Humanism

Most likely, intentional, practical individual and group humanism predates history. It certainly predates monotheism. It may well have predated theism. After all, animism, which seems to have promoted a higher standard for respect of all life, predated theism. It seems sensible and logical to speculate that early tribes survived through some form of humanism. Throughout recorded history, practical and philosophical humanism are recorded. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, referred to Greek and Roman humanism in his Renaissance Humanism of the 14th Century, as one example.

I considered my own intellectual motivation to do good in the world as my humanism for the past four decades. My understanding and application of that word, humanism, is simple: Humanism is my practice of being a truthful, responsible, giving and respectful human being with an awareness that every person, while ultimately living and dying alone in an unique human experience, has the same basic human rights, to life and peace, and the same responsibilities to himself and to all humankind.

Recently, a new popular movement has arisen under the name of Humanism, in part, I believe, as a predictable reaction to the rising religious fundamentalism of the last two decades. Opposite and equal reactive forces are part of the physics of life in this Universe.

I have been privileged to meet Greg Epstein, the Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University, who has written a book called "Good Without God: What A Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe". He is a dynamo of energy on behalf of his ideals. He represents, in my opinion, the energy and good will which are needed qualities in this world.

My concern about this new Humanism, as it spirals into a popular movement, is that it may fall prey to some of the cancers of religion and other human bureaucracies, which are born initially as popular movements. One of the calcifying diseases of movements for good is the establishment of authority by the perceived leadership of a movement.

Pastors and popes, imams and rabbis, lamas and shamans, all these authorities have contributed more misery to humankind than enlightenment. My own sense of humanism is based in its foundation in peer, human relationships, which are equal and mutually educational. The sum of intelligence in these relationships exceeds any amount of intelligence in the one human brain of any authority figure.

The fellowship, equality and mutual learning of movements in their early development is what powers them. The establishment of hierarchy and authority usually saps them of their creativity and goodness, as greed and ego corrupt. Once the process of a movement yields to this force, it is no longer an open, free movement of people of like minds. It becomes a bureaucracy, which exists for itself and for the support of its management.

While this seems increasingly unavoidable in the materialist, media-driven world of this time, I am optimistic enough to believe that this process is not inevitable in this Humanism movement that is currently developing with the help of Greg Epstein and many others. I hope that this new Humanism can develop as a cooperative fellowship of equals, which can draw comfortably on the expertise of individuals for the common good, without ceding to anyone, or group, the 'last word' of authoritarian orthodoxy.

Buddhist?

It may come as a surprise to the reader that I do not consider myself to be a Buddhist. I do not consider myself to be 'GLBT' either. I do not consider myself to be 'white'. I do not consider myself to be 'Liberal'. I do not consider myself to be 'spiritual'.

I do consider myself to be the bane of all those who seek to capture and use followers for a movement, a trend or a religion. I consider myself to be 'one-being-striving-to-become-consciously-truthfully-responsibly'. Some would call me a 'free-thinker', but I do more than just think.

I do not deprive myself of the right to make judgments, decisions, evaluations, criticisms, or bad jokes. I do take responsibility for my words and actions to the best of my ability.

There is a common misconception that those who are non-violent, direct, optimistic, socialistic, intelligent and responsible are easily confronted by violence, mocking, chiding, cynicism, gangsterism. This is high-school thinking. And, unfortunately, many people in the general population do not evolve socially, emotionally or psychologically after high school. This is the price they pay for conforming to the identity that has been handed to them by society.

The title of this blog, "Buddha's Pillow", is a riddle, a provocative play on words, which, I would hope, those who have seriously studied Buddhism and other bodies of thought will understand with a smile. To those who are looking for their own Truth in my words, I simply suggest you are looking in the wrong place. If this blog has any worth, it will simply be a spark in a combustible mind.

