I’ve attended a couple of protests, and I have a variety of reactions, often conflicting.
I’m glad so many people are coming together and speaking out, and at times, there is positive, almost joyful energy. It gives me hope for our country.
Sometimes, there are protest signs that bother me because they are hateful or divisive.
Right Speech, a key component of the Noble Eightfold Path in Buddhism, emphasizes the importance of speaking truthfully and kindly. It involves abstaining from false, malicious, or harsh speech and idle chatter, promoting peace and happiness for oneself and others.
How do you do this at a protest? I want to speak up because the state of our country is important to me. But what would be written on my sign? What would I chant? Can I say what I want to within Right Speech?
I was in a group recently where this came up for discussion. What signs would be more in keeping with my meditation practice?
‘Empathy is not a weakness’ was proposed to me, and I like this one.
It expresses exactly what I’d like to say. It takes strength to feel empathy. However, it doesn’t address specific issues.
One suggestion was to write protest signs and talk with people by reaching out to their humanity. For instance: ‘Of course, we all want to be safe. We shouldn’t make others feel unsafe. We all want our children and grandchildren to grow up in a safe and healthy community.’ This seems like an extension of metta. This can be an opening to a deeper conversation that recognizes what we agree on rather than what divides us.
Asking questions about their beliefs and values rather than pressing our point of view or disagreeing with them is another practice I’m working on. I must confess, this is hard to do. I’m practicing asking more questions in all arenas of my life whenever I’m confused, unsure of what I believe or unsure of what I’m hearing, or when I’m sure I disagree with their point of view. Whenever my hackles go up is a good signal for me to ask questions.
How do we stay true to our Buddhist principles and respond to the politics of our day? How are you coping with political disagreements? What have you found helpful? Are you able to build bridges with those you disagree with? If so, how do you do it?
Please share in the comments section.
“The fist” by pabak sarkar is licensed under CC BY 2.0 
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Thanks Erica for sharing. Don and I did attend the Hands Off protest and are planning on attending the No Kings protest this Saturday. Our language is not offensive and I am actually no a fan of chanting a phrase, as it sounds like yelling and nobody wants to get yelled at (nor do I want my voice to get sore). However, I do love the idea of singing and am gonna bone up on some favorite folk tunes this week. Here’s to a happy, healthy future.
Maybe I’ll see you there. Thank you for your comments.
Hi Erica,
There is a protest here in Novi, on Saturday, I plan to be there. It is important to
speak up in a positive way, not in opposition to.
A sit down strike might be in order for the nation, Gandi ended a many years occupation by doing that, non-violence.
Thank you for your comments. If there were a sit-down strike, I’d be interested. Quiet, non-violent protests are what I’m looking for
I’m planning to attend a rally on June 14. I am approaching it as a celebration as much as a protest: celebrating all the freedoms that we claim, and all the protections that we stand for, even in the face of attacks and erosions.
You make good points about struggling to find Right Speech. The best speech is almost always a conversation, with more listening than actually speaking. That’s hard to do with a sign or a chant. Not to mention, in the context of a protest, anyone that might hear me is already expecting confrontational language. My thought is that simple presence, bringing love to a space, may give a message more powerful than words.
I can converse with people outside of protests, but it’s very difficult in a crowd. Even individually, I find some people just want to vent, including me. But I have to set limits on myself. Certainly, there is a lot to vent about, but after a while, I want to stop because it just riles me up more. I want to focus on what I can do in community with others.