But there’s evidence she’s doing something few politicians ever even consider: deliberately training her mind to deal with the demands and uncertainties inherent in high-level public service. She’s actively reshaping her temperament to prepare for the Presidency.
Last fall, when the former secretary of state responded to nearly 11 hours of grating Republican questions in a House Benghazi Committee hearing, many commentators noted her discipline, thoroughness and “unearthly stamina.” When friendly members of Congress asked her about her secret to staying focused, even-keeled and alert amidst the endless onslaught, an NPR microphone caught her explaining that she practiced meditation during the times in the hearing when she didn’t need to speak.
This wasn’t out of the blue. Clinton has a longstanding interest in meditation practice and mindfulness. As first lady, she was even ridiculed by right-wing talk radio for bringing a contemplative teacher to the White House.
It is so sad that despite her interest in meditation practice she is just a bad person (I hope these are not only my Repubican sympathies speaking but rather a pretty obvious fact). It is even sadder that she has to compete with an even worse person for Presidency.
They are always good in some ways and bad in another, but if a politician can use meditation to help them fight, we ought to meditate and let go of our hindrances.
I would be happy to talk politics to you (I really would, I am a big politics fan ) but I am afraid it is not the most suitable place, so it will be my last post on the topic
Well, the Republican cult of guns is not necessarily my favourite thing about them. Still, I think a laxer gun control in Europe and possibly tougher gun control in the US could be benificial, but this is a subject that requires much research and cool-headed and unemotional discussion on both sides. If my intuition is proven wrong in the end, I will be very happy since I am not really a big weapon fan.
On the whole, I’m having the feeling the over-the-top emotions have become a hallmark of the modern public politics and this Democratic campaign in particular. Instead of collective thinking and evaluating which course of action will be most benificial ‘both for us and the others’, the politicians are trying to manipulate our emotions not really trusting our education and cognitive abilities - as if the disaster in the education were not their fault. True, Trump is overly emotional and not very rational too, but he is a rather… peculiar person who is in my opinion compeltely unsuitable for the Presidential office. However, the way the Democrats, media and Hillary talk about him shows they need a little bit more meditation in their lives
And the video I posted wasn’t meant as an attack on you. Your mention of republicans just reminded me of this real life add I saw yesterday…I mean…a guy running for governor sitting on a bench firing into a lake with a gatling gun with the words “PROTECT LIFE” sliding by underneath…it seems pretty hard for satire to keep up with real life nowadays
But you did talk politics with these statements (and more). We were talking about how she has survived decades of an often harrowing time for her in U.S. politics. Not about her policies, her actions, her history or even who she is as a person.
So why bring it up?
The best way to survive politics is to stay out of it
Politics is a breeding ground for division and disputation, and this can be seen very clearly in the Buddhist community, where people assume that every Buddhist HAS to have the same political affiliation, how could they not? after all the way I believe is the only way that fits with Buddhism!
the thicket of views… oi
anyways as far as I know, there are multiple politicians on both sides who meditate. Especially these days with the proliferation of mindfulness.
and to Cara - you know one COULD argue that Bhante actually brought up politics by making a post about Hillary Clinton all together. He did not endorse her politically, but bringing it up sets up the conditions for these things to arise.
Dear Ven Jayantha :anjal:
I wholeheartedly agree! Politics is nothing but trouble. Tis truly a thicket of views, a distraction one merely becomes seduced by with its promises of self righteousness and pride. However, perhaps not entirely dispensable.
I have to respectfully disagree with you that Bhante brought up politics. Depends how you see it. When I read it, what I saw was that he was highlighting how a woman in a grueling situation who has faced/is facing a lot of scrutiny has managed to get through it using meditation/mindfulness practices. The fact that she is a politician is not central to the point, in my mind, and her political views have nothing to do with it.
It’s very hard to know what’s going on in the individual mind of a person when confronted with a certain idea or image. Just the name ‘Hillary Clinton’ immediately conjures up different ideas that can affect our minds in different ways.
Actually, this post has relevance for me completely outside the world of politics. It set up conditions for me, but in a different way. I appreciate it because it depicts a woman being strong and standing up to persecution. One of my many personal flaws is that I let myself be held back out of fear of persecution and people not liking me. To the point of often becoming a self conscious, endlessly apologizing, sniveling, groveling wretch (This is verifiable! ). But even just posting here in Discourse, just speaking out, just practicing trying to form my arguments and have a voice actually helps me to develop my confidence the image to me is simply a reminder to be strong and stand up. So I hope this helps you understand why I like and defended the post - here is my bias! Of course you are allowed to respectfully disagree - don’t go easy on me now! I actually am just grateful for the opportunity of this experience! So thank you :anjal:
It’s interesting that Hillary is so often maligned and perceived as a bad person. Her husband in commenting on the effectiveness of Republican propaganda in tearing people down, stated that if you tell a lie loud enough and often enough, people will believe it. The GOP has used the approach quite effectively.
The people that know Hillary well, that have known her for a long time, uniformly describe her as a good person, who has been relentlessly dedicated to issues that concern her. One test of her character is her daughter; who appears to have been loved and nurtured and is a lovely person. Hillary seems to me a very intelligent, determined, and no-nonsense politician, who has her faults but is uniformly highly qualified for a job as a president, a federal judge, a law professor, or a legislator.
Our having this discussion illustrates for me the burden that women have, be it politics business or monastic life, to prove themselves competent and likable in the face of misogyny and prejudice. There really is a double standard, and we’ve suffered as a society by denying women access to the highest levels of life by subordinating brilliant women that were denied opportunities because they are women. I’d love to see the doors blown open in Thailand to allow women to fully ordain; this would mitigate the trend in Thailand of some high level abbots seeking money, position and power as a function of Wat monastic life, and perhaps return the Dhamma and the renunciant life example to the Thai Sangha and its lay people.
How does her gender have to do anything with my opinion about her and my criticism? Do you really think I don’t like her because she’s a woman? Seriously?
) but I am afraid it is not the most suitable place, so it will be my last post on the topic 
peculiar person who is in my opinion compeltely unsuitable for the Presidential office. However, the way the Democrats, media and Hillary talk about him shows they need a little bit more meditation in their lives 
:anjal: The world is a stressful and uncertain place for us all rn! 
). But even just posting here in Discourse, just speaking out, just practicing trying to form my arguments and have a voice actually helps me to develop my confidence 
I actually am just grateful for the opportunity of this experience! So thank you :anjal: