An orgy of righteousness
Sometime around yesterday afternoon I realized that I start getting tired of opinions. I am very interested in the coming election, I have my favorite that I agree with and would vote for if I could. I watch the debates, I read the news, I listen to what people have to say. I also get the feeling, more and more, of a pressure.
In all the articles I read, on all the political blogs dealing with the election, on all the websites supporting this side or that, the predominant message is always the same: we are right, they are wrong.
In search for some balance I started reading republican blogs and right-wing newspapers. The message is the same: we are right, they are wrong. The left-wing news and blog sites say it with much more humor, but the message is clear and consistent: we are right, they are wrong.
I realized that ultimately it doesn’t matter who gets elected in few weeks. No matter who wins and who loses, the situation will remain the same: we will be right, they will be wrong. We might win and get the chance to impose our “right” on them, or they will win and impose their “right” on us.
Does feel a bit suffocating, doesn’t it?
I started wondering about this, about this need to impose one’s “right” on the outside. It is not enough that I am “right”, I also need others to agree with my “right”. I need them to have the same “rights” as I do, and if they don’t, then I will force my “right” on them – for their own good!
There was a manifestation in Ojai yesterday. Parents and children were manifesting in favor on voting “yes” on the proposition 8, which makes gay marriages illegal in California. They say they protect marriage that way.
I started wondering: I am married, I have a relationship with my husband based on our commitments, our choices. When a gay couple gets married … how does it affect my relationship with my husband? How does it change it? How does it endanger it?
It is not the marriage that will change. It is the commonly recognized “right” that will change. The “right” that has to be agreed upon by everybody, or imposed on everybody if they don’t agree. Because … why? What happens when we break the “right”?
What happens when we allow gay marriages? That will remove the “right”. It will create a precedence. When we remove one “right” all the other “rights” might be removed as well.
The “right” that says polygamy is illegal might be removed, the “right” that says killing is wrong might be removed, the “right” that says we should all love and support each other might be removed.
What will happen then? The world will become crazy, uncontrollable, dangerous? Maybe. But what will happen inside? What will change? If a polygamy becomes legal what will happen to my marriage? Nothing. Nothing will happen to my marriage because my marriage is based on my needs, commitments and ideas. My husband’s marriage is based on his needs, commitments and ideas. We will do what is right for us, we will do what we want and need. Whether something else is announced legal or illegal is irrelevant. We do not create relationship based on what is legal or illegal, we create it based on what we want it to be.
What happens when killing is considered okay? What happens to me? Nothing. I don’t kill people not because I can’t. I don’t kill people because I don’t want to, because I see it as an enormously nonsensical and harmful thing to do. Whether killing is announced legal or illegal is irrelevant. I don’t create my life based on what is legal, I create it based on what I want it to be.
We might attempt to enforce our “right” on reality, on the outside world, on others. For the most part it won’t do any good. Polygamy might be illegal but plenty of people practices it by cheating and having affairs. Killing might be illegal but plenty of people do it, all they need is a good enough excuse, another “right” that justifies it. Loving and supporting one-another might be right but … well, just look around you.
The “rights” don’t really order our actions, we order our actions. Who we are, what we want, what level of responsibility are we ready to accept determines our actions.
“Rights” give us some sense of safety however, they give us the comfort that our mind needs, they make the outside world appear a little less scary, a little bit organized. Our mind needs this order, our mind needs this control to be able to feel safe.
Mind is a defensive orientation towards reality. Mind is a separation from the outside. Mind, therefore, needs to keep an eye on the outside, needs to defend itself from it. Mind knows that the best defense is a good offense, and imposing one’s “right” on the outside reality is a great offense.
So what would happen if we removed the mind? What happens when we are not scared of reality? What happens when we are not in need of protection and have no reasons to control anyone? Here is an example:
“The Childlike Empress – as her title indicates – was looked upon as the ruler over all the innumerable provinces of the Fantastican Empire, but in reality she was far more than a ruler. She didn’t rule, she had never used force or made use of her power. She never issued commands and she never judged anyone. She never interfered with anyone and never had to defend herself against any assailant; for no one would have thought of rebelling against her. In her eyes all her subjects were equal. Every creature, whether good or bad, beautiful or ugly, merry or solemn, foolish or wise.”
Imagine that. Imagine “all creatures equal”. No matter what their believes and what their choices, no matter what their ideas, no matter how different their “rights” are.
It may sound like a fairy tale indeed, but it is the reality. The only thing that stops us from seeing it, realizing it, is our own “right”.
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