Religious writings have always been the most controversial throughout history, so I thought to myself, why not give a good critique of some of the most inspiring, thought provoking religious writings from my current perspective as an anarchist. I have started in on this reading religious meditations, verses and other writings on and off for most of my life, but never dissected them before for what they are. In the Anarchist Reflections on Literature section this week, we will review Buddhism's 8 Verses for Training the Mind
Verse 1
"With a determination to achieve the highest aim
For the benefit of all sentient beings
Which surpasses even the wish-fulfilling gem,
May I hold them dear at all times."
According to the Dalai Lama, this first verse identifies the greatest achievement for oneself is to work for the benefit of all sentient beings. At first, you may see this as some sort of enslavement to society, but when you read further into the verse, the idea of benefitting others is actually a self-interested action. Since it is self-interested, I took this to be a voluntary action, as I believe there is no self-interest as to following orders under coercion, but rather for self benefit.
You may ask "What is the benefit to yourself to try to benefit all other sentient being?". Well, if an old woman drops her groceries in the middle of the parking lot, and you voluntarily help her, isn't there a world full of opportunity that opens up? Not only do you feel a nice warm and fuzzy feeling that could get you through a rough day, but a hug of human emotion and a building of character that defines you as a person is accomplished.
Dalai Lama describes the difference of saving your time by not helping versus forfeiting your time for the benefit of others as wise selfishness vs. foolish selfishness. So, to act in your own self-interest, you take advantage of the opportunity to receive the human connection, the building of your own character, as well as future bridge for those you have helped in the past for future encounters.
Verse 2
"Whenever I interact with someone,
May I view myself as the lowest amongst all,
And, from the very depths of my heart,
Respectfully hold others as superior."
From Dalai Lama's perspective, this verse revolves around helping others not out of pity, or a superior position, but to do so as a humble and respectful helper. As an anarchist, I read this with experiences much as all of you do, when there is a time of needing help or offering help without exercising authority. When you have trouble, do you choose to call a police officer, appealing to a higher authority getting paid to do something, a city council member to pass a law to force your neighbor to do something, or even heaven forbid, vote to subject people to a higher authority because your morality is somehow superior to theirs? I scoff at these options, as when I wish to help, I will always turn to a friendly volunteer, a friend or an acquaintance.
I do this for many reasons. First of all, when you voluntarily assist someone, you create an opportunity to expand yourself, when you ask for help, you have the opportunity to be taught, when you help, you have the opportunity to learn. When you pass that responsibility to a paid enforcer, you receive none of these benefits, as the authority cares not about human interaction, only initiating force.
I will say that to say this: Since I became a father, I have often had encounters where I needed help, and needed to help. When these opportunities arose, there were two kinds of people, those that were know it alls offering unsolicited advice, sporting an arrogant attitude of self righteousness and even those that would appeal to an authority figure to resolve issues. The other was a humble person, that would help out without being self-righteous, and eager to offer assistance without negotiation. The second type of individual created long friendships, whereas the former created an awkward short instance which I was helped, but felt inferior as if I was a burden, and little relationship was developed. Put yourself in that fictitious position in your mind, and ask yourself, would you rather be helped by the arrogant or the meek?
Verse 3
"In all my deeds may I probe into my mind,
And as soon as mental and emotional afflictions arise-
As they endanger myself and others-
May I strongly confront them and avert them."
Although Buddhism goes deep into this with trying to find a state of Nirvana, or getting rid of all suffering, I have found myself examining this verse as a measure to have those red pill moments. I mean, sure, you can look at the news, listen to radio shows or converse online as a way to see how you are being ruled by others, taking away the essence of freedom one desires in life, but a self-examination allows this to be driven home.
I was about to go to sleep one night, and I thought about absolutely nothing while I took deep breaths to calm my nerves after a very busy and stressful day, as I always do before bed. After reading this verse earlier, I found myself looking at the things which afflict me... A review of the past few years of my enlightenment, if you will. I looked specifically at taking on an additional task at my farm of beekeeping for a few weeks prior, and I began to measure how free this new hobby would make me...
Then I thought about it... How many hours would it require of me to care for this hive, making sure my queen didn't die, or worse yet, the whole hive! At that point, I knew with my other responsibilities I have assigned to myself as a measure to "Get off the grid", I knew that my life would be more stressful with so many hours in the day, and decided not to take on this "white elephant" of a task, which would get me all the honey I would need, but at a huge cost! Sometimes the chains we give ourselves voluntarily provide the most sting to personal liberty. (Pun Intended)
Verse 4
"When I see beings of unpleasant character
Oppressed by strong negativity and suffering,
May I hold them dear-for they are rare to find-
As if I have discovered a jewel treasure!"
