Friends, I’m off on a pilgrimage to Sri Lanka and will be away from the internet for 2.5 weeks. I’ve scheduled an inspiring and thought-provoking story, in two parts, to be posted while I’m away. It is taken verbatim from Ajahn Amaro’s book “I’m Right, You’re Wrong”, and for me it contains the most memorable lesson in the book. I hope you find it useful, too.

Meanwhile, here is a question and answer from the same book, on a different subject:

Question: How does an activist who wants justice and wants to fight for justice step back from the reptile brain reactions into the ‘response’ place? Answer: Mindfully. It’s recognizing the feeling: ‘We need justice here. Now, where am I coming from in that attitude?’ Then we turn that reflective quality inwards and say: ‘Okay, this seems unfair and not right. Now, how am I holding that? Where is it in my heart? Where is that feeling coming from? Is it coming from a sense of wanting to benefit the “other” as well as myself? Is there an urge to punish? What’s there? What’s here?’ We try to be as clear and honest as we can. …

The work is both internal and external. We want to make the world a more fair and just place, and at the same time, we don’t want to magnify our own defilements, even though there is an enjoyable aspect to righteous anger. We can avoid being seduced by it!

We need wisdom to find the most effective path to facilitate change in a given situation. We may feel like fighting, we may feel ready to go to war, but if we approach both the internal and external aspects as work instead of a battle, it will likely produce a more beneficial effect.

As with most mindfulness exercises, we first turn inward and try to understand and acknowledge “what is here?”, what is the dominant feeling motivating us right now?

In some places, 2017 was a year of protests, heartfelt and necessary. We can look to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela as exemplars of brave, effective, and mindful resistance. Both of these leaders live on in the hearts of many and are still exerting a positive influence on our societies. We would do well to remember them.

The guideline remains in force, regardless of how frustrated we become, regardless of how fed up we are with cruel, negative behavior by others.

Hatred is never conquered by hatred.

Only by love is it conquered.

This is a law

ancient and inexhaustible.

— Dhammapada 5, translated by Ajahn Amaro

If we need help to defuse our righteous anger and find ways to redirect our energy towards positive change, help is available. We can talk openly and honestly with trustworthy friends, exploring options for action that express our wholesome desire for justice and kindness in the world. We can seek out organizations and individuals who are leading with positive intent; we can borrow the wisdom of others.

Fury is not a sustainable emotion; it’s draining and unhelpful. Determination and generosity can be both constructive and sustainable. Let us proceed mindfully and with mettā.