On Being a Shit-Stirrer

Last night, some old friends of mine happened to be in my city for business and I had the opportunity to have dinner with them. Since a few of those friends were spiritual people, our conversation ended up turning to spiritual topics, and at some point the topic of Buddhadasa came up. One friend of mine said that Buddhadasa was an insightful teacher, but was unfortunately also a huge shit-stirrer, and that this is why he has such a controversial reputation. In response to this, another friend of mine pointed out that being a shit-stirrer isn't inherently bad, and that it can even be a good thing. In the case of Buddhadasa, it seemed that he was doing good by being a shit-stirrer. 

I thought this was very interesting. I actually agree that being a shit-stirrer isn't inherently bad, and that it can even be a good thing. It depends largely on one's intent. Sure there are plenty of unwholesome reasons one could try to stir shit up, but there are also legitimate reasons to stir shit up. In fact, many of the prophets in the Old Testament, whom Bardon says were advanced Quabblists, were huge shit-stirrers. Jesus Christ, whom Bardon obviously had a high degree of reverence for, was also a huge shit-stirrer. Seriously. And since we Christians are called to imitate Christ, doesn't this mean there's a good chance we too should occasionally stir shit up? Jesus didn't spend 100% of his time stirring shit up, and neither should we. But he stirred shit up when he knew it was the right thing to do, and I think Christians also ought to stir shit up when it is the right thing to do. 

The thing is, being a shit-stirrer can actually be hard. Buddhadasa is considered a controversial figure, and back when he was alive and teaching, there were numerous people who didn't like him. These days, Jesus is an extremely revered figure, but back when he was alive and teaching, he was also controversial and there were numerous people who didn't like him either. Some of those people hated him so much they tried to have him killed. If you're not an author or teacher with a large following, it can be difficult to stir shit up, since you don't have enough influence to really stir shit up. But when you're an author or teacher with a large following, you can really stir shit up. Your popularity might diminish, but here's the thing. What is the point of having a large following if you fail to use your status and influence for good? Also, is one's popularity more valuable than one's integrity? One of the wisest people I know is an old physics professor of mine, and one life lesson he really ingrained into my mind back when I was his student is that nothing in life is worth more than your integrity. To have integrity means to live according to your values. If you value righteousness but you don't stir shit up when it is the right thing to do, then do you not lose some of your integrity?

Every week at the beginning of Mass, I say a prayer called the Confiteor. In this prayer, I acknowledge that I have sinned "in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do." I think the underlying lesson of this part of the prayer is very important. Doing something you're not supposed to do is not the only way to sin. Failing to do something you're supposed to do is also a way to sin. And if the right thing to do is to be a shit-stirrer but you fail to do that, perhaps because you don't want to develop a controversial reputation, lose your popularity, or get stoned and crucified... well, that would be a sin, would it not? 

In the manhwa Tower of God, there are two characters - Bam and Yuri - who are shit-stirrers. Because they are shit-stirrers, there are many people who dislike them and are even trying to kill them. However, they are the protagonists. They are the good guys. The manhwa makes it clear that what the world needs is for shit to get stirred up, so shit-stirrers like Bam and Yuri are just what the world needs. It's the reason they were brought into the world.

When I made my list of New Year's resolutions earlier this year, becoming more of a shit-stirrer wasn't on the list. And I'll be honest, I really don't feel inclined to become more of a shit-stirrer - it seems tiring. But as I'm sure you know by now, I'm very interested in the subject of mindfulness, and putting more effort into cultivating mindfulness was on my list of New Year's resolutions. Perhaps part of being more mindful is being more mindful of opportunities to stir shit up? I know, I know, it sounds crazy. Even as I write this, I can't help but think "WTF am I even writing right now?" But you know what? There are huge problems in the world in general, and there are also problems in the esoteric/occult world. The status quo is pretty bad, but it's not going to change unless there are people who have both the courage to stir shit up as well as the wisdom needed to stir shit up in a way that actually does good instead of merely creating chaos. So let's be courageous and wise shit-stirrers.

On a final note, I want to say that I really have to hand it to William Mistele. If you're a long-time reader of William's writings, then you know he can be a bit of a shit-stirrer. The latest shit-stirring post written by him can be found here, but he's written many others over the years. I know these days there are many Bardonist authors and teachers out there and William probably isn't the most popular one, no doubt partly due to his tendency to periodically write shit-stirring posts, but my honest opinion is that his writings are far and away the most insightful and valuable out of all the Bardon-related writings I've read. You can really tell a lot about an individual by observing how they react to a shit-stirring post of his, because they challenge readers to reconsider their long-held beliefs, open their minds, and face unpleasant or jarring truths. That right there is a real test. How much you grow from it depends on how you handle the test, and that is entirely in your hands.