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Quote by Martin Luther King Jr.

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Martin Luther King Jr.

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“When I was in Vietnam, so many of our villages were being bombed. Along with my monastic brothers and sisters, I had to decide what to do. Should we continue to practice in our monasteries, or should we leave the meditation halls in order to help the people who were suffering under the bombs? After careful reflection, we decided to do both--to go out and help people and to do so in mindfulness. We called it engaged Buddhism. Mindfulness must be engaged. Once there is seeing, there must be acting. Otherwise, what is the use of seeing?”

ActionMeditationMindfulnessActivismVietnamVietnam War
Book:Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
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“The truth is, I do have a chance to fight for something in the place I came from. Something akin to what I continue to fight and hope for in America. Something bigger than myself. And yet, I stay. It's a decision I continue to make, one that continues to haunt me. And even if it is a choice, there's no weight in it. It's meaningless apart from selfish intent.”

AmericaPoliticsActivismSelfishnessAmerican DreamImmigration Experience
Book:Socialist Realism
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“Army of Lovers (The Sonnet) What's needed is an army of lovers, To set this world on fire, A fire that burns prejudice to ashes, And sparks a humanitarian desire. Lovers devoted to the path of sacrifice, Pure and chaste serving without reward, Pursuing the one impossible dream, The dream of humanizing the entire world. Not a trace of self within, Not a kernel of self-obsession, Uncorrupted and unbending to the bone, Wake up and be the living ascension. Drink from the fountain of service effulgent. Annihilated for others we turn omnipresent.”

SacrificePoemPrejudiceHumanismHumanitarianActivismService Of HumanityActivistSelflessSonnet
Book:Heart Force One: Need No Gun to Defend Society
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“You can’t run away from this fight. You can’t hide. You can’t pretend it’s not happening. You can’t pray it goes away. You can’t close your eyes and ignore it. You can’t bury your head in the sand. You’re in this war whether you like it or not. If you’re a dove, you had better get real and evolve into a retaliator. You need to fight back. You need to stand up for yourself and your cause. You need to stop being lunch. Stop being nice and polite. Your enemies aren’t. Stop being weak and meek. Your enemies aren’t. Stop being humble and respectful of all opinions. Your enemies aren’t. Stop being gentlemanly or ladylike. This is a dirty war. We have all been dragged into the gutters and sewers. You need to fight your way out or drown in shit. Retaliate. Don’t sit there and take it. Stop being a pussy. Become a lion and roar. Let the world hear your voice.”

ActionCommitmentActivismTolerancePassivityCause Movement
Book:Take Them to the Morgue
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“No movement can succeed if it is populated by the half-hearted, the weak-willed, those who can always find other things to do with their time, whose priority is always themselves. These are the Ignavi. Go and be a liability to someone else. Hyperianism wants the finest, not the worst. If you can’t be serious about committing to something, don’t bother. Just go back to bed and let the world pass you by.”

EffortMovementActiveActivismPassiveIgnaviHyperianism
Book:Take Them to the Morgue
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