Sunday Musings - September 24, 2023
Righteous
It is not surprising that I often hear or talk to individuals who seem to be attached to what I term righteous anger.
On a recent trip I listened to talk radio and often heard ministers and politicians who seemed to be convinced that they were entitled to righteous anger. They seemed convinced they or the group with which they are associated have access to “the moral, justifiable truth”. These individuals seemed to span many political and religious groups.
There is a union strike going on among the auto workers. Many who defend this group of workers are convinced that it is morally wrong for the CEO and other executives of auto companies in the United States to be making upwards of $29,000,000.00 while may be as much as 400 times the salary of the average worker. Those who disagree are convinced that the union representatives are being unreasonable and insensitive to the long-term realities of the business of switching to manufacturing electric cars. Both sides are righteously angry at the other,
Most or certainly many of us have a family member or close friend who is righteously angry with someone in the family. The righteously angry person or persons may be convinced that they have been grievously wronged to such an extent that they cannot conceive of ever having a relationship with that person or segment of the family again.
It might seem as if the righteously angry person or persons who are in possession of the truth of their unquestionable morality have devised a system which scientifically assigns a certain number of points to each behavior they deem is unkind, unacceptable, immoral, or unethical. They can then daily record these points to determine those who deserve righteous anger on any day or during this life journey. The person or group who is righteously angry has fewer negative points or perhaps no points at all. They are, after all, righteous.
Any of can fall into the trap of judging others from our superior moral or righteous stance. I have, for example, “found myself” judging those who I experienced to be judgmental.
Wise teachers or sages throughout history have advised those who are attached to righteous anger or judgment to forgive just as “one would want to be forgiven”. Some have suggested that one do “a searching fearless” and moral inventory, not for the purpose of shaming oneself, but for the purpose of sharing ones “sins “(hurting self an others), with another and then making amends when possible and when it would not cause further harm. Some have suggested that we must first forgive ourselves; accept our own humanness before we are able to accept others as the imperfect humans they are. Others have suggested that those who believe they have never hurt themselves, others, or the universe throw the first stone at “other sinners”.
Many Christian churches continue to use much of what is written in the original manuscript of the 1662 Book of Common Prayers. One of the prayers for forgiveness reads in part:
“Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.”
Many who attend churches, temples, or synagogue use either this or another prayer to guide one in acknowledging that we are all, at times, hurtful to ourselves, others, and mother earth. Yet, often when one leaves that religious service one stops at the cloak closet on the way out of the building and picks up one’s righteous anger. Obviously if we all are hurtful at times – all sin – one cannot adopt the dance of righteous anger. There are those of who direct the righteous anger at themselves. Even then one may believe others are responsible for one’s “sins”.
My spiritual teacher who happens to be a Buddhist introduced me to the concept of shenpa. I have written blogs on the concept of Shenpa.
Some translate shenpa as attachment, that sticky feeling or hooked. Mangala Shyri Bhuti in Shenpa: The Visceral Experience of Ego-Clinging defines it as ego clinging. The term ego clinging, in my mind, equates with what I call the attachment to righteous anger. Any time one’s sense of self is contained in one’s attachment to being morally right at the expense of the person who disagrees with one, one cannot afford to let it go for fear of losing self.
Obviously, all of us have strong feelings or beliefs about a range of topics. I, for example, believe in non-violence but I can accept that many do not. I also must admit that I really do not know if I would remain non-violent if someone were attacking my child or someone else. I cannot say what I would do if I were living in Ukraine or some other country under attack. I know/believe that it is entirely possible that given a certain set of circumstances I might rethink or change my beliefs. Even if I do not, I must respect the opinion of those who believe differently. I am convinced that we do not see with our eyes or hear with our ears. We translate all sound and light waves with our brain based on a variety of factors.
My spiritual teachers suggest that it is always safe to let go of righteous anger – to let go of ego clinging. We are not our ego which has x belief or experience. One has x belief. As soon as one separate oneself from one’s ego clinging or attachment to fear, opinion or need to be right one can open to the humanness of the other. Once one does that the righteous anger releases its hold and one is free to love. Righteous anger/ego clinging blocks love; blocks freedom.
