{"id":76,"date":"2011-02-07T11:16:00","date_gmt":"2011-02-07T16:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/?p=76"},"modified":"2011-02-07T11:16:00","modified_gmt":"2011-02-07T16:16:00","slug":"the-heart-of-darkness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/?p=76","title":{"rendered":"The Heart of Darkness"},"content":{"rendered":"

Joseph Conrad presents us with dire and compelling images of \u2018what evil lurks in the hearts of men1<\/span>\u2019, exploring in his turn of the century novel, Heart of Darkness<\/em>, geographic, political, and very personal levels of malevolence. His setting, the \u2018dark continent\u2019 (as Africa continued to be called) and Western human rights atrocities are examined through the eyes of Conrad\u2019s na\u00efve, but increasingly questioning narrator as he seeks out the shadowy Kurtz, the anti-hero of Heart of Darkness, a rogue ivory trader consumed by his self-aggrandizing needs, greed, and lack of compassion \u2013 ego, in the context of last week\u2019s posting. (Think Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now<\/em>.)<\/p>\n

Gandhi describes having \u2018only three enemies\u2019: the British Empire, the Indian people, and himself. He ranks these three adversaries, in order of the challenge they represent to him and, counter-intuitively, places himself<\/em> at the top of this list, pleading little or no influence over \u2018him\u2019.<\/p>\n

Shared in the above is the, again perhaps counter-instinctive view that the \u2018heart of the matter\u2019 lies not outside of ourselves, but within. And our challenge is less in identifying and cataloguing our \u2018enemies\u2019 transgressions, strategizing means of, at best protecting ourselves, at worst revenging the insult \/ attack; and more in cultivating means of self-examination and compassion. Rather lofty goals!<\/p>\n

My mentor and friend, John Heider, in his re-working of the Tao Te Ching<\/em>, offers a simple, first response to \u2018encounters\u2019 \u2013 a 1970\u2019s euphemism for an attack. He suggests reacting to criticism or challenge in a manner that will shed light on the event; remaining centered and viewing the encounter as a \u2018dance\u2019, not a threat to one\u2019s ego or existence. But just how might one approach this prescription?<\/p>\n

A useful mindfulness practice \u2013 and starting point — is contained in the Metta meditation, often translated as a \u2018loving-kindness\u2019 or \u2018loving-friendliness\u2019 meditation. The process is very much like peeling an onion. . . in reverse. At its core, it represents a simple recitation of blessings, compassionate affirmations and assertions, and, as the translation indicates, kindnesses. It begins, however, by directing our attention to ourselves<\/em>, the \u2018heart\u2019 of the onion; then progressively working out through the layers to the \u2018really difficult folk\u2019 in the outer rings, our enemies. Jack Kornfield describes this process as \u2018stopping the war within\u2019 \u2013 before we address the war without. The intent is to purify, forgive, and accept ourselves (our hearts) \u2013 well before we take on the really big and long-entrenched challenges of those with whom we struggle.<\/p>\n

As a preparation for this form of mindfulness practice, you might try a simple exercise as follows:
– Take a cleansing breath or two.
– After settling, think back over your recent life experience and identify two good deeds you\u2019ve done.
– As you examine each of these deeds, consider how their performance affected your consciousness, how they made you feel, the impact on others, the \u2018after-glow\u2019, the resolutions that may have followed.
– Consider the precursors of these two acts, what led up to them, what choices you made that facilitated, allowed these actions. How did you get there?
– Consider the \u2018unconditionality\u2019 of these actions. Were they \u2018agenda-free\u2019? Performed without expectation of \u2018repayment\u2019.<\/p>\n

Metta is intended to address \u2018how the heart acts\u2019, fostering simple, compassionate, perhaps altruistic, and connecting (with others) \/ unifying awarenesses; in place of divisive, alienating, isolating, perhaps vindictive or acquisitive postures. In essence the intent is to \u2018train the puppy\u2019, in Kornfield\u2019s parlance, replacing a set of counterproductive behaviours with more salutary ones. The goal is to not merely suppress the former behaviours \u2013 but to substitute generosity for greed; benevolence for hatred \/ resentment; compassion for self-absorbing, self-serving behaviours. Cancelling undesirable behaviours with desirable ones. It\u2019s not very effective to pronounce \u2018bad dog\u2019 \u2013 without offering a viable alternative.<\/p>\n

The process is a simple one \u2013 as are most things associated with mindfulness. As you begin your sit, having settled and centered, recite to yourself a variation on the following cycle of affirmations \/ intentions:<\/p>\n

May I be well, happy, and peaceful. May no harm come to me. May no difficulties come to me. May no problems come to me. May I also have patience, courage, understanding, and determination to meet and overcome inevitable difficulties, problems, failures in life<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Then progress to the next \u2018layer\u2019: May my family. . .
<\/em>
Then on to my teachers. . . my friends. . .my neighbours. . .all persons who are strangers. . .my enemies. . .all living beings<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Like most contemplative activities, this simple recitation is not intended as \u2018intercessory\u2019; neither requesting, nor even expecting all these desirable states to appear in our lives \u2013 just because we asked for them. The intention is to subtly and regularly \u2013 even each time we sit \u2013 to adjust our \u2018heart\u2019 to a more open and compassionate posture.<\/p>\n

Next week: Right speech, the transition of loving-kindness into the other 23 \u00bd hours. (Read any good P G Wodehouse lately?)<\/p>\n

1<\/span>The Shadow knows. . .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Joseph Conrad presents us with dire and compelling images of \u2018what evil lurks in the hearts of men1\u2019, exploring in his turn of the century novel, Heart of Darkness, geographic, political, and very personal levels of malevolence. His setting, the \u2018dark continent\u2019 (as Africa continued to be called) and Western human rights atrocities are examined […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=76"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=76"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=76"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidhowardpsychologist.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=76"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}