak up for their group. A religious head, will do the same to defend the interest of their dogma. A political brain will act in the same way hoping that the masses will pick “right” rather than “left” because they are “right” and the others “wrong.”
Those defenders will get “peace” prizes.
Those defenders will get kill when violence and death was experienced by followers.
When they are dead, they need to be remembered.
Worship time.
That is the history of resistance in a nutshell.
There is nothing extraordinary in defending your own group. Extraordinary is to live without the separation of groups, of limits… into Oneness… and that is natural.
Nevertheless, things change all by itself: A thunderstorm goes away by itself. The “great flood” lasted for 40 days.
When the collective consciousness moves to a different state, then all of a sudden, a “crazy idea” becomes a “great idea.”
A maverick… becomes the “new savior.” 🙂
Exploring the Depth of Living 