Very interesting. In fifth grade I refused to stand for the pledge of allegiance. I sat because the pledge was full of lies. There was no liberty and justice for all. I don’t even like the name of it “The Pledge of Allegiance.” No thank you. So I like the line from the poem “Denounce the government and embrace the flag” in that it expands my thinking or understanding about it. To me it resonates of a dichotomy between government and flag in that you can protest part, but you don’t have to throw the whole thing out. My inclination is to go full hog on my dislike of the flag and the government, yet here is an alternative. I can see the failures but I can also appreciate the successes. Although the successes are also tinged for me when I think of how we obtained freedom and land in this country while taking the same thing away from those already on the soil of our nation. Yikes! This is a fraught subject! I look forward to reading the next installment.
I like the imagination of 5th grade you, exercising your right to stay seated! Thank you for these reflections. I agree that accepting all or rejecting all are not the only choices! And in fact getting stuck in this dichotomous thinking is something Mr. Berry is try to help us loosen up in our souls. And I like the idea that our country's history is "tinged'". It certainly is, with a whole array of colors, stains, very bright and very dark spots.
Your description of Mr. Berry’s advice in how to move onto a new path reminds me of the four noble truths of Buddhism. The first truth is that life contains inevitable suffering, or dukkha. Second, the cause of dukkha is craving, or wanting. In the same way, aversion to that which we don’t want is also wanting. The third truth is that suffering can end with the end of craving. The fourth truth is the way to end wanting, and thus end suffering, is the eightfold path: Right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
Yes, I agree that there are a lot of overlaps there. It fascinates me no end that Mr. Berry arrives at this place through agrarianism and Christianity, and yet it resembles so much of the best of Buddhist teaching! Perhaps our "big world religion" categories always break down when a person earnestly and honestly strives for landed truth in their own place!
Very interesting. In fifth grade I refused to stand for the pledge of allegiance. I sat because the pledge was full of lies. There was no liberty and justice for all. I don’t even like the name of it “The Pledge of Allegiance.” No thank you. So I like the line from the poem “Denounce the government and embrace the flag” in that it expands my thinking or understanding about it. To me it resonates of a dichotomy between government and flag in that you can protest part, but you don’t have to throw the whole thing out. My inclination is to go full hog on my dislike of the flag and the government, yet here is an alternative. I can see the failures but I can also appreciate the successes. Although the successes are also tinged for me when I think of how we obtained freedom and land in this country while taking the same thing away from those already on the soil of our nation. Yikes! This is a fraught subject! I look forward to reading the next installment.
I like the imagination of 5th grade you, exercising your right to stay seated! Thank you for these reflections. I agree that accepting all or rejecting all are not the only choices! And in fact getting stuck in this dichotomous thinking is something Mr. Berry is try to help us loosen up in our souls. And I like the idea that our country's history is "tinged'". It certainly is, with a whole array of colors, stains, very bright and very dark spots.
Your description of Mr. Berry’s advice in how to move onto a new path reminds me of the four noble truths of Buddhism. The first truth is that life contains inevitable suffering, or dukkha. Second, the cause of dukkha is craving, or wanting. In the same way, aversion to that which we don’t want is also wanting. The third truth is that suffering can end with the end of craving. The fourth truth is the way to end wanting, and thus end suffering, is the eightfold path: Right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
Yes, I agree that there are a lot of overlaps there. It fascinates me no end that Mr. Berry arrives at this place through agrarianism and Christianity, and yet it resembles so much of the best of Buddhist teaching! Perhaps our "big world religion" categories always break down when a person earnestly and honestly strives for landed truth in their own place!
I’m really enjoying the deep look into this poem! The inclusion of the natural world in the category of neighbor is really meaningful to me.