Mindrolling co-host, David Silver, returns to talk about the American presidential inauguration and the inner excavation that can be done to stop the polarization that separates us from one another.
David takes a break from working on his book to catch up with Raghu and the Mindrolling community. They talk about their reaction to Trump, polarization, fear, and how practice allows for an inner excavation of what separates us from each other and ourselves.
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Show Notes
Inner Treasure (Opening) – David shares his new copy of the Tao Te Ching and verse from it that is relevant to the political situation in America.
“The inner is foundation of the outer
The still is the master of the restless
The Sage travels all day yet never leaves his inner treasure
Though the views are captivating and beg attention he remains calm and uninvolvedTell me, does the lord of a great empire go out begging for rice?
One who seeks his treasure in the outer world is cut off from his own roots
Without roots, he becomes restless
Being restless, his mind is weak
And with a mind such as this he loses all command below Heaven”
Mindrolling Recommendations (8:45) – Raghu and David talk about some of the books and albums that they have been getting into lately. They mention the newest Stones album, memoirs from Robbie Robertson, and Bruce Springsteen.
David talks about an interesting book from the philosophical standup comedian, Tim Freke, about the mystery of life, love, and miracles.
Everyone Wants to be Happy (15:55) – The Mindrolling duo moves to the topic of the hour; the upcoming presidential inauguration. How do we move through these times in as conscious of a way as possible while also fulfilling our social responsibilities?
We are living in a time where many, even children, feel unsafe and unsure about the future. Raghu shares insight from Ram Dass on how our reactivity to this fear and polarization is unhealthy. Everyone wants to be happy and loved.
Us and Them (22:00) – David talks about kindness and relates a recent experience with somebody who was the “other.” What do we gain by the hatred we feel rise up in ourselves when we see racism and misogyny?
We all need to find a way to take a pause and remember that the person we have anger for is another being like us. “They” also are someone who has grown up in causes and conditions, as we all have, that contributes to their worldview. When we find a quietness within ourselves, we create a pause to observe our reaction in the moment.
“It will be much more constructive if people tried to understand their supposed enemies. Learning to forgive is much more useful than picking up the stone and throwing it at the object of one’s anger.” – H.H. the Dalai Lama
Inner Excavation (39:00) – It is important to remember to show empathy towards those “others.” We need to feel love and acceptance for others, when we do not it is painful. Our political polarization causes more than social polarization; it separates us from one another.
Practice is the key to navigating the deepest parts of ourselves and making the kind of change that cuts this separation off. When we apply our practice, we can connect with our true self and one another.
“It’s good to be an activist, Ram Dass included that he would never say ‘don’t be an activist,’ but this hatred thing is just going to end up in catastrophe.”
Check out David’s last visit to Mindrolling and more perspective on the 2017 elections from Lama Tsultrim, Sharon Salzberg, and Danny Goldberg from recent episodes.
Raghu and Dave’s Amazon Recommendations
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Image via Bruce Rolff