In Troubled Times: Raising A Ripple

In these troubled times, cultivating our sense of peace and extending it to that part of our world within our influence has never been more important. We have that opportunity each time we meet and interact with another person. An intention of moving through our day without “raising a ripple” can guide us in our efforts to practice peace. Image: “Sea of Azov, Ukraine,” by Ольга Сапегина from Pixabay. Music: “Passing Moments,” by Alex Wit from Pixabay.

Transcript

In these troubled times, With unsettled nations, A rancorous public discourse, And unprecedented disruptions, Cultivating our own sense of peace and extending it to that part of the world within our influence has never been more important. And perhaps the first immediate task each of us faces throughout our day is shaping our encounter with each person we meet. For a time in my 30s, I set an intention each morning of moving through the day without raising a ripple as I thought of it then. The image I held was this, Moving very slowly through a pool of water, Waist-deep, Moving so quietly, So softly, That it did not raise a ripple. This is what I sought in my relations with others, In my speech with them, And especially with my hearing of their thoughts. I sought to listen without resistance, To allow the thoughts of others to enter my mind and to pass through without any disturbance. This was not an ignoring of others, Far from. I found that by practicing non-resistance, I was better able to hear what the other person was actually saying, Detect and appreciate the sentiment beneath the words, The origins of the thoughts, And our shared human desire for safety and belonging. Then, My response was much more thoughtful, Much more kind. I was acting within the realm of the speaker's intention, Not my own, Which is perhaps the greatest respect we can show another. At the end of each day, I would ask myself how I had done, Where I had raised a ripple, By resisting or failing to hear what another had said and meant. It was humbling to see each evening how often I got caught up in the turbulence of the world and added to it with my own egoic mind, My own struggles, My own countering or challenging speech. In these troubled times, When so much anger and so much ill will seem to be crying out to be confronted, When so much suffering seems to cry out to be avenged, We may find ourselves especially challenged to not add to the suffering of the world through our own less-than-kind words and actions. We may find it hard not to respond to violent thought and words with our own even perhaps temperate violence. I believe the best we can do for the world, Before we do anything else, Is to cultivate our own inner peace so that we can extend it outward toward others. And we can do so by practicing non-resistance and relations with others, Practice mindful listening first. Then, If we must respond, We can do so from a position of equanimity, Offering a contrasting view if necessary for the other to consider without spurring their defensiveness. Thank you for listening. I hope you have a beautiful day.

Reviews

Really helpful, I will come back and listen again, thank you 🙏🏻

That was just wonderful. An important message in these times. A big thank you 🙏

Thank you so much. Much needed and super soothing.