Here's the song I wrote that fall as I heard the announcement on the #Occupy livestream that Mayor Bloomberg had relented in his decision to clear the park that day at dawn. The occupation would continue for another another six weeks before the NYPD arrived in riot gear to clear the park.
My Humble Take on the Real Deal
I believe that the movement for peace, economic democracy and social justice is a Spiritual Quest. No mean feat, what is called for is a True Revolution of the Heart and Mind--and it starts with each of us.
This revolution has to be Peaceful. The Hippies (and Jesus and Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. King, et al) had it right. It really is all about Peace and Love. Besides being a total drag, violence just doesn't work. It keeps our wheels spinning in fear, anger and pain. Who needs that?
Besides some hard work, I think the Revolution also calls for dancing, plenty of laughter, and some sitting around just doing nothing. (Some folks call it meditation.)
As Stephen Gaskin, proclaimed years ago:
"We're out to raise Hell--in the Bodhisattvic* sense."
Doesn't that sound like some serious fun?
(*The Bodhisattva Vow is a set of commitments made in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. It basically says I vow to get my act together and figure it out well enough to really help out--and I ain't gonna stop until everybody is covered.
I've found that doesn't necessarily have to happen in that order. It's best to try to help out even before you have it all together! Like right now.)
-----Brother Lefty Smith, Founding S.O.B*
