signup
for email updates
Directory
Our
Archive: 2001-2004
Cover
Art Archive
Search
|
A Spiritual Response
to Terrorism
by Jonathan Robinson
Although we have a born-again Christian President, and 95 percent of Americans claim
to believe in God, you never hear about how we might create a ñspiritualî response
to terrorism. Just the mere word ñterrorismî is enough to make the most loving person
think about the necessity of war. But, does it need to be like this? If you look
at how religious leaders, such as Jesus or the Buddha, dealt with their enemies,
you can see the hallmarks of a very different approach to creating security.
Unfortunately, when our feeling of safety is threatened, the reptilian part of our
brain immediately takes over. We tend to ignore the spiritual teachings weÍve learned,
and instead put our trust in the brute power of force. IÍm not a pacifist, but it
seems to me that if spiritual teachings are worth their salt, they should be tried
in times of crisis ¿ rather than just muttered on Sunday mornings. It seems pretty
clear that the United States is not going to simply surrender to those who try to
hurt us. Force is sometimes necessary. Yet, having a spiritual response to terrorism
along with the power to protect ourselves seems a more likely road to success than
just the use of military might.
So what would a spiritual response to terrorism look like? First, we would need to
have a working definition of what ñspiritualî means. Although people in different
traditions have different practices, there is widespread agreement as to what the
goal of spirituality is. In a book I edited called ñThe Experience of God,î I asked
40 well-known spiritual seekers, ranging from the Dalai Lama to the late Mother Teresa,
about the ultimate goal of spiritual development. The answers I received were surprisingly
similar. Most spiritual leaders said that the aim of spiritual work should be a more
compassionate, more loving, and more aware person who is better able to serve humankind.
So it seems that if we were to create a spiritual response to terrorism, it would
involve applying the principles of compassion, understanding (awareness) and love
to those who we have labeled as our enemies.
In doing research for this article, I tried to get a sense of how people, such as
Jesus, the Buddha or even Mahatma Gandhi, dealt with the threat of violence. Jesus,
of course was known to say ñIf someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him
the other also. Love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you that you
may be sons of your Father in heaven.î The Buddha said, ñIt is better to conquer
your self than to win a thousand battles.î Finally, Gandhi once said, ñI object to
violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary. The evil
it does is permanent.î
Obviously, our national dialogue is a far cry from the ñradicalî ideas of these three
men. Not only have we managed to label terrorists as evil monsters, but weÍve even
managed to label fellow Americans who voted differently than us as evil or stupid.
Are all these spiritual leaders and people who voted differently than us really insane
or morons? Or perhaps they really know something that we donÍt, and we fail to use
their advice at our own risk. Our experience of self-righteousness can block us from
seeing beyond our own noses. Underlying the statements of Jesus, Gandhi and the Buddha
are the notions that kindness, compassion and focusing on your own shortcomings are
an alternate way of disarming your enemy. Fortunately, that doesnÍt mean we have
to become defenseless. We can be understanding and kind, and still have a strong
military. Yet, if we really believe in such spiritual teachings, it seems it should
lead us to taking baby steps to try out some of their ideas.
In the spiritual ñarsenal,î there are many tools to try. Besides the ñweaponsî of
kindness and vulnerability, there are also the spiritual tools of recognizing our
sameness, rather than our differences. Of course, itÍs easy to say the cliché
that ñweÍre all oneî until you hear about one of those beheadings in Iraq. Then,
itÍs easier to think, ñHow could those monsters do that?î Well, thatÍs actually a
good question. If we really are all part of a united human family under God, then
what pain must those terrorists be going through to act so horrifically? Only if
we understand such ñmonstersî are we likely to know how to instigate a healing.
Recently, I read that almost 50 percent of Palestinians in the Gaza strip and West
Bank live below the poverty line, which is defined as a paltry wage of $410 a month
for a family of six. Furthermore, most of them have a family member that has recently
lost their house, job or life. With little hope for things getting better in the
future, some of them turn to desperate acts of violence. Knowing this, it can help
us see that true healing is likely to happen only if we can offer them some kind
of hope.
Furthermore, a spiritual response to terrorism isnÍt just something for our national
leaders to try. The teachings of great spiritual traditions clearly work well on
a personal level. Back when 9/11 occurred, people had wildly different reactions
to the tragedy of that day. Some people were literally angry for months, and/or were
constantly filled with fear and anxiety. Yet other people, after a brief negative
reaction, were filled with compassion and even managed to use that event as a wake
up call to make positive changes in their own lives. What was the difference between
these two groups of people? I believe that people who had, through their spiritual
efforts, been practicing compassion, understanding and forgiveness fared significantly
better than those who had no such practice. ItÍs tempting to think that terrorism
is something that can only be remedied by politics, but according to most spiritual
traditions, thatÍs simply not true. Because weÍre all connected, ultimately we all
have a part to play in whether or not terrorism spreads into our society.
What are the actions that, on a personal level, might move the world away from its
focus on hate and violence? Although there is no simple answer to that question,
the exploration of that question can be very interesting. I believe that any sincere
effort a person makes to expand their perspective or try to do something good is
in some small way helpful to the entire world. If we each played a small part in
countering any forms of hate and injustice, perhaps it would greatly tip the scales
towards a more peaceful and less violent world. If thatÍs the case, and plenty of
research seems to support such assertions, then it becomes each personÍs responsibility
to take actions that are likely to be helpful. Because we each have different affinities,
the specific actions we take would likely be quite different. For one person, it
might involve daily meditation. For another person it might involve volunteering
at a food bank or not reacting to their mateÍs anger. Ultimately, perhaps all these
ñspiritualî deeds would help to elevate the entire world above the darkness of terrorist
acts.
I believe we are at a crossroads in our culture. We can go down the path of fear
and try to destroy our enemies, or we can offer our enemies hope while making sure
we still protect ourselves. The reason for taking a more ñspiritualî response to
the terrorist threat is not because weÍre nice or naive, but because itÍs more likely
to work. If our enemies see that we are willing to understand their plight, and work
with them to offer them a better future, we will become safer as a nation. In addition,
by focusing on understanding, charity and kindness, our own minds will be transformed
from thoughts of fear and hate to thoughts of compassion. In my book, ñTerror Proof
Your Mind and Money,î I talk about how the most effective way to take the ñterrorî
out of terrorism is to take specific actions that will help you be prepared. When
the next terror strike happens, those people that have taken time to prepare themselves
spiritually, physically and psychologically are going to do better than those who
are not prepared.
The threat of terrorism can be a great opportunity for the world to realize the benefits
of understanding over ignorance and kindness over brute force. The model weÍve used
to protect ourselves from our ñenemiesî clearly hasnÍt worked very well. Even when
we create physical safety for ourselves, there is a price we pay whenever our minds
and hearts are ñat warî with other people. So the question we must ask ourselves
in this age of terror is, ñAre we ready to move beyond reptilian thinking and into
a way of being that relies on understanding, compassion and kindness?î The fate of
our future may depend on the answer to that question.
Jonathan Robinson is a best-selling author of nine books, a psychotherapist, and
a professional speaker. His latest book is ñTerror Proof Your Mind and Money: Create
Physical, Financial and Mental Security in Dangerous Timesî available through Amazon
or at your local bookstore. For more information, check: www.howtotools.com OR www.terror-proof.net
Copyright © 2005 Jonathan Robinson. All rights reserved. |
| May 2005 |
|
|
