We were back last night for our first weekly meditation and mindfulness session of 2024, and the topic of the evening came from a recent conversation I had with an old friend about the state of things in the world.
It is a difficult subject to enter because it can very quickly leave us with a sense of powerlessness. What can one individual possibly do in the face of so much suffering?
There is no need to make a list of everything happening in the world. We all know enough to recognise that things can appear chaotic, messy and difficult to understand. Even when we are not directly involved, we may find ourselves affected by what we see and hear. The mind can be pulled in different directions. We may experience anxiety, anger or frustration. We may feel that we have to take a side, say something or arrive at a position that makes sense of what is happening.
We all have viewpoints. We have opinions, beliefs and ideas about how things are and how they should be. There is nothing unusual about that. But perhaps practice gives us an opportunity to look at those viewpoints as well as through them.
How strongly am I holding my position? What happens when someone challenges it? What happens when events don’t fit the way I think the world should be?
This doesn’t mean that all viewpoints are equal, that we should become indifferent or that we should avoid taking a position. Sometimes action is necessary. Sometimes speaking is necessary. But perhaps we can also pay attention to what is happening within us as we respond.
How do I respond to my triggers? How do I respond to frustration? How do I respond to fear? How do I respond to anger? Can I notice what is happening before immediately becoming completely identified with it?
Thoughts, opinions and emotions arise and change. Something that seems absolutely certain can look different later. We agree with some people and disagree with others. We change our minds. Sometimes we don’t.
The conversation with my old friend made me wonder about something else. How can I expect the state of things in the world to be less conflictual if I never look at the conflict taking place within myself?
This doesn’t mean that resolving my own anger will somehow resolve a war, an injustice or somebody else’s suffering. Nor does practice remove the need to act. But it does make me curious about what I bring to whatever situation I encounter.
Am I bringing fear? Anger? Certainty? The need to be right? Am I listening? Am I reacting? Can I recognise when I don’t know?
Perhaps I cannot control the state of things in the world. Most of the time I certainly cannot.
But I can pay attention to how I participate in it.
And perhaps that leaves me with a better question than trying to decide how the whole world should be:
What am I bringing to the state of things in this world?
