ARCHIVE: Partitioning and the Roots of Violence Group

Meets one Saturday per month by teleconference at 7:00 PM PST. See the Calendar for this month’s date.
Cost: By donation.
Join or find out more by filling in the Contact form.

What’s This About?

Partitioning is the emotional and spiritual act of setting up a wall or partition between yourself and another person or group.

Personal Partitions

Partitioning can be as personal as a separation between one part of yourself and another.  For me, I often experience inward struggles between the part of me that believes that people should be responsible for their own happiness and the part of me that wants to reach out and fix everything for people.   This can lead to violence in two different ways.  If I am operating from one extreme, I can turn my back on someone when they truly do need help.  If I am operating from the other extreme, I can try to control someone else’s life.  But, when I work to break down the partition between these two parts of me, I can come to a balance that includes both honoring a person’s choices and offering a loving hand.

Partitioning in Society

We’re exploring how we participate in the causes of violence in our society, as well as how we can shift within ourselves to co-create a more peaceful culture. We discuss partitioning in our society, in our relationships with friends and lovers, in our rejection of different types of people, and in our knee-jerk reactions to individuals we meet.

Partitioning can also happen in relationships.  How would it feel to be able to trust your partner or a family member completely?  How would your relationships change if there were nothing you held back?

Partitioning happens in the workplace.  I’ve actually been working with one of my Joyful Wisdom buddies about my experiences with partitioning between manager and employee.  What is at stake for me is finding a better way to be a manager.  Work places are usually set up with a system of partitioning, which often leads to violence and “power over” experiences.  My struggle has been finding ways to lay people off, collect money on delinquent accounts, delegate work and follow company policies without violence.  This is truly a difficult task.  While I’ve worked through some specific issues, there are still far more to address.

And, of course, on a more global scale, there are examples of partitioning and violence in our institutions, governments, cities, countries and our world.  Every day, partitions are set up to keep some people in and some people out.  This leads to violence on a global scale.

It’s Not Quite as Simple as That: Partitions Inside and Outside of You Are the Same

Whenever we set up such a partition, it also creates a partition inside of ourselves. What we most hate in other people typically reflects a part of ourselves that we’re also partitioned from.

What Do We Do in this Group?

The heart of all Joyful Wisdom Groups is a Joyful Wisdom Conversation—usually a Chrysalis. We are also developing an additional curriculum to go with the Chrysalis, such as practicing the Buddhist Tonglen Compassion Meditation as a group.

This group is about partitioning and separation and how it leads to violence.  I realize this is a very broad topic.  We talk about the topic in a broad sense at first and then move into specific areas of challenge in our lives, our families, our communities and our world.  Then, we make choices that help us tear down the partitions and bring more meaning and unity into our lives.

Will you join me?  Everyone is invited!

So, let’s change the world by starting a discussion about ways to tear down the partitions.

For an example of the insights available through participating in the Partitioning Group, please read our blog, “Practical Ways to Remove the Walls and Connect from the Heart.”

Phone in Details

Step 1: Phone +1-805-309-2350. (If you cannot use the phone, Skype FOR FREE to Turbobridge. Select: Turbobridge HD Conferencing.)

Step 2: Enter the conference code on your key pad: the numbers 2527489 or the letters “Clarity.” Note: To find the key pad in Skype, click the Call menu on the menu bar, and then select “Show Dial Pad.”