The Divided States of America
A Brief Homage to Tyre Nichols
It’s 9:30 AM in San Francisco as I write this. It’s a beautiful, crisp sunny Sunday. As this is the fifth Sunday, and I usually only publish four Sunday Sparks a month, I had intended to take the day off: post an inspirational photo and Buddhist quote, push “send” and then saunter to the farmer’s market for some herbs and apples. However, my heart-mind is too heavy with grief over the murder of Tyre Nichols and the dozens of mass shootings that have already occurred in the Divided States during the first 29 days of the New year. I had to say something.
I know that you as a Spark Zen reader subscribed (thank you!) to this newsletter & podcast because you’re interested in Zen/Buddhism. So perhaps some of you might not consider this an appropriate post; however, the Buddha offered many teachings on the origins of conflict and how animosity engenders more animosity. His teachings point straight to the heart of where all hatred begins and ends: the heart-mind. Yours + Mine = Ours.
Our True Nature is our original face before our parents were born. Our original heart pulses with the eternal, sublime mystery that animates all sentient beings. Tyre’s blood flows through this heart of mine, and through the five deluded police officers who brutally beat him. Each kick and punch they threw was propelled by self-hatred, by their (falsely) divided heart-minds.
Although I am no stranger to watching violence on television, a habit I am weaning myself from, I was hesitant to watch the video footage of the police officers brutally beating a helpless Tyre just yards from his parents’ home. However, I felt some ineffable obligation to watch actual violence as it was being perpetrated on a man whom I’ve never met, and now, will never have the opportunity to meet. If I ingest images of fictitious violence, how can I avert my eyes from seeing the stark, inhumane, horrific brutality that we human animals inflict upon each other. And how am I not complicit in perpetuating ill-will, one of the Five Hindrances, by watching movies that are violent?
“Weeds are the ruin of fields; Ill-will the ruin of people.”— Dhammapada 357
It feels like there’s no end to the division in people’s hearts, including mine of course. Though I know that my heart isn’t really mine. I know beyond knowing that the unfathomable universe breathed life into this heart as it breathed life into Tyre’s, his parents, the police officers who beat him, and all gun wielders and their victims. I wish we all could remember to feel this profound, sacred connection with one another as we go about our day.
We need to most especially feel this connection, this reminder of our True Nature, our Original Face, when thought-sensation-emotions of aversion arise toward ourselves and others. This hindrance is a fetter of the mind, a wall around the heart that causes us to perceive others as separate from ourselves. We’ll never be free from these fetters until we turn our loving attention toward healing our own divided hearts and realizing that all divisions are human-made.
Ninety-eight years have passed since the 39-year-old “roustabout” Tom Lee risked his life to pluck 32 people from the frigid waters of the Mississippi River after the steamer M. E. Norman capsized just south of Memphis. We’ll never know what kind of son, father, lover, photographer, and skateboarder Tyre Nichols would’ve been at 39. However, after reading about him and looking at his photography website, I think he would’ve been the kind of man who would have risked his life to save someone like Lee did all those years ago.
Tyre’s photo below captures his peaceful heart, his love of life, and his creative spirit. Thank you for sharing your spark, Tyre.
It’s now 11:40. As I walk to the market, I will recall Tyre’s beautiful blue bridge as a reminder that each person I pass shares my heart.
Beautiful post honoring Tyre Nichols, Heather, and so important to speak of the interconnection between us all. We can all hold the difficulty, confusion, and open-heartedness together. Thank you for your invitation to be present for this.
Thanks for addressing this, Heather, and providing the link to the go fund me. I hope to see you again soon so we can continue this conversation…