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Karla De Leon Ponce

Professor Ditch

English 115

November 8, 2020

Project Text Essay

John Lewis is very known for his civil rights activism. He wrote books about his own life

and the many historical events which he was involved in. Activism was a big accomplishment

for John Lewis, he stood up for what he believed in. He was able to bring about the change of

the world and did not want to let all the suffering inside of him become a bigger disgrace. The

connection between John Lewis and Matthieu Ricard specifically explained their desire when it

comes to suffering. Ricard's article about suffering was more modified into his spiritual side.

The three types of suffering that Ricard told in his article were visible suffering, hidden

suffering, and invisible suffering. Each had a connection to which Ricard explained with the

alchemy of suffering. Throughout the article, he explained how the causes of suffering were with

the desires of being unhappy. These types of suffering are present in John Lewis book, March.

He was very helpful and kept pursuing the racial justice and transformed his suffering to rise

slowly because of how tired he is of not being able to speak up and giving others faith to do

something in the world without feeling punished. John Lewis impacted his suffering into

activism by confronting many public stunts and enforcing in many places which led him to

become a tangible hero.

Matthieu Ricard claims the causes of suffering in an explanation in his article named, the

four truths of suffering, also according to Buddhism, suffering was something phenomenal and a

liberation to suffering. Ricard explained the way a person endured their suffering, For example,
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“ We cannot expect suffering to simply vanish from the universe, because, in the Buddhist view,

the universe is without beginning or end.” ( Ricard 37). “ There are no mere words but reality

that is an intrinsic part of our daily lives.” ( Ricard 37 ). Ricard explanation of the causes of

suffering simply points him into viewing the way a life begins and ends. This was his way of

saying there is no end into suffering. This explains how Ricard belief with Buddhism was

strongly a part of him. He believed how suffering can not just be something you can let go and

with this, daily lives were an example of a lot of suffering which led to death. He simply

explained how suffering is something we have to deal with on our own. His beliefs with

Buddhism made him become one with suffering and realize you can not make suffering go away.

The transitory nature can be something more than suffering but then they introduce the four

truths of suffering and have a potential of reality which eliminates the fundamental causes of

suffering which is; recognizes suffering, eliminates its source, ends it, and by practicing the path.

These fundamental causes of suffering each had a distinguished clarification between their

affliction of not being happy . For instance, “ Trust of suffering, not only the kind of suffering

that is obvious to the eye, but also the kind, as we have seen, that exists in subtler forms.”

( Ricard 39 ). This quote from the articles given said by Ricard was an explanation of the first

truths of suffering. Each truth of suffering had their own explanation of how suffrage was the

path which led people into reality. The second truth of suffering gives more of an ignorance in

engenders craving, pride, and a bad influence in how people can choose to live their lives, the

third being a possibility a way of a person's life being ended, explains it to be more possible than

the first and second, and the last truth of suffering, “ the path that turns into potential into

reality.” ( Ricard 39) meaning when it comes to influencing others, it can take them into a path

of less suffering. These encountered how much suffering and happiness was input.
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John Lewis graphic novel explains how John Lewis was being determined to run this

nonviolence fight. John Lewis being a congressman, inspired many people of color which led

him to meet very important people in his life who also made a big impact on the world like

Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks. Lewis was in a juxtaposition when his life as a child was

horrible but being close to God inspired him in changing the way of equality, he wanted it to go

slow and with no violence so for those who he loved would not be harmed. The story of the

graphic novel shows how much sadness there was and the emotional ride John Lewis had as a

boy. The struggles that Lewis had as a kid ultimately guided him to have passion in equality. The

turning point in his life was something he suffered for many years. All his visible suffering

performed his activism made him face challenges which as a child, introduced him to become a

faithful person to God and led him to deal with religious aspects and racism. He did not put

those who were different racial colors names or based words, he saw everyone as one. For

example, “ I knew everyone by appearance and personality; they were individuals to me.”

(Lewis 72-76 ) This shows the kind of man he was. He did not care about people's viewpoint.

John Lewis was becoming a strong influence to the people. Lewis’s guidance developed action

to be taken making peace with the rights of people of color to be considered equal in the

American society.

Throughout the article of Ricard focused on the idea of suffering but viewed the way a

person had both happiness and suffering. People usually focus on suffering because it is easier to

be unhappy than happy. While those who hate suffering, a person needs to realize to become less

sad you need to focus on how happiness comes with suffering at first. This article is a strong

connection to John Lewis civil rights act movement because his non- violent protest struggles

with so much suffering with himself being a man of color and those who were not seen the same.
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The key to John Lewis movement was the way all those with him had to take all the damage and

brutal attacks but by the end of all his civil right movement, John Lewis ultimately got all his

suffering to become happiness and not only for himself but the people for who he was fighting

for. His audience started off small and slowly his life expanded and his message spread all over

the world. God being a big part of John Lewis life led him to be an aspiration and into his

activism. For example, “ Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”

( Lewis 27) . This being the turning point in his life at a young age and being able to develop a

powerful action with just that guide of God becoming an act of justice. This connection to God

and the bible reconnects the way John Lewis and Ricard had in common. Both had a belief in a

god in their lives and both explained the ways suffering was for them. This shows how suffering

leads both to a path of happiness. The redemption of suffering made himself go through all of it

and be strong enough to be an influencer. John Lewis had to go through so much discriminations

which led his nonviolence movement to become a bigger situation even after passing away, the

suffering of all this made the conflict a helpful way to show why nonviolence was a great

independent movement. “I loved going to the library. It was the first time I ever saw Black

newspapers and magazines like JET, Ebony, the Baltimore Afro-American, or the Chicago

Defender. And I’ll never forget my librarian” ( Lewis 49). This explained how hard it was to

express himself and see others of his racial color the same.

John Lewis transformation of suffering, the Civil Rights movement shaped a peaceful

community and in its difficult situations, it remained to become peaceful and not a threat to

people of color. John Lewis influences how powerful the civil rights activists were to their

enemies through forgiveness and connecting with their shared loved ones. Young Lewis’s
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happiness and suffering took him towards the Bible and Christianity which teaches him the

importance of saving others and becoming a powerful leader.

Word Cited

John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. March Book One. Marietta, GA: Top Shelf

Productions, 2013, pp. 27-76

Ricard, Matthieu. “ The Alchemy of Suffering.” Pursuing Happiness: a Bedford Spotlight

Reader, by Matthew Parfit and Dawn Skorczewski, Bedford/St. Martin’s, Macmillan Learning,

2016, pp. 37-39