“Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
The desire to take of an eye for an eye is an almost instinctive reaction. It is one of the trademarks of an emotionally stunted adult, and it reveals one of the many faults which appear under pressure in an improperly poured foundation.
This signature response captures the zeitgeist of fallen man. It reveals instantly the inclination of his heart and makes obvious the fact that he serves a master other than love. The spirit of retaliation is one of the many relatives of hatred and you cannot exact revenge without worshipping (for as long as you harbor that spirit) at the altar of hatred.
Revenge is a triple negative. It adds insult to injury, thus doubling the original offense, and the opportunity cost of being vengeful triples the waste, for you cannot be vengeful and productive at the same time.
The ability to eschew revenge comes first from a true centering in love and second from never taking offense. The latter is made possible by the former.
Gregory Hake 
If someone asks me what your blog was about today shall I say revenge or love or both.
It something to see what our minds lock onto. Makes me think to observe where I am paying my attention. As I pay attention to that which really matters I observe there is renewal and refreshment. Thank you for articulating the currents of springtime for humanity.
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What has your heart has you!
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If ones identity is truly centered in our “higher self”, no offense could offend. For such an one would realize that being so centered, puts one above the possibility of taking anything personally, and each and every opportunity to serve another would be immediately transformed into apertures through which such love and forgiveness could be offered outward. Saying loud and clear to the world, “None of these things move me!” and proving it, actually.
Thanks for this powerful reminder, I look forward to letting it be so!
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“If ones identity is truly centered in our “higher self”, no offense could offend.” Love that! Thanks.
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Revenge is taken when there is no understanding of the beauty of life and power of love. There is no true sense of justice in revenge, only desolation.
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And perhaps momentary satisfaction, which is eroded from within by the shame of acting ignobly.
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This center of love is the healer of all things just and all things unjust. It is a still point, yet a point of such density and intensity that nothing can escape its boundless influence for it is the ultimate beginning of all things. People have the choice of harmonizing to its influence, a very easy and simple thing to do for it is who we fundamentally are, yet we see betrayals of this every single day and in every single way. Why is that?
It is true that as human beings we must grow into this awareness of who we are in reality. Our humanity has to mature, our minds and our hearts have to grow up, and if not we will get stuck in perpetual selfish adolescence, or worse, infantility – all in an adult body in an adult world where critical decisions are made. That’s tough because the larger sphere of life is moving on as it must and we all feel firsthand the results of our collective dwarfism.
Love furthermore is benevolent, and ample time is given for all of us to learn from our mistaken ways. Life forgives and teaches us to extend the same courtesy to our brethren, which is how love operates in this world. We mustn’t think that this grace can be manipulated though, for once we have awareness, responsibility must follow.
Taking offense and desiring revenge are akin to redlining our immature-o-meter; let’s not push the limits here for our humanity cannot endure these excesses for too long and we will physically break down. There is and always has been great evidence of this, so it’s not difficult to see that we should expect the same in our lives if we continually neglect the still point of true love. May we all forge new areas in our lives in this spirit!
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In my experience I have noted that when one hates another than essentially they are ‘owned’ by the person to whom they are directing their hatred towards. Now thenk about this for a minute – you spend so much time thinking in terms of resentment and hatred that you become unable to build anything of value for yourself. Therefore the recepient of your hatred in essence ‘owns’ you.
Instead we need to focus on what is right about another and let go of the negative. That way we can be in the process of building something of value based on our experiences with them. After all, isn’t that we want want others to focus on in regards to ourselves?
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Excellent quote. Leaders such as Dr. King & Mahatma Ghandi often referred to the need for mankind to evolve from a foundation of love. Vengeance and retaliation are the actions that retard the individual and stunts the evolution of mankind. We can’t embrace hate and participate in the creativty of love. Onward and upward can only come from love.
Ignorance of this basic principle won’t mitigate the results.
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The only battle which is of importance, is the one that we must all fight within our own selves. To be able to move from only Love in every thought and deed is every humans higher self desiring to express itself. To move from fear, hatred, angry, revenge are the chains that we have bound ourselves with, for most of us, our entire lifes, and never come to realize what we are creating in our ignorance. My awareness of my own struggle is only the beginning of my journey of me coming to know me.
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The doctrine of “an eye for an eye” is in itself an attempt to move from hatred to love. It was enacted to put a halt to a state of constant feud, where a much harsher retribution was usually taken for a wrong. It was a stopgap, meant to be used at a particular point in time. Humanity should be so far beyond that, and it is sad to see that “eye for an eye” is still used in modern times.
We will all be wronged. Expect it, because whether through accident or ill intent, it will happen to each of us. When it comes, do not celebrate it, but use it as an opportunity. Show the world that forgiveness is so much more powerful than retribution. Retribution perpetuates the cycle of destruction. It might destroy the one at fault, but it will destroy the wronged as well. Forgiveness diminishes the hurt of the wronged, but it also allows the one at fault a chance to change as well, and that is amazing.
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