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World Mind Society
What the Fundamentalist Fears There are many today who consider any criticism of society, religion or government to be “negative”, regardless of what these institutions do, or have become. Many want to “believe” in an effort to provide some external stability to their own inner uncertainty. So convinced are they about the sanctity of common beliefs, that rational discussion about society is made nearly impossible. In such a state, an individual’s mental processes have become so illogical that facts no longer matter. This is a measure of extreme self defense. It is very difficult therefore, for such minds to conceive of the idea that the world is not as it has been presented to them. For this reason alone do they see any call for change as “negative”, even while criticisms are obviously well deserved. Logic, fact, clear reasoning, debate and careful observation are not of interest to, “those who keep the faith” be that faith religious, social or political. The criticism of government, social and religious ills is by no means negative, so long as it is based upon fact. Fact is neither positive or negative…it simply IS. In other words, that which is based on fact is simply true, making the question of who likes the truth or not, completely irrelevant. When a legislative body becomes corrupted by greed, (such as the current U.S. government) it merits rightful criticism, for it no longer represents the people. When society is no longer sustainable or humane, (as is the case with our current consumeristic marketplace) then it deserves to be called a destroyer, and consciously changed at its foundation. When religion becomes the spiritually hollow repetition of phrases and methods, and a political power base devoid of the original INTENT of its founder, (as we see everywhere today) it then merits being denounced. The facts which support such conclusions are everywhere for us to see, and it doesn’t matter in the slightest what we feel about them. They ARE. For many people in the modern world, there is no practical difference between what they want to believe, and what really is. This social attitude is very common. It assumes that facts are far less relevant than the emotional needs of any individual. In essence then, the “my feelings first” philosophy is selfishness by another name. For selfishness at its root, is nothing more than the, “me first above all else” mindset, one that does not concern itself with a careful analysis of real world events. It cares only for what has been taught to be comfortable or unquestionable. This curious state of mind is common in the extremes of fundamentalism and patriotism. In both cases, the individual or organization so conditioned, is bent upon one simple goal…and that is keeping things as they are. It is readily apparent that those who call rightful criticism of government, “unpatriotic”, are also those who will very rarely engage in serious debate, or rationally discuss facts. These are considered too challenging to cherished beliefs, and rational debate is therefore something that cannot be afforded. The same is true of the materialist or the moralist, who considers established social doctrine far more important than the real improvement of the human condition. This is also why all the great Teachers and spiritual Masters throughout the ages were very often considered heretics and rebels, due to their insistence on the truth, regardless of prevailing social views. The mindset that wants to keep things as they are is born of fear. Change is feared as it implies old ways were not as good as others claimed, or else there would be no need of it. Since modern society is anything but perfect, it is certainly not difficult to see where it could be changed for the better. Never the less, the vast majority still feel they must somehow defend the social norms of our day, regardless of the statistics of greater stress, mental illness, international discord and emotional instability that is seen clearly permeating every facet of daily life. But TV distractions, alcohol, cigarettes and prozac aside, these problems are not going to magically disappear if we ignore them long enough. The only way they can be solved both individually and internationally, is if people gain the willingness to face the often unpleasant truth, and actually get stronger because of it. The main motive of those who wish to maintain government or religion in their current forms, (no matter how destructive these become) is that of preserving self image. So invested are they in the status quo, that “patriots” and “moralists” have actually projected their whole idea of self onto these institutions. One might even go so far as to say that they ARE these institutions, on the level of personal ego. Thus, any criticism of the government, society or religion to which the fundamentalist is wholly identified, is viewed as A DEEP PERSONAL THREAT that must be removed one way or another. Usually if a challenging view cannot be logically discredited, then there will always be those who try to discredit the speaker of change. If this cannot be done then the whole issue posed, (such as impending war with Iraq) will go ignored altogether.. An immediately defensive posture is assumed by the fundamentalist around those who ask pertinent questions A mind of this type imagines that by following established social rules and laws to the letter, and by intensely investing their outward lives in what is most accepted, that they have secured for themselves a place of social honor and acceptance. [To question the society of which the obedient citizen is a part, is to them a questioning of the soundness of their judgment] But honor is not found in acceptance, any more than greed is justified simply because the majority believe it to be a desirable trait.. Honor is found in upholding the truth regardless of what anyone else believes. This is a major lesson that the spiritual practitioner invariably learns along their path, sooner or later. The fundamentalist