Your emphasis on mindful consumption of words and thoughts echoes deeply. There’s an art in selecting what we let shape us, much like curating an exhibit of our inner world.
Thank you for sharing this transformative path with such openness.
When I hear about healing through any kind of art, I always miss the necessary, healthy self-criticism. The first step is to recognize violence, pain, and suffering. Our world is based on inequality, discrimination, and violent control. There are victims and oppressors. Too often, I see an eager impulse to run away and exchange facts for fairy tales. When I read TNH's poetry, I see suffering, pain, and mourning everywhere, more injuries than healing. The compassionate way of a Zen monk—in this case, a true, unique master—is extremely tough. The comparison with our "first world problems" is barely ridiculous. He was also a political activist and human rights fighter, risking his life at every step, not just a mere writer and teacher.
I think we must take care when talking about therapies and mental health care. I see a lot of trivial, mild approaches, a shade of easiness and happy-flower, coach-dependent esoteric plans, sometimes disguised as "ultimate science" discoveries, far from healing any problem. Some people will never heal, even with hard medication and the most effective, proven therapy. Others will have a difficult, long, narrow path, with peaks and valleys, exhausting in effort, before any improvement. By the way, as a meditator myself for years, I can state that meditation is one of the hardest disciplines I've practiced. The correct posture is hard on your body, it hurts, and keeping the focus is a giant effort. Its "benefits" are conceptually quite different from Buddhist mindsets.
So, please, let's always talk seriously about the world we are living in. Don't make up reality with naive good wishes. Let's accept the unavoidable pain and loss while living, let's face injustice everywhere, and recognize the very humble, though beautiful, role of art. It is not a universal painkiller, and many times making art is also a rendezvous with pain.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Rafa. If you read my posts regularly you will know that I do indeed recognise violence, pain and suffering. In wanting to change the way we tell stories about ourselves I’m not seeking to diminish, or ignore, the difficult and often horrendous things that are happening. But it’s in how we write about it. It’s about not perpetuating the them and us, good and evil with no hope of change, messages that so many stories are filled with.
And seeing the world as either full of victims or oppressors supports that view too. Yes there is oppression and people are subjected to terrible things but those that are don’t have to see themselves as victims. They don’t have to be defined by their suffering. I was abused for all of my childhood - physically, emotionally, verbally and sexually - but that doesn’t define who I am. I’m not continuing that cycle.
And yes, Thich Nhat Hahn was an incredible person. One who taught me with his writings and words that we can indeed build a better world. So that’s what I’m trying to do. Even though I’m just a mere writer and teacher. Every person that tries to make a positive difference in whatever way, is making a positive difference. That’s also what he taught me.
Of course, no one should be defined by a single, harsh adjective. But society must treat victims as they are; there is a global responsibility for reparation, care, and rehabilitation. We must fight for education against war, violence, the indiscriminate use of weapons, sexism, and so on, because that is the real factory of oppressors. Otherwise, we end up accepting these issues as "evil forces" or "biblical plagues" without cause or solution. What kind of rewriting can we do if we don't expose the real injuries, the context of abuse, and the dominant discourse in power?
Education comes in many forms and through fiction we have the power to show the cause, the effect, and ways to healing. That’s what I’m advocating for. I’m not a political activist, I’m a storyteller. And story telling can have a big impact on how people feel and understand themselves and others.
“Story is not the passive experience we perceive it to be. Instead, it is as essential an activator of our internal development as any experience we have in real life.”
— Inside Story: The power of the transformational arc (Professional Media Practice) by Dara Marks
Therefore, if instead of telling stories that have purely good and purely evil forces with no real depth and complexity to either, which is what a lot of stories are like, we write with nuance, compassion and empathy for everyone, by acknowledging and showing, that nobody is ever just one thing, we can start to create a narrative that brings more understanding instead of more division. That’s what I want to do with my stories. And what I hope the readers of this Substack will want to do with theirs.
I think there is no such thing as a 'neutral, apolitical narrator.' Everything is political; any discourse—and literature, of course, with more intention—has a political and ideological agenda behind it. Equidistance is not synonymous with ending conflicts or stopping divisions; we must take part, even when telling stories, because we are not saints, just humans. Anyway, I celebrate your effort and your audience's taste.
