Politicians you loathe: Buddhist wisdom on letting go
Last weekend I shared a chapter from my new book that included a conversation about politics. It was only a small part of the whole chapter, but it generated a number of kind comments from readers.
Given the relevance to the electoral seasons affecting so many of us right now in USA, UK, Europe and Africa, I am elaborating on a few key points that I hope may help you guard your own equanimity – however provoked you may feel!
Buddhism is apolitical
Our starting point is that Buddhism is apolitical. Buddha’s response to the human condition wasn’t to suggest social or political change, but personal transformation. This is what interests Buddhists. Our tradition is not politically left, right or centre. External appearances are of less interest to us than where they originate: our minds.
Political heroes and villains are our projection
Buddha’s central premise was that ‘the objective world arises from the mind itself.’ Or as Austrian-Irish physicist Erwin Schrödinger put it: ‘Every man’s world picture is and always remains a construct of his mind and cannot be proved to have any other existence.’
What we perceive about ourselves and the world outside us has no objective reality. Which isn’t to say that we all permanently hallucinate, but rather that even though phenomena – including politicians – have a material basis, how we perceive them is largely mind’s projection. We do the colouring in. And it’s conditioning/karma that makes us perceive things and individuals as we do.
This is exactly why we can watch the same events play out and listen to the same sound track, but what we individually see and hear can be markedly different. We may occupy the same material reality, but we live in different worlds. Which is why people can have such deeply divided views on politicians. We may believe that we respond to what a person says and does by forming an objective, rational view. In reality, a politician is merely the canvas on which we project the constant stream of our own thoughts, beliefs and attitudes.
Owning the process is half the battle
It is empowering to accept - however reluctantly - that we are co-creators of our own reality, including the politicians we loathe. There is no need to be stuck in outrage, fear, or overwhelm if we can change the movie. This process isn’t as quick and easy as replacing one MP4 file for another, but real-time awareness of what arises in our minds throughout the day is a powerful start.
Another is jamming the brakes on whatever toxicity we allow into our headspace. If politics is making us desperate, it may be time to step back from whatever news media, Youtube pundits and other digital channels we consume. Most of us have a tendency towards ‘confirmation bias,’ seeking the opinions of those who support our world view, while shunning the opposite. This has the effect of concretising our perceptions, making our projections seem even more objectively real and propagating more unhappiness-causing karma. Where is the upside in that?
This doesn’t mean being walked all over
But we can’t do nothing, you may find yourself protesting. That’s how evil triumphs! Performing intellectual gymnastics and naval gazing might make us feel better about things, but that won’t stop the end of democracy/a Socialist take-over/World War III/or whatever is one’s particular bȇte noire.
There is no contradiction between recognising that external reality arises foremost in our minds and taking effective action. On the contrary, understanding the game that’s being played makes us more likely to play it effectively. No one is taking us off the field. Should we choose to participate we are encouraged to be guided by virtue – a virtue in Buddhism defined as ‘a cause of happiness.’ The two foundational virtues are love: the wish to give happiness to others, and compassion: the wish to free others from suffering.
But we need to understand the destructive force of negative mental patterns
Sometimes, no matter what actions we may take or want to take, the other side wins. Such is the group karma of those we live among that we are saddled with rulers we can do nothing about. Like the Tibetans were when China invaded their country in the 1950s and have been run by Beijing ever since.
What then?
It’s often said that we shouldn’t allow those we dislike to “live rent free in our head.” That pithy idea doesn’t really go far enough. Unwanted tenants can be evicted, never to return. Getting rid of negative thoughts is much more difficult because they often become ingrained as mental habits. As the Buddhist teacher in my story last week says:
“What becomes of a consciousness, in the habit of hatred and resentment when it is no longer anchored to a human body?” he shot me a foreboding expression. “There are no limits to the realms of suffering such a mind can create.”
This was the first time I’d heard the consequences spelled out. The potentially devastating impact explained with such stark clarity.
As we get older, one thing that becomes more apparent is how habitual certain ways of thinking can become. Someone who worried about money when they hardly had any, may still worry about money even though they can afford to live comfortably. Someone who developed a negative self-image as an acne-afflicted teenager still has a negative self-image even though that troubled chapter is way in the past.
How terrible is it if we allow politicians we dislike to get us into the mental habit of bitterness? What a hideous own-goal would it be to let the very person we find most toxic to propel us to our own personal hell-realm? He or she isn’t holding a gun to our head and forcing us to think happiness-destroying thoughts. We do that all by ourselves.
Appearances are impermanence but mind continues
One of the hallmarks of our reality, Buddha noted, is that ‘All phenomena are impermanent’ - especially relevant when it comes to political power. People and events that seem so significant at one point in time are superseded so quickly by other dramatically important people and events that we can sometimes find ourselves struggling to remember names and dates from only a few years ago.
In response to last week’s story, my good friend Tom recalled Shelley’s famous poem Ozymandias on exactly this theme.
