“Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.”
― Dalai Lama XIV
In light of the Supreme Court's hearings on marriage equality, I thought it would be fitting to write about anger. When we harbor anger, we are living selfishly. No matter what we think our reasons for anger are, even if we think it is "righteous anger", it is poisonous.
When we write catchy, hateful slogans on protest signs and use them to make others feel badly about themselves, we are nurturing anger. When we are angry, we feel terrible. We make others feel terrible. When two sides are angry at one another, no one benefits. Anger fuels anger. If people remain angry long enough, their physical health will decline. Their liver will be affected, their GI tract will become inflamed, they will get heartburn, insomnia, and cardiovascular disease caused by chronic inflammation. Is this really worth it to hate someone else because they don't live by your moral code?
I am posing this question to both sides of the marriage equality debate. I myself am definitely in support of marriage equality. In addition to being an Ayurvedic practitioner, I am an ordained minister who has studied extensively the religious points of this debate. In debates like this one, the truth is it has nothing to do with actual backing by religious texts. People react to this issue viscerally based on what they have been taught from childhood and what they have learned in life.
We could all benefit by stepping back from the emotional mess that is this debate. This hearing is deciding the fate of many American families. The fact is, regardless of your moral stance, there are thousands of LGBT families with children who are suffering because one interpretation of morality has dictated our nation's definition of marriage. Those families exist whether or not you like them, and probably you know and like many of these gay people and don't even know it. Those families are subject to the whims of many people on a daily basis. Imagine how it would feel to be told you could not see your husband or wife in the hospital. Imagine how it would feel if your child's teacher told you that you couldn't take them home from school because you weren't a legal parent. Regardless of your personal beliefs, these families deserve equality and compassion. There is no religion that is going to support the denial of compassion to those who deserve it.
It is a dangerous road to travel once you begin to hate. No matter what your reasons are, hatred takes root in the heart and begins to grow. Don't give in to that. We can get more out of life by constantly looking for ways to benefit others who are suffering. This is the example set by all the great religious leaders whose legacies are with us today.
Thanks for listening.
― Dalai Lama XIV
In light of the Supreme Court's hearings on marriage equality, I thought it would be fitting to write about anger. When we harbor anger, we are living selfishly. No matter what we think our reasons for anger are, even if we think it is "righteous anger", it is poisonous.
When we write catchy, hateful slogans on protest signs and use them to make others feel badly about themselves, we are nurturing anger. When we are angry, we feel terrible. We make others feel terrible. When two sides are angry at one another, no one benefits. Anger fuels anger. If people remain angry long enough, their physical health will decline. Their liver will be affected, their GI tract will become inflamed, they will get heartburn, insomnia, and cardiovascular disease caused by chronic inflammation. Is this really worth it to hate someone else because they don't live by your moral code?
I am posing this question to both sides of the marriage equality debate. I myself am definitely in support of marriage equality. In addition to being an Ayurvedic practitioner, I am an ordained minister who has studied extensively the religious points of this debate. In debates like this one, the truth is it has nothing to do with actual backing by religious texts. People react to this issue viscerally based on what they have been taught from childhood and what they have learned in life.
We could all benefit by stepping back from the emotional mess that is this debate. This hearing is deciding the fate of many American families. The fact is, regardless of your moral stance, there are thousands of LGBT families with children who are suffering because one interpretation of morality has dictated our nation's definition of marriage. Those families exist whether or not you like them, and probably you know and like many of these gay people and don't even know it. Those families are subject to the whims of many people on a daily basis. Imagine how it would feel to be told you could not see your husband or wife in the hospital. Imagine how it would feel if your child's teacher told you that you couldn't take them home from school because you weren't a legal parent. Regardless of your personal beliefs, these families deserve equality and compassion. There is no religion that is going to support the denial of compassion to those who deserve it.
It is a dangerous road to travel once you begin to hate. No matter what your reasons are, hatred takes root in the heart and begins to grow. Don't give in to that. We can get more out of life by constantly looking for ways to benefit others who are suffering. This is the example set by all the great religious leaders whose legacies are with us today.
Thanks for listening.