Daily Acts of Ahimsa Day 2 | “Reflect on a conflict you’ve resolved peacefully and share the lessons learned.”

Leela by Lynnea Bylund | City of North Las Vegas, Nevada 2023

After we left our friends home, we wanted some salad.  We pulled up to the store in the strip mall where there was a conflict in play.  There is a homeless man leaning against the buildings rail-post, shading himself, it was 100 degrees F outside.   He was eating some food, drinking a beer, making a mess with his trash, and the shop owner was leaning over him loudly screaming. The homeless man is screaming back just as loud, the shop owner hunched so far over in his face on the escalation curve, the next step was a physical altercation. 

The driver gets out of our car to walk into the store as if nothing was happening. I sat watching thinking I can do nothing, or I can do something, what will I do…?  

I gently opened the car door, stood up to my feet and said Be Kind, it continued, they could not hear me with the loud screaming match in play.  I again said, a bit louder Be Kind, and the shop owner stops yelling, pulls his clenched fist, arm, body up from a hunched over to a standing straight position, turns to me, we meet eye to eye, his tone went from 10 to 5 decibels, he is still upset, as he explained to me his point of view, I listened and shook my head yes as he let it all out and he made sense.  He was upset the homeless man was sitting there, making a mess, being disrespectful, loudly screaming after he first politely asked him to leave, he is being a menace.  The homeless man was breaking the law drinking a beer there.  I shook my head in agreement with him as he spoke saying nothing, just listening.

The shop owner stopped yelling, turned around and went into the store and said, “I am going to call the cops.”  So, the Be Kind stopped the escalation, a nonviolent action was taken. Things calm down. I get back into the car, the homeless gentleman continues sitting down in his spot to finish his food.

After finishing his food, the homeless man stands up, he walks by the front of the car and stares me down yelling at me.  I opened the door, stood up, we connected eye to eye, soul-to-soul, I listened and then said, I just wanted them to be kind to you.  You deserve love and kindness.  He said you are a “x”itch.”  I said, that’s ok, you are still a good man, who deserves love and kindness in a loving tone. 

Next act, he hurls his can of beer through the air, which connects on my arm and beer splashes all over me and my clothes.  I had my white kurta, white pants, South African scarf and tilak on my third eye.  I was shocked inside, yet did not flinch, stayed calm, looking deeply into his eyes, the windows of his soul, and responded that you are still worthy of love and kindness.  Its ok.  He gently bows his head and walks off peacefully leaving the strip mall.  I got into the car, say a prayer asking for more love and kindness to shine on his spirit and God be a tuning fork to his heart. I wonder how much love this man in shown in a day. 

I reflect and think of Gandhiji and what he had to take from others during his lifetime. They used to mock him and call him a monkey because of the way he looked.  So, when we got onto stage, he would start with, here’s your monkey…    So, my response to the beer is cheers!

As Mahatma Gandhi stated it in his book Young India, “I believe in the absolute oneness of God and, therefore, also of humanity.  What though we have many bodies? We have but one soul.  The rays of the sun are many through refraction.  But they have the same source.  I cannot, therefore, detach myself from the wickedest soul (nor may I be denied identity with the most virtuous).”  Young India, September 24, 1924, 313.  CWMG Vol 25, 199.  

Religious literacy, as I experienced it in the story or “leela” above is not just a theoretical concept but a practical tool for promoting peace and understanding in the real world. The experience I share aligns with the dimensions of religious literacy, especially the third dimension, engagement literacy.

When I stepped out of the car and uttered the words “Be Kind” in the midst of a heated confrontation, I was trying to engage with the individuals involved in a way that was sensitive and empathetic. This approach wasn’t about religious doctrine or symbols, but it was deeply rooted in the ethical and compassionate aspects of religious teachings, which is a key component of engagement literacy.

 

In this situation, I aimed to de-escalate a tense conflict and promote understanding between the homeless man and the shop owner. My intention was to ensure that kindness and empathy prevailed, transcending the anger and frustration that had initially fueled the argument. This aligns with the idea that engagement literacy focuses on understanding when and how to engage with individuals and to do so in ways that are legal, sensitive, inclusive, and effective.

 

Additionally, my response to the homeless man, despite his aggressive behavior, was in line with engagement literacy principles. I believed that every person, regardless of their circumstances, deserves love and kindness. This approach reflects a commitment to engage without being instrumentalist or exploitative.

 

The power of kindness and empathy as tools for effective engagement, even in challenging situations highlight constructive action that brings about positive change. It serves as a practical example of how religious literacy, specifically engagement literacy, can be beneficial in real-world situations to promote peace, understanding, and compassion.

 

In conclusion, religious literacy is not confined to theoretical knowledge but can be applied in real-life scenarios, as demonstrated in the above leela. It underscores the importance of engagement literacy, ethical considerations, and the application of religious principles in promoting peace and understanding.

Leela and Response Submitted to the United States Institute of Peace

Instructor Led Course Religious Engagement in Peacebuilding

Completed USIP Certificate in Religious Engagement in Peacebuilding 2023

See – Season for Nonviolence 2024

Sample Daily Acts of Ahimsa Week One

Facebook Daily Acts of Ahimsa (One Day At A Time)

“The presumption of prior unity- rather than the conflict between opposing identities-needs to be the basis for life in human society. In the larger-picture sense, life must be lived as that- instead of the clash of identities, or clash of culture, or clash of religions.”

The World-Friend Adi Da, from Prior Unity | Not-Two Is Peace

Current Programs 2024

AHIMSA Gandhi: The Power of the Powerless by Ramesh Sharma

Season for Nonviolence Jan 30 – April 4, 2024

Daily Acts of Ahimsa 2024

AVANI Sponsor the Children Fund

Gandhian Books  | Ahimsa Merch

Satyagraha Tour of South Africa 2025

United Nations EcoSoc Consultative Status since July 23, 2015

Ahimsa Impact