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Spiritual Politics

abracad, · Categories: spiritual politics

Spirituality is the recognition that humankind is fundamentally eternal Spirit that is temporarily undergoing physical incarnation primarily for the purpose of gaining experience.

Politics (as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary) is "the art or science of government".

Over time human evolution favored collaborative rather than individual endeavor, eventually realizing the concepts of society and the "state".

Reviewing human achievement there can be little doubt of the success of such rigidly organized groupings in fostering material progress.

The question considered here is whether, how, and to what extent a Spiritual lifestyle should engage with the political process.

An individual's position (attainment) at any time is a combination of:

how givens and will affect life position

Politics is concerned with intervention regarding the givens, ie: what is the role of the state, that all-powerful elite-run top-level organization to whose powers we are all involuntarily subject? Is it:

More on the 3rd option may be found on sites such as http://www.richplanet.net/ - visit with an open mind!

Evolution has manifested various forms of state, three dimensions on which regimes are commonly evaluated are:

In reality governments are considerably more complex than what is measurable on just two dimensions.

Empirically capitalism has tended to yield the greatest material wealth but also resulted in the greatest inequality with those able to establish a slight advantage, either by chance or achievement, amassing far greater rewards than those slightly further down the scale. Does a major company’s CEO really contribute so much more than a worker as suggested by their respective salaries?

the distortions of capitalism

The failings of unmitigated capitalism were demonstrated all too clearly and painfully by the 2008 credit crunch.

The libertarian - totalitarian spectrum creates something of a Spiritual paradox as we are all ultimately part of the one source / Spirit. However, our Spiritual source is definitely no synonymous with nation/state.

The most fortuitous form of state (to its inhabitants) is (some form of) democracy, which confers at least some degree of power, in the form of electing its leaders, to those governed.

When given the right to vote, how is it exercised? Voting often produces a conflict between what is believed to be right and what is in self-interest. At this stage of evolution self-interest often wins out serving to preserve the status quo.

If the state has any justification for its existence at all it must be to improve the quality of life for the majority compared to that which would be in its absence.

Ideally - in order to hasten the experience gained from incarnation, and thus evolution - the state should: i) guarantee a minimum standard of living to all, and ii) encourage and protect additional reward in proportion to value added / contribution made.

A reasonable starting point is philosopher John Rawls' 'original position' thought experiement in which

"parties select principles that determine the basic structure of the society they will live in from behind a veil of ignorance, which deprives participants of information about their particular characteristics: their ethnicity, social status, gender and, crucially, Conception of the Good (an individual's idea of how to lead a good life)."

ie they determine the structure of this ideal society without knowing the position they will occupy within it.

Individuals have the ability to influence the system in various ways, eg:

Some may also choose complete non-engagement with political matters, and this too is a legitimate pathway. The most important thing is that we each give consideration to our political position and allow our will to act accordingly.

Belief that there is, or may be, some spiritual reality affects your entire approach to how you relate to the external world and its inhabitants. Life is more than some freak bonus to be hedonistically devoured without thought for the bigger picture. In the spiritual perspective life is an integral part of a great inter-connected whole. There is meaning, even if it cannot be grasped by the limited capacity of this incarnation.

Spiritual politics isn't about voting for this/that specific candidate or supporting any particular movement of any that exist at any given time/place. It's about making conscious choice, in accord with your personal interpretation of reality and your place within it at this stage of your individual development.

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