The Way of the Lone Wolf is Over (new view)

The Way of the Lone Wolf is Over   Ron Alexander

Gaining Clarity/Compassion/Community

Our country, USA, has celebrated it’s individualistic, frontier-type “cowboy” (John Wayne), libertarian (Ayn Rand) mentality. This is the way of the “lone wolf” as described in a Hopi prophecy in 2000. It is time to realize many in our culture have isolated themselves with this type of rigid selfish even narcissitic “me against the world” thinking. This philosophy is contrary to a way of thinking that values unity/community.

I have been listening to an new author on NPR promoting her book on “interdependence.” She claims women have more of it and men have less. Minorities have more of it, while majority culture has less. To her, that makes women and minority cultures more valuable members of our society. Possibly she is right? However, clarity to me is being aware of our independent thinking, so valued in this culture – valuing it, yet knowing that it can be destructive if unaware of interdependent mentality.  We do want to be a part of a constructive inclusive community at the same time be independent of destructive mob mentality or dangerous “wolf pack”.  Importantly, to have compassion for others, we need to start with the compassion  for ourselves. Loving kindness has to start with ourselves. Love thyselves – as Jesus taught us “love thy neighbors, as THYSELVES.”

The Dalai Lama says that “if the love within your mind is lost, if you continue to see other beings as your enemies, then no matter how much education and knowledge you have, no matter how much material progress is made, only suffering and confusion will ensue.”

Buddhist nun Pema Chodron teaches “on the spot compassion”:  “I do this sort of thing in all kinds of situations – at the breakfast table, in the meditation hall, at the dentist’s office. Standing at the line in the market, I might notice a defiant teenager and make the aspiration, ‘may he be free of suffering and its causes.’ In the elevator with a stranger, I might notice her shoes, her hands, the expression on her face. I contemplate that just like me, she doesn’t want stress in her life. Just like me, she worries. Through our hopes and fears, our pleasures and pains, we are deeply interconnected.”

In these days of looking at ways to end racial strife, I think it is important to realize our human interconnectedness. We all came from the same source. We all bleed red. We are truthfully all of one race – the human race. The shooter at Emmanual AME church stated that “he wanted to start a race war.”  Let’s all help it make the act of terrorism just the opposite – a bridge to peace and unity. We can all be more conscious of our interdependence at the same time honoring our independent nature. “Love never fails.”

   

Ron Alexander thanks, however, I wish I had not posted this article, until after reading it to writing group. They were confused - all I meant was that the isolated "lone wolf" individualistic super independt. person is too extreme. However so is the person who is interdependent to the point of losing their independent quality. In other words, a balance is needed. However, this country has been too extreme historically on the frontier/cowboy individualistic philosophy. So most of us need to develop more of our interdependent qualities to help develop more commUNITY in our country.

 

Brooke Banwer It's perfect Ron Alexander

No mistake - trust me...

Try this meditation on for size..

http://youtu.be/9uaOhC98-jc

And.. Just wait and see what happens next.