Stupidity

The current 'new' political movement in the U.S. is the Tea Party movement, which developed around opposition to universal health care in 2009. Some of the opportunists behind this movement (perhaps 'business' would be a better term) are techies in Chicago who founded the Samuel Adams Alliance. The name of this group belies the stupidity, or perhaps duplicity, of its motives. Samuel Adams, according to their literature, was chosen as their mascot based on their appreciation of his Libertarian, anti-government principles.

Below is a quotation from http://www.ushistory.org/, which tells a different story about Samuel Adams. Perhaps the new Tea Party patriots should start drinking their 'tea', rather than smoking it.

"Samuel and John Adams' names are almost synonymous in all accounts of the Revolution that grew, largely, out of Boston. Though they were cousins and not brothers, they were often referred to as the Adams' brothers, or simply as the Adams'. Samuel Adams was born in Boston, son of a merchant and brewer. He was an excellent politician, an unsuccessful brewer, and a poor businessman. His early public office as a tax collector might have made him suspect as an agent of British authority, however he made good use of his understanding of the tax codes and wide acquaintance with the merchants of Boston. Samuel was a very visible popular leader who, along with John, spent a great deal of time in the public eye agitating for resistance. In 1765 he was elected to the Massachusetts Assembly where he served as clerk for many years. It was there that he was the first to propose a continental congress. He was a leading advocate of republicanism and a good friend of Tom Paine. In 1774, he was chosen to be a member of the provincial council during the crisis in Boston. He was then appointed as a representative to the Continental Congress, where he was most noted for his oratory skills, and as a passionate advocate of independence from Britain. In 1776, as a delegate to the Continental Congress, he signed the Declaration of Independence. Adams retired from the Congress in 1781 and returned to Massachusetts to become a leading member of that state's convention to form a constitution. In 1789 he was appointed lieutenant governor of the state. In 1794 he was elected Governor, and was re-elected annually until 1797 when he retired for health reasons. He died in the morning of October 2, 1803, in his home town of Boston."...

Opportunism

Since I didn't go to Oxford or Harvard, I'll begin by quoting Wikipedia:

Opportunism is a term used in politics and political science. It forms an important rationale as well for transaction cost economics. It is interpreted n different ways, but usually refers to one or more of the following:

....a political style of aiming to increase one's political influence at almost any price, or a political style which involves seizing every and any opportunity to extend one's political influence, whenever such opportunities arise.

....the practice of abandoning in reality some important political principles that were previously held, in the process of trying to increase one's political power and influence.

....a trend of thought, or a political tendency, seeking to make political capital out of situations with the main aim being that of gaining more influence or support, instead of truly winning people over to a principled position or improving their political understanding.

Most politicians are "opportunists" to some extent at least (they aim to utilize political opportunities to their advantage), but the controversies surrounding the concept concern the exact relationship between "seizing a political opportunity" and the political principles being espoused

Milton Friedman, the Father of Contemporary Narcissistic Greed, in my opinion, is quoted as saying, "One man's opportunism is another man's statesmanship."

The problem is this: Media and politics have merged in our electronic age. Media has made politics a spectator sport. This is, of course, intentional. The powers who hold the media wish to hold the world's vision and shape it to their liking. The Fourth Estate, a free and somewhat anarchic press (newspapers), has disintegrated under electronic capitalism. The anarchy exists on the Web, but it is only anarchy within the boundaries of commercial capitalism. It is bourgeois anarchy. One must have a computer and a certain amount of capital, as well as technical education, to get one's message actually seen on the Web. In order to influence society in any way in the world of virtual information, one must subscribe to Google Ads or other mechanisms of capitalism. And this trend is becoming more and more entrenched.

So, as media and politics do their dance, politics effect media as well. And, as media is effected, or infected, with political opportunism, the whole public discourse becomes opportunistic. As the whole public discourse becomes opportunistic (think: bipartisan, extremist, materialistic, etc.), people themselves become opportunistic. Human beings tend to mimic their leaders. Now, more than ever, human beings study their leaders by being bombarded with constant information about them. Perhaps this explains why Sarah Palin has become a perfect storm of a relatively ignorant beauty queen, elevated to national political figure.

