By Jem (Chân Pháp Hộ) in June 2013
Dear Mr. and Mrs. 1%,
I have heard much about you, dear Mr. and Mrs. 1%, but I am not sure if we have ever met. My name is Brother Protection and I am a six-foot-two-inch Buddhist monk with a shaved head, brown robes, and glasses. I just turned forty this year,
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By Jem (Chân Pháp Hộ) in June 2013
Dear Mr. and Mrs. 1%,
I have heard much about you, dear Mr. and Mrs. 1%, but I am not sure if we have ever met. My name is Brother Protection and I am a six-foot-two-inch Buddhist monk with a shaved head, brown robes, and glasses. I just turned forty this year, and it’s been eleven years since I lived and worked as a lawyer in Stockholm, Sweden. If you see me around, please stop and say hello. I would love to meet you in person.
Last year I was interviewed by Occupy Boston’s newspaper, together with some other monks and nuns. I remember saying that as we practice walking and sitting meditation, we make happiness and peace possible in the present moment. We also wish for everyone, the 100%, to be happy and peaceful. I looked up toward the tall high-rise buildings and prayed that everyone up there would be free of worry, stress, and frustration.
I know that you must have studied and worked very hard to become part of the 1%. I can also imagine that you have a lot of responsibilities toward many people. Money and power offer not only liberty, but a lot of responsibility. I hope this is not burdening you too much.
As a Buddhist monk, I do not have a lot of money or power, but I do feel much responsibility toward the Earth and the people, animals, and plants on this planet. We all understand that there is just this one planet that is inhabitable in our solar system. When I look up at the full moon, I also look with the eyes of my ancestors and future generations of people of this Earth. I hope they will be able to enjoy the peaceful radiance of the full moon soaring through the dark sky. I hope that everyone on all continents will have enough food to eat and access to clean water. I hope that all people will be able to feel safe in their family, society, and country, and will not have to go through the devastation and suffering of war. I wish for all of us to reflect on what can we do to make this a reality and then to act on our insights and the insights of scientists, on which we rely. We need your help!
Our Earth
Our natural environment is undergoing great stress due to the way we humans are using the resources of this Earth. Our air, water, and the Earth itself are becoming polluted. As carbon dioxide levels increase, the planet is warming up, causing desertification, extinction of many species, and stronger and more frequent natural disasters, all leading to hardship for so many. Were we to use all the identified fossil fuel resources, including the tar sands, the climate of this planet would change so dramatically that we would no longer recognize it as our Earth. We know that everything changes and nothing lasts forever, but wouldn’t it be nice to take care of the natural environment so that many more generations of people will be able to enjoy the wonders of glaciers, vast forests, an abundance of animal species, and reliable seasons which make agriculture possible? Together we can reduce our emissions and support initiatives and research into renewable, sustainable energy sources. The Earth needs our caring support. We receive everything we have from our planet. Let’s see what we can do for the Earth.
Our Children
Thousands of children die every day from malnutrition and lack of clean water. I try to imagine a young mother with children who are crying from hunger and getting sick from dirty water. Here in Southern California, where I currently live, people play golf in areas that get only ten inches of rain a year! The golf courses are kept green with water from the Colorado River, which no longer reaches the ocean. On this planet we grow more than enough food for everyone to have plenty to eat, but we throw much of it away. Many crops and water resources are also used for animal food production. Even in this rich country, one-sixth of the population has issues with hunger at the same time that obesity rates are soaring. There is something strange, something scary, about this situation. It seems that with our advancing technology, we have lost some of our common sense. I am sure that together we can find ways to share the resources of this planet so that everyone has enough conditions to feel safe and at ease.
We Are All Human Beings
In the past, the 1% has not always clearly understood the situation of the 99%, but today information and technology make such understanding possible. When we understand clearly the situation of people in difficult circumstances, we can no longer blame them or say that they are the cause of their own misery. In this country, we might feel that the poor and uneducated just have to make more effort to overcome their difficulties, and some miraculously do. But we also have to be aware of many challenging conditions, such as how unevenly educational resources are distributed, and how much energy teachers in under-served neighborhoods expend in dealing with the social problems of the children in their care. What would we have done if we had grown up in a neighborhood with drugs, gangs, and violence, with a father in jail and a drug- addicted mother? What are the sufferings of a mother addicted to crack? Did she receive love, respect, and education when she was a little girl?
Many studies show that every person has the capacity to transform her life and to learn the skills needed to become capable of taking care of herself and her family. But due to difficulties and lack of opportunities for many generations, people need our help to get back on their feet. They need our acceptance and love to be able to feel good about themselves again. Discrimination causes so much suffering around the world, but when we stop to listen and look deeply, we recognize that we are all human beings, wishing to be able to love and care for our families, wishing to live in peace and freedom. The great diversity of colors, languages, cultures, and views becomes a wonderful asset for a more prosperous human existence on this planet.
I thank you, dear Mr. and Mrs. 1%, for listening to my thoughts and feelings. I know that you have the means and influence to do great things for our planet and all people. But don’t worry or feel burdened. You are not alone. Many of us are very eager to help you. We are all part of the 100%, and remembering and caring for all of us is a great joy. If we support all people in developing their talents and positive qualities, we will make our planet an even more amazing place to live.
It is not easy to be part of the 1%, and therefore I truly wish you happiness and ease. I hope you are able to enjoy the tremendous gift of being alive as a human being on this precious planet.
In joy and gratitude,
Brother Protection
Brother Phap Ho (Brother Protection) is very grateful to have found his path of practice and service. This article is, in many ways, a fruit of two Wake-Up tours in 2012. “It’s time to wake up, to be the change in the world you want to see” (from the Wake-Up song).
