I awoke this morning thinking about how hatred has filled my soul lately.

[helderheid]

Hatred and fear. Thinking on Mrs. King's life, it has reminded me that this is not the way I want to live my life, even if my anger is justified and rightous. I don't know if I'm alone in DU with these thoughts and feelings. I don't want my anger and fear and sorrow to consume my soul.

A dear friend of mine sent me the following. I thought the timing was perfect.

I wish this for each and every one of you.

The Buddha's Words on Kindness (Metta Sutta)

This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in saftey,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born,
May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings:
Radiating kindness over the entire world
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world.

[seabeyond]

1. lets put her picutre on our car. a sticker of class

lets honor her. lets take our voice back. no one is talking to me about this. would be so easy. i talked to our black employee. he is a part of the segregated black community. i asked him about king... and we talked about how white media is telling them what they can talk about at their funeral. he like hearing his black minister speaking out. he wasnt aware media was trashing funeral. we talk about our community and the white have shut the black sommunity up. i told him, they have shut the democrats up too. we want to start a campaign of a simple classy, small sticker for our windows, honoring scott king and our right to speak for ourselves. not allow white media to speak for us

no one is interested. this woudld be so easy to do nation wide. it would feel good to have her image on car. it would speak out against media. we have to speak out against media. he saw nothing but plus in doing this. and how easy it would be to spread in this area. if we could here, we could nation wide

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=358411&mesg_id=358411

[helderheid]

3. I really like that idea. I really liked what Bill Clinton said to about

if we saw her as a role model, then we need to model her behaviour. I am ready to be the change I want to see in the world and not shrivel up into the darkness that has consumed me lately.

[seabeyond]

6. would be so simple and easy, we can do. i told friend

it works out perfectly. our community, seperate of black and white. a mile away form our house a united grocery store was built. it is great. it brings the black and whte community together. he had never thought of it, and is getting so jazzed. i told him, i could just hand out stickers. he is getting mroe jazzed. why we gave up this town to loud mouthdominating repugs i dont know. i want it back. iwth our black sommunity, the few white dems we have, can really make changes.

[helderheid]

9. I live in Utah - not a huge black community here - I am excited for you!

[Joe_VB]

2. Thank you for posting this.

[helderheid]

10. You're so welcome. Thanks for connecting here! I love this line the best:

May all beings be at ease!

[applegrove]

4. Gosh - Thanks for posting that. A keeper!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. wise words

it is a very difficult practice to maintain peace within when there is so much anger and hatred in the world. It is a constant practice to try and maintain peace within.

[helderheid]

7. maybe we should start a DU meditation/focus group (or is there one)? A

daily reminder to center and find that peace.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. SOUP

Seeks on Unique Paths group talks about meditation from time to time.

[Bake]

11. Channel your anger into action

Anger and hatred, left unresolved, will harm only you. But if you let your anger flow into action -- to change the things which have made you angry, then the anger becomes a positive thing. If the Pukes seek to motivate others by means of fear, let us motivate ourselves by our anger and make it a righteous, mighty force for good in society.

Just a thought.

Bake

[helderheid]

13. I am tired of being angry. I want to be a positive example.

[mwb970]

20. It's difficult for me not to be angry at Bush and his supporters.

For what they have done to my country. MY country. OUR country.

[helderheid]

23. I agree --- but it's been killing me. I want to be more like Mrs. King.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Yeah, it's amazing how much rage I have built up

[helderheid]

14. I know exactly what you mean. I need to be strong and loving - I want

to be a better example for my children.

[GreenPartyVoter]

22. Exactly. Amazing motivators our kids. :^)

[helderheid]

30. :) From one mother to another!

:hug:

[GreenPartyVoter]

31. *hugs*

[helderheid]

32. So glad I met you. I feel really blessed by DU.

[SPKrazy]

15. And Christ Said: Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself

Which if followed would lead to no war, taking care of our neighbors, and taking care of ourselves.

[helderheid]

18. absolutely.

:hug:

[Bluerthanblue]

16. well, you got me where

I needed to be gotten today-

Thank you for sharing this, and reminding us all of what truly is important, and that the correct path isn't always easy, comfortable, or appears to be getting us anywhere, but it will always be the correct path.

peace-
and an outstretched hand- wish we could all just stand together in community- even for a moment.

blu

[helderheid]

17. thank YOU.

:hug:

[SmokingJacket]

19. I've been a real bitch lately.

Not to my family so much, but to the world outside. I was just thinking about that today, how everything makes me mad and how my internet persona is so bitter, but for some reason I hadn't connected it to politics. Doh!

Thanks for the heads-up. I think it's time to seek out an organization I can contribute some time toward, try to reverse the bitch-karma...

[helderheid]

21. you made me laugh out loud! I wish I could say I haven't been a bitch

to my family ... my poor little clan. Well, maybe bitch is too strong of a word but I've been less than pleasant to live with, for certain. I am thinking it may be time to start back to Quaker meetings again and to bring my kids with me. Either that or try going to a Buddhist temple. There are a couple here in Salt Lake City!

[laruemtt]

24. * the cause of a spiritual renewal -

whoodda thunk it? he drove us all to the brink of hate and despair, and we found our souls again because of him..........

[helderheid]

25. You know this is how I've come to peace with him? I was NEVER politically

involved until *.

[laruemtt]

27. talk about when

life gives you a lemon, make lemonade? when life gives you a w, get wildly, wonderfully worthwhile!

[helderheid]

28. Oh my God I LOVE it!!!

:yourock:

[titoresque]

26. I took a long break from DU

I was feeling the same way. The fire never goes out though, it's like I've taken the red pill...or is it the blue pill? Anyhow, you know what I mean. Once you know the truth, and you feel compelled to make a difference...you feel that responsibility in your gut to make change, and to keep abreast of all the news well,...it's hard to cope sometimes!
I'm trying to keep a good balance right now, not jump in too far again this time. I have a tendency to overdo things. So I've been reading a little, writing a little, and doing a lot of other things in my life...a little. Trying not to do too much of anything. So far it feels a lot better.

Good luck to you! I highly recommend Wayne Dyers book "The Power of Intention"

Peace.

[helderheid]

29. Thank you SO much for this. I am anxious to read that book - I saw the PBS

presentation of it and was absolutely inspired. I need to watch a Gangaji satsang too!

[helderheid]

33. I'm about to go to bed but I wanted to thank all y'all for responding. I

am so glad I am not alone in feeling lost in the negative while wanting so much to be the positive. I know we have the power to change things. The first thing for me to change is myself. Thank you so much.

:grouphug:

[NVMojo]

34. it's hard not to let the hateful terrorism wrought on us by Repukes not

get the best of us ....

[CornField]

35. That was beautiful.

Thank you for sharing it, helderheid

[helderheid]

36. You're welcome. Thank you!

:hug: