Since the world’s attention is on events in Norway right now, I can say a couple of things about it.
First, it’s beautiful to see when people respond with caring, love and an open heart. I spent a few hours by the main church in Oslo, where they have the sea of flowers, and soaked in and shared in that atmosphere. It’s also good to see when people respond with compassion for the one who pulled the trigger.
Then, something about terror. There is a whole set of stories I can look at here.
Something terrible happened. People died. It would have been better if they lived.
He is a terrorist. He killed them. He is a bad person. He is cruel. He is heartless.
People can die. I can die. People shouldn’t suffer. Suffering is possible.
The US media distorts the situation. The US media doesn’t understand that Norwegian youth are passionate about politics.
And so on.
What I find is, among other things, that the only terrorist is here. I am the only one who can terrorize myself, through believing certain thoughts.
A few other things:
When the heat is turned up, it’s an invitation for me to go deeper – in my case right now – with The Work and TRE.
At some point, when I have more experience, I would like to offer free/by donation TRE workshops for people who have gone through these types of experiences. It seems a great way to offer assistance.
I was at the cabin and heard about it on the radio a few days later. My immediate response was warmth, caring and an open heart, and I spent a few hours in silence – with hundreds of other people – at the main church in Oslo the week after, soaking in the same atmosphere of warmth, caring and love. My main contraction has been around how *some* people responded to it, mainly in the US media, and also some Norwegian media who go into obsessive analyzing. There is also a slight fear from imagining myself in the situation. And I see that the guy who did it is me. Everything I see in him is something I recognize from myself. (And it’s all me of course, my image of him, my stories about him etc.)
To deepen my inquiry in this situation, I can imagine myself as the guy holding the gun. What beliefs does he have? How is it to do inquiry on those beliefs? Can I find where I have them too? Some beliefs I imagine he may have: I am absolutely right. I am a savior. I know better than them. They will thank me later. I need to make a statement. They are profoundly wrong. They are dangerous. They will destroy our culture. I need them to know how much I hurt. I am not heard. I am misunderstood.
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The terrorist is only in here. I am the one terrorizing myself when I believe my thoughts, no-body else has that power or possibility.
They may appear to trigger my thoughts, but even that is me triggering my own beliefs.
And even the idea of other and self is a thought, an interpretation.
It’s all happening right here.
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– layers
— my own thinking
— it’s bad, something terrible will happen, i will die etc.
— other and self, outer and inner world etc.
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when more clear, what’s left is kind, wise, connected and engaged
also, good to just do one step at a time, not confuse it, not try to do too much, too many layers
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– if outside and inside, there and here, then terrorist is here (can find for certain) and a confused and hurt person out there
– and both of those here too
– and even the idea of other and self, people, individuals, objects, content of experience
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– he is a terrorist
– it’s terrible, people died,
– there is content of experience
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– people responding with compassion, care, sanity, even wisdom
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