Rumi (13th-century Persian poet and mystic)
* Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right-doing, there is a field. I will meet you there.
Pema Chodron (1936–living), American-born Tibetan Buddhist teacher)
* Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.
* If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, even those who drive us crazy, can be our teacher
* You are the sky. Everything else—it’s just the weather.
Ram Das (1931–2019) (Spiritual teacher, psychologist, writer)
* Suffering is part of our training program for becoming wise.
* Let’s lay down our righteousness and just be together.
* We’re all just walking each other home.
Michael Naumer (1942–2001) (Relationships and consciousness teacher)
* Do you want to be right or do you want to be effective?
* When you diminish another person, you lose their ability to contribute to you.
* The universe is not oppositional; only our minds are.
* As consciousness rises, significance drops away.
* Gathering evidence is how we organize our resistance.
* There’s a difference between taking a stand and being a stand.
* Position creates opposition; when I take a position, I have to defend it.
* Everything changes. Everything happens in cycles. Everything contributes.
* Complaint is an abdication of responsibility.
* The mind is a dangerous neighborhood; don’t go in there alone.
* People are miraculous surprises.
Being Wrong, by Kathryn Schulz (Journalist and author)
* We look into our hearts and see objectivity. We look into our minds and see rationality. We look into our beliefs and see reality.
My Better Angels, by Catherine Sevenau (a student and reader of the above)
* I shall honor my word and take responsibility for what I speak.
* I shall honor my family, community, and beloved biosphere.
* I shall tell the truth—and endeavor not to add to chaos, war, or misery.
* I am grateful and humbly bow to the beauty and mystery of it all.
* Be of service to others, to something greater than myself.
* Clean up my inner litter; this includes not dumping it in my neighbor’s yard.
* Quit carping and complaining, raining my misery on others.
* I am not the center of the universe; life is not all about me and what I want.
* I am connected and interconnected with everything. What I do matters.
* Accept all of myself, and all of you, our greatness and pettiness.
* What I believe is true for me, so I’m careful what I believe.
What’s So: Our country is in trouble, and it’s getting worse every day. For many, it’s become dangerous. Enough is enough. How do we get back on course? Boots on the ground and speaking up help. Causing good trouble makes a difference. Chronicling it gets the word out. There are more of us who want our democracy to hold than those who don’t.
What can I do to counteract the current outrage in this country? I can keep my sense of humor, breathe, and stay in my lane. I can gracefully agree to disagree. I can have empathy for those who exist inside pain-bodies, who were hurt as young children and haven’t come to terms with it, who’ve never gotten counseling or therapy, who have no introspection, and rather than healing that pain, are paying it forward and splashing it on whoever and wherever they can. From what I can tell, those are the ones currently running the show, gleefully swinging the wrecking balls, and why we’re in such a mess. Power, money, and greed are in there, too, but that’s obvious.
I can do my part not to perpetuate conflict with the supporters on that side of the fence. The news and the internet are a problem; both camps slant the news, rile the public, and give little voice to the middle. We want to be mad. We want to be right. We don’t want to give ground. It’s exhausting. Nothing will change until we shift some of our beliefs and positions. Give it a rest. Talk to each other. Cut down on the caffeine. Take a nap. Reach out. Be kind. Make soup. Plant sunflowers. It’s a start.
And if we meet in the field and you find no middle ground or nothing useful here, just walk on by. I’ll find the others who want to plant sunflowers.
April 2025, Catherine Sevenau
Barbara Jacobsen says
Right on, Cath. Not easy but do-able. Thanks.
Catherine Sevenau says
It may be what turns this mess around. I’m shocked how quickly the fabric of our democracy has fallen apart at the seams.
Susan Price says
How could this collapse happen so quickly and wih so little resistance? Going to another rally tomorrow in San Jose. The last one. two weeks or so ago at the same public park downtown, had 5,000 attendees. The self-made posters were great. I need to prepare for Easter Sunday ’cause my brother and his wife are coming over, but I feel like protesting Trump and his authoritarianism with others publically in the park is more important. Very worried about our nation. My cousin, who is like an older sister, and her Harvard trained lawyer husband supported Trump to my amazement and dismay. And four years ago they converted from being Episcopalians to be Catholic – they profess to being strong Christians. But Trump is so racist, and cruel in his treatment of others- very unChristian behavior in my opinion (and unJewish, unMuslim, unBuddhist too). How can well educated people support that guy!!??? It is difficult when people you care for can be so blind to the truth of what Trump is doing that hurts so many in our country and overseas as well. Well, I will not subject you to more of my rant… Thank you for much for your collect of wise comments from religious leaders from various faith traditions.
Catherine Sevenau says
The country as a whole was caught off guard, thinking the guardrails would hold. The protest rallies are making a difference, and the news is finally reporting on them. I have opinions as to why some support him, and the answers are in the post: We believe what we think. We take a position we think will serve us. There is a dearth of critical thinking (which also encompasses more than a few religions). Perhaps it’s a money and power thing. And sometimes we err or make bad choices, and then rinse and repeat. We don’t learn by getting it right; we learn by getting it wrong. There is a lesson in all of this, and it is both existential and personal. We have choices, but the problem is, we don’t agree on what’s best. We either take out ourselves and the planet, let the flat-earthers take over, or we somehow manage to get on a course that rights things and saves our beloved biosphere. “Everything else—it’s just the weather.”
Ruffulo-Keys Cheryl says
Beautiful!
Catherine Sevenau says
Thank you. It’s been a while since I’ve written something new. It was time.