A couple of weeks ago I was in a meeting with clergy and others who work for social justice. We were asked to reflect on how our faith supports us as we work to 
right injustice where we see it. I loved the question because it’s something I’ve thought about a lot over the last few years. I would not describe myself as a ‘person of faith’ because my interpretation of that means believing in doctrine or dogma which I don’t. However I do see myself as someone with spiritual beliefs that support me in the work I try to do. My Buddhist practice has given me a way to stand firm with all the insanity that is whirling around us each day. We’re asked to see where harm is being caused and do what we can to end it. We’re asked to say what needs to be said, even when it’s unpleasant – we speak the truth when necessary. We learn to be kind and compassionate to all beings, ‘excluding none’ yet do not become doormats for others to run over. We are trained to see how personal, cultural and societal conditioning are often based on greed, hatred and ignorance and we wake up to the harm they cause.
These are powerful lessons that can help us address injustices wherever we find them, and they’re not hard to find. I don’t know if the world has gotten meaner or more violent, however we are exposed to a level of greed, hatred and ignorance at rates unknown to prior generations. It can seem so overwhelming. Yet with the awareness that we have just this moment, and what we do each moment leads to the next there can be ease in the midst of chaos. What does the Eightfold Path teach us about how to show up? That has become my firmament. I am so grateful to the Buddha and these teachings which have enabled me to find that important voice that speaks truth to power.
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