We’ll have to agree to disagree then as I don’t believe everything is political! And what I’m trying to say is exactly what you just said, we are not saints, but nor are we devils. We’re all just humans doing what we can with wherever we are on our journey.
we have all been reduced to anonymous consumers and/or socially uprooted individuals unable to address collective needs. By writing down your thoughts and/or stories you/we are able (to a tiny but still important degree) to counteract this trend. Keep on writing.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Glenn. I most certainly will keep on writing. And yes, how our societies are is sad indeed. But we can make a small difference with everything we do.
Thanks Amanda. What you say reminds me that it’s important to learn, realize, that there is something that lies beneath all the stories (no matter the content) and that whatever that is is trustworthy, that were made of it, and can return to it over and over. I suppose what I’ve just said is a “story” as well! But it’s the one that makes the most sense to me (as a human, and therefore, inherently, a meaning maker). I’m being vaguer than I’d like to be here, but it is difficult to put any of this into words. At some point, there just aren’t any words (no stories), just silence. Thanks again!
Yes silence is a huge part of it too. I wasn't able to be still and silent for the longest time. Was always looking to be distracted. But now sitting silently is something I do a lot. And it's hard to get away from stories - they are everywhere within us and around us! 💙
I am new to the idea that fiction writing can change the world in the ways I want to see the world change—that it can effect inequity, poverty, discrimination and greed. And yet I shouldn't be new to this idea. My views about what is possible in the world have been repeatedly shaped by the fiction I have read. This has prompted me to consider expanding my writing career into fiction for the first time. I never saw the greater purpose before. Thanks for helping to bring this realization to light!
I totally resonate with this. Changing the narratives we tell ourselves really does change our world and the larger world. Thanks for sharing. 💜
Thanks for reading and comment, Phoebe. I'm so glad it resonates it with you. Here's to changing the world! 💙
Dear Amanda,
Your emphasis on mindful consumption of words and thoughts echoes deeply. There’s an art in selecting what we let shape us, much like curating an exhibit of our inner world.
Thank you for sharing this transformative path with such openness.
Warm regards,
I join you. And I thank you. How powerful this is! ❤️
It’s great to have you here, Jeanne! 💙
This is being human ❤️
Thank you, Paolo 🙏💙
When I hear about healing through any kind of art, I always miss the necessary, healthy self-criticism. The first step is to recognize violence, pain, and suffering. Our world is based on inequality, discrimination, and violent control. There are victims and oppressors. Too often, I see an eager impulse to run away and exchange facts for fairy tales. When I read TNH's poetry, I see suffering, pain, and mourning everywhere, more injuries than healing. The compassionate way of a Zen monk—in this case, a true, unique master—is extremely tough. The comparison with our "first world problems" is barely ridiculous. He was also a political activist and human rights fighter, risking his life at every step, not just a mere writer and teacher.
I think we must take care when talking about therapies and mental health care. I see a lot of trivial, mild approaches, a shade of easiness and happy-flower, coach-dependent esoteric plans, sometimes disguised as "ultimate science" discoveries, far from healing any problem. Some people will never heal, even with hard medication and the most effective, proven therapy. Others will have a difficult, long, narrow path, with peaks and valleys, exhausting in effort, before any improvement. By the way, as a meditator myself for years, I can state that meditation is one of the hardest disciplines I've practiced. The correct posture is hard on your body, it hurts, and keeping the focus is a giant effort. Its "benefits" are conceptually quite different from Buddhist mindsets.
So, please, let's always talk seriously about the world we are living in. Don't make up reality with naive good wishes. Let's accept the unavoidable pain and loss while living, let's face injustice everywhere, and recognize the very humble, though beautiful, role of art. It is not a universal painkiller, and many times making art is also a rendezvous with pain.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Rafa. If you read my posts regularly you will know that I do indeed recognise violence, pain and suffering. In wanting to change the way we tell stories about ourselves I’m not seeking to diminish, or ignore, the difficult and often horrendous things that are happening. But it’s in how we write about it. It’s about not perpetuating the them and us, good and evil with no hope of change, messages that so many stories are filled with.
