Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened, but go on in fortune
or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock
during a thunderstorm.
Robert Louis Stevenson
This has been one of my biggest difficulties during the last few years--finding peace of mind and peace of heart in a world that seems hellbent on creating chaos, stripping people of their peace in order to try to get them to act in certain ways, to buy certain things, to refuse to do certain things. How do we go about making sure that our minds are "quiet"? What do we need to do to have peace of mind in a world in which government agencies are acting just like Nazis, in which masked "officers of the law" are stripping people of their constitutional rights, and institutions such as the Supreme Court--which is charged specifically with protecting the Constitution--are not only turning a blind eye to abuses, but actually encouraging and allowing them? In a world in which one country just spent two years killing civilians in the "country" next to them, and faced no international repercussions? In a world in which one country can invade another, killing civilians for no justifiable reason, just to try to take over territory, and face no effective international response at all?
I'm not talking about losing peace because of guilt, though some might say that we should feel guilty about others suffering so much. Rather, I'm talking about simple compassion, feeling the pain that others are feeling rather than simply talking about it. The question I ask myself constantly is basically, "Why am I so privileged to have all I need and to face no real threats to my security or well-being each day, when so many others are literally facing death each day through no fault of their own?" I do appreciate the fact that my life and well-being are rather secure, but I feel very strongly that that should be the truth for everyone on this planet, not just a select few. And the reality that it isn't the truth makes it hard for me to be at complete peace with myself and my place in the world.
I'm not saying that I blame myself for anything, or that I spend sleepless nights thinking about children dying of starvation in a country far away from me (though perhaps that would be justified). Rather, I want to continue to be a kind and compassionate person, having a positive effect on the world (no matter how small). And it's very difficult to think that the positive effect I may have grows less and less significant as time goes on. It feels like the two sides of the scale are growing more and more unequal, and my contributions do less and less to balance the two sides--this is unequivocal, no matter how sincere or even strong my contribution is.
I can have peace in my own corner of the world, of course, which is my highest priority. I can feel peace about the ways that I treat others and about what I try to give the world in my own personal ways. When all is said and done, though, I do know that there's much more to the world than what I see and experience every day, and knowing that there's so much pain and cruelty and dysfunction out there gives me cause to stop and consider why so many people are going through agony when I'm living a life that's pretty much free from it. I don't have to worry about anyone coming to my door and arresting me because of the color of my skin or my religion or my country of origin--but I do know that many of my fellow human beings on the planet where we all live do have to worry about those things and much, much more--including being killed by bombs or missiles or gunfire or even beatings.
And if I'm to live my life fully, I know that my life must be a life of compassion and empathy. But should my compassion and empathy cause me to lose my peace of mind? Must I walk around feeling down and depressed all the time because other people are suffering? Of course not. If someone dear to me dies, I wouldn't spend the rest of my days being miserable because of the loss.
But I do feel that I must take other people's suffering seriously, and not forget the people who are dealing with terrible problems every single day, while things are going well for me. But I feel that I'm still responsible to be grateful for all that I have, to feel wonder and awe for the world around me, to feel love for all that surrounds me--and to keep in mind the fact that not everyone has things as good as I have them. Keeping this in mind will keep me humble, I believe, knowing that I'm very fortunate to have the blessings I enjoy. It will also keep me grateful for and mindful of all that is in my life.
Knowing that others are starving won't keep me from buying food for myself or even eating in a restaurant, but it may help me to be more responsible when I choose what I buy. Knowing that others are huddled in houses hoping that bombs won't kill them won't keep me from going for a walk in the park or a hike in the woods, but it can help me to appreciate my ability to do so without the threat of dying. Knowing that others don't have access to medical care won't keep me from visiting a doctor when I need to, but it just might help me to feel gratitude for the fact that I can do so.
If I can keep my sense of balance, my equanimity, then my peace will not leave me, and my life can be fuller because of that peace. I can sleep better at night, and I can enjoy better sleep and lower blood pressure and stronger health due to the peace that I feel. I may live in a world that invites me to feel stressed, to feel tension every moment due to the unfairness and danger that so many humans face, but when the simple fact is that I can do nothing--or very little--to help those others, my responsibility becomes to simply and carefully live my life as fully as I can, helping others as much as I can and as well as I can so that I'm contributing to the peace and love and hope of the world rather than being destroyed by the anger and hatred and violence in it.
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