January, 2013

I work as a Spiritual Carer (Chaplain) with the marginalised, alienated and disadvantaged in a serious offenders correctional centre and two psychiatric hospitals one of which is for Veterans.

My meditation sessions are very popular but, like my Dharma talks, are not compulsory. My major role is one of simply listening and not passing judgment.

Ahimsa or No Harm is often raised as an issue by the residents. Some violent offenders and those suffering from deep depression often seek inner peace by an attitude change.

By a fortunate accident, I stumbled across a "non-organization" which offered several simple secular products, free of charge, plus an essay on a basic moral principle . . . DO NO HARM.

After an exchange of emails, Chuck, Clyde and Mike welcomed me to their Circle of Friends. I am pleased to give Do No Harm items to those who seek my assistance. The response has been remarkable.

Venerable Eido
Soto Zen Monk

June, 2010 

For some Do No Harm suggests passivity where we pass by others for fear we might do more harm than good.  I for one do not see it that way at all. I think Do No Harm suggests becoming active in addressing people's needs with an awe and reverence regardless of who it is. For me Do No Harm is difficult because it suggests that I listen first and act second.  Do No Harm for me suggests that I shouldn’t retaliate and flip the bird at a driver. Do No Harm suggests that I should endeavor to react appropriately in all circumstances. Overall Do No Harm implies I relax my personal bias or I may do more harm than good with individuals.

I also believe that in life people fluctuate back and forth between Host and Guest. Practitioners & religious leaders grow accustomed to being the Host and generally they may be the Host but not always. Sometimes that role changes for instance as a good citizen I decide to stop and help a man living under a bridge – I am the Guest in that setting. When my friend comes over to my home I am the Host until they decide to share a personal story of pain and then all of a sudden I think the roles reverse and I am the Guest invited to hear and very likely validate someone's personal story.

Do No Harm is difficult for me because it means that I need to remember my limitations, relax my biases, recognize my boundaries, and know my strengths and weaknesses. For me Do No Harm means I shouldn't be found guilty of assumption yet that is exactly what I do – I assume too much.

Peace 

Chaplain Kevin Kurtz

May, 2010 

When I think about Do no Harm, I think about how many times the concept has been present in my life. 

I think my first occasion to practice harmlessness was as an animal-loving child. Caring for them over my lifetime has taught me a certain level of compassion that I don't think I could have learned any other way. Even though I was bitten by a dog at the age of 5, somehow, I could see his point of view. It was winter and my mittens were caked with snow. He was chained up at a Service station. I could imagine he didn't like to be chained up, and I imagine he might not have wanted me to pet him with icy caked-up mittens.
 
Over the many years that followed, I had a series of cats. My parents weren't fans of them, but somehow, they let me have them, although they were outdoor pets. I lost count of how many I cared for. I watched them give birth, I watched  one of the  kittens get killed by a bird, and I watched my first cat Sydney get  hit by a car and die while playing with the neighbor's cat--who lived. Somehow, I always knew how they felt, and in the years that followed, after marrying another animal lover, I was graced with more dogs and cats, all of whom knew how I felt.

Caring for pets is wonderful practice in nurturing. As a nurturer, I spent much of my teenage years babysitting. More opportunities to connect.
 
I was however, considered thin skinned--sensitive--by my family. I've never wanted to hurt anyone. I have a high degree of Empathy. However, as a human being, I have hurt people, and I've felt remorse.
 
After my third child was born, I began to practice Yoga. It's been a theme in my life for 15 years now. When I came upon the concept of non-harming it rang true with me. I don't like killing insects. If I can, I scoop them up to take them outdoors--even ticks I remove from my pets. I've often thought "Do Unto Others" would solve all of the world's problems.