And seeing the world as either full of victims or oppressors supports that view too. Yes there is oppression and people are subjected to terrible things but those that are don’t have to see themselves as victims. They don’t have to be defined by their suffering. I was abused for all of my childhood - physically, emotionally, verbally and sexually - but that doesn’t define who I am. I’m not continuing that cycle.
And yes, Thich Nhat Hahn was an incredible person. One who taught me with his writings and words that we can indeed build a better world. So that’s what I’m trying to do. Even though I’m just a mere writer and teacher. Every person that tries to make a positive difference in whatever way, is making a positive difference. That’s also what he taught me.
Of course, no one should be defined by a single, harsh adjective. But society must treat victims as they are; there is a global responsibility for reparation, care, and rehabilitation. We must fight for education against war, violence, the indiscriminate use of weapons, sexism, and so on, because that is the real factory of oppressors. Otherwise, we end up accepting these issues as "evil forces" or "biblical plagues" without cause or solution. What kind of rewriting can we do if we don't expose the real injuries, the context of abuse, and the dominant discourse in power?
Education comes in many forms and through fiction we have the power to show the cause, the effect, and ways to healing. That’s what I’m advocating for. I’m not a political activist, I’m a storyteller. And story telling can have a big impact on how people feel and understand themselves and others.
“Story is not the passive experience we perceive it to be. Instead, it is as essential an activator of our internal development as any experience we have in real life.”
— Inside Story: The power of the transformational arc (Professional Media Practice) by Dara Marks
Therefore, if instead of telling stories that have purely good and purely evil forces with no real depth and complexity to either, which is what a lot of stories are like, we write with nuance, compassion and empathy for everyone, by acknowledging and showing, that nobody is ever just one thing, we can start to create a narrative that brings more understanding instead of more division. That’s what I want to do with my stories. And what I hope the readers of this Substack will want to do with theirs.
I think there is no such thing as a 'neutral, apolitical narrator.' Everything is political; any discourse—and literature, of course, with more intention—has a political and ideological agenda behind it. Equidistance is not synonymous with ending conflicts or stopping divisions; we must take part, even when telling stories, because we are not saints, just humans. Anyway, I celebrate your effort and your audience's taste.
We’ll have to agree to disagree then as I don’t believe everything is political! And what I’m trying to say is exactly what you just said, we are not saints, but nor are we devils. We’re all just humans doing what we can with wherever we are on our journey.
Well, for sure you are a Saint. Maybe I'm just a poor (political) devil...
we have all been reduced to anonymous consumers and/or socially uprooted individuals unable to address collective needs. By writing down your thoughts and/or stories you/we are able (to a tiny but still important degree) to counteract this trend. Keep on writing.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Glenn. I most certainly will keep on writing. And yes, how our societies are is sad indeed. But we can make a small difference with everything we do.
Lovely post thank you for sharing x
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Kirsty 💙
Thanks Amanda. What you say reminds me that it’s important to learn, realize, that there is something that lies beneath all the stories (no matter the content) and that whatever that is is trustworthy, that were made of it, and can return to it over and over. I suppose what I’ve just said is a “story” as well! But it’s the one that makes the most sense to me (as a human, and therefore, inherently, a meaning maker). I’m being vaguer than I’d like to be here, but it is difficult to put any of this into words. At some point, there just aren’t any words (no stories), just silence. Thanks again!
Yes silence is a huge part of it too. I wasn't able to be still and silent for the longest time. Was always looking to be distracted. But now sitting silently is something I do a lot. And it's hard to get away from stories - they are everywhere within us and around us! 💙
Yes! They are everywhere. And I’m glad we can both be in silence more easily now:).
This makes so much happier sense. Thanks for uour reflection
This makes so much happier sense. Thanks for your reflection
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Judith 😊
I am new to the idea that fiction writing can change the world in the ways I want to see the world change—that it can effect inequity, poverty, discrimination and greed. And yet I shouldn't be new to this idea. My views about what is possible in the world have been repeatedly shaped by the fiction I have read. This has prompted me to consider expanding my writing career into fiction for the first time. I never saw the greater purpose before. Thanks for helping to bring this realization to light!