Send Them Peace

How does one face someone who is completely enraged ? Someone who manifests only destruction, hatred and prejudice?

And if that person has a gun in hand, The Challenge becomes certainly greater.

But perhaps the lesson at its base, remains the same.

Let's ask that question of Thích Nhất Hạnh ..., and extract what we can use here, as we begin to accept and meet The Challenge.

What I heard : 

• Sources of rage : jealousy and wrong perceptions
• To transform rage into calm, takes time
• "Enraged people" exist in all walks of life, including clergy and ordinary society
• The way to respond to rage, is not to respond.
• Never respond to insult or attack. Not even to try and explain it.
• Respond with complete silence.
• Do not try and justify one's position. This will only increase the anger of the enraged.
• Breathe in and out. Accept. Do not reply. Do not react.
• One can do even better. A few days after the encounter, write a love letter to the one who was enraged. It is doable, and has been done.
• To someone who has betrayed you and your community, and made you suffer a great deal ... write that person a nice letter, aimed at helping that enraged person suffer less.
• Participation in Peace, may not look safe to those who rule a country.
• How could Peace be viewed as a threat? When its true strength is feared. When it appears to be beyond one's control. Then the source of Peace will be disbanded by the enraged.
• And if one resists with compassion and non-violence?... it may not guarantee protection from eventual destruction. But one can still send a message saying that those enraged are not hated. That in their suffering they may have been victims of wrong perceptions, that give rise to fear and anger.
• It is possible to respond to violence and anger with love. Using compassion and understanding.
• Organize the victims of war and poverty and help them: Even if this places you at risk of bad treatment by those with wrong perceptions.
• Eventually, one can succeed against actions aimed at the suppression of Peace. But it may take time.
• Meeting misunderstanding with understanding and compassion, succeeds eventually, but it takes time.
• Read "Learning True Love" by Sister Chan Khong, which explores such encounters.

Clearly, The Challenge is not for the timid.