215. Collective Action

Our best efforts are often defeated by systems that are unfair and unjust. Our success is often hindered by power structures that undermine equality and promote hierarchy. Our well-being is often reduced by laws that only benefit a small group. These factors easily combine to limit our potential happiness. And if we find ourselves on the periphery of society, they can sometimes make happiness a total impossibility.

The problem goes beyond any individual and so any possible solution must be implemented at a higher level. Systemic change is needed but it is only possible by working with others to make it possible through collective action. Engaging regularly in this kind of action requires great energy and attention. But oppressive systems often rob of us of these things. They do this by compelling unnecessary actions that physically drain us, and by manufacturing a neverending fight for survival that mentally drains us.

To make collective action possible, we must overcome these losses. The means for doing so is compassion, both for ourselves and others. Through compassion we work to better meet our own needs and the needs of the people around us. We also become more aware of how our attachments produce unnecessary suffering and we learn how to eliminate this suffering. This, in turn, allows us to save our energy for cooperative projects that can help us resolve our social and political problems.

With the benefit of awareness and compassion, we can discover joy in all of our experiences, including those that might be difficult or even painful. Joyful experience is not only pleasurable but also a source of fuel for further action and further joy. It allows us to exceed our apparent boundaries, including those imposed on us from outside. With freedom from suffering and the fuel of joy, systemic change transforms from an overwhelming obstacle into a problem we can creatively solve together.