Soft and frothy

Soft and frothy could well be the opinion of the doctrinaire of many Religions when hearing of the "watercourse way", otherwise known as the way of the Tao. 

Soft and frothy

"Letting things be" is not much to the liking of those who enjoy a few choruses of "Onward Christian Soldiers" ("marching as to war" etc) In many ways, this is all interconnected. 

Who needs to march when you have a horse?

There is the way of self-improvement though if we know the way of the Tao, then such a way begins to look very much like a dangerous form of vanity, even the way of the Pharisee - that man who is "not like other men".

Yet the one problem is the simple paradox, that though there is indeed nothing we can do - or even need to do - to be "enlightened" (or whatever), we cannot simply do nothing.

This is called a "mentoring paradox"

 "Life and love generate effort but effort will not generate life and love." 

Which is a little quote from one of the books of Alan Watts, who himself has been described as "light and frothy", even "new age", by the more ardent variety of theologian. Alan Watts has been accused of making light of human suffering. Yet, as I see it now, he simply seeks to understand our suffering, in all its various guises. 

At the heart of his "understanding" is not to fall into the habit of the dualist, i.e. that the solution to the dualist dilemma is to chop off one of its horns. Which can lead to the fantasy of the "world to come" as an "answer" to suffering, a time in the future when suffering will be "no more" and "right" will have no "wrong" - or left!

 All such a fantasy does, in looking towards it, is to postpone seriously asking the question:- "What must I do to be saved?"

Never Never Land?

Well, the answer is "nothing", so we are back where we started. Long ago I dabbled in calligraphy and for practice I often wrote out, in various scripts, a little poem found in one of the books of Alan Watts; in fact I think the book was one of his autobiographical efforts ( if "effort" is the right word!) Well, whatever, here is the poem:-

I asked the boy beneath the pines, 

He said, "the masters gone alone,

Herb-picking on the mount, 

Cloud hidden, whereabouts unknown."

Whereabouts unknown

Even way back then, I was quite taken with this. Very much the opposite of Christian soldiers marching "as to war". Then again, I don't think the calligraphy actually did my eyes any good, as I believe it could have been the zeroing in and concentration upon just one spot on the paper that caused a detached retina. Maybe not, but I've had an antipathy towards herb picking ever since. 

Well, I'm waffling as usual, and I'm not really sure exactly what this particular blog is about. I was going to title it just "Alan Watts" but when it came to it that just did not seem catchy enough - so it became "light and frothy", which sums it up in a way.

Alan Watts

 

Related Quotes:-

We do not "come into" this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree.

The real Zen of the old Chinese masters was wu-shi, or "no fuss."

(Both quotes from the books of Alan Watts, and I must say that the first is far from being "light and frothy". Reflecting upon it, the implications are profound and life giving, at least for me)

Here is another:- 

If a flower had a God it would not be a transcendental flower but a field.

Empathy

I was recently reading the new book by Lawrence Rees on the history of the Holocaust. I had told myself that I would never read another - just how many do you need to read to know just how deep the abyss of human suffering is? Yet the book spoke of tracing the seeds of the Holocaust right back to the very early days of the Nazi's, back to the Munich beer halls and the days when Hitler first discovered his "gift" for oratory. Also that it contained much first hand testimony of some who actually survived.

 I would say the "seeds" go back much much further than that, but I suppose you have to start somewhere. Well, I have read others, histories and personal testimonies. The biography of Elie Weisel, "All Rivers Run to the Sea" was one. Elie Weisel was quite young, a child, when he arrived at Auschwitz.  He had spoken of his younger sister and of his love for her, of her love of the meadows and flowers. 

Elie Weisel

On arrival at Auschwitz, he and his family held each others hands and they walked forward together, "feeling strong", as if nothing whatsoever in the entire world could separate them. Then a quick barking command from a guard sent his mother and sister one way, and his father and himself another. How easy it all was. Parted forever. 

The entrance to Auschwitz

There were illustrations in Lawrence Ree's book and one, of a group of Jewish people being herded out of their homes in the Warsaw ghetto by soldiers pointing guns, caught my mind. One very young lad, his hands held up, with eyes that can only be described as bewildered. Shocking beyond any comprehension. He looked about the age of my grandson. What can anyone say or think or do? 

