[Music playing]
[From Audience:] I heard you say,
"We're the only ones that can hurt ourselves" or something close to that.
Yeah. "No one can hurt me, that's my job."
Right.
How do you relate that to military wars, to political hate,
to violent crime, etc., so forth?
Change what you can.
That's what we do here. It's the right thing to do here.
It's as close as we can get to----
to living out authentically what's right for us.
But what can I do about, like,
the way I heard it, like, if I'm in combat,
and--
You know, what's a scenario in combat that I might fear?
Well, I'm just thinking-- I'm the son of a Holocaust survivor.
Ah--
Or, we all know what's going on in the world today,
-even here in the States. -Yes, yes.
-Bringing all that in, right? -Yes.
So, it just--To me--
And I got caught in the statement, and I'll admit I got caught,
it sounded a little privileged.
-A statement I made? -Yeah, the statement about--
Then, what was the statement, "No one can hurt me, that's my job"?
Yeah, I think you said it a little different, but basically, yes.
Because there are a lot of people being hurt by a lot of other people today.
-Yes. -And I agree with you,
it starts here.
I--
There are a lot of people being hurt by a lot of people here.
-That's why I'm standing here. -Yeah.
It's--
You don't have to suffer that.
Right.
You don't have to suffer that.
You can get clear, and if you can get clear,
someone else doesn't have to suffer that,
because you understand.
And, in your presence,
there's the possibility that they could too.
For example, if someone--
if someone pulls a rifle and says--
"I'm going to kill you,"
where's the problem?
Where's the--
Where's the problem?
[ From Audience: ] In your mind.
Are you all catching on to that?
[Katie:] OK.
Katie, can I challenge you on that?
Alright, he's going to--
It's like, he says he's going to kill me,
the gun's in his hand,
loaded,
his finger's on the trigger,
where's the problem?
Here.
I imagine --whether I'm aware of it or not--
he's going to pull the trigger, blood's gonna fly,
and I'm going to die, or I'm going to be maimed and fall
and be in agony, and my family's going to suffer,
and I'll never see my children again,
and it's not fair, and it's all because of the color of my skin,
and my nationality, or my culture,
or whatever it is,
and dot-dot-dot-dot-dot--
And he hasn't even pulled the trigger yet.
So, who would I be without all of that?
He says he's going to pull the trigger.
Who would I be if I were not projecting--
a future, into imagining what's going to happen?
Who would I be without it?
Looking into his eyes,
the sun's shining,
I'm looking around.
It's just, in reality,
an amazing world, a gift.
So, who caused my fear and pain?
Was it him that said, "I'm going to kill you,"
or was it me?
Who's causing my agony now,
in that situation?
How many of you get, "It's me"?
One hundred percent, totally, there's no exception to it.
Now, this is a practice.
It's a practice.
We're Working on mother, father, sister, brother.
This is to wake us up to reality so we don't have to live in fear.
And when we're not living in fear, we do amazing things.
I hear what you're saying the moment before.
But would you say the same thing to someone
a few minutes after they'd been raped?
No, they're not very open to inquiry.
[Some in the audience laugh]
They're believing. I respect that.
I know the pain of believing.
They're in a past.
They're asleep.
I don't see them as someone that's been raped.
I see them as an equal.
I understand.
What I do, what do I do, in a situation like that?
A tissue.
My arms around them.
Listening.
Listening quiet.
That just gives them the safest place.
It's--
At the same time, a cell phone calling 911.
There is room for everything.
And you're so clear because you're not fearful.
It's just pouring through you.
You don't have to know what to do. You already know what to do.
That creative mind, that wisdom, just running the show,
effortless, not the doer.
OK, got it.
I just wanted to make sure.
I love that question.
If I'm walking to the gas chamber,
what an amazing day--
(some audience members laugh)
other than what I'm thinking and believing, in the moment.
-That doesn't make it right. -Mm-hmm.
That doesn't make it right.
But am I awake to what ultimately is right?
And "right" being another word for reality,
god, goodness,
the immovable.
The immovable.
There's nothing you can do about this.
Mm-hmm.
It's there.
We don't have to notice it.
It's not waiting for your invitation.
It's always there.
It's yours, it's perfect, it's divine, it's immovable.
Why does it hurt when you argue against it?
That's what war looks like.
Who started the war?
The war opposing reality.
So, it's like that, my darling.
Thank you, I appreciate your patience with my questions.
You're very well-- I've got a song to sing.
And thank you for inviting the question.