The United States is in distress. Political and cultural animosity have intensified from simmer to boil and every day feels like one step closer to rebellion and civil war. It is baffling that a nation with so much privilege, opportunity, and prosperity finds itself on the verge of a self-inflicted shattering.
Every day brings news of more violence, more animosity, and more anger. It is difficult, unsettling, and depressing to watch this nation slide into despair. The people of this nation rejected monarchy, defeated slavery and fascism, fought and struggled decade by decade to increase opportunity and level the playing field so that any and all may find and pursue happiness. And here we find ourselves, at the peak of prosperity, with a rotting soul and explosive anger.
I, like many, am saddened, troubled, and outraged. I, like many, have struggled to understand what I can do to right the wrongs I perceive. But what I possess, that most do not, is the wisdom and intelligence of a centuries old tradition that provides perspective, grounding, and rules of conduct for weathering the storm.
Our tradition respects the political persuasions of all who walk through the door of the dōjō. An equal number of our members have life experiences that incline them to lean left as right. Politics is not typically discussed in the dōjō, but not because of concern of offending. Politics is not discussed because our tradition teaches that struggle and conflict are the only universal constants. Our tradition takes a very long view and reminds us that a decade or two of relative civility and peace do not change the predatory nature of Man. The politics of today are just as relevant and irrelevant as the politics of 100 or 500 years ago.
Our tradition looks past specific crimes, grievances, and battles and seeks to penetrate to the essence of conflict itself. Our Deshi push themselves to the edge of the human condition, from unbridled rage to complete acceptance, all in search for the center. The more we train, the more we send deep penetrating roots into the center so that when a gap arises, as one has arisen now, we can hold firm and anchor those in our orbit back to center.
Our tradition offers the following principles, rooted in centuries of observation of the human condition, to address conflict.
Be Respectful
Respect is hammered into each and every one of our Deshi from day one. When the pressure rises and threatens to blow apart the container that is your rational self, a respectful demeanor is the pressure-release valve that allows the soul to remain calm under duress. It is the center from which we can just as easily de-escalate as escalate.
Be Bold
Do not mistake respect for acquiescence. We have a saying, "When afraid, tighten the belly and take one step forward." Our tradition teaches that A Strong and Focused Spirit is of the Utmost Importance. We take big, bold actions and address conflict at the earliest opportunity.
Be True
Conflict does not just exist in the external world, it also develops within the self. Truth, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. We all have our own truth, formed by life experience, that colors and shades our understanding of the world. Self-conflict arises when we become attached to ideas or committed to actions that diverge from our truth. A gap that arises between our internal truth and our actions breeds doubt, anger, fear, anxiety, and rage which then bleeds into external conflict with our friends, family, and neighbors. We maintain our truth by relentlessly pursing consistency between our core beliefs and our actions.
Times are more difficult now than they have been in a long while, but conflict is not new. This is not an excuse to sit idly or give up and despondently watch events transpire. It is a recognition that we all have the capacity to behave and act in ways that are respectful, bold, and truthful. In so doing, we acknowledge the nature of man, the permanence of conflict, and we take responsibility, each in our own way, for balancing the forces of disruption.