Transforming Genocide
by Ken Pratt

The challenge of racism; a spiritual exercise. Since none of us is perfect we could admit that there just might be small inequities in our thoughts and behaviors which need to be rooted out. Our purpose here is to unearth those smaller prejudices which lie hidden in the dark places of our unconscious and overcome these obstacles to our spiritual development. We may not have overtly expressed prejudices which fill us with hatred for any particular group of humans, yet when we are deeply honest with ourselves we must admit to harboring certain subtleties of racism, sexism, ageism, within our belief systems. Racism has done so much to ruin our history and pollute our spiritual paths over the past one hundred generations that it has become a major challenge for those of us alive today to overcome it and create a Beauty Road for the next one hundred generations. It is not enough to passively resist; we must actively commit ourselves to allowing the Great Spirit to shine through our little lives.

A HISTORICAL PROBLEM 

When most of us hear the word "genocide" we tend to think of what Hitler tried to do to the Jews back in the 1940's. Going back in history to the 1890's we may consider the military annexation of the sovereign kingdom of Hawaii as an outbreak of genocide. Moving a little further back in history, many of us feel that the United Sates government pursued a policy of overt and covert genocide towards native people of this land as European "civilization" pushed its frontiers further and further into native territories. We can even see how the proto-American government of the Puritans and Pilgrims abandoned Christian charity in the attempted extermination of indigenous people in the Pequot War (1637) and the King Philip War (1675-6) on the lands on which we live today. 

Even if we cannot admit that our government could be racist we can look to the Spanish conquistadors of the 1500's for eliminating 90-99% of las indios in the Americas through disease, war and enslavement. Can anyone deny the bondage of millions of Africans beginning in the 1400's by the European colonizers of the not-so-new-world was anything less than genocide? If we want to eliminate genocide from our future we need to see how deeply it is embedded in our past. Unfortunately we find that almost all cultures throughout almost all of history have practiced some form of wiping out their chosen enemies—totally! 

Even before wars of colonization there were holy wars. Both kinds continue to this day. These "divinely" inspired wars are especially insidious as the aggressors assert that they have a God-given right—indeed a duty—to subjugate, dominate, enslave and eventually exterminate any other group which is not so chosen. Not only is this hypocrisy corrosive to the aggressor but is usually fatal to those aggressed upon. 

Even before there were nation states there were intra- and inter- tribal conflicts. In some cases these may have involved highly ritualized warfare with codified systems of honor. However even introducing an element of honor amongst combatants did not stop non-combatants from being harmed. Too often these battles led to blood feuds which continue on over generations in endless spirals of revenge. 

Few of us want to admit that genocide is alive today. If we are dear enough to see that it does exist in our modern world we push it off to distant places like Tibet, Kosovo, Sierra Leone or Sri Lanka. We think of names like Hitler and Himmler, maybe General Custer or Colonel Amherst, perhaps Edi Amin or Pol Pot. Perhaps we are in denial because it is all too horrible. Perhaps we numb ourselves with the disinformation of the mass media which continually promotes ignorance calling it the evening news. Perhaps we dose ourselves with disenfranchisement which asks, "what difference can one person make?" 

SOME EMOTIONAL ISSUES 

Yet some of us see through the obscuring fog and acknowledge that genocide, racism, prejudice and hatred exist right here, right now. However when we accept the evidence we may take only halfway steps to solve the problem: we try apathy, then political correctness, then spiritual co-option. We feel we are not hateful. We are not part of the problem. But are we part of the solution? We have things to do other than transforming a world of negativity into a sphere of love and light. We have to get to work on time, do the laundry, answer our e-mail. Anything to shut out the horror; place the blame as well as the cure somewhere else. 

Then there are those of us who take up the challenge but push our correctness on others: It's the Republicans. It's the commies. It's the rednecks. It's the Christian Coalition. These days it's not acceptable to show prejudice towards blacks, reds or yellows nor towards gays, the disabled or women. We self-righteously crush the liberty of anyone to even verbalize their prejudices thus assuring that separateness and ignorance will fester only to break out in a suppurating abscess. We hate the haters! When I was growing up, a Catholic priest friend of mine said something which has stuck with me to this day: "Hate the sin; love the sinner." 

