Non-Retaliation as a Spiritual Practice - Dave Richo

In what ways do we engage in retaliation in our relationships? How can we let go of this urge?In this talk, Dave Richo defines retaliation as reacting equally to the harm that was initiated against us; revenge on the other hand is a magnified form of retaliation. He looks at what various spiritual traditions have to say about retaliation. From a psychological view, we often dream of revenge so that we won't have to face the grief that we are feeling. Dave holds that the urge to retaliate is a normal impulse, one that we inherited from our ancestors who survived by fighting back against those who hurt them. However many spiritual masters encourage us to work in overcoming this natural tendency. Ultimately, letting go of this urge makes room for higher qualities in us to blossom, including mercy and forgiveness that may actually transform the perpetrator. ______________ David Richo, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, writer, and workshop leader. He shares his time between Santa Barbara and San Francisco, California. Dave combines psychological and spiritual perspectives in his work. His latest book is "Ready: How to Know When to Go and When to Stay." (Shambhala, 2022). The website for books, talks, and events is www.davericho.com. ______________  To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/There you can:   Donate  Learn how to participate live  Find our schedule of upcoming speakers  Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy over 900 recorded talks dating back to 1995CREDITSAudio Production: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter