Insight Without Action Is a Dream
(This is a repost of a blog originally published on the Mindful Technology website.)
As a long-time meditator, I embrace silence. The peace, introspection, and clarity that can come from silent reflection (and from sitting still) are vital to connecting with our inner wisdom.
But silence at a time like this can be deafening.
As we work behind the scenes to prepare Mindful Technology for official launch this fall, we spend a great deal of time revisiting our core values and trying to ensure that we are always doing what we can to make the world a better place. As a part of that, I want to make sure that we use whatever platform we have to raise our voice in chorus with those who vocally oppose the hatred, bigotry, racism, fascism, and oppression being violently shown in our country right now.
Raising our voice is not enough. As Zen teacher and Unitarian Universalist minister James Ishmael Ford quotes in his powerful article about how to look at, and approach, the most recent terror attacks by white supremacists:
“Insight without action is a dream. And action without insight is a nightmare.”
In order to do what's right, we need to stay in touch with our deepest values–and silence can help us to do that. But we must also take real action: speaking up, attending rallies to physically stand for what's right, contacting our politicians (who work for us, don't forget), donating to those organizations who are leading the fight, and taking great care to deal in compassion in our day to day lives.
I don't know what the solutions are, but as I often say to my friends and family: I know the answer is not to do nothing. I'm breaking my own month-long internet silence to make sure that my voice, and the voice of Mindful Technology, joins the many who are speaking up to condemn the hatred and terror taking place in our country. This violent oppression isn't new, and posting to the internet won't change the world. But there is a time for silence, and this is not it.
Keep reading:
'Everything We Do Matters, But Two Things Are Critical' (referenced above)
Teen Vogue uses their Twitter account to take a deep dive into white supremacism
The New York Times lays out How Mr. Trump Could Face Up to White Supremacists
Places to donate to:
NAACP, Black Lives Matter. ACLU, more
The featured image is part of an artwork by Davide D'Elia.