Any answers of the intellect act only as an anaesthetic. Hatred of the perpetrators is surely pointless (looking at photos of those such as Himmler, Goebbels and Hitler himself, I feel virtually nothing)

Belief, for me, is futile. Saying which, it must be seen that belief is not faith. Belief is of the intellect while faith is the total mind/heart. Belief is a clinging to self, even an attempt at self-justification. Faith is a letting go, allowing Reality itself to "justify" us. All, at least, as I see it.

 "In fact", as Suzuki says, "all intellectual efforts we make to solve the problem of reality are really directed towards the restoration of faith from which the problem started."

 So the answer is in each moment. We need to see other eyes; know them as others yet also as ourselves. 

"A condition of complete simplicity, costing not less than everything" (T. S. Eliot)

Related Quotes:- 

The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. 

We must not see any person as an abstraction. Instead we must see in every person a universe with its own secrets, with its own treasures, with its own sources of anguish, and with some measure of triumph.

For me, every hour is grace.

(All Elie Weisel)

Love God and do what you will

Stumbling along in my usual fashion I've lost track of exactly why I ever concerned myself with the theist/non-theist conundrum. "The contact of two liberties" which Thomas Merton once said was the necessary prerequisite of a true mysticism - well, I could have done with Merton himself living a few years longer and helping me out, but it's over now. A "true" mysticism? 

What IS mysticism?

Is there anybody there?

As Suzuki has always insisted, zen is NOT mysticism. No it is not. Which is a bit of a relief, not really being the mystical type myself.

More and more I know/see/realise that we have to return to the very beginning - not a beginning in time, just the "beginning". All is empty, all is nothingness, yet complete in itself - or herself, or himself. Resting in the complete peace, freedom, grace of the time before time; or better, timelessness. Having found rest, having known the ultimate gift, to then enter the world of differentiation, the world of the intellect, all unified by love. And "what we have to be is what we are", as Thomas Merton said. 

The unity of love

Which is the rambling, perhaps nonsensical prelude to a recent observation. That many in our current world are truly awash in samsara, floundering about, never having known that moment of rest, the return to the Source, which Merton called the Palace of Nowhere, "where all the many things are one."

Nowadays, many appear to go shopping for a "reality" with which to clothe themselves; and having found it, search out the facts that suit their garment, rejecting the rest. (Which can seem much like the "enlightened" perspective, though such seems more "the appropriate statement", made just once in each moment) Yet without ever having known the heart that makes all things cohere, we are lost rather than found. 

Shopping for reality

Getting back to current affairs, this observation comes from watching the Donald Trump phenomena, that man who claims to "tell it like it is"; and again from witnessing his supporters whose own chosen "reality", the one they will to be, is confirmed by Trump. No matter the lies, the "telling it as he sees it", that continue to stream from his mouth. 

The Donald

I have been dipping into a few reports of the Republican Nomination Campaign trail and the subsequent race for the White House (or was I reading about the Keystone Cops?) Whatever, the reports were from the pen of Matt Taibbi, who is a contributing editor for "Rolling Stone" and winner of the 2008 National Magazine Award for columns and commentary.

Matt Taibbi

 

Taibbi had spoken a few years before, in "The Great Derangement", about a trend in American politics, that:-

 1:- The country's leaders are corrupt and have become unresponsive to the needs of the population.

 2:- People all over are beginning to notice. 

 3:- As ordinary people tune out their corrupt leaders, they will replace official propaganda with conspiratorial explanations even more ridiculous than the original lies.

 For me, this entire scenario, the tragic reality of it, has been highlighted by just having read the biography of Harry Truman. A man of genuine integrity, moving in a world where the realities of that world were actually reflected in the policies and commitments of the candidates for office. 

Harry Truman ( WW1 Photo)

How far from that have we come in our "information age", when the whole parade of the Presidential wannabees becomes a ludicrous circus, reduced to even a parody of "The Appentice." With the added tragedy that while virtually all laughed at the contestants of "The Apprentice", a very large core of those watching the Presidential race actually saw Donald Trump as a man who could "make America great again". He confirmed their fondest wishes of what Reality must be.

Liz joins in the fun

Well, Taibbi tells of two "yahoos" who beat up a Hispanic homeless guy. When arrested, one said that "Donald Trump was right, all of these illegals need to be deported."

Trump, when told of this, said:- "That would be a shame." 

But right after, he went on:- "I will say, the people that are following me are very passionate. They love this country. They want this country to be great again. But they are very passionate. I will say that." 

There it is. What can you say? As Taibbi himself comments, "when the Donald said that he ceased to be funny."