Recycling as much as I can, I practice non-harming. I'm trying to keep my usage of things down to a minimum. I'm realizing how little I really need. Having spent a lot of time outdoors, barefoot and camping out as a child, I feel a very certain connection to Mother Nature.  Feeling this connection makes me strive toward non-harming. I've studied Native American Animal Totems and feel a very certain gratitude for the animals that grace my life's path, and the symbolism they're capable of providing me when I need it most.
 
Deep down, I've always been one to seek Peace. Non-harming is one way to bring us all closer to that feeling.

As a writer, I like to share. Writing helps me find the other side of the coin.  I believe that wearing the wrist band will be a nice reminder to me, throughout my day, that I have a choice; that I always have a choice. There are situations when you can say what's on your mind, to speak your piece, or you can choose not to. There may be some grey areas there, but I believe I'll be aware more often as I wear the wrist band, and the grey area will become more black. More white.

Thank you for including Me in your Circle Of Friends. It is my intention to Do No Harm, and to pass that message on, through my actions, and non-actions.  I look forward to distributing the bumper stickers and wrist bands and pins, and will incorporate creative ways of doing so.

Signed This 19th Day of April, 2010
Gloria Orlando Ives
Malvern, PA

April, 2010 

 striving each day to Do no harm 

 

December, 2009 

So much of society is built upon reputation and repetition that people like celebrities are branding their actions as much as their image to get ahead in the world today. When individuals identify with the behavior and image that another person displays, the challenge is getting them to pay attention to the consequences of that perspective without having the individual accept it as part of who they are. Simply telling someone about an alternative perspective is often not enough to make it real or motivating so that it might be tried out. When we look at behaviors that center on and around alcohol and drug use there are many attitudes and examples that easily come to mind and have both positive and negative aspects. There are many industries that rely on stupid and impulsive choices to replenish the individuals that will promote as well as buy their products. You may think I am talking about the porn industry but I’m not. In my opinion the fashion industry is much worse. 

Celebrities are a brand onto themselves and are marketed by reputation and successfully selling movies/products by their performance. For them bad press maybe just as good as good press coverage. For the average person who goes to work every day the same notoriety is usually not a good thing. So the decisions we make everyday demonstrate to others our attitudes and norms that we deem worth continuing as well as the expectation of the communication we are expecting back for them. When we have two standards of behavior, often the one we will adopt is the one we feel will be the most accepted by those we care about.  

All of us can see the opportunities and lives of people who we can model across the globe; so why is it that so many people are apt to pick bad behavior and models? Celebrities happen to have the largest audience and therefore the largest reach.  I can hope that they will choose to put forth the good choices they make as much as they show the bad ones. As a society it is my hope that we will emphasize the good ones without ignoring the bad. We all need to learn different things at different times. What I choose to be remembered for alive as well as dead is the spirit and the events of my life. Gives me pause looking back on the times that I thought I was protecting people from bad influences only to find that since they were not exposed to it and able to talk about it they found an equally bad influence somewhere else.  

What we think is awful may create a resource that will help one person later and hinder another. The difference that I can see is the ability to communicate with someone else without judgment that made a difference. If the people you love can’t talk to you about it, they are talking to someone else. Often it’s the case that we think of prejudice and discrimination as unfavorable, bad, or even the product of a weak mind, and that is not always true.  A favorable view of an individual based solely on their skin color, ethnicity, or religion, is still a form of prejudice.  Similarly, favorable treatment of someone based solely on these things is a form of discrimination. 

Both prejudice and discrimination can be products of the stereotypes we hold. When talking with people in a way that appreciates who they are we have to recognize that our models don’t need a defender. If we believe in ourselves and what we have to say, what people will remember is what we represented and affirmed in them. It comes down to the fact I believe we teach who we are no matter what else we think we are teaching. If nothing else we should all agree of the sentiments of DO NO HARM. These words translate into behaviors that make everyone's lives better, and everyday we are the models of this philosophy. Thanks for reading my rant. 

Santiago, Inc.
Joseph A Santiago President

 

 

November, 2009  

As I read these reflections I see a lot of talk as to whether it is possible to "do no harm". The concept is ancient. Buddhists, Hindus and Janists started with the concept of Ahimsa, "do no harm". Romans 13:10 in the Bible says "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." And even some non-religious organizations, like the entire medical profession, promise to "first do no harm". There is truth in your statements that no one can live perfectly without doing any harm but I ask you this: can anyone perfectly believe, perfectly love, do anything perfectly? I dare say most of you would answer “no.” But every one caring enough to be on this site would say that it is worth the effort to try. The ingenuity of "do no harm" is not in the fact that it's new or can be followed perfectly but that it excites unbiased discussion. It sets a tone for those around us that states that how we treat people matters. It's not perfect, but nether am I. I am, however, able to tell my kids to try and that the first step in that direction is to integrate the ideal into my values and let them know its importance to me. Let them know that the first step to making a better world is to "Do No Harm".  

Josh Medina

 

August, 2009

To me the words “do no harm” mean to speak and react to people in such a way that you cause them no emotional or physical harm. Of course that requires a conscious effort, a thought process to be used before you react to any given situation. Even more than do not go out of your way to hurt another, it means think about what you say and do before you do it. Not to hard is it?

I have written a book that is coming out shortly, Beginners Guide to Psychic Development and I started the Ethics chapter out with 'Do ye no harm to others'. Which means be careful how you give information to others, so as to not harm them. Choose your words carefully and be aware of the emotions of others and the consequences of what you tell them.

The Earth is currently, and it seems for a long time been under turmoil. Loss of jobs, financial difficulties, wars etc. We are the children of the Earth and I believe that if we were kinder to others, giving love instead of violence we could make this a better place. We need to learn to give more and hurt less.

 

Love & Light & Do no harm,

Katrina

July, 2009

It's wonderful to see somebody trying to get the message out of Do No Harm. What does it mean to me? It means on a physical, mental and spiritual level I should try to minimize any actions or thought processes that intentionally try to do harm. However, I'm only human and that means I'm bound to have temptations in which I wish to cause harm. Physically, I've not harmed anybody intentionally since I was a kid when I got picked on a few times. Mentally, now that's a different story and I've not managed to be perfect in this department at all. Who is? However, I'm consciously trying to change my thought processes so that I don't get the urge to think bad things of people. It's hard work, it's really hard work but every little time I resist the urge to think bad things means that it becomes easier next time round to not think bad things.

I've done a lot of research into the phenomenon known as the Near Death Experience, you know the one with the bright light at the end of the tunnel thing. Sure, mainstream media takes the proverbial out of such things, but when you research into the masses and masses of anecdotal evidence you begin to wonder that there might be something to it. One of the main underlying things that has come out of my research is that my actions have a ripple effect on others. So, if it's a bad thing I've done, it has a bad ripple effect on others and I not only affect the person I've done something wrong to, but I may also affect that person's thought process in a bad way, which in turn may affect his/her actions towards somebody else.

This concept of a ripple action is a powerful influence on me today to try and Do No Harm. I try and think less bad things these days, I try and prevent animals and insects from being harmed (like removing worms from my drive after a rainstorm so that I don't run over them) and above all, I try and spread the message of Do No Harm through my actions. Is it working? For me it is, as I'm comfortable knowing that the little ripples of kindness and doing no harm I practice these days is pushing those little ripples out further and further.

Mike Bright

 

September, 2008

 

I first heard the Do No Harm message more than a year ago. The concept wasn’t new, of course, but the combination of timing, context, and the way the message was put together seemed new and fresh to me.

 

I didn’t immediately “join” the movement or ask for free stuff. I let it sink in for a few months, absorbing it the way a rag sops up spilled milk, slowly drinking it in, spreading across my entire surface and deep inside until I was dripping with Do No Harm.

