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| "Bravery," by Dazaunggee. |
Artist's Note
Dysfunction is a tool. In our dysfunction we can be masters over slaves – we can convince ourselves that to own people is the natural order of things. Elders become “senior citizens” - not to be cared for, but as commodities to be bought and sold for profit. Mental illness is a business. Emotional crises are a business. Dollars are made in medications. Being brave means much more than acting brave.
To heal you must be willing to open the door and have the courage to enter through, to see what needs to be changed and looked after. Courage is one of the grandfather/grandmother teachings - a vital, most important teaching. Without courage, healing old wounds will not happen. Without healing old wounds, your freedom is fenced in like a herd of cattle.
The two warriors compete. The false warrior attacks for personal gain, or because they are carrying irrational fear and jealousy. They smack you for looking at them the wrong way. They smack their spouse because someone looked at them. They seek to control everything, yet control nothing.
The true warrior acts in defense of peace. They attack only when truly threatened by forces or persons who pose a real danger to their tribe or families. They know themselves and feel no need to chase false enemies or create false enemies to further their own purposes.
Being brave means standing up for yourself or another despite fear. It means standing up for what YOU know is right – not for some belief or position someone else has established. You must look to the knowledge you have. Only by doing the work and accepting that personal knowledge can you be truly grounded and demonstrate bravery in all your actions and decisions. The courage you display will be genuine.
Dysfunction is a tool. In our dysfunction we can be masters over slaves – we can convince ourselves that to own people is the natural order of things. Elders become “senior citizens” - not to be cared for, but as commodities to be bought and sold for profit. Mental illness is a business. Emotional crises are a business. Dollars are made in medications. Being brave means much more than acting brave.
To heal you must be willing to open the door and have the courage to enter through, to see what needs to be changed and looked after. Courage is one of the grandfather/grandmother teachings - a vital, most important teaching. Without courage, healing old wounds will not happen. Without healing old wounds, your freedom is fenced in like a herd of cattle.
The two warriors compete. The false warrior attacks for personal gain, or because they are carrying irrational fear and jealousy. They smack you for looking at them the wrong way. They smack their spouse because someone looked at them. They seek to control everything, yet control nothing.
The true warrior acts in defense of peace. They attack only when truly threatened by forces or persons who pose a real danger to their tribe or families. They know themselves and feel no need to chase false enemies or create false enemies to further their own purposes.
Being brave means standing up for yourself or another despite fear. It means standing up for what YOU know is right – not for some belief or position someone else has established. You must look to the knowledge you have. Only by doing the work and accepting that personal knowledge can you be truly grounded and demonstrate bravery in all your actions and decisions. The courage you display will be genuine.