Shards of a Broken Spirit

 There are three kinds of violence: one, through our deeds; two, through our words; and three, through our thoughts.  Most of what we call violence is in the form of action, and it is with our actions that nonviolence naturally begins.  But as long as our minds harbor violent thoughts, that incipient violence will find its way somehow into our speech and behavior.  The root of all violence is in the world of thoughts, and that is why training the mind is so important.

Eknath Easwaran

Many years ago, I served on a Regional Commission for Domestic Violence Prevention.  Doctors, lawyers, ministers, and many other professionals attended.  The determined fore runner was Mick Addison Lamb.  Through educating the public and private sectors, he paved the way for attitudes to be changed, county police procedures to be updated, and eventually laws to be put into effect.  As an in home counselor for social services, I knew first hand how devastating violence could be individually as well as collectively to a family and community.

As I read the above passage, now years later, I was once again reminded of the link that thoughts needed to be trained or else they can explode into words, not just behavior.  I started to recall the terrible things I had heard people say, threatening things that crippled others mentally, yet avoiding the physical.  It is easy to show physical evidence like a broken bone, but it is next to impossible to display the shards of a broken spirit.

The shards of a broken spirit can go undetected indefinitely and it is most difficult to fit all of the pieces back together again.  It is a mental and physical process in addition to the spiritual healing.  

We all have harsh thougths from time to time.  Strong words may cross our minds and we may wonder, "where did those come from?"  Or in a moment of disagreement, insults might fly out of our mouths reflecting feelings we didn't even know we had. 

It is important for us to remember that we are all capable of some degree of violence.  If we are aware of our thoughts and sift through them rather than burying them deep inside, we are much more apt to use nonviolent behavior and no harmful words. 

We can choose our words carefully and strive to bathe others in loving kindness.  If we have any inkling that we are in danger or are a danger to others, it is imperative to seek immediate help.  There are ministers, therapists, abuse counselors, and many other members of society willing to listen and assist in finding a road to healthy thinking.

Let's not point the finger at others, let's focus on our inner selves.  Be as good as we were intended to be!