 

Over the last year, my understanding of Do No Harm has changed – evolved, actually. At first, I was gung-ho to change the world, convincing everyone I met that we could Do No Harm together and all beings would live in harmony and the earth would be returned to its previous splendor.

 

I still feel that we can work together and change ourselves and the world around us. What I now know, however, is that we can’t actually do no harm; not in today’s modern, global, complex socio-economy. Perhaps, we never could.

 

In almost everything we do, we do harm. I’m harming the planet right now writing this message on my laptop. I’m using electricity that originates at a coal-fired generator, spewing greenhouse gases and fine particulate matter into our atmosphere. In a small way, I may be adding enough pollution to the atmosphere that an elderly woman somewhere with emphysema will die on a “smog alert” day. I won’t even go into the process of making the laptop – the water usage, the effluent, the plastics, the corporate greed, etc.

 

Sometimes, when my actions seem noble, such as when I brew my fair trade, organic coffee at home, helping a Costa Rican coffee picker send his daughter to school for the first time, I am still causing harm. The coffee traveled to me by plane or ship, using fossil fuels, packaged in plastic and foil, that can’t be recycled in most areas.

 

Even spreading the Do No Harm message causes harm. The buttons, bumper stickers, decals, wrist bands, and websites, use scarce resources and cause pollution. There are also well-intentioned people selling Do No Harm stuff, feeding into our base consumer instincts.

 

My message may sound dark and hopeless but this understanding has actually given me more hope and cause for celebration. Rather than take the gargantuan step of trying to figuratively jump over the Grand Canyon, which is always impossible, I take small steps to improve my own relationships, my local community, and eventually someday, the world. This seems to be, and indeed is, easier and brings me considerably more joy at the end of the day.

 

I have been practicing meditation for a number of years but this past summer, I officially became a Buddhist and took the precepts (Jukai) in the Soto Zen tradition. Among the precepts, are what are the called the three pure precepts: do no harm, do only good, and do good for others.

 

As I was preparing for Jukai, I was considering my participation in helping spread the Do No Harm message. It was particularly moving for me when I vowed to “do no harm” in front of the abbot, my sensei, the sangha, and especially my wife and children.

 

At the risk of sounding “preachy,” I offer these ten tips for doing no (or at least, less) harm.

 

1. Walk or ride your bike to work or school.
2. Find out the name of the person who serves you coffee at your favourite cafe, call them by name when you order your coffee, and then thank them for what they do!
3. Next time you’re frustrated because your two-year-old wants to change into her sixth outfit in four minutes, hug her and let her pick another one.
4. Buy as much local as you can but continue to purchase your bananas, pineapples, dates, figs, mangos, etc.  Farmers in South America, the Middle East, the Caribbean need an income to feed their families too.
5. Fly less.
6. Love more.
7. Find a community to practice your chosen wisdom tradition with (studies indicate that people who attend church, synagogue, mosque, temple, etc. are happier and healthier).
8. Talk to your neighbour.
9. Consume responsibly. People forget that the first “R” in reduce, re-use, recycle is the most important one.
10. Cultivate a Do No Harm attitude. And, when you do some harm to others or our planet, don’t harm yourself about it – just vow to do better next time.

These are very personal rules. The may not have universal appeal. Take them with as many grains of salt as you need. And, above all, do no harm!

 

Shawn Cleary

Dartmouth, N.S., Canada

July, 2008

Do No Harm is one of those wonderful impossible ideals that inspire us.  "Cease from ill; Do only good; Do good for others. Purify your mind." As what the Japanese call "bombu" i.e. ordinary fallible beings of wayward passion and boundless karma we all do harm while wishing to do less of it and it always helps to have that aspiration strengthened as it is by the love of our friends. The key is to embrace, to esteem all that is in our world as best we can. Esteem and embrace the other. All forms of enlightenment are intended to help us become open to others. Shakyamuni became enlightened when he saw the morning star - our life is full of such stars and if we can allow each thing to be a star it will start to glow and our world will be full of new light.