I wish I could say the leaders have taken this to heart and put their houses in order under the weight of their responsibility to the public they represent and influence. They have not.

The Oprah-ization of the population is one result. To have the light of the Oprah spotlight shine on your life is salvation in the modern culture in the US and, increasingly, in the rest of the world, as it becomes infected by American media. The Oprah spotlight now comes in many forms: American Idol, Survivor and dozens of other reality TV shows. The book-publishing industry has been particularly infected with Oprah-ism, since it was soon discovered that her magic wand can make or break an author's sales record. An author's sales record is what determines the quality of what is published more than ever in increasingly attention-deficient times.

So, what happens when a world becomes overpopulated by one predatory species, infected by opportunism? I think we are beginning to see exactly what happens in our environment and social structures. Sharp divisions between the wealthy and vast majority of struggling-to-be-wealthy. With these divisions, environmental fall-out is inevitable. China and India, among the latter class, refuse to consider curbing their carbon emissions, for one example.

As for 'American culture', what else could evolve in a country which tries to idealistically apply the illogically mutated principles of slave-owners from two centuries ago to a present world that has absolutely no scientific relationship to that past? If America turned to its present with hard and discerning eyes, it would walk away from its self-righteous meddling in the affairs of other nations with shame and embarrassment. Perhaps it would then tend to its own health and survival.

War

Preemptive war is a policy of fear, not strength. "We're fighting them over there, so we don't have to fight them here." This is lunatic and childish thinking. They are already here, as evidenced by American Somalis going back to Africa to fight with extremists, as evidenced by the several recent bombing plots uncovered by the FBI, as evidenced by the rapid development of mosques being built in the U.S. to accommodate Muslim immigrants.

The poverty and ignorance that has led to jihad throughout the Muslim world is the fault of the same regimes we have supported politically. Now we pressurize a victimized and deprived civilian population by killing them with our military might in their homelands, while still supporting their oppressive and corrupt leadership.

If we withdrew our armies, the citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan would have to make their own choices and allegiances. Frankly, they would be too busy sorting themselves out to worry about attacking the U.S.. That is simple common sense. Viet Nam was a prime example of this.

The current government war policy in Iraq and Afghanistan has its roots in the same evil which brought us the catastrophic lessons of Viet Nam. That evil is the attempt and success of the military-industrial complex to run U.S. foreign policy, against the founding precepts of the U.S., as designed by leaders like George Washington, who insisted that the military be subject to civilian rule.

I am sorry to see the Obama administration bow to the military-industrial complex in Afghanistan. It speaks of a weakness in that administration. It speaks of an abandonment of the politics of peace and reconciliation by that administration. My only hope comes with an understanding that a new anti-war movement will rise from these events, as the American people feel the cost in lives and in their wallets for many years to come.

Materialism

Today I have been bombarded with breathless accounts of people shopping by journalists at National Public Radio, considered by some to be the font of intelligent reporting. What is wrong with this society?

Several months ago people were assaulting politicians who were finally trying to do something to help people by reforming a broken health care system. Today they were rushing into stores to charge gadgets, for which many of them have no money. The brainwashing to buy is coming from those disproportionately unaffected by the current Depression, in which millions of middle class people are spiraling into poverty.

Wake up, America. Wall Street is not your friend. Mainstream media is no longer objective. Your future is at stake.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is part of most of my days. Any show of basic human kindness in this increasingly materialistic and impersonal culture is appreciated and acknowledged by me. The simple holding of a door, as I enter a building, touches me. The genuine greeting of a clerk at a cash register merits my respect and appreciation, as a person who has worked with the public for many years. The unseen train operator, who sees me running for my train and leaves the doors open after the platform has cleared, gains my appreciation and respect. The stranger on a sidewalk, who deftly lets me pass or moves to one side to share the way as she approaches, deserves my smile and nod. The shopper in a crowded supermarket, who is careful to not block my way with his cart, is never taken for granted by me. The shop employee, who notices me squinting at an empty shelf and asks, "Can I help you?" with sincere interest, impresses me and gains my respect. The elderly person, who stops to let me pass and says with a winded smile, "You go ahead, I know I'm slow.", deeply humbles me with her acknowledged kindness.

