Resisting With Love Oh autumn. It is such a sweet word. Here in the beautiful city by the Potomac, colorful leaves float down gently with the wind. The Canada geese are back in the MacMillan reservoir. I have been biking to work after dropping off Prashant at his school, and on one of those perfect fall days I was riding along the reservoir. Felt very grateful to be alive amid such beauty and tranquility. The sun was shining on the waters, the weather was just perfect, and the geese were moving about as graceful and calm as ever. Yet amid all this calm and beauty we have all been very anxious and worried about the future and wondering what we can do. The administration seems to enjoy punishing those that oppose it, especially the people of this city. It has to be resisted.

It’s easy to get angry and upset. Even though I practice meditation and go running on a regular basis I still have a hard time keeping calm under the circumstances. It takes some effort to not yield to one’s lesser instincts. Nevertheless, we have to stay calm and avoid reacting because that only feeds the fire. Fighting fire with fire is what has brought this far, to this mess. The Dalai Lama when asked about how he will deal with Hitler, said he would fight him, but without hatred and anger. It is tempting to get into a fight and get caught in the web of victory and defeat, but that doesn’t create lasting results. Perhaps sometimes it is inevitable. I don’t think Lincoln or FDR had a choice but to fight. But I think right now we are in a battle for the soul of the American people and it can only be won with love.

The other day at Kramers in Dupont Circle I read a chapter of "Differ We Must" by Steve Inskeep. It is an amazing book, makes you feel like you are right there in the room as Lincoln meets with Fredrick Douglass and other major leaders. Many of them thought Lincoln was being too slow, too conciliatory. Yet he was able to convince most of them with his tactful words and actions. As he famously said, he defeated his enemies by making friends of them. Gandhi showed how to resist through civil disobedience and boycotts. Many are already doing that. We as a family have stopped buying things from corporations that support directly or indirectly the authoritarian and inhuman actions (especially towards immigrants) of the administration.

National Mall, April 2025, Washington, DC.

All great teachers ask us to try to put ourselves in the other person‘s shoe when faced with difficult situations. So I am going to focus a little bit on why the white working class and actually not so working class are clamoring for such drastic actions against immigrants and so-called woke people. Lot of the problem comes from the difficult economic situation, but as I mentioned, it’s not just the working class. Apparently it was found by some good pollsters that the common trait among the majority of the supporters of the current regime is an affinity for authoritarianism. Certainly we can agree that both economic and social factors are work and need to be addressed? Many of these problems come from the wounds that never healed after the Civil War. Both for the oppressed, and the oppressors. The trauma of slavery and inhuman abuse and exploitation still lingers in the subconscious of Black people.

Exploitation also creates a warped state of mind among those who benefit from it, because they need to convince themselves that it was morally justified. It’s also easier to deny than to accept that your ancestors committed those atrocities. As an upper caste Hindu, I am not in a place to judge or counsel in this regard. Even if I and my descendants work to compensate for generations, it still will not pay off the spiritual, moral and material debt that we owe to the indigenous and Dalit people of India. But I can say that I don’t believe one should carry the sins of one’s ancestors. It is my belief that all are God's children and capable of redemption. We can heal our ancestors in a way by doing things to help those who were affected. Thich Nhat Hanh says that our ancestors live in us. So when we perform good deeds, we help heal them as well.

2-28-25 Arlington Cemetary, VA

Earlier this year, in February, I was walking by Arlington Cemetary on a daylong outing (similar to the Alexandria outing last year -- see post from Jan 7, 2024). It is touching to think of all those who laid down their lives in service of the country, especially during the civil war. There is so much bravery, so much heroism in everywhere in this country. Wouldn't it be a shame if all of those lives were laid down for nothing? We cannot let a government of, by, and for the people vanish. The men of this country and others as well are facing a crisis. They need outlets to feel they can create just as women can. Increasingly, they feel left out as women make great progress in all areas. Wouldn't it be great for the world if all that energy could be tapped by someone to help fight injustice and inequality? Wouldn't it be great if the descendents of those who died in the civil war came together to heal the wounds of the country and the planet?

The world is a village. We’re all in this together on this small planet, this little speck in the galaxy. Whether you like it or not, the days of nations and tribes is long gone. The Internet and the intercontinental flights have made sure of that. We just have to learn to enjoy each other’s company and appreciate people for what they are. Let us just be nice to each other. And if it is a Maga Republican, just say God bless you and Move on.

Spring 2025, Washington DC

It is certainly not going to be easy. I must say that sometimes these days I don't feel safe or welcome in America. But whether through design or accident, America is a country built on an idea, a promise, that all are equal and deserving of freedom and prosperity. I am more determined than ever to make the best of my life in America and not be deterred by all the unfriendliness. I go into this with my eyes wide open. As all the great religions teach us, light and darkness always go together. We must not have the childish belief that one day all will be good and peaceful in the world. There will always be a struggle, both within us and without us, between our positive and negative energies. But as Krishna says in the Gita, we don't have the right to inaction. We must always fight, and with love, with the knowledge that we are not fighting our brothers but only the darkness.

As I was biking along the reservoir on that gorgeous autumn morning, I wished that life would continue to be as wonderful as it was at that moment, forever. But of course, time will keep rolling on and things will keep changing. Then I realized that time is nothing but action. If we could live completely in the moment, time will stand still. If we can learn to appreciate the moment as it is, life is always wonderful.

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