June 18, 2018
The game of domination, control, superiority, one-upmanship--this has made mush out of much of the world. What’s the point of fighting endless wars for apparent supremacy of one group over another? There is blind ambition in this.
Philosophers and psychologists no doubt have noticed through the centuries this behavior pattern, this oft-repeated intense rivalry to be on top, a kind of lusting. Yes, there is a bit of art in martial arts, in every field of endeavor, but hardcore pursuit of so-called “mastery”--social/religious/political advancement whatever the price--is very double-edged because of often clever domination hidden in the game-plan. In other words there is a cost to compulsive pursuit of spiritual/material and monetary power/glory/control--in fact this often has nothing to do with real mastery, which primarily means of oneself, one’s energy and direction in life, in harmony. Through real mastery, true alignment and a core simplicity--heart to heart in the gracious art of life--come greater usefulness to life and, by and by, freedom.
Western traditional values have largely collapsed and degenerated into pursuit of money, position and influence via compromising spirits, hypocrisy and a loss of faith, all rationalized by the supposed necessary glue of the group-plan--“we need to be on the same page,” another term for loyalty to this or that elite. Bah! Individuals and groups are meant, inherently!, to be “on the same page” all right--of following one’s conscience, of self-monitoring and self-correcting! This is quite distinct from group-think, manipulation, and the like which presently have become fashionable or required by those who are convinced that “their reign” is forever because they have some slogan, bag of money and leader or other. Bah! -R, Mt. Shasta, California
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