Courage of Artists and Spiritual Warriors

The core instruction to Verse 6 of the Eight Verses of Mind Training says to "Recognize one who harms you as more kind than one who helps you." I've been pondering this over the last few days trying to remember any art experiences I've had that would relate. My emotions, more than an individual person, have often been inspiration to create art. Difficult experiences in relationships have inspired some interesting imagery. Several of the pieces from my Understanding^ft series were part of my emotional process while caring for my late husband. (Click on "Art" on sidebar to see series.)

Exploring further, the full sixth verse (Rigpa translation) suggests:

Even when someone I have helped,

Or in whom I have placed great hopes

Mistreats me very unjustly,

I will view that person as a true spiritual teacher.

I am very fortunate to have never experienced war or extreme violence. However, I can feel another's pain acutely. I suspect this is empathy or maybe something more. Perhaps it is as current day ecologist and philosopher David Abram reveals in The Spell of the Sensuous that everything touches everything and that I feel the pain of others because "of the body's native capacity to resonate with other bodies and with the landscape as a whole." This would explain why I cringe at seeing violence or feel anger and sadness by reading of cruelty.

Artists throughout history have used art as a tool to express and process much unbearable pain, suffering, anger, and confusion. Images from ancient art of war to the art of Goya, Picasso, and Beckman, to present day artists such as Melvin Edwards, David Hammons, and Magdalena Abakanowicz (to name only a few of the very many).

This poem was written by Thich Nhat Hahn after he "heard about the bombing of Ben Tre and the comment make by and American military man, 'We had to destroy the town in order to save it.'"

"For Warmth

I hold my face in my two hands.

No, I am not crying.

I hold my face in my two hands

to keep the loneliness warm –

two hands protecting,

two hands nourishing,

two hands preventing

my soul from leaving me

in anger."*

So, how do we work with Verse 6? Clearly by reading Thich Nhat Hahn's poem we see he is a spiritual master. HH Dalai Lama, in Transforming the Mind, suggests studying Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life and Chandrarakirti's Entry to the Middle Way for inspiration and understanding regarding tolerance and patience, which are necessary when working with this verse.

I have also found Pema Chödrön's teaching on gratitude to be inspiring. In Awakening Loving-Kindness (pp 168-169) is a pertinent paragraph that relates to the idea of being grateful to everyone. Pema writes that if we can learn to be grateful for the preciousness of our lives, then we will be able to face anything.

My wish for myself and all beings is that we move toward more tolerance, patience, and gratitude. Some further inspiration comes by way of the documentary "I am", directed by Tom Shadyac. A portion of the documentary shows how herds or flocks of animals (nature) make decisions. It is when 51% of the group turns their attention to make a move, whether it is to go for a drink or change direction in flight. It is not dependent on the dominant male nor the smallest infant, it is based on the decision of just over half of the whole group to ensure the survival of the greatest number. "I am" refers to who the "problem" is and where the responsibility to change lies.

Perseverance: we keep on cultivating and practicing compassion and wisdom. And perhaps, like natural democracy, or the sensuous spell of our interconnectedness, we will move in the courageous direction of peace.

I humbly offer my illustration of a snake to represent Verse 6.

May we all be well and content,

Susan

*Found in Anger; Wisdom for Cooling the Flames by Thich Nhat Hahn.