..续本文上一页compassionate and willing to support us in ending the war in Vietnam during the sixties. But the peace movement in America did not have enough patience. People became angry very quickly because what they were doing wasn”t bringing about what they wanted. So there was a lot of anger and violence in the peace movement.

　　Nonviolence and compassion are the foundations of a peace movement. If you don”t have enough peace and understanding and loving-kindness within yourself, your actions will not truly be for peace. Everyone knows that peace has to begin with oneself, but not many people know how to do it.

　　John Malkin: People often feel that they need to choose between being engaged in social change or working on personal and spiritual growth. What would you say to those people

　　Thich Nhat Hanh: I think that view is rather dualistic. The practice should address suffering: the suffering within yourself and the suffering around you. They are linked to each other. When you go to the mountain and practice alone, you don”t have the chance to recognize the anger, jealousy and despair that”s in you. That”s why it”s good that you encounter people—so you know these emotions. So that you can recognize them and try to look into their nature. If you don”t know the roots of these afflictions, you cannot see the path leading to their cessation. That”s why suffering is very important for our practice.

　　John Malkin: When the World Trade Center was destroyed, you were asked what you would say to those responsible. You answered that you would listen compassionately and deeply to understand their suffering. Tell me about the practice of deep listening and how you think it helps in personal situations, as well as in situations like the World Trade Center attacks.

　　Thich Nhat Hanh: The practice of deep listening should be directed towards oneself first. If you don”t know how to listen to your own suffering, it will be difficult to listen to the suffering of another person or another group of people.

　　I have recommended that America listen to herself first, because there is a lot of suffering within her borders. There are so many people who believe they are victims of discrimination and injustice, and they have never been heard and understood.

　　My proposal is very concrete: we have to set up a group of people—a kind of parliament—to practice listening to the suffering of America. It”s my conviction that there are people in America who are capable of listening deeply, with compassion in their hearts. We have to identify them, and ask them to come and help us. Then we will ask the people who suffer to come forward and tell us what they have in their hearts. They”ll have to tell us everything, and that won”t be easy for those listening.

　　If America can practice this within her own borders, she will learn a lot. The insight will be enormous, and based on that insight, we can start actions that can repair the damage done in the past.

　　If America succeeded in that, she could bring that practice to the international level. The fact is that people know America has the capacity to hit. To hit very hard and make people suffer. But if America does not hit, that brings her more respect and gives her more authority.

　　John Malkin: After the World Trade Center was attacked, even people who believe in nonviolence said, "This occasion requires some action and some violence."

　　Thich Nhat Hanh: Violent action creates more violence. That”s why compassion is the only way to reduce violence. And compassion is not something soft. It takes a lot of courage.

　　John Malkin: In Western psychology, we are taught that if we”re angry, we can release that anger by, say, yelling or hitting a pillow. In your book, Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames, you offer a criticism of this method.…

《In Engaged Buddhism, Peace Begins with You》全文未完，请进入下页继续阅读…