let freedom ring
“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” Thomas Jefferson
Buddhism, particularly Mahayana Buddhism, stresses the ideals of freedom from suffering for all beings. This ties in nicely with the writings of Thomas Jefferson. I think he must have been thinking of the corruption of governments and the need for some way to hold governments accountable with this line–”The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.”
The Buddhist practices of mindfulness and meditative awareness are analogous I think to this sustained attention Jefferson wrote about that we need as contemporary practitioners of Dharma. We need to remember to keep a tab on ourselves and to not lose sight of the spirit of compassion.
Buddhism encourages kindness and forgiveness both to ourselves and to all the beings in the world. This is grounded on the fundamental Buddhist principle of interdependence.
All beings are deeply interconnected in ways that we cannot possibly trace or understand. Through our continuing meditative vigilance we come to see how we ourselves create the process of alienation from the world, how we cut ourselves off both from the world and from ourselves by believing the lies our culture and our minds tell us–that we are separate.
When we get a glimpse of this, either in meditation, or through life events, we can begin to appreciate the radical Buddhist idea that we cannot be truly liberated if others nearby are suffering. It is not just a matter of tidying up the mental household, fluffing our auras, or getting a high from meditation.
We see that others around us actually affect us, and that ultimately we are completely connected with them. We truly cannot be completely free while those around us are tyrannized in any way. Ultimately, Buddhist awakening requires liberty and justice for all, or justice and liberation for everyone.
It was another of our founding fathers who said “Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.” (Benjamin Franklin.).
The simple practice of sitting down and watching our breath is really revolutionary. Let’s allow ourselves to be carried away by this radical spirit.
