Non-resistance per Gandhi and Martin Luther King in Your Own LIfe

[Ron Alexander]

Recently I have experienced a personal version of being non-resistant. This is quite an achievement for a retired captain, as I am used to and proud of being in control. However, controlling had become impossible lately, as my addicted nephew inherited the bulk of my Mom's estate. And I was his caregiver before she was hospitalized. I enjoyed control over him with "tough love" and with economic power. However, this ended with the inheritance. In fact, through the powers of the trust lawyer, he had the ability to make me homeless. And I did get a 30 day notice to leave this wonderful old beach house, but I called a bluff, as the probate was not finished. I emailed my nephew and offered him my half of the rental income of a small condo we had inherited together plus some encouraging words about his recovery. Much to my relief, he decided to stay in the area where the condo and the trust lawyer (who he gets a monthly income from) are located.
However, this meant he would have to come back to this house to move his belongings, and I was concerned about him taking what was not his and damaging the house with his moving out his big leather couch. The thermostat had been broken off when moving it into his bedroom. Added to this was the fact he was coming during an eight hour break between my weekend night work, and it is a vital sleeping time.
When he came, I had just fallen asleep, but the loud noises from moving kept me awake. Now, I wanted to put on my captain's hat, and direct the move, but I decided not to interfere. The move turned out perfect, and he even left a few things that I could use, and did no damage. It may sound like a small victory, but it was a relief to find that he could do things right without my direction. His messages have been less constricted (with anger) both on voice mail and email since then.

[Ron Alexander]

These are verses that seems to really work for non-resistance: "I say unto ye that ye resist not evil. & Be still and know.." and here is some writing from Ernest Holmes' Daily Wisdom (3-22-09):

"All good things are possible to the person who can perfectly practice non-action. There is something (a healing energy field) flowing in, around, and through all things that nothing can resist. Too often our way is resistance, as we try to change the outer before changing the inner.
Disregarding (denying) everything that seems to contradict Reality in which I live, I affirm that Spirit is operating in my life.
Turning resolutely from everything that denies the good I wish to experience, I affirm the good. There is no situation or condition that resists this transcendent thought; for I proclaim the omnipotence of God, the guidance of Mind that proclaims all things, and the peace that is beyond any confusion."

From Byron Katy: "Confusion is the basis of all suffering."
From A Course in Miracles: "Need do nothing."
From Chinese philosophy: "The way to do is to be."

I am committing to be more of a human being than a human "doing."

[Victor Strange]

Acceptance is the path of least resistance; acceptance does not mean you agree or endorse, simply that you need not argue, be right, or correct another since you are able to respect their Truth.
Thanks for you post Ron.

[Ron Alexander]

Victor Strange said:

Acceptance is the path of least resistance; acceptance does not mean you agree or endorse, simply that you need not argue, be right, or correct another since you are able to respect their Truth.
Thanks for you post Ron.

Thanks for your wise answer, Victor and I researched for a 12 step article called "Acceptance is the Answer to All my Problems Today". I have not located it yet, however, I did find this about "Truth (love) Force":

Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Coretta, his beloved wife, wrote: "Martin Luther King Jr.'s theological belief in the interdependence , of all life inevitably led to the methods for social change advocate as well as his adversary. Christ gave us the goals, he would often say, and Mahatma Gandhi provided the tactics."

On page 150-151 in hi book Strength to Love, Dr. King writes of his fascination with the Gandhian concept of “Love (Truth) Force” and the great success of non-violent resistence in India. In Montgomery, Alabama in 1954, "as a pastor, at the beginning of the protest, the people called me in to be their spokesman. In accepting this responsibility, my mind consciously or unconsciously, was driven back to the Sermon on the Mount and the Gandhian method of nonviolent resistence. This principle became the guiding light of our movement. Christ furnished the Spirit and motivation and Gandhi furnished the method."Dr. King wrote of his trip to India to: "My privilege of traveling to India had a great impact on me personally, for it was invigorating to see firsthand the amazing results of a nonviolent struggle to achieve independence. The aftermath of hatred and bitterness that usually follows a violent campaign was found nowhere in India, and a mutual friendship, based on complete equality, existed between the Indian and British people within the Commonwealth."

In the next paragraph, "…the nonviolent approach does something to the hearts and souls of those committed to it. It gives them new self-respect. It calls up resources of strength and courage that they did not know they had. Finally, it so stirs up the conscience of the opponent that reconciliation becomes a reality."

[Ron Alexander]

I saw a fascinating old English movie (20's or 30's) called "Captain Boycott". It was a true story about 1900's Ireland who were under English rule - the big landowners were English and the Irish were "peasants" and worked for the landowners. Captain Boycott was a very harsh landowner and treated his many servants and "sharecroppers" ruthlessly. He was even evicting some from their farms when they did not meet their quota for crops, which was really hard to do at that time. The peasants formed their own army, but had a hard tiime getting guns, as the "His Majesties'" police did not even have them.
A local parish priest encouraged the rebellious peasants to go to listen to a "Land Reform" speaker - a "Mr. Padgett". The sceptical peasants, who had listened to many of these types of speakers, carried rotten tomatoes and eggs with them to the speech. However, what they heard made rational sense - "to shun the landowners ' - all of the peasants were directed to quit working for Capt. Boycott. To make a long story short, the concept worked as this forced Capt. Boycott into bankruptcy and out of Ireland. Hence the word "boycott".
This peaceful resistance was prior to Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther, so possibly the Irish were the first non-resistance winners?