What Buddha Might Say To George Bush (And Us)
If a bull goes straight when the herd is crossing a road, then they will all go straight because he leads the way. The same among people. If the one who is thought to be the highest lives in goodness, the others do so too. The whole realm lives happily if the ruler lives rightly. The Buddha
This advice is exactly what you, George, did not do. Rather, you led your herd into a quagmire. Thankfully it is finally time to say goodbye and it seems it is none too soon: a recent poll found that three out of four Americans are glad to see you go; the former Iraqi Prime Minister has called you a failure; and even shoes have been thrown at you in desperation.
Many people have been in fear at the way you have handled the war in Iraq, Katrina and the economy, and the fact that you ignored the Israeli/Arab conflict until recently. That fear has, at times, turned to anger. And as much as that anger may be fully justified, anger can be like a single match that can burn down an entire forest, or a poison that creates illness in the one who is angry. In other words, it does not help.
When someone believes they are the ultimate power but, as a result, creates immense suffering for others, then it is a form of madness. Their view becomes clouded, their understanding is no longer trustworthy. But in a way it is not their fault, for they do not know they are acting out of ignorance. Their unskillful mind is telling them differently; they believe what they are doing is coming from a higher power when it is actually a delusion of the ego. And being angry at ignorance gets us nowhere.
There is, however, much to learn from the past eight years. For GWB is not entirely to blame. Indirectly we are all responsible for what has happened. Our apathy allowed the corrupt voting machines. We did not protest loud enough when power was blatantly misused. We all bought into the American dream that there was plenty of money for everyone. And we watched from the sidelines as our heritage was spent on a war that has gone nowhere.
So perhaps, in order to find a place of completion and healing, we need to forgive ourselves as much as we need to forgive Bush. Yes, we do need to forgive him! Not for what he did but for the ignorance that led him to act the way he did.
Ed was born Jewish, and on one occasion was dumbstruck when his teacher Swami Satchidananda said, "You even have to forgive Adolph Hitler." But then Satchidananda added, "You don't forgive the act but you forgive the ignorance that perpetrated it. You forgive the being inside and hope they learn and change."
There are such moments of humanity within all of us and Bush is no exception. When former press secretary Scott McClellan wrote a scathing book about Bush's leadership, the president told his senior aides to let it go. "Find a way to forgive, because that's the way to lead your life," White House press secretary Dana Perino remembers Bush advising her.
We also remember years ago our dear friend Ram Dass having a photo of Bob Dole on his altar. He told us it was because the most disliked are the ones who need to be loved the most.
How amazing it would be if we could focus love and compassion on Bush and bring him into our hearts. To offer him forgiveness. What a courageous thing to do. Do you think you could do it?
What have the last eight years meant for you? What would you like to say to George Bush? If your feelings are negative, then can you turn them around? What do you need in order to feel healed?
Ed and Deb Shapiro are authors of over 15 books, and lead meditation retreats and workshops. Deb is the author of the award-winning book Your Body Speaks Your Mind. They are corporate consultants, and the creators of Chillout daily inspirational text messages on Sprint cell phones. See their website: www.EdandDebShapiro.com.
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I need President Bush to be out of my life, to have some distance between us, before I can truly forgive him. In a way though, I'm mad at myself & all of us for not being more involved, more vigilant. Right after the election someone (Corey Booker, the Mayor of Newark maybe?) said that "democracy is not a spectator sport". True, that. We fell asleep at the wheel and woke up in the middle of a massive wreck.
Here's a Zen story called "The Nature of Things":
Two monks were washing their bowls in the river when they noticed a scorpion that was drowning. One monk immediately scooped it up and set it upon the bank. In the process he was stung. He went back to washing his bowl and again the scorpion fell in. The monk saved the scorpion and was again stung. The other monk asked him, "Friend, why do you continue to save the scorpion when you know it's nature is to sting?"
"Because," the monk replied, "to save it is my nature."
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President Bush's nature is what it is. Our mistake was not recognizing it and doing something about it sooner. I don't know if we were too scared or lazy or comfortable or what, but I, for one, have no intention of EVER allowing myself to zone out again where my country & my freedom is concerned.