Buddhism often compares this to seeing oppression and suffering as an opportunity to bring justice, and I agree with this generalization of the verse. However, this can also be expounded to be viewed as an opportunity to those that are ignorant of their own involuntary oppression within society that they have always known is there, but haven't discovered it yet. When I approach a statist in a conversation, rather than bringing a hammer or spiked bat to the conversation with ad hominem attacks, I do look at them as a treasure. A true opportunity to change someone's perception is often given only once, therefore, discussion with someone you philosophically disagree with should be treated with fragility, or you may shatter the avenue of future opportunities to allow them to truly understand your perspective.
To go more along the lines of the Buddhist belief and how it may mesh with peaceful anarchism, I will touch on the self-interest portion that I referenced during the first verse. The opportunity to assist someone in need, develop true empathy for the feeling of others, and giving fresh perspective to someone with a negative outlook, due to oppression, societal rejection for whatever reason is a jewel treasure. Allowing others to feel compassion from you, to wisely be selfish and offer your best advice in a humble manner, and to garner a true meaningful friendship out of the encounter is what emotional negotiation should always attempt to achieve! (Once again, see verse 1).
Verse 5 & 6
"When others, out of jealousy
Treat me wrongly with abuse, slander, and scorn,
May I take upon myself the defeat
And offer to others the victory."
"When someone whom I have helped,
Or in whom I have placed great hopes,
Mistreats me in extremely hurtful ways,
May I regard him still as my precious teacher."
These verses are interpreted within its religion as teaching tolerance, and learning from mistreatment received from others, allowing to receive a positive experience from something that is usually not so. These two verses, if taken in certain context, almost appear to encourage cuckery. However, when I reread it a few times, and applied it appropriately, it doesn't mean you have to be somebody's victim. If these two verses are taken at face value, you'd envision someone in an S&M relationship begging to get whipped for pleasure or just plain old being a chump.
But folks, let's apply some wisdom here. I read this as simply know the standard that you apply to how others should treat you, allow their actions toward you dictate their exposure to you, and allow them to teach you their character for consideration in future dealings. Let them have the victory, they have just won limited intimacy to you and lack of resourcefulness from you depending on the measure that you have endured.
Verse 7
"In brief, may I offer benefit and joy
To all my mothers, both directly and indirectly,
May I quietly take upon myself
All hurts and pains of my mothers."
This verse presents a specific Buddhist practice known as “the practice of giving and taking”, and it is by means of the visualization of giving and taking that we practice equalizing and exchanging ourselves with others. In short, a practice in true empathy (good and bad) with another one's feelings. The point that you reach that spiritual connection. This gets straight past the Non-Aggression Principle and goes straight to the "Don't be a dick" principle.
If you share happiness and sadness with others, you know how not to be a dick. If you don't take the time to understand someone or share emotionally pain as well as pleasure, you have no basis for true human interaction. It's true that you can live without deep human interaction, and that's fine if you so choose, but the cost of turning off those future negotiations because you haven't emotionally "walked a mile in their moccasins" could be foolish selfishness.
If you aren't willing to share pleasure and pain with your fellow beings, you are already in your spiritual graves and you don't even know it.
Verse 8
"May all this remain undefiled
By the stains of the eight mundane concerns;
And may I, recognizing all things as illusion,
Devoid of clinging, be released from bondage."
The first two lines are a prayer that while sharing this knowledge, the teacher doesn't allow his lessons taught in the first 7 to be defiled by arrogance or false admiration, but rather that the person listens to them takes them to heart. The last two lines are a wrap up of the lesson, a secondary prayer that the lessons from the passage may be taken into consideration in their lives when they are done learning them. In a sense, practicing what they learned real time and not just going through the motions of praying and reading.
The practice of anarchism can also be thought of in the same sense. When you look at those who have the tattoo of the anarchy symbol, wearing the tee shirts, and listening to Black Flag while collecting food stamps and voting republican or democrat, have they really embraced anarchism? I find myself asking myself the same question over and over relating to what I have read and learned, "How have I become more of an anarchist today?" and even "Why do I want to be more of an anarchist?". Upon question and answer sessions with yourself such as these, it can reset you back to a solid foundation as to where you will start your new journey, just like the closing of these verses.
I hope that you may have gotten some better understanding of the Buddhist teachings above and even a bit about practical anarchism in human action. (Something I still need and many still do to have success.) This post was inspired by a friend of mine's post entitled The Tao of Anarchy located HERE. Thank you for reading and all upvotes, follows and comments are appreciated!