“If you tremble with indignation at every injustice then you are a comrade of mine.” ~ Che Guevara 

After writing the above words on my Facebook page, I was told by someone that when I master the art of refusing to allow injustice to cause trembles of indignation within, but instead allow love to vibrate in its place, I will eventually become a warrior.

I pondered the words.

Is it possible to only feel the emotion of love when witnessing barbaric cruelty, horrific violence, racism, wars, oppression, domestic violence, abuse against children, against animals and the endless other injustices of the world?

Must I really embrace pure vibrations of love when I see these things and no other emotion? Is it possible?

The thought weighed deeply on me, compounded me. It beat me and wounded me.

I am always open to new opinions, new beliefs, new ways of thinking—so I paid attention to the words.

Was there another way? Have I been missing something this whole time? Could I have entered my battles with a different sword?

Every time I had been moved to take on a fight for the defenseless, the voiceless, the innocent and those that suffered at the hands of another…should I have only been feeling love and nothing else?

I didn’t consider whether I was a warrior or not. I already know that I am a warrior. There is no question of that. Warriors never claim to be perfect. They are completely imperfect, in fact. They know already there is still far too much to learn, that learning is limitless.

“Warriors of light are not perfect. Their beauty lies in accepting this fact and still desiring to grown and to learn.” ~ Paulo Coelho, Warrior of the Light. 

However, I did consider this question of love. And I also considered the fact that he also said that I needed to fix my imbalances because I feel such indignation.

So, after exploring my insides out…

My answer was no. F*ck no! Not a chance. There wasn’t a single cell in my body that resonated with those words. And did I ever want to get to a place where I only felt love when I witnessed such things? No. No. And, not ever.

I hope I always feel indignation, fury and anger when I’m met with the injustices of the world.

These emotions which are classified as “negative” are those that raise me from my seat, force me to take a stand, rattle and shake me so that I do not look the other way and step on by.

This indignation is what forces me fearlessly and relentlessly into action.

However, all that being said, from the moment that I chose to take action…I will take it from a place of love. That is when love comes into play. That is when love vibrates through me. When the initial momentary rage settles, I allow it to transform to love.

When I stand in the arena face to face with my opponents, I stand side by side with love. Love is the ally at my side. My comrade. Love is the army I fight with—not hate. It is the indignation and emotions of hate, mixed with love that led me to the battlefield.

But, love is the one I stand shoulder to shoulder with when the battle commences.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. 

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasm, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause’ who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

~

Relephant:

Do Bodhisattvas get Angry? A Response to the Killing of Eric Garner.

 

Author: Alex Myles

Editor: Travis May

Photo: Flickr/Martinak15