SURVIVAL VS SPIRITUALITY:
Yesterday's blog about shooting pirates motivated me to contemplate the use of violence in response to violence. The question is, are we doing our enemy a favor by gunning him down to defend our own life? Most beings learn from the consequences of their actions. It is called Karma. I always remember the last words of Mahatma Gandhi: "I forgive you my son". He allegedly uttered these final words as he fell dying at the feet of his Muslim assassin. According to reports, that assassin suffered incredibly after his deed as he realized he had killed someone who loved him. Sure, Gandhi passed on, but his death had an enormous impact on the world. Life (living) is not always the most important thing. We all die anyhow and life is a fleeting event, sometimes described as a lightning strike on the face of history. What is important is not when we die, but rather, HOW we live.
The drive to survive IS a fundamental part of our biology. No species can survive unless they are able to compete successfully. For this reason, tribalism and turf battles have always been a part of the picture, not only for human beings but for other life forms on earth as well. Who ARE we though? Are we really only what we see on the surface, or is there something more? Do beings possess a spiritual essence? If so, how important is that spiritual essence? If all we are is what we see, then it appears pretty certain that we will ultimately destroy ourselves and perhaps the earth as well in our efforts to compete and dominate. Survival therefore, may ironically depend upon our ability to move beyond our basic human need to survive. Embracing our spiritual essence and the connectedness we share with all beings may in the end, be the only key to the survival and evolution of our species.
It is pretty clear that in many cases at least, using violence lowers us to the level of those we defend ourselves against. Yeah I know, that sounds like a load of liberal crap bit this is a topic that surpasses politics. The fact is, it IS hard to love your enemies (like Jesus told his followers to do) when you are focused on killing him. Forget loving your neighbor... if you cannot love yourself you cannot love anyone, and once you take another human life, loving yourself is nearly impossible. Few will argue against the concept that loving one another is the key to internal and world peace but if one accepts this premise that compassion for one another is truly the path to world peace then one is faced with some very uncomfortable decisions.
It is of course quite clear that one cannot reason with everyone because many are so totally focused on (& attached to) their own personal desires and goals. There are many reasons for this but the fact is, such people are simply not ready to listen to alternate viewpoints, let alone receive compassion. Communication is crucial in such situations but if this fails, there comes a point where one has no choice but to defend oneself if one desires to survive. The question looming on the horizon for those who contemplate how important spiritual growth is, is how important IS survival anyhow? Obviously, some principles are worth dying for. We send our finest young men and women out to die for principles every day. If you believe we only get one life, that life becomes pretty important. But if we arecoming back again (and again and again) as nearly two billion Hindus & Buddhists and 40% of Christians profess to believe, is preserving your life by taking the life of your adversary really worth the price of ones own spiritual growth?
Whether one believes in reincarnation or not is a personal decision and probably has no place in this commentary; the point is though, there IS a larger picture here regardless of what one's particular religious beliefs happen to be. I happen to believe it is important to take those beliefs into consideration when evaluating situations involving the use of force and violence. For certain, there will be times when our survival will depend upon our ability to defend ourselves. Good, moral and compassionate beings need to survive to serve as role models for future generations. The way we handle threats is what gives life and meaning to the old words that opportunity lays within every disaster. If we defend ourself using only the minimum force necessary to overcome the attack and do so with compassion instead of anger, then follow this up by establishing dialogue with the survivors, then we have turned a disaster into an opportunity for compassion and growth for ourselves and those who attack us.
Michael Jaquish- A Compassionate, Vigilant American