These days there is a strong tendency to see everything in selfish terms.  The reason for doing something is, apparently to be located in the good that will come back to us. No doubt good does come back... however, it is just possible that the impulse to love is actually more fundamental in our lives than the impulse to gain. Whether it is true or not, simply thinking so makes huge difference to one's life. How lucky we all are to have such a beautiful world full of loveable beings of so many kinds.

Dharmavidya (David Brazier)

June, 2008

Do No Harm

So, what does it mean to 'Do No Harm'?  Is it even possible to do no harm?  These are probably standard questions asked of ourselves (or of others) when contemplating the Do No Harm concept.

What does Do No Harm mean?

Within myself, I have come up with this definition:

Do No Harm represents a conscious decision to minimize suffering.  It is a movement for positive change in the world through the cultivation of kindness.

Note that this definition does not state that no harm is ever done, 'just' minimized and that minimization requires conscious and mindful thought.  I also see it as a movement for positive change.  I personally believe that positive and quite possibly, radical change is necessary in the world.  It might sound strange, but something as simple as cultivating kindness seems pretty radical to me considering our collective recent history.  For me, it is this movement towards kindness that will bring positive change, a change which involves doing less harm, as individuals and as a collective human race.

Is it possible to Do No Harm?

Within myself, I can answer both yes and no to this question.

Yes, it is possible to do no harm in a specific situation e.g. someone gets angry with you and you walk away.  This is avoiding harm through non-retaliation. 

No, because I don't believe it is possible to do absolutely no harm.  We harm daily without even realizing it. As humans, I don't believe we can avoid harming completely, although we can most certainly take action to minimize it.   It's this minimization of harm that represents the action component of the DNH message, for me at least.

Have a think about your daily activities.  Do you drive a car?  That's harming the environment by releasing pollutants into the atmosphere.  Do you walk on the grass?  That's probably squashing some poor ants.  Do you write on paper?  Trees and/or a lot of water have gone into making the paper, so there's harm to the environment.  Do you have a shower?  There's a precious resource flowing down the drain, meaning less drinking water for people.

Now, some of these common activities can be seen as a necessary side-effect of living as a human being in our age.  And on that basis alone, some people will abandon the concept of Do No Harm.  It is resignation like this, ultimately rooted in ignorance and arrogance, which (I believe) is one of the greatest contributing factors to the harm done in our world.

I believe that people are inherently 'good' (whatever that means) and generally do not like doing harm.  However, I also believe we are almost conditioned not to consider the full implications of our actions and therefore do not fully consider our choices.

In other words, we don't want to harm, but then again, harm has almost become a habit for humanity, so ingrained that we can barely even consider it as anything other than 'normal'.

Imagine we are all on a path to a better world.  Do No Harm (of itself) is not the path, but it is an important signpost.

Matthew Searle

June, 2008

Do No Harm? What the hell is that supposed to mean?

It’s impossible to do no harm. You can’t even survive without harming things. It’s an absurd rule to even try to live by. So I say, “Do harm.” Harm everything you come into contact with.

When the doctor smacked your ass right after you were born you most assuredly shouted, “DO NO HARM!!!” as loudly and as articulately as you could. You shouted it just as loudly as every obnoxious doofus who’s ever been offended by something I’ve written. Yet without that slap on the ass none of those whiners would have lived long enough to read any of that stuff. We sometimes have to do harm. Let me rephrase that. It’s not just sometimes. We always have to do harm. Every moment of every day. It is your duty in this life to be as harmful and hurtful as you possibly can. Don’t shirk your duty.

It is your God-given responsibility to occupy the space you were allotted in this world and to act according to the nature that God granted you. In order to fulfill your responsibility you’re going to have to kick some ass. So get out there and do it.

Just don’t get mislead by the idea that you are in any way separate from the things and people you harm. You must not only do harm, you must feel the harm that you do fully and completely, too.

