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The family in Crisis ABSTRACT In the Chinese language, the Chinese characters which mean ‘crisis’ and ‘opportunity’ are always written together. Crisis within families provide tremendous opportunities for the transformation of both individuals and the societies in which they live. How can a Buddhist practice facilitate change? How can those of us who practice Buddhism participate in the healing of families in crisis? What can we as individuals do? What are the specific, fundamental Buddhist Teachings which can benefit the professionals who work in the field of Domestic Violence and, thereby, benefit the clients they serve? Our Respected Thay has told us often, that once we become aware of suffering, to sit on a meditation cushion is not enough. We must act. In these times, the need for action is very great. The following are the main points to be discussed: She will discuss domestic violence, from her personal experience as the child of parents caught in a generational cycle of despair and violence AND as a woman, wife, and mother who continued the cycle. She will discuss her childhood gift of Insight and Understanding, as well as of strong, negative habit energies, both of which came from years of being the only child at home with two parents who were at war with one another. She will describe her personal liberation from the cycle of violence, liberation which is the fruit of her practice of the Eightfold Path. She will discuss some ways in which an understanding of the truths of Non-Self and Inter-Being can be helpful to those who work in the area of intervention and prevention of Domestic Violence, specifically law enforcement and social workers. She will give concrete examples of what Buddhist practitioners can offer to those who are living in families caught in violence, as well as those who are at-risk, due to negative habit energies and life styles which do not include a path of practice. BIOGRAPHY An American citizen and a native of a rural community in the state of South Carolina, Trish was born in 1941 and grew up in the segregated South where the population was evenly divided between Blacks and Whites. She lived the first 24 years of her life in a world of extreme social and legal racial inequities and prejudice, a world of shame and fear. She experienced considerable trauma during the first 17 years of her life. Following the death of a baby the year before her birth, her parents were sad and angry. There was constant verbal abuse between them and no signs of love. There was physical violence. Married at 17, Trish began a life that took her to distant places, out of the constant exposure to an environment filled with anger and despair. She became the mother of two sons and a daughter. She did not have mothering skills, but she did have a deep love for her children, and, today, enjoys a happy and loving relationship with them, thanks to her transformation through practice. After earning a university degree in Journalism, her career led to work with Educational Television and families in many minority communities, Asian, Hispanic, and African-American, throughout the United States, as well as the Atlantic and Pacific Islands and numerous Native American reservations. During this time, her marital relationship became a continuation of that of her parents. Now, she was caught in a life of Domestic Violence. Following the death of her mother, Trish found her way onto the Path through her years of participation in group ‘family-of-origin’ psychotherapy. She has practiced Buddhism for twelve years, ten of them as a student of the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh. She is a member of the Order of Inter-Being, and makes her home in Ha Noi where she is an active Sangha-builder. |
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