The theme of the moment deals with “wrongful conviction” — what can we do when we are wrongfully accused (or even wrongfully punished) for actions we did not commit.

First of all, re-member that there are no “wrong” choices, only intentions underlying choices that are either self-centered (ultimately bringing us dis-ease) or selfless (ultimately bringing us Harmony).  As such, whenever I am wrongfully accused of anything (which does still happen from time to time), I remember to pause and consciously weigh my response thereto.  If I attempt to defend myself, my defense will go primarily on deaf ears; and will often serve to entrench the false beliefs of my accusers.   Even if I attempt to do so in order to spare them the suffering that comes from falsely accusing me, the more strenuously I deny their criticisms, the more avidly they tend to cling to them.  This is simply a fundamental psychological phenomenon.

And so we must pause in such moments and ask ourselves:  what can I do in this moment that will have an effect that is both positive and practical.  In my personal experience, attempting to alter another person’s mis-perceptions is almost always a losing battle.  And yet we can do a few things to make it easier for our accusers to see their error — we can smile and respond compassionately with “Is that so?”; we can smile in compassionate silence (and continue to show the other their error with our caring actions); we can smile and ask our accuser if he/she would like to know the deeper Truth about you (and when they reject that offer, smile in compassionate silence).

You see, our “job” here in this amazing life is not to fix anything or correct anyone else.  It is not to “show people who we really are”.  Our actions do this, and another’s inability to truly See those actions means certainly that they will not be able to truly Hear our words.  No, in such moments it only our opportunity to send the misguided our compassion, and then go on showing them our True Self via acts of gentle kindness.  That is all …

And what about those languishing in prison after being wrongfully convicted?  Over half of our prison population in the United States are serving sentences for crimes they did not commit.  What are they to do that can be both positive and practical?  Fighting to “clear their names” has proven to be ineffective, as has convincing others verbally that they are innocent.

While I cannot offer advice to others specifically (we each have our own unique challenges in life), I can offer the following enhancement of perspective:  if I were wrongfully thrown into jail I would choose to nobly remain in prison (while maintaining my innocence whenever asked by another) and use my time to serve others who are suffering therein.

Staying in prison despondently (hopelessness), fighting the “injustice” our wrongful conviction (indignation) or copping to a “lesser charge” from a desire to “be free” (selfishness) all lead to a deeper, spiritual imprisonment.  So I would simply pause instead and make sure that no such self-centered motives tainted my choices before I made them … And then I would choose to be kind regularly throughout each day.

Filed under: simple Answers to tough Questions by Scaughdt