You don’t have to have any kind of mystical power or deep insight to feel the harm you do to others. Just pay a little bit of attention and it’s obvious. Watch faces carefully. Watch your own bodily reactions closely. It’s all reflected clear as day.

Do harm, but do it carefully. Otherwise you could get hurt.

Brad Warner

May, 2008

“First, Do No Harm”

The thought, "I can do harm" has, from time to time, made me second guess myself, hold myself back, avoid others. The belief, "They can do harm" keeps me in judgment, separate, afraid. I've questioned these thoughts a lot, which creates some peace around the subject; and in no way does this keep me from doing what I can to reduce harm, or being an advocate for that which appears to do a lot of good. I'm all for activism that arises out of clarity rather than fear and anger; it's no good if I am in fact doing harm in the name of stamping out harm! (: some people who call themselves animal rights activists recently invaded the home of a UC Santa Cruz biomedical researcher's home, and have made other threats.)

So I hope you will join me in supporting the Do No Harm - um, I don't know what to call it: movement? Awareness? Club? It costs nothing to do so; they won't even take a monetary donation. In fact, the site states, "if you think you're a member, you're a member. If you think you're not a member, you're an honorary member." Gotta love it!

The site will list you as a co-author of their message, should you agree to it, and they'll gladly send you some nice free stuff to distribute—bumper stickers, buttons, decals, wrist bands and the like—with the message, "Do No Harm."

It occurs to me that there is no way to do absolutely no harm. I don't sweep the ground before I walk on it; who knows how many little plants and insects I've crushed? I'm sure that some, if not most of the textiles and furniture in my home were made under poor working conditions. I'm typing this on a keyboard with plastic components, likely not recycled, and the computer itself sends out rays which may be harmful.

This doesn't mean we (I) can't be more conscious; to at least be aware of how we can reduce, if not entirely eliminate, doing harm, even that which is inadvertent.

It's actually quite easy to reduce the amount of harm we do: for instance, by not buying water in plastic bottles (I read recently that 70% of water bottles go to landfill, even with recycling); by stopping to breathe and calm down before lashing out at our children; by not creating toxicity in our own bodies with foods that have chemical additives; by walking, biking, carpooling, or taking public transportation when possible, in order to reduce our carbon footprint; by eating lower on the food chain; by trying to purchase goods from companies with demonstrable commitment to their employees and to the environment.

With a little education ("When we know better, we do better." —Maya Angelou), a little awareness, and a little effort, we can do a lot less harm. "Do No Harm;" I can't think of a better way to capsulize the life I would like to live. I know I can be doing a lot more personally to reduce harm, and I am grateful for the reminder.

©2008 by Carol L. Skolnick; all rights reserved.

April, 2008

Our alcoholic friends have a little prayer that asks God to grant us the wisdom to distinguish the things we can control from the things we can't. One thing we can control is the intention we bring to our lives. Finding our direction as human beings doesn't require any special knowledge or experiences. What's needed is an open-minded inquiry into why we do what we do. Why do I eat every day? Why do I live in this world?

If we're honest, we must admit that we don't know the meaning or purpose of our existence; therefore, we must choose. The Buddhist tradition passed down through the centuries offers a suggestion, a life-direction that we can try out. The tradition says that our true job is to "help all beings." How we help is infinitely varied according to circumstance. Regardless of the particulars, "help all beings" points to an intention or direction to bring into each new situation.
Our efforts to help may appear to succeed or fail (we'll never know for sure), but in either case, the intention remains the same: to continue trying in this very moment.

Long ago in China, the Golden Rule was first expressed in negative terms: if we don't want something done to ourselves, then we must refrain from doing it to others. Just so, there's a certain elegance to stating "help all beings" in negative terms: "do no harm." This phrasing suggests that compassion isn't some new thing we need to get from outside, and add to our original nature. Perhaps we already have compassion hidden inside. Maybe we can discover and put down whatever hinders this compassion from shining through.