Thanksgiving isn't a just holiday. Thanksgiving is an acquired, in-the-moment habit which makes the world a little better for everyone.

Finally, I have to publically thank the person who anonymously shared this Thanksgiving photograph on the Web. I have to say, I identify with the turkey.

Extremes

One of the goals of my practice, learned from Buddhist and monastic Christian practice, is the narrowing of my moment-by-moment attention away from the extremes of my reactions and desires. It is the most difficult and most rewarding aspect of my practice.

In the US, we live in a country of extreme views and extreme differences in wealth and well-being. While the extremes, diluted by a bureaucratically grinding government, generate slow social progress, the temperament of America is fickle and often unfocused. Materialism is the common ethos of the country. Freedom, as touted and seen by most Americans, is a euphemism for selfish pursuit of monetary wealth and/or celebrity. This adds to the challenge of practice for me.

Tempering the extremes of reaction and desire, brings calmness to the mind. Calmness of the mind allows for self-confidence and an understanding of self. Self-confidence and self-understanding allay many personal cravings. Allaying personal cravings allows the perception of the needs and humanity of others. Generally perceiving the needs and humanity of others, without seeing them through selfish insecurity and/or desire, breeds compassion. Compassion brings love. Love extinguishes fear and violence.

This doesn't just happen. It's exhaustive labor much of the time. A simple subway ride in the city with this consciousness brings countless tests of my resolve to practice. Driving in the city makes this practice nearly impossible for me. But, the commitment to the effort has paid off.

Militarism

Humans disagree. Conflict is inevitable. Violence, however, is a human choice in the twenty-first century. While violence works for the biggest and strongest at any given moment in human history, it does not work for the human species.

There is a new militarism in the US. It is becoming subtle, gentrified by corrupted politicians, who value re-election and financial gain over the welfare of their constituents. Militarism is no longer a Left-Right issue. Corporate corruption of our political system has seen to it that the media they own foster this new militarism with sentimentality and near-sightedness. Even 'public' broadcasting outlets, both radio and television, have fallen prey to this. It was probably inevitable when all media succumbed to the Bush-Cheney manipulation of embedding reporters in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As a child of post-WWII America, I have lived with the side effects of the militarism of that period. I was raised by a traumatized father, whose psyche was permanently twisted by his experiences in WWII. I watched as my own government tried to intimidate those of us who demonstrated peacefully against the Viet Nam War. I was a college student at the time of the Kent State Massacre. I watched Buddhist monks set themselves on fire in front of TV cameras to show the suffering of their people and the evil of war.

We are emerging from eight years of Right-Wing indoctrination and intimidation in the US. The military establishment was an active part of that process for eight years. Now, while portraying himself as a centrist, our President, who we elected as an agent of change, is engaging in the militarism of the culture by participating in sentimental patriotism, which sounds to me like old-fashioned nationalism, complete with 'God and country' speeches.

I mourn this Veterans Day for all those pacifists who have fallen, who have been victimized, who have been forced to leave their country to avoid persecution. I mourn all those civilians all over the planet who are killed and tortured by men and women, wearing uniforms and wielding guns or machetes.

Massacre

The Kent State Massacre on May 4, 1970, was the intentional murder of four unarmed, peace-promoting civilians by the US military. Now, Americans are being propagandized to see the deaths of soldiers on a military base at the hands of one of their own officers as 'tragic'. While I mourn the loss of any human life to violence, I suggest that the US military is part of the violence problem, not part of its solution.