Violence, no. Destruction… yes?
There is a difference between destruction and violence.
Destruction, like humans, has a dark and light side.
Violence is always dark.
Destruction
While this comes with a negative connotation, it can also stand for letting go to create space for something new. Like a sand mandala, destroyed after creation, there is no negativity; perhaps maybe a little bit of hesitation, but in the end, just love and let go.
In order to heal and thrive, you learn to release parts of yourself that get in the way of it. You give gratitude for that part of you that got you to this point, but it no longer serves you, so you release it so you can create a new mandala that is your life.
Nature does the same thing:
Trees let go of their leaves to remove damage and disease and make space for new, healthy ones.
Natural forest fires clear dead leaves, release seeds, and encourage growth.
Likewise, the Hindu gods known for bringing abundance to humans destroy what’s stale in our lives and put up obstacles to get the stuck out of the way. We don’t do this in our comfort zone. I’ve known people great at their jobs who were afraid to let go of the comfort of a paycheck to follow their dreams of becoming their own boss. They finally did, only after they got fired through corporate downsizing. They were so grateful for the push. This is the nature of the Universe destroying something that is not so bad for something better. We were meant to evolve into different variations of ourselves, like sand mandalas. It’s what keeps us feeling alive.
Barely after a moment of triumph, of looking at her work of art, a child takes great joy in knocking the blocks down so she can build something new. It’s in our nature from the beginning.
Purging is necessary to make space for new possibilities.
Violence
Violence, on the other hand, is something different. Aside from the obvious existence of it in physical abuse and war, violence:
is abuse of power: it’s more obvious when a person abuses power over another, but what about when we abuse ourselves through our own self-degradation?
is hate, whether directed at yourself or others.
is divisive.
has no rebirth, only dis-ease. It does not clear the way to wellness, just more sickness.
Under the influence of violence, even when you’re “right,” you make yourself wrong.
is hiding from your authenticity.
Violence is punishing rather than accounting. It’s acting against, not for. The difference can be found in the words you hear yourself use and the insinuations you make, whether it’s made at yourself or towards others.
Violence is not allowing your feelings to flow. There's a violence done to your body by holding back tears, questions, and anger. This holding back causes unhealthy expressions of anger, boundary setting, and self-preservation.
These forms of violence travel to your mind and influence perspective and action.
As is the microcosm, so is the macrocosm. And vice versa.
Meaning, what goes on in your inner world is reflected in the outer world. And vice versa.
With violence, we become the same as the injustice we see, and we become complicit. We become deaf to ourselves and to others.
Instead, call on the light side of destruction.
Light isn’t blind. It will acknowledge that what you see is unacceptable and hideous. To use light to make things right, hone in on what’s acceptable and beautiful, on your values and what they look like. Hone in on what you want to see, not what you don’t want to see. Get them so clear and strong that they shift the tilt of the Earth. This happens when what you want to see in the world is expressed, and your vision inspires others. On the other hand, what you are against, expressed, incites anger, helplessness, and division. Inspiration and toxic anger are both contagious. You get to choose which to spread.
Speak FOR your values, not against.
Making yourself or someone else wrong, and labeling people, is an example of speaking against, and it harms because it shuts down potential for reconciliation. It contributes towards more violence in the world, simply by those words.
On the other hand, listening to understand (instead of listening to find where they’re wrong) and filling in the blanks (for others to understand not defend), opens up potential. It injects peace into the world, simply by your words and intention.
You want to be heard. So do they. Hearing to understand transforms violence. For sure, there are spectrums of violence; you may not hold the literal bomb in your hand, but it all begins with the thought, even if it’s in the name of making things right, and even if it’s “just” towards yourself. That energy gets projected out into the world one way or the other. Happy, well people don’t throw bombs. The most important contribution you can make to the world is to find your own peace and keep mastering it.
Each of us have propensity for violence inside of us because of our wounds. We can feel this: it’s what makes us feel disempowered and separated. Each of us also have a yearning for peace. It’s the reason behind all of our search, how we find our inspirations, and it’s inherent in our desire to find ease in our lives. Let's use this understanding to make ourselves more empathetic. Remember that if darkness is unacceptable, we won’t destroy it with more darkness, we’ll do it with light.
Love, Savitree