Our compassion gets obscured when we cling to ideas of I/my/me, "I want to get something." We unconsciously draw lines with our thinking, separating me from you, us from them from the world. Originally, none of these distinctions and divisions exist. Before thinking, there's no separation. When we let go of I/my/me, seeing it as just thinking, then helpfulness/harmlessness functions naturally. It's like scratching your nose when it itches. Just as when you're hungry, you eat... when someone else is hungry, give them food. I can pay attention to how I cling to my own wants, ideas, and opinions; I can perceive how this hinders the flow of compassion.

Middle-aged people like me sometimes walk into a room to get something, and then forget why we're there. Our lives seem to be like this also. We can get so lost in the mechanics of survival that we forget why we're living at all. So again and again we can remind ourselves of the meaning and purpose we've chosen for our lives: to do no harm.

Stuart

April, 2008

I had an email at the end of last week with a link to a website called Do No Harm. A nice idea, simple and uncontroversial, and the Internet is an ideal place for it. Who knows, it might be catching...

Actually, it's Buddhism in a nutshell. The Ten Commandments? Who needs them, when they can be condensed into this exquisitely simple injunction, much easier to remember and less forbidding than all those "Thou shallt nots." I think it's probably the best of all religions in a nutshell--at least of the original spirit of all religions, if not their interpretation by fanatical followers.

All it involves is a certain measure of consciousness. Too often, the harm we do comes from our thoughtless acts, or actions when raw feelings--anger, for example, or fear--surge up and overpower the natural balance of the conscious mind. Road rage provides us with an excellent, if perhaps overly dramatic example. I don't know about you, but the same kind of things tend to happen in small scale all the time in my daily life--as when I hurt a friend with a casual, thoughtless remark.  Or think about gossip--a by no means harmless habit that most of us indulge in without giving our words a second thought.

So doing no harm becomes a continuing series of choices, an exercise of the will, a practice, the results of which is--guess what?--not only better relationships with those I chose not to hurt and greater well-being for that which I choose not to harm, but greater happiness for me! I feel more at ease with the world, less stress, more comfortable in my skin. I recommend the practice to anyone wanting to improve the quality of their life. Try it out this Monday morning: Do No Harm! And see how much better the week will be...

Peter Clothier

March, 2008

7 Billion Friends Wanted!

After reading over all the Reflections sent to us over the last year or two, it became apparent everyone has their different take on what do no harm means, and therefore what the do no harm message is about.

That's a good thing really; as the message should, and must be a personal one.

What got me thinking about this is recently Clyde and I were asked why we wrote the do no harm essay.

Surprisingly enough; at least to me, I struggled with writing the answer. I thought it would be easy and come naturally.

I made the mistake of not looking deep within my own soul, but instead searched my memory attempting to dredge what I was doing, and what I was thinking about, the moment the Do No Harm thought worked it's way into my conscious mind.

I tried to write something that would sound and feel spiritually moving and profound.... another mistake. The first answer was an honest attempt, but not honest enough.

After stripping away all the rhetoric and over dramatization, what the answer really boils down to is quite simple and totally honest.

I wish to live in a kinder and more compassionate world.

That's it.

That is the answer that came from my soul, and that simple honest answer is more spiritually moving and more profound than anything else I did, or could ever, write.

And to me, that is what the do no harm movement is about... creating a kinder and more compassionate world.

We can philosophize and meditate about what do no harm means, and delve ever deeper into the essence of doing no harm, but the simple truth is, all that philosophy and meditation, all that searching for the essence, means little without a kind and compassionate world to practice in.

If we are to create a kinder and more compassionate world, our simple message of “do no harm” must make its way into the hearts and minds of those who need it the most – all 7 billion of us


I have many friends of all different religions, beliefs, backgrounds, politics, social status and just about any other diversity you care to think of. When we get together, we do so as friends, and we enjoy each others company in spite of everything else. Yeah, we argue a bit, but we all respect each other and our differences. In fact, I think it just may be our differences we enjoy about each other most.

