We are in a time of many stressors – the pandemic and the resulting economic woes, the election, and all the suffering that lives entails anyway.
We encourage you to vote. Wear a mask, stand in line, if needed, and breathe.
Perhaps you can practice lovingkindness metta meditation for other voters, the politicians and yourself.
In this election, in every election, there are people who vote for candidates who do not win. In our democracy, there are always people who lose. We all need some healing and to “practice looking deeply to see that the happiness and suffering of others are not separate from my own happiness and suffering; that true happiness is not possible without understanding and compassion.”
We can develop compassion and understanding
Voting Resources
- Access your state’s official election page
- Voting Information Center on Facebook
- Jack Kornfield – Buddhists Help Get Out the Vote
- Sharon Salzberg – Election Season Resources
While staying in the present moment, we can look back to the election in 2016. At that time, many Buddhist teachers contributed their wisdom to promote healing.
Those teachings are helpful today, no matter the outcome of this election or its aftermath.
Lion’s Roar Magazine published one of several collections of such wisdom. You can read the web page introductions or access the PDF of the complete collection.
May we all find presence and compassion for all of the participants in our collective election experience, however the results emerge.
The Power We Have
The person we elect has tremendous power. But they have zero power over how we show up for others and offer love. Zero.
– Lodro Rinzler