Political leaders are impermanent and, more to the point, so are we. Whether or not we believe that consciousness continues after death, the pursuit of happiness for whatever remains in this life is surely precious? That being the case, does it not make sense to focus our energies on what endures? To leave off what causes us to suffer and to accumulate what offers fulfilment? To follow Buddha’s dictum: “Abandon harmfulness. Cultivate goodness. Subdue your mind.”
Summary
In summary, let’s take ownership of where the loathsomeness of that/those politicians is coming from. Let’s not be fooled by illusion-like appearances just because so many other people are. We have the capacity to step back and survey the wider picture.
We can still have our political opinions, and be politically active if that floats our boat. Our aim is to be less up-tight about it all. To catastrophise less and relax more. Our most important focus needs to be steadfast on protecting our minds. They are where our reality comes from, where we can effect change and create a reality in which politicians – and other beings – need not be loathsome. The figures we currently detest may, in time, even become objects of our compassion.
A pipe-dream? Several years ago I was lucky to enjoy a meal with a fellow speaker at a conference who happened to be both the leader of a political party and a Buddhist. I asked him if it was a conflict for him, on the one hand to be a Buddhist practicing non-attachment including to the outcome of elections and, on the other, to be a politician seeking office?
Not at all, he told me. “I campaign on the policies I think are best for my country, but if the other fellow wins, I can relax for the next four years and support him as best I can.” I have no doubt he would have enjoyed relaxing, but today, Tshering Tobgay is the Prime Minister of Bhutan.
It’s possible!
Suffering from political overwhelm? Suggested actions:
Daily meditation
The best possible thing we can do to cultivate peace of mind is to cultivate a daily meditation practice. Even 10 – 15 minutes a day makes a real difference: scientific data overwhelmingly supports this. If you are a newcomer, a breath-based meditation is a good starting point, and you can find some guided meditations here. If you have more experience, mind-watching-mind is an excellent for promoting mental awareness not just when we are meditating, but in between sessions too. You’ll find an introduction to the practice and guided download here. If you are an advanced practitioner you will already be practising compassion-based meditations to benefit those who threaten to disturb your peace of mind!
Mindfulness during the day
Take up the habit of asking yourself at random times during the day: ‘What am I thinking?’ If it’s cognition that doesn’t serve you, acknowledge, accept and let go. Some people set chimes to go off randomly on their phones. Some put small, coloured stickers on their watch straps, screens and dashboards as reminders. What matters isn’t how you do it, but that you do. You can’t manage what you don’t monitor. Monitoring your thoughts is the necessary first step.
Media purge
If you’re a distressed news-junkie, it’s time for a media purge. Stop ingesting the toxic stream directed at you by organisations with no interest in your mental well-being, and curate your news feeds. You may be surprised how unburdened you feel, and how little – if anything – you miss. You may also like to seek out some completely new media channels about things that give you joy – Music? Nature? Gardening? – as an alternative focus.
Do something virtuous. Often.
A virtue is a cause of happiness. Get involved in a formal charitable group, stop to acknowledge a neighbourhood cat when you walk, or phone someone you know who could do with a sympathetic ear. None of these may seem to have much to do with politics and politicians, but you are making your world a better place, creating the causes of happiness and strengthening the opponent forces to negativity. To quote two of my favourite verses by Buddha himself:
Mind is the forerunner of all actions.
All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.
If one speaks or acts with a corrupt mind, suffering follows,
As the wheel follows the hoof of an ox pulling a cart.
Mind is the forerunner of all actions.
All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.
If one speaks or acts with a serene mind, happiness follows,
As surely as one’s shadow.
As subscribers to this newsletter, you help me support the work of Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary in Zimbabwe. A family of orphaned vervet monkeys and kittens arrived at Twala around the same time, and have formed such a close bond that they’re now collectively known as the Mittens. Here’s two of them:
Don’t thoughts of helping them make you feel so much better than thoughts about politicians?! Thanks everyone, for your support!
Thank you David . Beautifully written as always…Have always thought that who ever wins these political contests is basically “ written in the stars” , their karma and whoever has that life has earned it beyond the votes, rally’s and division it usually promotes in fellow citizens. I am not someone who takes sides but I do find it interesting how it all plays out in the end and I like to think ( my perception) that there is a bigger picture to it all….I have friends and family on opposing sides and sometimes I actually can see why they feel a certain way and sadly how they choose to suffer over it. I offer Love and Compassion in my heart for their opinions that cause them great suffering as I don’t know what their motives are for thinking a certain way and I surely don’t know what’s in the the hearts of the politicians they are choosing. To me it’s just another game that slowly leads us all to our higher selves eventually perhaps teaching us more about Love for one another ….and creating above all Peace in our own worlds.💓
cuddles to the “mittens” who are sweeter than sweet! How they are growing!
Having just read through many of the Comments, David, I realize I have nothing new to add, other than to say it is so comforting to learn that so many others around the globe are supporting such an objective and mindful approach to Reality. We are all One. As always, thank you for taking the time to organize and present these poignant concepts for us to ponder and make our own.