But one thing we all know; if one falls down, the rest will extend a helping hand. If one is under duress, we all will come to their rescue.

We know and trust each other not to take advantage, or do any harm.

That is the kind of world we should and must have.

In that kind of world doing no harm is not a hard thing to do, it's not something we even have to think about, it just comes naturally, in fact, in a world of friends doing no harm is easy.

We need a world of 7 billion friends.

Do No Harm

Chuck Keiser

February, 2008

“All we can do is as little harm as possible.”

the buddha said "it's easy to be bad, much harder to be good."

i've heard that lots of things make the world go 'round:

"money makes the world go 'round"

"love makes the world go 'round"

"people make the world go 'round"

but those things are all wrong- what really "makes the world go 'round" is the second law of thermodynamics. the second law says that everything always cools down and heats up in the direction that's the easiest. take your morning liquids- the orange juice always gets a little warmer and the coffee always gets colder- it's just physically easier for the molecules to either slow down or speed up to reach equilibrium with the room around them.

it's easier.

easy to be bad, harder to be good.

people are always observing the second law- rolling down hill, as it were- doing what's easier. rushing past each other not saying a word not making eye contact not thinking about each other. easier not to involve yourself with what's going on around you. easier to just keep turning your eyes away and never asking  "can i use a little energy to make someone else's life better?"

we hurtle down the freeway absorbed in our own lives, paying little concern to other drivers on the road- we yell and scream behind the wheel. eventually we climb out of the car and hurtle into our offices where, heads down, we shuffle about our day. it's just easier. it's easier not to pay attention. easier not to care.

"do no harm" challenges you to look beyond what is easy.

imagine if the coffee could lend a little of its energy to help the orange juice stay cooler. that could be nice. and human beings don't have to oblige the second law. we are more than the sum of our molecules. we have a choice.

i can lend a small amount of energy to those around me, maybe increasing the happy in comparison to the misery- i can smile at them when i walk in. i can say please and thank you. hold a door open, maybe carry some groceries for someone with a cast on their arm. there are opportunities everywhere to do less harm if you take the slightly less easy path of being aware.

you don't have to join a religion or cult or political party. you don't have to pay a membership fee. just use your button, bracelet or bumper sticker to remind yourself.

and you can try to be just a little more kind in your life and we can be like a row of dominoes- i touch you, you touch someone else... eventually it won't be "so hard" for people to be kind because we will have influenced the temperature of the room- then we can reclaim the second law for ourselves.

lyndse rae faba

February, 2008

“If you think you're not a member, you're an honorary member.”

If we are aware of it or not, we are all part of the same reality. Each single one of us is affecting the whole universe with each of their actions. There is no way for us to excuse ourselves from this responsibility.

Sometimes we cause harm by not doing what needs to be done, and sometimes we seem to create even more harm by doing what we think is the best we can do, done with the best intentions. Being part of the same reality, we do not share the same view about this reality. The strength of the rule to do no harm is, in my opinion, that it teaches us to take the backward step that turns the light and shines it inwards.

Religions and ethic codes teach us to practice good and refrain from evil. And still, "we seem to be living in a world that is getting less hospitable every day". Is it because we do not have good enough intentions?  Or is it because "the others" do not share our beliefs? Is it because we do not practice what we preach? Is it because we aim for a wrong end, or is it because we're using the wrong means? Is it because our means contradicts the end? Is it because we try to change the world before we change ourselves? Is it because we do not push ourselves hard enough, or is it because we push ourselves in the entirely wrong direction? Maybe we should stop pushing altogether?

 

There maybe no clear answer. What is important to me is not to forget the question.

Do no harm. How do I do that?

Muho, at Antaiji, Japan.