WEEK 3.1 (JANUARY 15-21) – I HAVE A DREAM
WEEK 3.1 (JANUARY 15-21)
Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and social activist who led the civil rights movement in the United States from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 19681. He sought equality and human rights for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged and all victims of injustice through peaceful protest. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his nonviolent resistance to racial oppression. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in American history and a champion of human dignity and freedom.
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” – MLKjr
“Transformation is different for every person based on our constitution (what we are made of) and perspective to the world. The story of the potatoes, egg and coffee. Boiling water transforms the potato into something soft, the egg into something hard and coffee transform the water.”
The black dot
One day, a professor entered his classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They all waited anxiously at their desks for the exam to begin.
The professor handed out the exams with the text facing down, as usual. Once he handed them all out, he asked the students to turn over the papers.
To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions–just a black dot in the center of the paper. The professor, seeing the expression on everyone’s faces, told them the following:
“I want you to write about what you see there.”
The students, confused, got started on the inexplicable task.
At the end of the class, the professor took all the exams and started reading each one of them out loud in front of all the students. All of them, with no exception, defined the black dot, trying to explain its position in the center of the sheet.
After all had been read, the classroom silent, the professor started to explain:
“I’m not going to grade you on this, I just wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot – and the same thing happens in our lives.
However, we insist on focusing only on the black dot – the health issues that bother us, the lack of money, the complicated relationship with a family member, the disappointment with a friend.
The dark spots are very small when compared to everything we have in our lives, but they are the ones that pollute our minds. Take your eyes away from the black dots in your lives. Enjoy each one of your blessings, each moment that life gives you. Be happy and live a life filled with love!”
“Today I refuse to stress myself out over things I simply can’t control.”
“You cannot heal in the same environment that made you sick.”
“Sometimes in life it is better to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied.”
“Detachment does not mean that you should own nothing. But instead that nothing should own you.”
“Detachment is an art of enjoying something while always being open to the possibility of losing it someday.”
“Every situation in life is temporary. So, when life is good, make sure you enjoy and receive it fully. And when life is not so good, remember that it will not last forever and better days are on the way.” Jenni Young
Martin Luther King Jr:
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.” – Martin Luther King Jr
“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”
“Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.” – MLKjr
“Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.” – MLKjr
“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” – MLKjr
“Learning to say no is one of the hardest things to do, but also the most liberating.”
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebuhr
“In order to change, we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
“Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.”
“At some point, you have to realize that some people can stay in your heart, but not in your life.”
Learning to unlearn is the highest form of learning. —Buddhist proverb
“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” – Mother Teresa “The hunger for love is much harder to satisfy, than the hunger for food.”
“We will never know the good a simple smile will do. Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” – Mother Teresa
“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” – Mother Theresa
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” – Mother Theresa
Buddhist story of non violence – The Sword or the Lotus
The Lotus and the Sword
There was once a young monk named Ananda, who lived in a monastery in a country that was ruled by a cruel king. The king was greedy and oppressive, and he imposed heavy taxes and harsh laws on his subjects. He also hated Buddhism, and he ordered his soldiers to destroy the temples and monasteries, and to arrest and torture the monks and nuns.
One day, the king's army came to the monastery where Ananda lived, and they began to set fire to the buildings and to kill the monks. Ananda managed to escape, but he saw his teacher and his fellow monks being slaughtered by the soldiers. He felt a surge of anger and hatred in his heart, and he wished he could fight back and avenge his friends.
He ran into the forest, where he met a group of rebels who were planning to overthrow the king. They welcomed Ananda, and they gave him a sword and a shield. They told him that he could join them in their struggle, and that he could use his sword to kill the king and his soldiers.
Ananda was tempted to join them, but he remembered the teachings of the Buddha, who said that killing is the worst of all actions, and that hatred can never be overcome by hatred, but only by love. He also remembered the words of his teacher, who said that the true weapon of a Buddhist is not a sword, but a lotus, a symbol of purity and compassion.