Finally there are those of us who suffer from the destructive poison of positive prejudice. We feel our Judeo-Christian tradition is false and naively proceed to co-opt Eastern and/or Native American spirituality ignoring all the discipline and commitment as well as the gentle cautions of the living elders of those traditions. Some of us think that if we purchase a sacred pipe, placing it on our TV for all to see, that our visitors will be impressed with our multi-cultural correctness. 

Still others of us are drawn to Eastern spirituality which has been very "in" since the beatniks and continues to be watered down by the New Agers. We pick and choose which concepts fit into our consumer-ridden, materialistic lifestyle. We read a few books or rent a video instead of devoting ourselves to a guru or roshi or sifu. Our neighbors, in-laws and bosses just wouldn't understand if we took even a month—a day!—off to live in a tree, a cave or on a mountain top. Besides, it wouldn't look good on a resume. Some of us think that if we sign a petition to free Tibet or to halt a dam which would relocate indigenous people from their ancestors' graves that we have done enough. But then we go home to our refrigerators, dishwashers and VCRs.

The point here is that we need to let our hearts open to spirit, to co-create new communities and to transcend the Neolithic hierarchies of our society. We need to completely open up to a revolution of spirit which can gently alter our thoughts, words and deeds, thus creating a naturally spiritual culture. A few of us (about one hundred of us monkeys) realize that change must take place deep in our hearts. Then, and only then, shall we overcome. Then and only then can the new age truly dawn. 

OF WEEDS, HORSES AND CROCODILES 

The whole picture, however, is not so bleak. Genocide may be omnipresent but it is not omniscient. That we have survived at all can be attributed to at least an equal force of altruism. Cooperation has played as large a roll as competition. Indeed there are a whole slew of biologists and even mathematicians (game theorists) such as Lynn Margulis who emphasize the issue of symbiosis where organisms live and evolve together in mutual inter-dependence. 

If we imagine hatred in its many forms as the weeds which infest our spiritual garden, all we need to do is ask what organic gardeners do with their weeds. Well, they mulch, compost and burn depending on the variety. They certainly don't use herbicides. That is, "don't hate the hater!" Understand that hatred towards others has its roots in self-hatred and weeds need to be removed roots and all! 

The Apathetics are paralyzed by weeds choking their gardens. The Political Corrects nip their weeds in the bud not realizing that most weeds proliferate that way. The Co-opters just graft on new varieties to the same old stalks of separation. 

Mulching the hatred-weed simply means not giving it a chance to grow. This means giving the plant love, healthy soil, lush water and abundant sunshine. The Buddha, a great gardener, said "all we have to do to remove bad habits is to cultivate good habits." When we fill ourselves with love there's just no room for hatred. When Native Americans planted their corn, they grew squash amongst it whose broad leaves cut off the sunlight from any weeds. Beans grew up the corn stalks, thus the Three Sisters flourished, nourishing the people. 

In human lives and gardens, unwanted plants spring up. They usually can be easily uprooted and tossed into the compost pile. So we can use the weeds to create humus! When we conceive of an idea which tends to separate us from our brothers and sisters, whether two legged or four, whether winged, crawler, swimmer or standing being we need to be aware of the consequences of this imagined separation. We can utilize it to see where we are allowing our egos to separate us from spirit. 

Experienced gardeners know that certain weeds shouldn't go into the compost pile especially if there's seeds involved. When we feel an emotion which tends to separate our selves from spirit we need to burn it with the all consuming fire of compassion. We need to love ourselves so that we can love all that Spirit has created. 

THE SPIRIT-FULL SOUL-UTION 

How do we overcome genocide, which is hatred of other, which is hatred of self which is denial of all that is spirit? The solution is amazingly simple and yet the work of a life time. All we need to do is let spirit guide us, to open our hearts to our common humanity, to nurture the seeds of knowledge, gently growing them into the plant t wisdom with its sweet fruit of compassion. To feel and believe that we are, all of us, eve the least of one, part of a vast biosphere. 