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OrangeNJ- This is a great comment.
There is a scorpion and a frog. The scorpion wants to cross the river and asks the frog if he could jump on his back and get a ride across. The frog says, "Mr. scorpion if I take you across you will sting me." The scorpion promises not to sting him. The frog says, "ok jump on my back." Half way across the scorpion stings him. Just before drowning the frogs says to the scorpion, "now we will both drown why did you sting me?" The scorpion replies, "I am a scorpion. It is my nature."
It looks like Obama has a more compassionate nature.
The future is Bright,
Ed
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A few years back, while embroiled, unconciously in my anger at George W., I decided to give it up for Lent. Fortunately, Lent is not about perfection, but about coming into conscious contact with what is off purpose. At least, that's how I hold it! The weeks came and went. To my chagrin, I realized just how much of my life energy was going down a destructive street when it came to Mr. Bush. I realized that it was not so easy to opt out of the many surround sound conversations those I know were having about his many antics. The truth is that it created a certain space for reflection. On Easter, I confided in my priest, who has a good sense of humor, my experience, and less than stellar performance. His response: "I'm not so sure I would have been so brave as to give up criticism of him! That's a big Lenten promise!"
Perhaps, upon our hearth, we need a photo of ourselves, as well. Forgiveness, all around.
Bless you for your offering. I love your work.
Cara
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Hi Cara, This comment is great I would love to meet your priest. Father Thomas Keating is another brilliant funny priest.
I have found myself at times getting really pissed off at Bush really angry at the lot of his people. I learned that sometimes you keep your emotions in your pocket and at the appropriate time take them out and use them wisely.
Anger with wisdom can be thought of as divine anger. Like a sword that cuts through ignorance.
I enjoy your wise blogs. I am glad we ar growing into a supportive and loving community,
Bless you for being you,
Ed
This is one of the loveliest posting yet. We, as a nation, have nothing to loose and everything to gain by being compassionate and forgiving of W. That said, I believe it will take time. He has caused a lot of pain and suffering in just about every area of life. I hope and pray that Obama will lead us in a straight line.
Thank you so much for this uplifting message, Ed and Deb. Look forward to your weekly blogs. So far I have loved them all.
Your secret admirer, krcok
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krock- It's very kind of you to speak this way. You are obviously a kind and caring person.
It will be a time of grieving as the pain and suffering is huge. But with the grieving is healing. With love and understanding we can hold GWB in compassion.
When someone is not aware of what they have done it becomes a challenge to forgive but possibly the suffering George caused may have been a reason Obama is in.
I am happy you are you oh secret admirer,
Big Love, Ed
The Ego is the 'one' that grasps and hates and does all manner of nasty things. The core of my true self is the core of all the exists. I think it is the core the center that has to forgive. So you have to dig very deep in order to do it. If you can you can only be better for it. And still it is sometimes a very difficult thing to do. Hate and anger are poisonous to a healthy life.
namaste
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madhattah- I agree it is ego. Yet the ego is a false sense of who we think we are.
True forgiveness comes when we see clearly and not cling to our own story.
When you forgive you can dance.
In the dharma,
Ed
It will be much easier to forgive Bush when he is no longer for ruining the lives of so many people.
As for what Buddha would say to Bush, what would any wise man say to such an unwise, powerful leader? If Christ himself had had a sitdown with Caesar, what could he have said to make things better for the people of the Roman Empire? It would take a miracle to change a Caesar, or to change Bush, and thus to make them capable of listening to something other than what they want to hear.
On the other hand, we have had some leaders in the past who seemed to be the types of people who contemplated the nature of the universe. I can imagine one of them listening while a truly wise man speaks.
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mamacat- From my understanding it is important to honor your feelings and breathe into them and not to deny or repress them. So whatever you feel about Bush is ok.
But then there comes a point where it becomes toxic to the body and can become suffering to the mind. When we don't just drop it, and let go and even forgive and have compassion for the ignorance that caused the suffering of the person who did the bad or even murderous act.
