True Lives 

by Joseph Bobrow Roshi 

from a talk given at the "Save the Peacemaker Rally,"  November 19, 2005, San Quentin Prison

(an appeal to Governor Schwarzenegger to grant clemency to Stanley "Tookie" Williams)   

The heart of Buddhism is ahimsa, non-harming. We do no harm, in word, thought and deed, when we understand deeply that the other is none other than myself, that each and every being, by nature, is sacred and deserves our respect and love. This clear seeing is the activity of wisdom and leads to compassionate action.  

Ahimsa, wisdom, and compassion are not theological concepts, but ways to  live in the world that bring peace, well being and joy. It is up to each of  us to bring these teachings to life. Otherwise they remain empty words, or worse, can calcify into religious ideology. And we know how easily religious  ideology can be used to justify senseless brutality.       

Let us take a moment now to remember all the victims of violence in South Central Los Angeles, Bay View Hunters Point, Marin City, and everywhere, here  and abroad. We include the mothers, fathers, uncles and aunties, the  grandmas and grandpas, the little children left behind. We hold them all in our hearts as we invoke Kwan Yin Bodhisattva, the embodiment of compassion,  “the one who sees the sounds of the world, the sounds of suffering,” and responds with loving, kind and skillful action.

What is a leader? A leader has power, a leader has force at his disposal.  It is not wrong to use strength appropriately. But what is true strength? Can one be strong and wise? Strong and compassionate? A force for good? In  the words of an ancient Buddhist sutra:     

This is how an awakened person, at peace and in accord with goodness, lives

Let yourself be strong, upright, and sincere, without pride

Do  nothing cruel and not in accord with deep, compassionate understanding

Help  all living beings be joyful and live safely

Let no one deceive another, nor  despise any being in any state

Let none, by hatred, do harm to another. 

Even as a mother, at the risk of her life, watches over and protects her  only child,

so with a boundless mind should you cherish all living things, 

suffusing love over the entire world, above, below, and all around, without  limit.

Let yourself cultivate infinite goodwill toward the whole world. 

Standing or walking, sitting or lying down, during all your waking hours, 

cherish the awareness that this is the way to live in the world

Break free  of the cycle ` and you no longer create suffering for yourself or for  others.

(adapted from the Metta Sutta) 

A wise and strong leader protects his people, inspires them with hope and a  vision based on enduring values such as compassion. He is practical and knows that “as ye reap so shall ye sow,” and “by the fruits of your deeds  shall ye know thee.” In Buddhism we see that our actions and intentions  create a web of impacts that radiate everywhere for a long, long time,  leaving either benefit or suffering in their wake.   

Governor Schwarzenegger, it takes a big man to see the big picture, a  strong man to muster up the courage to support those who struggle to break  free of violence and the culture and ideology of hate. I know you have it in you. We all know how big your muscles are; it is your heart we are waiting  to see. In our culture, we hear that “A man’s got to do what a man’s got to  do” but what is that? Doesn’t a “man” act with understanding, vision,  wisdom, compassion, with heart? Many think that a real man dominates and  intimidates. You can turn these mistaken notions of manhood on their ear and  act bravely, for the good of our youth and our world.   

Today you will hear a lot about Stanley Tookie Williams. The founder of a  deadly gang, he has publicly and repeatedly renounced violence and urged  others to do so. He has spoken and written from his own direct experience  about the reality of gang and prison life, countering its deadly  glamorization. He has dedicated himself over the last 11 years to promoting  ahimsa. He has turned his life around, transformed himself and his life’s  purpose. Such a profound change of heart is extraordinary. From 35 years of  working with youth, both as a Buddhist teacher and a psychologist –on the  streets, in prisons, half-way houses, schools, hospitals and clinics –I  have seen the legacy of hate and violence, the hard, cold-heartedness of so  many young people. I know how powerful is the draw to violence and gang  culture. Many youth look forward to entering prison, they wear it as a badge  of courage, even await reunion with friends and family inside. In our groups  I invite and help them to reflect on what really matters to them, what  motivates them, what their values are. We help them sort through the beliefs  they had imbibed whole hog from their sub-cultures and our wider society.  They reflect on the actual effects of acting on these beliefs, where they  actually lead them and their effects on others. We explore if it is possible  to make decisions and choose actions based on alternate values and  motivations. The culture of violence has tremendous allure. It is all around  us. Breaking free is hard. We need all the help we can get. You can help.   

Governor Schwarzenegger, you said that you approach your decision with  dread. There is indeed much hanging in the balance. Many years ago  songwriter singer Jessie Colin Young wrote: “We hold the key to love and  fear, right in our trembling hands. Just one key unlocks them both, it’s there at your command.” We don’t ask that you unlock Stanley’s cell, just  that you spare his life so he can continue to inspire and help and be a  force for the kind of transformative and peaceful revolution we need in  California, our country, and the world. Show us your courage, Governor, be a  force for good, for positive change. You will find yourself in esteemed  company: Dr. Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Nobel Peace prize winner,  Desmond Tutu. Rev. Tutu, renown advocate of non-violence, has come out in  favor of clemency for Stanley, himself a Noble Peace Prize nominee. These  peaceful revolutionaries are religious people but they are also smart and  practical. Non-violence, compassion and wise action work and bring peace.   

Send a message of hope to youth struggling with the allure of violent  lifestyle: that transformation is possible. A good leader leads by example,  as a spiritual teacher teaches by example. They walk the talk. Show the way  by being a real “compassionate conservative:” conserve the life of Stanley  Williams so he may continue his humanitarian work of helping youth and  adults alike live lives of peace and understanding.   

We cannot ignore the fact that politicians have values -- they are motivated  by these values and they demonstrate these values in their decisions. Let us  also be clear that these values often have a spiritual basis. Our values,  our intentions and motivations, what we hold most dear, come through in what  we do and how we do it. By offering clemency to Stanley Williams, you will  be sending a message: it is possible to turn oneself around from violence  and disregard for human life to cherishing, promoting and protecting it.  Much more, you will be walking the talk, thereby distinguishing yourself  from most politicians. This is a show of force whose power can touch  thousands. The power of wise compassion is great indeed. Have no fear of  being seen as a “girly-man.” This action does not convey weakness; to the contrary, it demonstrates wise vision and true courage. You will show how a  real man acts. You will show by your example that you recognize and affirm  the power of the individual to redirect and dedicate his life to benefiting  others. Take the bold move and act with wise compassionate strength to grant  clemency to Stanley Tookie Williams. 

Joseph Bobrow is the founder and director of Deep Streams Institute and Zendo. A Zen Roshi, he is also a licensed psychologist in private practice in San Francisco and faculty member and supervisory analyst at the Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California. Joseph writes on Buddhism, psychotherapy and their interplay.