Anger That Clarifies

Going with your Nature.

I don’t see myself as a political person and try to avoid divisive political discussions. Bear with me as what I really want to get to is the beauty of our Nature and how it presents itself in all its forms.

Today I woke up to the news that masked ICE agents had raided a business near my old home town in Washington State and arrested 37 construction workers.

As my daughter is an immigration attorney. Her practice has focused on refugees who are mostly women fleeing for their lives with their children. I have had a view into the lives of many immigrants. I have seen the fear, terror and uncertainty that rules their days; and the courage it takes in the face of all of that to strive to create a safer life. The very heart of our construction businesses rested on the perseverance and commitment of hardworking immigrants.

The immigrants I have seen often ended up arriving with nothing, not even bedding nor clothes. I remember one woman and her two young daughters, having fled an abusive relationship in a country that turns a blind eye to that, living in an old apartment in the middle of winter. The landlord was refusing to fix the heat, so they were using the gas stove to stay warm. Completely unsafe. But what really got to me when we visited her was that there was ice on the INSIDE of the windows! My daughter had created a non-profit for just this type of situation and the community kicked in to find them safer and warmer lodging.

I am reflecting on an early echo of this very upsetting incident, when in 2018 children were being separated from their families at our borders. At that time I happened to be in a retreat with Advaita teacher Wayne Liquorman. I was sitting there getting more and more angry, really seized by it, until I finally burst out with “I am SO angry!”

After I have explained what was going on for me to Wayne, he looked at me and said “Well, anger can be very clarifying.” This may have been the first time in my life someone mentioned that my anger might have a good use! And I repeat it to myself often.

There is a story of two different reactions to the clubbing of baby seals for their skins which was happening in the 1970s in Canada. Brigitte Bardot, a well-known actress at that time, was so outraged after watching news footage of the hunt that she formed an international movement which subsequently halted the selling of seal coats. J Krishnamurti, a revered sage and life-long vegetarian, heard it being discussed on TV and asked that it be turned off because it was too upsetting for him to watch! Two different reactions and both entirely valid based on each of their genetic makeup and conditioning.

I have come to accept that, despite a lot of conversation about being able to control our reactions, that often we absolutely cannot.

Towards the end of Advaita teacher Ramesh Balsekar’s life he mentioned that it gave him great peace to know that the absolute worse criminal was going to the exact same place as Ramesh would when he died.

Lastly, a story about Ravana, one of my favorite characters in the Mahabharata. Ravana was an awful, vicious demon- the worst of the worst. He plundered and killed his way across the world and abducted Rama’s wife Sita only to cause more war and destruction. BUT in the end of the story, while the heroes were sent to heaven, Ravana found enlightenment. Why? He was absolutely true to his Nature.

Hopefully this is a relief to you. We are all doing what God, Consciousness, Source has designed for us.

If you are so designed, below is a link to contribute to immigrants in the region where the raid happened. IRIS was founded to give direct immediate support to immigrants in need. Or perhaps you can find a way to give in your own area.

https://irisnw.org/

Thanks, as always, for listening. I am quite moved by your reading of my efforts and I so appreciate your time.

Would love to hear your comments and experiences around this.

With gratitude,

Heidi