Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Flowing Water Vs.Political Platforms

Flowing Water is one of the places I go to along the Hudson River to meditate these days.I meditate to review and improve my interactions with others(creating compassion),try to understand that there really isn't a Billy Goonan(understanding impermanence), appreciate my own breath and try to peal away the negative,self-protecting conditions that swim around my consciousness that bring me away from happiness and understanding.I rarely watch or read about politics and the perspectives they have for our society.Political platforms are simple to me now.The ones I support are other-centered and the ones that are self-centered are discarded because they lack compassion,have permanence(labeling that is inflexible,not in flux) and will only bring more unhappiness to the country,especially the poor.

If political platforms had the slogan"What about you",we wouldn't have the income inequality we have today.Competition would turn to cooperation and resources would be allocated to the citizens who need it first.Our legislators would come together with the business community to create employment where it is needed most.Public resources would be created to improve each component of society as we use technology for the welfare of society to improve living conditions for all.Food production and costs could be coordinated to bring local products to citizens to improve quality and increase positive eating lifestyles.Housing could be drastically improve and our population could use more of our beautiful farmland instead of crowding around employment environments in large cities.Our educational systems could be improved tenfold and internal values could be taught that would maintain the 'What about you" philosophy.Sounds easy to do if we just switch our perspective from me to you.The main problem comes from citizens protecting a "self" that doesn't exist.The self doesn't have inherent existence but changes in body and mind(consciousness) with each passing moment.The self doesn't exist independently but it arises in dependence upon other phenomena It is an illusion that shouldn't be protected and all suffering comes from providing for that self.Platforms are written to provide for the self by promising to acquire more money through tax reduction or laws that stop government regulation. They are centered on their own needs first and are ignorant that their lives could be more rewarding and happier if they just let go of their interests for others.They lack the trust that is needed to come home to their own goodness.