[EcoDharma] ACTIVE HOPE Chapter 4 (part one)

[Naiko]

Hi all,

This is a long chapter. I think taking it in three sections will give us time to consider all the content and allow readers to catch up, if needed.

Honoring Our Pain for the World, pages 55-63

This chapter is named for and explores the second stage of the spiral Work That Reconnects, and our first section looks at the different ways and reasons we block our response to climate crisis.

We begin with the tale of Parsifal and the Fisher King from the Arthurian/Grail literary cycle. A wasteland, and the wounded Fisher King who personifies it, would be healed if only someone would show compassion and speak up, acknowledging his suffering. But everyone pretends there’s nothing wrong (Business As Usual).

The authors call this a blocked survival response and discussed a psychology study that explored how looking to conform with others can modulate our responses. They further offer seven common ways we resist our sense of alarm.

* I don’t believe it’s that dangerous.
* It isn’t my role to sort this out.
* I don’t want to stand out from the crowd.
* This information threatens my commercial or political interests.
* It is so upsetting that I prefer not to think about it.
* I feel paralyzed. I’m aware of the danger, but I don’t know what to do.
* There’s no point doing anything, since it won’t make any difference.

I am interested in your thoughts on these points of resistance. Can you think of others? I suggest spending a few days noticing if you see this resistance come up for you personally or in conversations, or in the media.

Do you find these topics taboo, difficult to discuss?

Gassho,
Naiko

[Jishin]

As a Zen student and practicing Stoic, I believe that it is essential to acknowledge and honor our pain for the world, especially in the face of the climate crisis. The story of Parsifal and the Fisher King highlights the importance of showing compassion and speaking up, even in the midst of a wasteland. We must not succumb to Business As Usual, but instead recognize the severity of the crisis and take action to mitigate its effects.

The seven common ways of resistance to acknowledging the climate crisis, as outlined in the chapter, resonate with the Stoic principle of acknowledging our limitations and focusing on what is within our control. We cannot control the severity of the crisis, but we can control our response to it. By recognizing and addressing our resistance, we can move towards taking meaningful action.

As a Zen student, I believe that it is essential to cultivate mindfulness and awareness of our thoughts and emotions. By spending a few days noticing if we see this resistance come up for us personally or in conversations, we can begin to identify our own biases and prejudices. This mindfulness can lead to greater compassion and understanding, which is crucial in addressing the climate crisis.

While these topics may be difficult to discuss, I believe that it is necessary to have these conversations to build a collective understanding and take meaningful action. As Stoics, we must focus on what is within our control and take action where we can. As Zen students, we must cultivate awareness and compassion in our responses to the crisis. Together, we can work towards a more sustainable and just future.

Gassho, Jishin, ST, LAH

[Kokuu]

Thank you, Naiko. This was a challenging read for me in seeing where the places of resistance are.

The Fisher King is a familiar legend to me and I have worked with this tale in different spiritual traditions. One of the presentations of the question that should be asked is "Who does the grail serve?" Although this seems different to the 'What aileth thee?" question, if the grail is seen as symbolic of knowledge or information, asking whom knowledge serves is an important one to ask. And asking questions of whom governments and corporations serve are equally important. Staying quiet at the behest of Business as Usual is not so good but I have certainly kept quiet when I might have spoken out.

Of the seven resistances, my biggest ones are:

* I don’t want to stand out from the crowd.
* It is so upsetting that I prefer not to think about it.
* I feel paralyzed. I’m aware of the danger, but I don’t know what to do.
* There’s no point doing anything, since it won’t make any difference.

Being aware of them feels important so I can challenge them when they arise.

I find that most people's reaction to bringing up environmental issues is to say that there are more important issues that need addressing and that tackling environmental issues will make the present day more difficult. Firstly, this is a clear message from the vested interests of Business as Usual and their mouthpieces, but also that even if this were true, there is clearly only a certain amount of time that environmental concerns can be kicked down the road for a future time to be dealt with before they become far more pressing, and far harder to solve or ameliorate. However, I cannot control the responses but I can control my own actions and speech and work with the resistance as it arises.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[Tairin]

Thank you Naiko

I thought the experiment with the questionnaire and the smoke was interesting. I think that it really touches on human nature of not wanting to create waves. I wonder how I’d react. My thought is that I’d at least try to figure out if there was a danger rather than just sit there but that’s easy to say sitting here safely on my couch.

Of the seven resistances, my biggest ones are:
* I feel paralyzed. I’m aware of the danger, but I don’t know what to do.
* There’s no point doing anything, since it won’t make any difference.

I wondered about this one
* It is so upsetting that I prefer not to think about it.
But I don’t think that’s me at all. Weirdly I don’t feel “upset” per se. I think I’ve hit a level of acceptance that this is something that is happening and will get worse. I am more concerned with how to prepare myself and my family for the unknown.

In terms of other resistances, selfishly I think one of my resistances is time. I am busy and sometimes don’t feel like I have sufficient time for myself to recharge my own batteries let alone having the time and energy for a cause. I guess that’s a little bit of BAU talking.

One thing I truly appreciate is this conversation right here at Treeleaf. The books we’ve been reading, the related articles that members post, and mostly this resulting discussions help force me to challenge my own actions or inactions. Thank you for that.

I forgot to answer the last question about whether this topic is taboo or difficult to discuss. That is very dependent on who I am with. We have some friends who are at least aware of the Great Unraveling although I don’t see much action on their parts to make real changes to their lives. We definitely have friends who are very much BAU. It is kind of hopeless to even attempt a discussion on the environment or climate. They are aware of the news but seem to not make the connection to their own lives. It is something happening elsewhere.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Naiko]

I thank you all for your thoughtful responses.

It’s been interesting observing my patterns of resistance. I found myself backing away from a conversation. My cousin and I often discuss books we’re reading and I mentioned this one. He expressed a little discomfort, acknowledging climate change, but said he didn’t want to worry about it until “it was in his backyard.” Last year, a “super storm” dumped an abnormal amount of rain in his area, flooding and damaging parts of his home. I couldn’t bring myself to mention it, because it seemed too aggressive. I need practice talking about this, tactfully.

I also feel a real tension and disconnect between what concerns me and the Business As Usual I see when I look around. For example, I have been shopping for a new car since last summer. To summarize, I want an EV. I live in a charging desert and can’t charge at home. I ordered hybrid as a next best option in September but supply issues and dealer related shenanigans have made this very difficult/impossible. I look around and all the car dealers have nothing but ICE cars. Everyone around me has an ICE car. I am very close to just buying an ICE car, justifying it because I don’t commute any longer. Totally against my principles. I feel the tension when the choices are difficult and I don’t see others wrestling with this.

This week I attended an Elders Climate Action Zoom session on the topic, “What Can One Person Do?” The number one action was “talk to others.” I feel very glad that our EcoDharma discussions are letting us do just that.
Gassho,
Naiko
st lah