EDITOR ' S NOTE
Editor ' s Note
Politics , Fear and Compassion
“ The enemy is fear . We think it is hate ; but it is really fear .” - Mahatma Gandhi
Our magazine endeavors to be a voice for compassion and wisdom , these are essential elements of living a mindful life . In Indiana , the United States , or any other area of the world , a mindful life must include compassion , especially in regards to politics .
All of us recently endured the most emotionally brutal election in my lifetime , perhaps in my parents ’ or grandparents ’ lifetimes . The entire world has been watching our debates , rallies and protests . Our media was bombarded with more political advertising than ever before . Their message was that of doom , disgust and hatred of the opposing candidate . Rarely did I notice a message of hope or optimism about the future , because political marketers ( propagandists ) know that fear is what drives people to vote . “ Fear your enemy ” is the message , but fear is the enemy .
The left and the right were wringing their hands for months leading up to the morning of November 8th , election day . What I see as missing is the wisdom , that it takes a left and right to make a whole society . Two siblings , sitting in the same church pew , and attending the same schools their entire lives will grow up with at least slightly different understandings about how this world functions . Perhaps one even leaves the church or votes a different way . But if all goes well , they have developed enough mutual compassion that religious and political differences don ’ t tear them apart . They don ’ t fear each other at family reunions . Multiply that on a global scale : There will never be universal belief systems , but we are capable of compassion for our neighbor .
Hate comes from fear . Buddhism teaches that fear , one form of suffering , comes from attachment . Political attachments are strong . We fear that others do not share our own belief systems . We are attached to our belief systems . We fight to protect them . They are often an identity — even a cultural identity . We fear that our own subset of culture is threatened by outside forces , political opponents . There may be logical , natural , rational reasons to be afraid for one ’ s future , or a family member ’ s future . But by destroying this attachment to belief systems , we destroy the fear of politics . Only then can we be open to making the wisest decisions , for both ourselves and others .
Openness , genuine open mindedness , allows us to replace the fear and hatred with compassion . I ’ ve read that “ compassion ” is the most frequently occurring word in the Qur ’ an . Pope Francis is urging his church to have more compassion to those who don ’ t follow Catholic traditions . The Dalai Lama teaches that , “ If you want others to be happy , practice compassion . If you want to be happy , practice compassion .” We need political leaders who promote compassion rather than disdain or hatred . Perhaps we must cultivate such civil servants ourselves .
- Ryan Baggett
INDIANA & YOGA MAGAZINE ISSUE 2 3