patriot, materialist or moralist will take extra care to lash out at those who seek change or improvement of any kind. They will brand those who ask questions or pose alternative ways as, “dangerous to society”, and as “traitors” to righteousness or government. But the real fact of the matter is, change can always be for the better, especially when it is based upon the honest truth. Truth is only dangerous to those who fear change, (and have something to lose from it) not to the welfare of humanity. What the pseudo-patriot or moralist does not understand, is that truth does not bend for the sake of personal preference, regardless of how cherished given beliefs might be. The truth is composed of facts, and the facts can be ascertained. When facts are known it is then that the inquiring and rational mind devotes itself to honest debate, and the testing of conclusions based upon fact. In this sense, honesty lends itself to the scientific method, which methodically investigates any question to get at its bottom line. The honest mind is not interested in what the majority believes, because they are well aware that modern humanity has a tendency to believe what it wants, rather than what the facts loudly portray. Thus we have such phrases as, “my truth and your truth” or, “truth is something that has different, [subjective] interpretations”. Such thinking is not the basis for reality however, no matter how comforting it can be to those who do not wish to recognize the facts at hand. When a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, it STILL MAKES A SOUND. Truth does not need our permission to function, it never has, and it never will. All things of merit are based on truth. All things of de-merit are based on lies and are unnecessarily destructive. By its very nature, falsehood destroys real progress and human evolution. When we consider the universality behind the words of spiritual Masters, the message found in Nature, or such documents as the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, we find a common thread of truth which is exactly what makes them valuable to us all. We cannot afford to deny this universality of truth, which is for the benefit of all beings. By the same token we cannot deny the world destroying effects of embracing a false society, religion or government in our daily lives. Wisdom tells us that is just as important to realize what NOT TO DO, as it is to discover right action. Television content in the modern world for instance, requires serious and focused discernment. Since most of it is decidedly false, non-sensical and unproductive, it is important to discern what not to engage the mind in. The same may be said of various magazines, news stories, advertisements and not-so-subtle propaganda. As true patriots, spiritualists and revolutionaries, it is necessary to question everything that is presented in the daily world as to its truthfulness, and proceed to live accordingly. THIS is the meaning of righteousness and patriotic duty. Our duty therefore, is not in the keeping things as they are, nor as they are said to be, but to see things in their truthful light without bending to personal or social whims. Our objectivity toward the honest truth is what will make us great. Our subjectivity toward reality, and the desire to fabricate whatever we wish out of truth, shall destroy us all. Belief in falsehood is madness. Whether or not such madness is a collective condition is irrelevant, since the fact of more people believing or desiring something, does not make that thing truthful. Facts are the basis of reality, not sales imagery such as what we see on television ads. It is the truly evolved human who recognizes this, and who disciplines their mind to accept only truth, regardless of how initially painful this may prove to be. This is the prerogative of the Master, the Seer and the Revolutionary. Only They are qualified to lead humanity out of its current darkness of embracing the false, into the light of careful reasoning and honest evaluation. Upon truth alone can we survive and excel as a species, on this evolving planet. Matthew Webb visionquest@eoni.com
There is No Political Solution It is very naïve to think that government is going to really listen to the average person, or even 10000 average persons. They simply have no motive or reason to. They know that the TV will whitewash everything or simply not report on the real issues of our day, and all will be forgotten within a few hours…All apparent change of government policy due to public pressure, is usually designed only to placate peoples’ anger or discontent. It is not because government leaders have instantly been enlightened, (through protests) by the realization that they owe their title of office to the authority of the people. If the people will not govern themselves, then they will inevitably be misled by those who seek only power, rather than the common good. To seek the common good can only be deeply motivated by spiritual intent and values, not those of the fast buck and the secret handshake. Just yesterday, (October 26th) there were tens of thousands of protestors walking the streets with their banners across the country. There were large gatherings in Washington DC, San Francisco, Portland and elsewhere. But let us ask ourselves an important question about what these protests are designed to accomplish. Let us also ask what we are trying to do when we write letters to Congressmen and Senators soliciting their ear. Presumably, protests and letter writing are designed to capture peoples’ attention, and make them aware of the pressing issues of our day. Many recent protests were staged primarily to make people aware of the enormous cost of human lives and international peace, which an invasion of Iraq would cost. Yet these protests, composed of tens of thousands, barely received any mention on the TV or newspapers. If you think that such mass protests are really convincing anyone to change their ways, then read the following excerpt from this Associated Press article. *** U.S. Says It Can Bypass U.N.