Whatever our spiritual path is we need to be true to it in order to let spirit flow into our everyday lives. Whether we are Jews, Christians or Moslems, when we follow the true teachings of these spiritual paths we create a world of order, love and surrender, bringing enlightenment, beauty and respect into our experiences of each moment. Whether we are Pagan (earth-based), humanist (human-based) or socialist (group-based) we need to let spirit flow through our rituals. We must pay attention to honoring our human nature. 

In this day and age there's a lot of mixing of traditions, although that has been going on for a long time. Those of us who choose to walk many paths have a sped duty to come from the heart, be respectful and make sure we are diligent. Permit me are an experience I had in this regard. Many years ago I was a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant on the North shore of Boston. A hippie friend of mine drove me in town. As he was dropping me off, he noticed crowds of Asian men standing around on the streets, drinking their coffee, eating their chiasea-bao. He said, "Look those lazy bums! Nothing better to do than steal welfare and hang out on the streets!" This coming from a pot dealer! I explained to him that they, like myself, were waiting for their rides to hundreds of restaurants where they would work hard from early afternoon to very late night. I joined my crew waiting for our boss's van to transport us. As I was munching on my pork bun, a small group of Peace Pagoda monks walked by with their drums and chant and banner. One of the younger cooks said, "Argh, look at those Jap monks! All they ever do is sit around or beg for food!" I explained to him in my broken Chinese that they work tirelessly for world peace. I had to switch to my broken English to explain that some of them were imprisoned in wartime Japan when they protested the rape of Nanking. I share this anecdote to illustrate both the responsibility and delight of those of us who live in a multi-cultural world. 

EGO AS THE PROBLEM WHICH CONTAINS THE SOLUTION 

When the little ego becomes fearful, prideful and materialistic it causes all kinds of suffering. However when that same self becomes a conduit for divine love-light, it shines into the darkest corners of our world. When we identify ourselves with flag Divine, when we truly know Creator loves us, we can transmute any separation into a blissful opportunity for unity. When we submit our will to the common good of all of spirit's creation then we can let go and let God. 

What are the seeds of genocide, racism, prejudice? Simply put, they are the tendencies of our egos to separate themselves off from God, from the world, from each other through fear. Our ego becomes prideful after this fear takes hold and we believe we are superior to others. We confirm this superiority with a show of materialism. Our house is more expensive. Our car is bigger. Our God has chosen us. These confirmations clear the way for us to dominate over nature (forgetting that we are really gentle stewards). We lord over the not-so-chosen people and base this separation on superficial differences like skin color, social status, language—any perceived difference will do. We ignore our commonality; we deny spirit. 

And it is not as simple as this self/other dichotomy. The Puritans of Boston had many religious disputes with the Pilgrims of Plymouth, hung Quakers and ostracized Baptists. Yet all these colonists united in an attempt to exterminate the indigenous peoples. Democrats think the Republicans are wrong but our government calls the Communists the evil empire. We Protestants think that Catholics are corrupt but we blame the Jews for crucifying Christ. The various Lakota bands unite to steal horses from the Pawnee. The Mandarins despise the Cantonese but all good Chinese hate bad Japanese.

It is one of the great mysteries of life that the ego is not only the problem but also the solution! When the ego is filled with pride, fear and materialism, it creates separation:, which is the root cause of suffering. When a single ego becomes filled with love and light, it becomes a beacon for all those other egos lost in the storm of a turgid sea. 

It is said that the last statement of the Buddha and his deathbed was "Be ye lamps unto yourselves." This is usually interpreted to mean that we need to save ourselves through our own direct experience, that we can't rely on the activities of the saints or sacred texts or rituals. We need to allow ourselves to know the presence of spirit in our everyday lives. This is our daily work and it's in every little thing we do. It is not some ivory tower philosophy. 

When the Dalai Lama is asked what his religion is, he flashes that serene smile and says, "Everyday kindness". Simply profound. We can still petition, protest and politic but we must do so conscious of our spiritual link with our opponents. We also need to thank the bus driver, nurture the child, uplift the heart, dance with the deer, forgive the trespasser, transform separation into unity, manifest spirit and WAGE PEACE! 

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