The question of privilege has been staring at me most starkly than ever before. As I stay safe and comfortable in my home, I know millions are struggling for their mere survival. “Is this the time for me to stop doing and go inward? Is this the time for me to be out there doing something? What is the most meaningful way of showing up?” is a question that visits me many times every day.
Talking of questions, I realise that they are of two kinds. The first kind needs to be pursued and answered. The second needs to be eternally lived with as sincerely and honestly as possible. To me, the question of privilege is of the second kind.
After many years of staying with this question, I realise that both feeling guilty / undeserving of my privileges and indulging in them, come from the notion that my privileges somehow belong to me. Whenever I am able to momentarily suspend that notion of a separate self and its ownership of its privileges, and step into the realm of inter-being, they transform into the commons I have been entrusted the stewardship of. My questions momentarily cease to exist. But that space also puts me in touch with tremendous responsibility of every privilege that I have been entrusted with.
Though I hardly stay anchored in this space, when I do touch it, it is both a relief and a call to live a more intense life. A call to be more aware of every moment and how I’m using my privilege to be in service of Life.
The Corona angel who has come down to break the tightly-held structures of fear so that more light can flow in, is calling forth all forms of warriorship to assist her. We need serving warriorship to be out there feeding people and taking care of the sick. We need watchful warriorship to keep track of how the threatened powers-be are tightening their claws in these times, calling out adharma. We need creative warriorship to see what new life-serving possibilities can be manifested. We need warriorship that can keep our essential services running, keeping everything from completely breaking down. And most importantly, we need a warriorship of enquiry “What just crumbled? Why are we in this mess? What is this a call for? What futures lie ahead of us? What are our choices?” and support others through this enquiry.
How peacefully I can sleep at night is usually my litmus test for how responsibly I have used my privilege and acted on behalf of the collective. And peaceful sleep is not easy to come by these days!
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3 comments:
The concept of “privilege” is both interesting and multi-faceted. It is often associated with the perspective that someone has an advantage that another does not. That advantage is generally seen as financial, which does indeed afford many advantages in the world. If we remove the concept of privilege from the lens of financial abundance, however, there are many other layers of perceived privilege in the world: gender, skin color, geographical location we grow up in as children, family of origin, first-borns, attractiveness, intelligence, and others. We are born into most of these perceived advantages.
Digging a little deeper, the concept of privilege gets yet more complicated. For example, is it a privilege to be born into a family of wealth where there is great family disharmony and a disproportionate emphasis is placed on the material in life, where individuals are rich in goods but poor in spirit? Or is there more privilege being born into a family with very meager means, yet a family that laughs, loves, and is very connected? It all depends on perspective.
What about culture? Is it a privilege to be born into a culture of materialism (such as the U.S.), with material gain and acquisition as the guiding ethos, making it much harder for many to connect with their soul’s purpose and to find true meaning in life because they have bought into an illusion? Is that an advantage or disadvantage?
Because “privilege” as a concept can get very murky when viewed from different levels, I would suggest that instead, we think in terms of “resources.” Resources that are correlated with human happiness and well-being include, but are not limited to: positive relationships, positive emotions, good health, volunteering service, having enough money to meet basic needs, finding meaning in life, engagement in passions, emotional stability, and successes. Money guarantees none of the above other than the ability to meet basic needs.
There is also space for a broader view that allows for the possibility that each soul has chosen it’s particular family and the culture into which it was born to offer it specific opportunities for growth in this lifetime. We must be careful not to judge the situations of others as wrong or unfair, for we truly cannot know the greater picture. What may look like privilege, or the lack of, can be in perfect alignment with that soul’s choice. At the same time, we can act with compassion to all and commit to using the resources and advantages available to us to raise the consciousness of those around us. We can promote Oneness over separation, Love over fear, power with rather than power over.
Is it important that humanity’s consciousness move from “what’s best for me” to “what’s best for the greater good?” Absolutely. Would that mean a living wage, access to health care, a revised educational system, adequate food, shelter, and housing for all? Surely. And who will bring that about? Well, it will likely be those who are generally considered to be “privileged.” It’s very hard to thrive when you’re just trying to survive. Those who have the time, the money, the social connections, the intelligence, and most of all, the desire, are the ones with the greatest responsibility for bringing about change. They are the ones with the greatest opportunity to continually stress, in all their interactions, that the human family is an interconnected system and that each person is indeed, a part of our own heart.
Take the “more” that you have in your life, whether that be financial, a certain ability, a strong support network, or your 20,000 Facebook or Twitter followers, and use those resources. Release the guilt and celebrate them! Be grateful for them! Enjoy them! But most of all, harness them to move toward your greatest vision of Love, for that is the greatest “privilege.”
Steven Smith
Hi Steve, thank you for sharing your reflections. Yes, when I say 'privilege', I mean whatever you mean by 'resources'. So, yes I agree with what you have shared. It is highly contextual. :)
However, in today's scenario especially in India when millions are going hungry walking hundreds of kilometres with their children and some dying on their way on the roadside, not having to worry about a roof over my head or my next meal is a privilege. Period. There are no shades in this to me. I'm not talking about living with meagre means and laughing. I'm talking about basic survival and dignity in this context.
Thank you Sangeetha. It is hard for me to grasp the direness of the situation in India. I can only imagine how heartbreaking it is to witness it.
At the same time, those who "have" must make use of their advantage by being of service. For me, I too have struggled with guilt in the past, but came to see that guilt came from a place of self-judgment and fear that didn't serve the world in any positive way. My hope is that Lightworkers around the world serve with love and without the weight of guilt. Guilt can be a motivator for service, but Love is a much stronger motivator that comes from a place of deep connection rather than fear.
Sangeetha, I love your writing and what you are doing in your own service to the world. I love you!
Steven
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