Love and Compassion
That great good man espousing peace and harmony, Tenzin Gyatso, informs us that "compassion and love can solve any problems". Would that it were so. On the other hand, perhaps it is so, but how could we know this other than to have faith in this premise emanating from the soul of one whose goodness of heart espouses it.Patience and forbearance are to be brought into play in response to those who would visit harm upon one. The virtues of goodness and spiritual enlightenment surpass the evil intent of those who practise vices of entitlement and sole possession. Passive resistance will convince aggressors that theirs is not an acceptable path in life. They will then, in our dreams, repent and adapt the way of enlightenment.
Is this not also what Mahatma Gandhi espoused? Deny violence. Do not permit hatred to despoil one's soul. Reach a level of purpose that will admit no vestiges of the eternal problems which have since time immemorial besmirched all that humankind could aspire to. Suppress our viler instincts, our propensity toward base emotions. Instead, make every effort to forestall suspicion, greed, envy, enmity and emote instead the passion of brotherhood and understanding.
Rational personalities will admit to the efficacy of demonstrating toward others a facade of tolerance and care. Whose effect is reflected back upon them when the subjects of their careful solicitude express their appreciation and relax suspicion. Tensions evaporate, people are able to communicate reasonably and in the interests of all. And this represents the best of all possible worlds.
Alas, this is not - at least at present - the world we inhabit. This is the world where factions run roughshod over one another, each determined to take unto themselves the greater portion of whatever material goods are available. To the detriment of the other, we hoard our goods and set up obstacles so that others cannot attain that which we value.
Yes, we do make some efforts. We are aware that the world is comprised of those segments of populations who represent the economically advanced countries, the energetically knowledge-based entrepreneurs, those countries of the world whose great stores of natural resources advance opportunities unrealized by the materially marginalized countries.
And the first-world nations hand over to the emerging economies stipends born of guilt to enable them to launch tentative first steps toward enablement, toward the procurement of the wherewithal that will allow them tenuous footholds on the future. The vast and growing populations of the under-developed world, balanced against the stable yet dwindling populations of the well-developed world.
Sharing is most certainly an option, one that would balance the scale of have and have-not more fairly. But nowhere does there exist a nation and an agreeable public that would surrender their wealth to enrich another country, bringing them to the same degree of need as those of whom they are benefactor, as an existential sacrifice of great spiritual meaning.
For the spirit is weak and flesh demands its due.
Labels: Political Realities, That's Life
posted by Pieface @ Monday, October 29, 2007
<< Home