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# 2020-10-18 - Compassionate Inaction by Blackbird
Compassion in a very difficult topic to discuss, write about or think
about: Why: because compassion is a feeling. Compassion is a felt
experience. It is our basic instinct. Our intuition. Our
uncompromised reaction. What I'm talking about this article is the
compassionate action of non-doing. If humanity as a culture is going
to survive there needs to be a big celebration of doing nothing at
all, a normalization of resting in a state of inactivity and
relaxation.
Compassionate inaction: Why is doing nothing a compassionate
response? Because from the state of inactivity and rest the true
condition of compassion arises without any effort. Sangay Khandro
said during her talk on the female protectors in the 'Voices of
Wisdom' symposium "Innate compassion is constantly enveloping the
minds of all beings."
Compassionate inaction: I tried this theory out. I was talking to a
businessman from Texas. He said his wife got him into meditation.
At first, he said he was resistant. That meditation was for people
with weak minds that needed help, considering himself to have a
strong will. Also, on a practical level a waste of time. He said
now every morning he sits 1 hour before he checks his phone or begins
activity. Sometimes he said his mind races thinking about how many
emails he must have. I said what about extending that do-nothing
time for a few more hours, what about slowly a few days. Or maybe
build up to a week--a week of doing nothing at all. He said just
hearing you say that makes me feel extremely anxious.
Compassionate inaction: In the 1990s Monsanto--the world largest
developer of genetically modified seeds and artificial
sweeteners--implemented a corporate mindfulness meditation program.
Research showed that meditation would reduce stress in employees and
more efficient work outcomes would take place. As it turned out many
people started quitting. Why? Because these employees realized they
could not harm other people anymore. Innate compassion is constantly
enveloping the minds of all beings. Were these employees memorizing
a list of what to do and what not to do? Were they reading a
self-help book that gave them insight into morality? No. They sat
in a state of nondoing and compassion arose in their minds. This
most important movement in life--the wish to not harm others arises.
Self-Compassionate inaction: Start here. Rest here. Think: if
compassion does not include me it is incomplete compassion. Dom
Chatterjee editor-in-chief of 'Rest for Resistance' and founder
@qtpocmentalhealth writes in their article Fighting Burnout, Rest
Debt, and Work as a False Path to Self-Worth writes: "Looking back, I
have no idea how I worked a decade without really stopping to rest.
Even if it's possible to work so tirelessly, and many of us prove
that it is, this dedication to responsibility and constantly doing
something "productive" comes at a high cost. I often lose touch with
myself. I suffer chronic back pain, which started when I was only
16. And what do I have to show for it? An empty bank account. Low
self-esteem. And debilitating anxiety... Even the most enjoyable
aspects of life, like eating amazing food, don't contribute to
healing all the time. But one activity will always support your
healing process: rest."
Compassionate inaction: 'Conscientious Objectors.' A Conscientious
objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to
perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought,
conscience, or religion. Some conscientious objectors consider
themselves pacifist, non-interventionist, non-resistant,
non-aggressionist, anti-imperialist, antimilitarist or
philosophically stateless (not believing in the notion of state). On
March 8, 1995, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
resolution 1995/83 stated that "persons performing military service
should not be excluded from the right to have conscientious
objections to military service." This was re-affirmed in 1998, when
resolution 1998/77 recognized that "persons [already] performing
military service may develop conscientious objections." A number of
organizations around the world celebrate the principle on May 15 as
International Conscientious Objection Day. The term has also been
extended to objecting to working for the military-industrial complex
due to a crisis of conscience.
'Compassionate Objectors': This is everyday life. There is violence
for example in community, in the workplace, and on a global level.
Innate reaction says: No. Stop. I cannot give people water from an
empty well. Inaction takes place. Rest. Restoration. This
self-compassion of non-action is a peaceful protest. Then, from that
place of nourishment and from a feeling of compassion maybe action
can take place. Not before then. The term itself has a lot of
flexibility in it. Many develop compassionate or conscious
objections. At any time when the relationship with others becomes
violent or harmful there is room to have objections. Shifting the
response from fighting the situation and instead relaxing into
nonaction or non-reaction. This is compassionate.
Self-Compassionate inaction: When I sat my first S. N. Goenka
Vipassana retreat at Dhamma Visuddhi in Minnominie, Wisconsin I was
motivated by self-compassion. I wanted things in my life to change
as I was feeling a lot of suffering and my teacher at the time said
if you sit one of these retreats everything in your life will change.
I thought: sitting and doing nothing would change everything? Eleven
days, no phone, no non-verbal gestures, eyes cast inwardly: a totally
silent retreat. In retrospective I had thoughts like, will the world
really function without me in it? After eleven days I will most
likely have so many messages and things that I will need to tend to.
Everything slowed down in a state of non-doing. Compassion can arise
in simple and simultaneously profound ways. A few days into the
process I felt cold in the meditation hall. It was nearing the end
of November and the room previously used as a livestock barn had very
little insulation. I thought: I wish I had a warm hat for my head
and I bet everyone that feels cold right now could use a warm hat. A
very simple thought. Ordinary. As I sat with the feeling in my body
as this wish arouse to give everyone hats in an imaginary way. The
thought passed but the feeling lingered. So overcome with
compassion. My heart opening and I'm crying. I stay in the feeling
of this experience for as long as possible and also relaxing into
this experience. The story is not about the hats. The story is
about the feeling of wanting to get out of suffering and
simultaneously wanting to help others get out of suffering. This
feeling is innate in all beings. However it comes about is not
important. What is important is the recognition of our true
compassionate nature and to experience this fully.
Compassionate Inaction: The less my body, speech and mind were
outwardly engaging the less I was needed outwardly. Exact
reflection. There is humility and also a sense of relief that came
from realizing that the world doesn't depend on me or require my
constant attendance in it to maintain itself. There were no emails
or messages. As I slowed down and relaxed so did the reflections.
Compassionate inaction: Too much emphasis on helping others before
compassion is a felt experience brings about obstacles. The healers
know this. Heal yourself first before healing others. Put your
oxygen mask on first before assisting others. This is a beautiful
and important lesson. Be willing to answer the question: who am I?
Buddha's highest teaching is: know yourself. Who am I? Know
yourself. Who am I? Know yourself. Who am I? Know yourself.
"Innate compassion is constantly enveloping the minds of all beings."
Constantly here meaning there is no end. Can't find the end of it.
Nor where it started. Constantly enveloping the minds of all beings.
Who am I? I am compassion expressing itself.
(HTM) From: https://issuu.com/rfdmag/docs/rfd_183_7x10_online/s/10992503
tags: article,inspiration,spirit
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