Mercy

Last evening I saw one of my friends. He told me about a situation where someone had done a deeply serious wrong to him and his family. It was a really terrible act and now the court case is soon to arrive. He expressed how he had a lot of mixed feelings and how it left him confused. He asked me what I thought. Instantly looking him directly in the eyes, I replied "Show and be mercy, that could be Your choice."

My friend said, "I hadn't thought of that." Tears began to fall and I gave his a hug. He said, "Most people told me, revenge and wanting the person to be dead was okay. Other people said, pray other the situation but it felt passive to me. That I might be able to find mercy within me, reminds me that I'm human. Thank you for that."

Later my friend asked, "How did you know to tell me what I needed to hear?" I replied that I didn't, but then I shared about my time as a child I was very seriously abused by someone related to me. I told him about the rage, anger and desire for revenge that consumed me, later expressing itself in drug (including alcohol) addiction. And then I related that despite all of that so-called justified anger and rage, the only way that I personally was able to find any sense of relief was by over-time, counseling and Zen to take that hurt and suffering, dissolve it, allowing mercy and the compassion to emerge within my life.

In my experience it's easy for me to give way to my anger and rage, when an injustice occurs. It instantly hooks our attention. It takes strong effort and time for me to go the other way, swimming upstream against the current of our basic emotions, not just saying the word "Mercy," but to embrace physically, emotionally and spiritually what that word actually Is. It can be a terrible thing to become a prisoner in our own mind and heart. I find it better that we find a way to be free and emotionally and spiritually awake and open to this Life. The ability to show "Mercy," is a great gift.


Namaste'

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
digitalZENDO