Now, in 2008, I have been thinking of that election a lot. Reagan was our first (and only) divorced-plus-former-actor president. Quaintly enought, those qualities did trouble some people at the time!
Like Obama, Reagan was immensely popular. He galvanized people, and his election profoundly shifted the American political landscape.
My parents' views on Reagan would evolve in a more fiercely negative direction, but on the night of the election, they were just sad and worried. They saw Reagan as a dangerous slick-talking con man.
This year, Obama has obviously shaken things up tremendously, and the shift that he represents is possibly more monumental than 1980. But a sizable number of people are worried, just as my parents were worried. The NY Times voter reactions from McCain supporters included words like "nauseous" and "terrified."
Some of these worried people are my relatives. To them, Obama (if they can bear to utter his name) is a slick con man. A danger to our country. Someone who has seduced the electorate and is going to take us to Hell the long, painful way. Pretty much the same way my parents felt about Reagan in 1980.
Lately, I have been practicing seeing every person I pass as fundamentally like me. Each pedestrian, each driver, each cashier--each one wants only to be happy. Every one of them yearns to feel safe, satisfied, and at peace. Every single person wants to have a rewarding life. Regardless of their hair style, or their Hummer, or the way they smell; and certainly regardless of how they voted in the election.
What motivates and animates my life motivates and animates their life too.
In 1980 a phrase from Carter's concession speech stuck with me, probably because I didn't understand it at the time. "In every victory," he said, "are planted the seeds of defeat. And in every defeat, the seeds of victory." Or maybe that was Mondale in '84.
Come to think of it, I'm still not sure the makes sense, except as a comforting bromide to someone who was just royally trounced.
[image from Wikipedia]Years later, I would come across what I think Carter was aiming at: the Buddhist notion that everything inherently contains the seeds of its own end. The baby contains the potential to become a child, ending babyhood. The acorn has the potential--IS the potential--to become an oak tree. By our very existence, we ensure our future death. And so forth.
As we look ahead, and look past victory and defeat, we are entering a new era. But whether it will be a time of peace and prosperity, whether it will make us feel safe and happy, we can't know. Electing Obama might be a grand thing, given current circumstances..or it might not.
Which brings me to the Taoist story about the guy with the son and the horse. It's a helpful reminder that we label events as "good" or "bad" based on our perception of whether or not they promote our peace/happiness/etc. But really there is no objective good or bad, or punishment or reward, outside of our limited view and experience. Things simply are as they are.
Not sure what I mean? Here's the story, gratefully borrowed from here. Share it with your disgruntled, frustrated, nauseated friends, and your ecstatic, hopeful, proud ones too:
A man named Sei Weng owned a beautiful mare which was praised far and wide. One day this beautiful horse disappeared. The people of his village offered sympathy to Sei Weng for his great misfortune. Sei Weng said simply, "That's the way it is."
A few days later the lost mare returned, followed by a beautiful wild stallion. The village congratulated Sei Weng for his good fortune. He said, "That's the way it is."
Some time later, Sei Weng's only son, while riding the stallion, fell off and broke his leg. The village people once again expressed their sympathy at Sei Weng's misfortune. Sei Weng again said, "That's the way it is."
Soon thereafter, war broke out and all the young men of the village except Sei Weng's lame son were drafted and were killed in battle. The village people were amazed as Sei Weng's good luck. His son was the only young man left alive in the village. But Sei Weng kept his same attitude: despite all the turmoil, gains and losses, he gave the same reply, "That's the way it is."
[As told by Chin-Ning Chu, in "The Asian Mind Game: unlocking the hidden agenda of the Asian business culture -- a westerner's survival manual," New York:Macmillan Publishing Company, page 182. (1991)]
1 comment:
A village honored their Zen master, Hakuin, who was Abbot of the monastery.
He enjoyed a reputation of living a pure life.
People came from miles around to the monastery for inspiration, because he was so well respected.
In the village, a young Japanese girl became pregnant.
Her parents were angry, and the young girl was scared.
She didn’t want to reveal who the father was.
So she named Hakuin, the Zen master, as being the father of the child.
Her parents became outraged, and the villagers, disappointed.
They went to the monastery and accused him.
His reputation, on the verge of evaporating.
Hakuin simply said, "Ah-so," "Is that so."
And gave a polite bow of respect.
When the child was born, the parents took the child to the monastery and gave it to Hakuin … "Here, this is your child, you raise it!"
Hakuin took the child in his arms. Cradled it.
He again said, "Ah-so," "Is that so."
And he gave a polite bow of respect.
Hakuin took good care of the child, providing every thing it needed.
After many months, the truth came out.
The real father came forward.
And they were ready to be a family.
They went to the monastery, apologized, and asked for the baby.
Hakuin handed the baby to them.
And again said, "Ah-so," "Is that so."
And again, gave a polite bow of respect.
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