on Iraq
By RON FOURNIER, AP White
House Correspondent
As France, Russia, Mexico and other allies seek to water down his zero-tolerance approach to Iraq, Bush on Saturday renewed his call for the U.N. to confront Saddam or stand aside while the United States acts. "If the U.N. does not pass a resolution which holds him to account and that has consequences, then, as I have said in speech after speech after speech, if the U.N. won't act — if Saddam Hussein won't disarm — we will lead a coalition to disarm him," the president said at the 21-nation Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum….” *** As you can see, almost no one in government really cares about these protests or their message. Less than 24 hours have passed from the time they occurred on October 26th, and the writing of above article. In short, no one in places of power gives the slightest damn about what the people have to say, unless their election is hanging on the line. But even then they, (the politicians) know that they’re getting in office primarily at the behest of corporate donors and other persons with political clout. So once again…what are we trying to accomplish with protests and letter writing? Let’s ask a hypothetical question… “What if EVERYONE…every last man, woman and child were to say they were fed up with how society is running, and walked the streets in protest?” Ok, everybody is standing in the street with a sign in their hand. Now what? What would this change, if anything? It would change very little, because all we’re saying when we write letters and stage protests is essentially,…”Please, leaders of the world, won’t you consider making better decisions for us?” What about making our own decisions? People today falsely imagine that they NEED government to run their lives. What this implies is that people assume great personal weakness of mind and body, for which there is only one cure…government handouts and strict conformity. Our citizenry needs to return itself to a mindset of inner strength and non-dependence. And of course, a change of values to a spiritual focus could accomplish this. Most of these public protests are quite clear about what they don’t want to see happening in government and domestic/foreign policies. And this is a necessary first step. But what they’re not clear on is what they DO want to see happen as an alternative. In other words, they haven’t bothered to figure out what is really wrong with society at a CAUSE level, and are therefore not really accomplishing anything. The wrongs we see perpetrated in our name are only a symptom of social distress, but not its cause. It’s cause is the wrong values of materialism and consumerism. Protestors and letter writers are little more than beggars, when they have nothing to suggest as an alternative to the current social crisis. They are just there soliciting somebody else’s leadership, but not really taking any of their own. If they were, they’d recommend that others change their lifestyle, as they themselves have. What lifestyle? A simple and natural one… (see the Survivalists’ Guide in the WMS Library). So who are we trying to convince…the existing politicians? The government doesn’t care what people think, because the government is now neither by or for the people. Modern government exists at the behest and whims of monied interests…period. And you know what? So is the average person in their daily lives. Each citizens’ values are really no different on the average, than those politicians running the show in their name. When we beg for changes from a government whose corruption is legendary, we get exactly what we deserve…nothing but a kick in the face and an order to get back in line. The only thing that’s going to change society, and the government which is its reflection, is a fundamental shift of values amongst the people of the world. We live in the midst of a greedy and selfish world society. You can replace existing politicians by voting them out of office, but that isn’t going to solve this problem. You can change political parties, their platforms and the agendas, but corruption will always creep back in so long as the values of society remain in place. You can institute one form of government for another, be it democracy, fundamentalism, socialism, libertarianism, etc., but this will change nothing in the end, so long as those social values which constantly corrupt and erode social progress are in place. The acquisition of fancy cars and mansions is not the purpose of life. The values of society can be summed up very briefly as, “me first, and nothing else matters”, as well as, “money and material objects are what make ‘me first’ possible”. What can one possibly conclude regarding the future of humanity from these existing values, other than to say nothing is going to change? What we witness today in the corruption of government and war for profit, as well as the total decay of civil liberties, is not a political crisis, it is a spiritual one. It is a crisis of values. Everybody wants their own private kingdom at the cost of the environment and sane living, because that’s what everybody else supposedly wants. After all, the TV says so, right? So out people go to “shop” and “consume”, without any reflection at all on the consequences of their lifestyle. Demand for destructive industries, sustains a destructive culture. The same may be said of governments bent on world conquest…there is no essential difference. Although we may criticize government for its shortcomings or find fault in corporate scandals, what do we really see when we look in the mirror? We probably see someone who has the same basic values of “me first”, (as we were trained to adopt) without any consideration of a greater cause or the welfare of the planet. We may say “drop Bush, not bombs” during demonstrations, and yet how many of us wouldn’t run right out and buy that new car or suit just to show off, just like the billionaires do when they buy a new President or foreign army? The only difference between government misdeeds, and those in the average life of the average person, is one of degree, not kind. Until that changes, nothing in the world is going to change. Until values undergo a profound shift, there will be no peace, happiness or goodwill toward men. What we say is not nearly as important as how we live our lives. So long as we share the very same values of greed and selfishness which causes nations to siege each other and kill millions, then there will be no social revolution. In fact, there will be no human race, period. We will all in the end simply kill each other one way or another, or kill ourselves trying, just to keep up with the Jones’. When will we stop begging others to solve the problems which we the people create? We’re all standing around with our phones or our banners in hand waiting for someone else to please take charge. Except no one is going to do that…they too are merely self absorbed, lacking the spiritual values to uplift the social policy. This is why the human race is racing itself off an ecological and war-for-profit cliffside. Everybody is out to secure their own piece of the pie, without even thinking about the fact that there are a limited number of pieces. Nor does the average person pause to consider what all this glorified wealth is for…after all, who really NEEDS a 5000 square foot mansion and a $45,000 sports car? Does anybody care? No, not so long as they are comfortable, very few really care about the imminent destruction of the world except for those who value truth. So the next time people advocate a change of government policy, remember that social change isn’t about how clever a sign you hold in your hand. It’s about how you really live your life. How you live is by far the best vote you can ever cast…. Note;
I send you warm regards. Love and Clarity,
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