Nonetheless, I am drawn to consider how we might respond spiritually when our political atmosphere becomes unstable and morally disorienting. From a Buddhist perspective, this fragmentation of society reflects something deeper, which is the collective emotional forces shaping our societies. Ultimately, the Buddhist path asks for two commitments at once: compassion for all beings and fearlessness in naming harm. Compassion without truth becomes sentimentality, while truth without compassion becomes another form of violence. If we refuse the violence of the mind and the habits of cruelty, contempt, and dehumanization, we refuse the seed from which greater harm grows.

Source: CNN March 17, 2026 05:57 UTC