Margaret J. Wheatley: Benazir Bhutto, Slain December 27, 2007

A great warrior woman has fallen,
Her karuna sword raised so high they had to strike her down.

Many blame her for her vulnerability, lifting herself through the sunroof
exposing herself so readily to violence.

Those who loved her say:

"She believed in democracy, and she believed in speaking to the people. . . .It's not reckless to go out and touch the people."

"She was moving almost in a sea of humanity. No system in the world can protect you against that."

In that sea of humanity, faces loving, needing, trusting. . .
Tell me how could she not lift herself through the sunroof to know them?
What are skillful means in such a welcome sea?

Tibetan teachers say that northwest Pakistan is the home
of the ancient kingdom of Oddiyana,
a golden land that flourished long, long ago,
far before we believe
there was wisdom on this planet.

Even, perhaps, it was Shambhala. land of this prophecy:

"There comes a time when all life on Earth is in danger. Great barbarian powers have arisen. Although these powers spend their wealth in preparations to annihilate one another, they have much in common: weapons of unfathomable destructive power, and technologies that lay waste our world. In this era, when the future of sentient life hangs by the frailest of threads, the kingdom of Shambhala emerges.

Now the time comes when great courage–moral and physical courage–is required of the Shambhala warriors, for they must go into the very heart of the barbarian power, into the pits and pockets and citadels where the weapons are kept, to dismantle them. . . .The Shambhala warriors have the courage to do this because they know that these weapons are manomaya (manmade).

The warriors of Shambhala have weapons of their own

Compassion
Insight
And knowing who they are and what they must do.

So it was with Benazir Bhutto.
Against the darkening forces that now inhabit her homeland
She raised her Shambhala weapons through the sunroof
Piercing the clouds
For one brief shining moment.

May we remember who she was
May we recognize who we are

Do not squander your life

Karuna. Sanskrit for compassion, any action taken to reduce suffering, tempered with wisdom.

Margaret Wheatley is a well-respected writer, speaker, and teacher for how we can accomplish our work, sustain our relationships, and willingly step forward to serve in this troubling time. She has written six books: Walk Out Walk On (with Deborah Frieze, 2011); Perseverance (2010); Leadership and the New Science; Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future; A Simpler Way (with Myron Rogers); and Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time. Each of her books has been translated into several languages; Leadership and the New Science appears in 18 languages. She is co-founder and President emerita of The Berkana Institute, which works in partnership with a rich diversity of people and communities around the world, especially in the Global South. These communities find their health and resilience by discovering the wisdom and wealth already present in their people, traditions and environment (www.berkana.org). Wheatley received her doctorate in Organizational Behavior and Change from Harvard University, and a Masters in Media Ecology from New York University. She's been an organizational consultant since 1973, a global citizen since her youth, a professor in two graduate business programs, a prolific writer, and a happy mother and grandmother. She has received numerous awards and honorary doctorates. You may read her complete bio at http://margaretwheatley.com/bio.html, and may download any of her many articles (free) at http://margaretwheatley.com/writing.html.