As difficult as it may be, forgiveness is giving to yourself first.
Life is a gift,
Ed
Hi Ed and Deb,
what you say makes sense, but in context. What is that saying? Hate the sin, not the sinner?
After so many years of disappointments and suffering caused by incompetence and indifference, it is difficult not to feel emotions. So many people dead or injured, mistreated, abandoned in flood waters, jobs sent overseas, entire economic markets collapsing, bread winners unable to put food on the table, and still, yes, it is important to forgive. But sometimes, is it not also important to remember, so that we don't let the mistakes of the last eight years happen again?
I hear you saying to forgive the men who represent the evil in America, but I do not hear you saying to take appropriate actions to protect us from them. I am reminded of Ghandhi and Martin Luther King. They were not filled with hate, but they spoke out and took actions to remedy evils. Where are your own calls for action?
I will have compassion for GWB. Karma will take care of the rest.
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livinlife- glad you have compassion for GWB--as for karma who cn be sure how it unfolds. let's hope Bush sees what he has done and becomes a better person because of it.
karma can be changed right now in the present moment. It is not solid and a life sentence.
May we all be compassionate and create good activity and purify our karmic debt with love and forgiveness.
Big Love,
Ed
What a great new light on seeing more then just the acts of a person and seeing the context that shaped the person that committed the acts. Someone I have to forgive is myself, for harm that I've done to others, not the acts but for the ignorance and the taking attitude. Actually learning from history, world and personal, at least allows movement forward.
And WIlliam Shakespeare summed up my feelings about Bu$h and forgiveness in RICHARD III: 'No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity. But I know none, and therefore I am no beast'
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rabiddog6708
Just your awareness and acknowledgment of your situation is a beginning. You can honor you feelings and then see how it may not be serving you. As it can create feelings both physical and mental that you don't necessarily need and can lead to more suffering.
See ignorance for what it is- dance with your beast.
May all beings be free from suffering,
Ed
I think one of the things would be giving a teaching on dualistic mind, which is the root of ignorance. All Bush and his crime family did was to believe his/their own delusions that said we are right and they are wrong. We know what is best. The dual mind of us and them. But Buddha was Buddha and omniscient and realizing the harm this Bush being would cause, for the benefit for of all sentient beings, might have taken stronger, more wrathful measures. But it is what we do with the negative feelings we /I have toward Bush. There was a point during the election when the enthusiam for Obama became so intense that I began to feel gratitude toward bush and his crime family because their actions created the awakening of people, all over the world. I don't tnink the Obama phenomena could have happened without the Bush factor. Sort of like Tibetan Buddhism would not have spread to the west without the horrors of the chinesse government. But what I need to remember and realize that as long as I see Bush as enemy, I am creating dualistic mind and am therefore no different. Just another being in ignorance.
May all be auspicious
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LAnancy- Great insight. It's amazing that so many people have written us and said that same thing. Sometimes the hard lessons allow for the wisdom to emerge.
A rose comes from compost. A lotus flower grows out of the mud. The difficult times in our lives are often our best teachers. I think we are going to emerge as a greater nation and wiser populous.
Much Metta,
Ed
Thanks for you provocative comment! You are a wise person.
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LAnancy- There is a video of stating just what you have poignantly stated.
"All Bush and his crime family did was to believe his/their own delusions that said we are right and they are wrong. We know what is best. The dual mind of us and them."
This was the foundation of their admin. Deb just saw a video that shows Bush roughly saying you must agree with us.
He said over the years, "you are with us or against us." Holding the world in fear. So now it is up to us to rise above the ignorance instead of falling into quicksand. Open our hearts is the way and move on.
In the dharma, Ed
In the two years on HuffPo I have not come across a single US citizen comnig out openly and apologizie for the killings of children, mothers, fathers and made homless by the madness of the Iraq invasion. Iraq is a proud country having their culture, infrastructure and home destroyed by ignorance and delusion.
Many people voted in Bush for the second time and many, whether through ignorance or not, supported the invasion of Iraq. Bush became the President of USA , by the US citizens.
It is important to understand the concept of collective karma. Years of war in Iraq had wasted a large amount of money, time , lives and overlooked the local economy. Now the depression in the US could be one of the worst in history surely if all these resources were to be used to saveguard the economy
the sufferings caused now could have at least been lessen.
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Jonahson- So now we know what collective ignorance is. The enormous suffering is unimaginable. And now we have to open our hearts as big as the Universe.
It will take aware people like you to go deep into Buddhadharma, into the compassion and loving-kindness to forgive the ignorance that perpetuated such meaningless and unnecessary suffering. I believe the US people were blinded by the circumstances because they were not permitted to actually see what was happening.
May we come together under Prez Obama, may we unify in love and compassion and may we forgive.
and may we move on!
Much Metta,
Ed (Jygme Powa-fearless warrior)
Both of you will do a good job here. Do continue the good work. This time I shall not return. It is important that one day both of you actually come to the US to do Dharmaduta work.
In this part where I come from, I met a Zen Master 15years ago. He was a young monk with great attainments, one of those rare people where an aura of Metta can be felt
as you are near him. He told me he will be going to the US to Dharmaduta work and may take up PR there. I was surprised by his decision and I asked him why not let the Westerners come to this part of the country to learn instead of him going there, just like Achan Chah and many other forest monks.
He told me that he could see the cause of many of the World's problems would come from US. It would be better that he does Dharmaduta work there to alleviate sufferings.
Peace be with all.
One who cultivates the Ten Perfections is a Bhodisattva.
The Dalai Lama has said "Everyone is doing the best they can at the level they are at."
That is definitely true of Bush and co.... and the level they are at is immature and inappropriate for the office they occupy and the scope of the issues they face. So there is suffering and there is death.
If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person
If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house
If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation
If there is order in the nation, there will be Peace in the World.
-- Confuscian saying....
and that explains the problem with Bush and co.... rather clearly, I think.
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Lungfish, great quote.
I met a Holy woman in India who said, "Do your best and leave the rest."
When I was with HH the Dalai Lama he held Deb and my hands and I looked in his eyes and I felt like I was looking into Eternity." He is known as Chenrizig, the Buddha of Compassion.
Bush is a great teacher for us all. He teaches me to open my heart even more.
May all beings be happy and free from suffering.
In the dharma,
Ed
Indeed from my perspective, forgiveness is the key to true freedom within...i
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AndiG- You sound like you have great insight.
In the teachings of Buddhism people take the Bodhisattva vow which is to not put anyone out of your heart.
There is a meditation called the metta-bhavana where you wish you enemies well. Enemies are anyone you may have negativity with be it big or small difficulties.
Much metta,
Ed
This is a great and timely reminder. Not forgiving, and the subsequent anger and hate, is like taking poison and hoping the other person dies.
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JacquiDB- This is a compassionate and important comment as it addresses the fundamental flaw with hate and anger.
As much as the person may deserve those feelings they may not ever know they are being hated etc. and then we suffer from holding on to such destructive emotions.
It's good you put it so succinctly.
Big Love, Big heart,
Ed
the key for me is to work with the anger and not look for an object to attach it to. this allows for the possibility of transforming anger into wrathfulness that in turn can spark wakefulness which has no origin and no target. - it is the active and creative side of mind and certainly is one of the most challenging regions of the spiritual path to work with,
All forms of violence, especially war, are totally unacceptable as means to settle disputes between and among nations, groups and persons.
~Dalai Lama
Since Bush has met with the Dalai Lama it should be pretty easy to figure out what Buddha has to say....
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comacoma- Deb and I had the good fortune of meeting personally with HH the Dalai Lama in his residence in India.
After spending time with him I understood more about what is known in Buddhism as 'skillful means,' what is appropriate and not. So as much as I would hope His Holiness the Dalai Lama said what you wrote above he may not have.
I feel he would have been present and respected GWB and spoken accordingly
As a teacher unless you are asked, it is arrogant to tell someone where it's at.
In the dharma, Ed
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