A Musings

The glaring incongruity in all these efforts to produce "self-awareness" is that we have records of extraordinary human beings who, for thousands of years, all say roughly the same thing: the highest form of human self-awareness is the loss of sense of self in what can only be described as a universal realization, oceanic experience, etc.

The question may arise in your mind about whether you should keep up with what is being done within the government, non-governmental organizations, think tanks and other hotbeds of ideology that spawn so much of the difficulties we must confront in our lives. You may wish to consider moving away from further investigations of this type for some pretty simple reasons.

It is natural to look to the well-trained to provide guidance on complex topics. But you may be getting less than you thought.

Understanding our present predicament hinges on understanding the toxic role coercion plays in our personal and cultural interactions.

Compassion is nurtured in our heart when we see others' choices in a non-coercive light. By freeing them from coercion, we free ourselves.

In understanding the separation of church and state, we see the danger of monopoly power as it plays out in secular and religious life.

There is a fundamental and dangerous misunderstanding of the symbolism used in admonishing us to "turn the other cheek."

We have been conditioned to accept the idea all "law" is sacred. It certainly isn't when the intent is self-serving at best or diabolic at its worst.

Why have we allowed those entrusted with the law to turn lawless? Restraint of those in authority has reached a time of critical decision.