Bear's Blog

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“My life is my message.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Our greatest heroes are those who affected the rest of humanity through their example - without violence. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. are a few. Now Alexei Navalny will forever stand among those who made great sacrifices for the cause of freedom. Freedom from oppression; freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. All deserve equal treatment, respect and consideration. These beliefs are the hallmark of an evolved society.

Change through peaceful means is the most threatening of all responses to power. These rare individuals answered the call of their time and place with resistance to tyranny. They knowingly walked into danger to redirect the trajectory of a society, and with it humankind. They were a beacon of light. With their vision of a better world they persevered, to inspire and give hope to the struggle.

Alexei Navalny was an indomitable spirit willing to make the greatest sacrifice - his very life. Although not a surprise, his death was still a shock. Could he have been effective working outside Russia? Yes. But he chose to stand with the Russian people and all those who have been arrested, imprisoned, tortured and killed for speaking out. They exhibit the same bravery and selflessness in obscurity, but they make a difference too.

Navalny and his fellow resistance members, supporters and especially his family have lost so much. So have we. Flowers left for him in Russia are immediately swept away, but the oppressors cannot erase the memory of him, his legacy and what he represents.

We too can make a stand for love. What we are really battling is fear - the root of all hate, anger and violence. It takes a village to raise a child; it takes a wave of humanity to overcome darkness. We are in a time of tumultuous change and potential breakthrough – the human race is sorely in need of one to insure our very survival. Division, denigration, intimidation and raw power are tools of an authoritarian. Duality currently characterizes our world, but the oneness underlying this reality cannot be extinguished.

Can we collectively summon the courage Navalny showed us? Hiding out in Intellectual musings and being jaded about our world and politics is evading responsibility. We must leave cynicism behind and engage with the possibility of a better world. It can be overwhelming, but it helps to be a lighthouse for just one other person who is lost in the mire of despair.

We are not alone. The stars are calling us; the sun is raising the frequency of the planet and all it holds. We cannot contemplate failure or be distracted. NOW is the time; it is our time to act, in big and small ways. Our lives depend on it. Is that motivation enough?

For Alexei Navalny – the world was a better place with you in it.

Peace, love and healing -

Bear

PS. Prayer is a small but powerful action that requires not courage, but an open heart. I have been doing Tonglen - a Buddhist prayer practice - for Navlany and Zelensky most nights these past few years. More about Tonglen here.