Hi Chris, Much as I have often admired your postings, and can even greatly appreciate your skepticism around the motivations of science and corporatism to abuse meditation for the purpose of even more control of the masses, I would suggest that those in seeming power have been promoting this kind of stress reduction for about two decades or so.
The Rockefeller Foundation has been contributing to every organized religion and spiritual group of any significance world-wide for decades more. It is in their best interests to ensure an opiate for the worker drones who enable them to be so wealthy that they can make a contribution to that many groups. Bill Gates is the new money on the block, and cannot compare with Rockefeller input into control. That being said, what else is new? I'm saying, until greed is overcome, this kind of agenda will be prevalent. The papacy's possible collaboration with Monsanto is a prime example of cult behavior doing what it does best-- accepting donations in return for broadcasting corporate agenda. The proposal to introduce meditation into early education is not cause for fear unless there is an ulterior motive to indoctrinate malleable minds to a specific religion in the process. The meditation process can take different paths, but the universal objective is inner peace. Some can do that, to the extent that the individual experiences it, in deeply quiet moments to feel a oneness with life, while others may believe that inner peace comes from communication with "Creation" Itself. There are variations, yet those who practice meditation will collectively tell you that their lives have meaning despite pressure to succumb to linear thought. Moment-to-moment choice for peace or love cannot possibly be disillusioned because you invest in the inherent value of humanity and all life, with respect and appreciation. This raises you and those with whom you commune into a place of grace for lack of a better word. It is a distinctive shift into a realm of true creativity-- spiritual communication, in which all things are possible. What are these possibilities, you may ask. Your corrected perceptions about yourself and your fellow humans, as well as your universe. With the possibility of a generation being encouraged to seek out peaceful solutions to conflict, I doubt that that would necessarily translate to a control issue. In my own experience, meditation has definitely changed my life in order to perceive and experience greater possibilities. I'm more calm, more patient, more confident, more resourceful, kinder, less judgmental, less afraid, etc., but this does not mean that should someone attack me physically, that I would not respond to defend myself. I would be doing a disservice to both myself and my attacker if I did nothing. So with the bear you claimed Selma should meditate away. Meditation allows you to look at things differently than they appear, and helps you to consider alternatives to the typical fear response programming that we've been taught. If the only option is to defeat or kill the bear, then we kill ourselves ultimately. What I mean here is that every time that violence is viewed as the only solution to a problem, another part of us dies along with the defeated, and our own sense of freedom is sent further along the oppressive road of guilt. Guilt just breeds more fear. But the Buddhist will tell you that the bear is just imagined within an illusory world anyway, so it's not Selma ignoring reality that needs to be addressed, but your own habitual imaginings that have misused the bear to try to suppress Selma's creative process. Within recent HIStory it is, with the exception of a few mostly unknown compassionate tribal people, hard to make example of spiritual enlightenment leading to freedom of a recognized nation. However, before men took over, and matriarchy was the way of life, spirituality was the pulse and respect for life an integral part of its success. Alas, as we know, those without respect for life engaged in un- provoked attacks for personal or tribal gain, and muscle replaced higher thought as power. Power-over will innevitably fail because it is not based in the ideals of spirit or human dignity. Such ideals are based in truth, and that is our destiny. Focusing our energies on cultivating these ideals will in time provide the only real basis for freedom. I relate to Selma's frustrations in her past efforts to keep on track with input into "Ideal World". The distractive posturing is sometimes interesting, amusing and thought provoking, but anathema to the goal of a bunch of people who are keenly interested in educating and changing the world for the better. What is quite typical is some breakdown in relations, just like the politicians we love to criticize, and in the end the good intentions get put aside. If more people meditated, focus and productivity would not be a problem, nor would communication. Natalia ----- Original Message ----- From: Christoph Reuss <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 10:09 AM Subject: [Futurework] "Spiritualität macht frei" ? (was Re: NYTArticle: Is Buddhism Good for Your Health?) > Selma Singer wrote: > > One of the most important cultural values that is essential, in my > > view and as a result of my sociological studies, is a spiritual element that > > is always present in societies in which individuals are allowed to develop > > their potential in an atmosphere of respect and intimate community > > relationships. > > As with Keith's "Handel macht frei", the big question with "Spiritualität > macht frei" is the direction of causality, and IF there's a causality at all. > Your formulation already seems to suggest a causality "freedom->spirituality" > rather than the other way 'round. Indeed, like Keith, you'd have a very > hard time making a case for a causality in the opposite direction. E.g.: > > Last time I checked, cults offer pretty much spirituality but leave very > little room to develop individuals' potential and an atmosphere with very > little (genuine!) respect. As for societies, Israel is probably one of > the most spiritual countries (with holy sites of 3 world religions, > religious parties in the gov't, etc.), but targeted killings, house > demolitions, crop destructions, deadly curfews and being blown up > in buses is not exactly developing individuals' potential and an > atmosphere of respect either... > > > > The fact that meditation is now being seen by the most respected components > > of the scientific community as a realistic and fruitful practice for general > > health spoke to me of the hope that we might introduce such a practice into > > our schools, yes, at a very early age, and from that many, many good things > > could follow. > > In the arena of health (or rather, illness), most of the scientific community > (especially in corporate science) is not really interested in addressing/ > removing the causes, but only in tinkering with symptoms without curing > them (because only this ensures "sustainable" profit maximization). > Promoting meditation fits very well in this mindset. > > > > To ignore such evidence, and/or dismiss it as silly, seems to me the height > > of ignorance. > > I don't "ignore such evidence, and/or dismiss it as silly," but I point > to the (mis)uses of it. The height of ignorance would be to take the > corporate PR in the NYT or FT at face value. > > Chris > > > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