Written September 24, 2023
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
Sunday Musings - September 24, 2023
Righteous
It is not surprising that I often hear or talk to individuals who seem to be attached to what I term righteous anger.
On a recent trip I listened to talk radio and often heard ministers and politicians who seemed to be convinced that they were entitled to righteous anger. They seemed convinced they or the group with which they are associated have access to “the moral, justifiable truth”. These individuals seemed to span many political and religious groups.
There is a union strike going on among the auto workers. Many who defend this group of workers are convinced that it is morally wrong for the CEO and other executives of auto companies in the United States to be making upwards of $29,000,000.00 while may be as much as 400 times the salary of the average worker. Those who disagree are convinced that the union representatives are being unreasonable and insensitive to the long-term realities of the business of switching to manufacturing electric cars. Both sides are righteously angry at the other,
Most or certainly many of us have a family member or close friend who is righteously angry with someone in the family. The righteously angry person or persons may be convinced that they have been grievously wronged to such an extent that they cannot conceive of ever having a relationship with that person or segment of the family again.
It might seem as if the righteously angry person or persons who are in possession of the truth of their unquestionable morality have devised a system which scientifically assigns a certain number of points to each behavior they deem is unkind, unacceptable, immoral, or unethical. They can then daily record these points to determine those who deserve righteous anger on any day or during this life journey. The person or group who is righteously angry has fewer negative points or perhaps no points at all. They are, after all, righteous.
Any of can fall into the trap of judging others from our superior moral or righteous stance. I have, for example, “found myself” judging those who I experienced to be judgmental.
Wise teachers or sages throughout history have advised those who are attached to righteous anger or judgment to forgive just as “one would want to be forgiven”. Some have suggested that one do “a searching fearless” and moral inventory, not for the purpose of shaming oneself, but for the purpose of sharing ones “sins “(hurting self an others), with another and then making amends when possible and when it would not cause further harm. Some have suggested that we must first forgive ourselves; accept our own humanness before we are able to accept others as the imperfect humans they are. Others have suggested that those who believe they have never hurt themselves, others, or the universe throw the first stone at “other sinners”.
Many Christian churches continue to use much of what is written in the original manuscript of the 1662 Book of Common Prayers. One of the prayers for forgiveness reads in part:
“Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.”
Many who attend churches, temples, or synagogue use either this or another prayer to guide one in acknowledging that we are all, at times, hurtful to ourselves, others, and mother earth. Yet, often when one leaves that religious service one stops at the cloak closet on the way out of the building and picks up one’s righteous anger. Obviously if we all are hurtful at times – all sin – one cannot adopt the dance of righteous anger. There are those of who direct the righteous anger at themselves. Even then one may believe others are responsible for one’s “sins”.
My spiritual teacher who happens to be a Buddhist introduced me to the concept of shenpa. I have written blogs on the concept of Shenpa.
Some translate shenpa as attachment, that sticky feeling or hooked. Mangala Shyri Bhuti in Shenpa: The Visceral Experience of Ego-Clinging defines it as ego clinging. The term ego clinging, in my mind, equates with what I call the attachment to righteous anger. Any time one’s sense of self is contained in one’s attachment to being morally right at the expense of the person who disagrees with one, one cannot afford to let it go for fear of losing self.
Obviously, all of us have strong feelings or beliefs about a range of topics. I, for example, believe in non-violence but I can accept that many do not. I also must admit that I really do not know if I would remain non-violent if someone were attacking my child or someone else. I cannot say what I would do if I were living in Ukraine or some other country under attack. I know/believe that it is entirely possible that given a certain set of circumstances I might rethink or change my beliefs. Even if I do not, I must respect the opinion of those who believe differently. I am convinced that we do not see with our eyes or hear with our ears. We translate all sound and light waves with our brain based on a variety of factors.
My spiritual teachers suggest that it is always safe to let go of righteous anger – to let go of ego clinging. We are not our ego which has x belief or experience. One has x belief. As soon as one separate oneself from one’s ego clinging or attachment to fear, opinion or need to be right one can open to the humanness of the other. Once one does that the righteous anger releases its hold and one is free to love. Righteous anger/ego clinging blocks love; blocks freedom.
Written September 24, 2023
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
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