Ananda decided to leave the rebels, and he returned to the monastery, where he found a lotus that had survived the fire. He picked it up, and he walked towards the king's palace, holding the lotus in his hand. He wanted to show the king the beauty and the power of nonviolence, and to appeal to his conscience and his humanity.
He reached the palace gate, where he was stopped by the guards. They asked him who he was, and what he wanted. Ananda said that he was a monk, and that he wanted to see the king. The guards laughed at him, and they mocked him for his foolishness. They said that the king would never see him, and that he would only kill him if he did.
They told him to go away, or they would cut him down with their swords. Ananda did not go away, but he stood there, holding the lotus in his hand. He said that he had no fear of death, and that he had nothing but love and forgiveness for the king and his soldiers. He said that he wanted to offer the lotus to the king, as a sign of peace and goodwill.
The guards were amazed by Ananda's courage and calmness, and they began to feel ashamed of their own violence and cruelty. They wondered how a monk could be so brave and so gentle, and how a lotus could be so beautiful and so fragrant. They felt a stir of curiosity and respect in their hearts, and they decided to let Ananda pass.
Ananda walked through the palace, until he reached the throne room, where the king was sitting. The king saw Ananda, and he recognized him as one of the monks from the monastery that he had destroyed. He was furious, and he asked him what he wanted. Ananda said that he wanted nothing, but that he had brought a gift for the king. He held out the lotus, and he said that it was a symbol of the Buddha's teachings, and of the true nature of all beings.
The king was enraged, and he thought that Ananda was mocking him and challenging him. He drew his sword, and he prepared to strike Ananda down. Ananda did not flinch, but he smiled at the king, and he said that he did not hate him, but that he loved him as a brother. He said that he did not want to harm him, but that he wanted to help him. He said that he did not want to fight him, but that he wanted to teach him.
He said that the sword could only bring suffering and death, but that the lotus could bring happiness and life. He said that the sword could only cut and divide, but that the lotus could heal and unite. He said that the sword could only create enemies, but that the lotus could create friends. He said that the sword could only destroy, but that the lotus could create.
He said that the king had a choice, and that he could choose between the sword and the lotus, between violence and nonviolence, between hatred and love. He said that the king had the potential to be a great ruler, and that he could use his power to benefit his people and himself, or to harm them and himself. He said that the king had the Buddha nature within him, and that he could awaken it or ignore it.
He said that he hoped that the king would choose wisely, and that he would accept the lotus as a token of friendship and peace. He said that he prayed for the king's happiness and well-being, and that he wished him all the best.
The king was stunned by Ananda's words, and he felt a pang of remorse and guilt in his heart. He looked at his sword, and he saw the blood and the rust on it. He looked at the lotus, and he saw the dew and the light on it. He felt a conflict in his mind, and he did not know what to do.
He hesitated for a moment, and then he made his decision. He dropped his sword, and he reached for the lotus. He took it from Ananda's hand, and he held it to his chest. He felt a warmth and a joy in his heart, and he felt a tear in his eye. He bowed to Ananda, and he thanked him for his gift and his words. He said that he was sorry for his actions, and that he wanted to change his ways. He said that he wanted to learn from Ananda, and that he wanted to follow the Buddha's teachings.
He said that he wanted to be a friend and a protector of the monks and the nuns, and of all his people. He said that he wanted to be a king of peace and justice, and not of war and tyranny. He said that he wanted to be a lotus, and not a sword.
Ananda was overjoyed, and he hugged the king. He said that he was proud of him, and that he was happy for him. He said that he had done a great deed, and that he had made a great choice. He said that he had become a true Buddhist, and a true king.
He said that he had shown the world the power and the beauty of nonviolence, and that he had inspired many others to follow his example. He said that he had fulfilled the Buddha's vision, and that he had realized his own potential.
He said that he had transformed himself, and that he had transformed his country.
He said that he had created a lotus, and that he had created a miracle.