Lest this all seem a disparaging summing up of the "Leader of the Free World" and an assault upon our American friends only, I will just finish with the latest summary on the UK's move towards Brexit, straight from the mouth of our very own PM Theresa May. Today, 5th Sept 2018, speaking to our parliament she said:- "Let me say this, what we are doing is what we are doing, and let's be clear about this, what is important is that we will be getting on with the process of getting on with what we are doing."

Let us be clear about this!

Brexit here we come. The world has gone mad. 

Related Quotes:-

 "The intellect looks outward, taking an objective view........it is unable to look inwardly so as to grasp the thing in its inwardness.........the unifying principle lies inside and not outside. It is not something we arrive at; it is where we start. It is not the outcome of postulation; it is what makes postulation possible."

"Without unification, division is not possible."

(Both D. T. Suzuki, from the essay "The Buddhist Conception of Reality")

Suzuki

"Trump is a watcher, not a reader - it's all mixed up in his head..............when he says,"I have a great relationship with the blacks," what he probably means is that he liked watching The Cosby Show."

(Matt Taibbi)

Harry Truman

Tired of our current batch of so called leaders I was attracted to a biography of a previous President of the USA, Harry Truman.

Harry Truman

I saw that his life had covered some momentous times, WW1, WW2, the Great Depression, the coming of the Atomic Bomb, the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War and more. Much more as it turned out. 

Momentous times

He was a real "man of the people", raised on the farm. He seems never to have betrayed his roots, of "knowing right from wrong and trying to do right". What was very apparent was that the closer people knew him the more they respected him, even loved him; and that he was at ease with all, from down and outs, the White House staff, to Stalin and Churchill.

The Missouri farmlands

 The highlight for me was the long chapter on the 1948 Presidential Campaign, when Truman was 30% or more behind in the Gallup Polls yet emerged triumphant, the only man - said a comedian of that time - who had "lost at the gallop but won at a walk". There is of course the famous picture of Harry Truman holding up a newspaper which carried the headline "Dewey Defeats Truman", taken around the exact time that Dewey was conceding defeat. Truman spent all his campaign time crossing the country by train, making speeches at every stop, the size of the crowds astounding everyone, who yet insisted Dewey would triumph.

Winning at a walk!

  But oh yes, life on the farm. One lovely story of his grandma, confronted at the back door of the farm by a tramp who she had given a cup of coffee to. The tramp had returned to complain that the coffee wasn't hot enough. "She took the cup, went inside, and promptly returned with a shotgun. He could be on his, way, she said, or she would warm more than his coffee for him."

Don't mess with Grandma

The book, a rather huge one by David McCullough, is never hagiographical. Truman is shown warts and all, but nevertheless, McCullough obviously had huge respect for the man. And why not? There is a lot to respect.

While President he yet found time for small acts of kindness towards many. He never forgot a friend. He loved his bourbon and a game of poker.

 

A refreshing read. Recommended.

May the farce be with you

Still on the same tack. All things Brexit. Those who enjoy more the "meaning of life" type of Blog need read no further. 

Well, just to say that the demand in the UK is growing for a second referendum on membership of the EU, according to the polls. Yes, Opinion Polls are not always reliable, yet I would say that a trend is, if the same question is asked over a time period and the very same methods of extrapolation used. Whatever, hopes rose of a second vote when our PM Theresa May insisted that in "no circumstances" would there be one (sic) 

The demand grows

I am active on Facebook and so the majority of this Blog is lifted from there. Enjoy or ignore. 

May the farce be with you:- UPDATE.

With even the Pro-Brexit lobby ( Press and those born with silver spoons in their mouths ) speaking of the Army being called in come No-Deal Day, Mrs May cries out "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people". Yes, take comfort in these preparations by our Strong and Stable Leaders. In our famous British stiff upper lip fashion, we will all queue in an orderly fashion to receive our very own can of Bully Beef, handed out by what is left of our Army.

A typical Brexiteer?

And what is all this in aid off?

"To regain control of our borders".

REALITY:- we have never lost control as far as Commonwealth citizens are concerned. For EU Nationals, the explicit directive of the EU is that "freedom of movement is NOT an unqualified right". We retain the right to deny entry to any identified as posing a threat to "public policy". Again, we retain the right to deport those posing any such threat. 5301 EU Nationals were deported in 2017, a 20% rise on the previous year. 

Free Movement - But NOT an "unqualified right"

"To become once again a sovereign nation making our own laws".

REALITY:- what sovereignty have we actually lost? EU laws have always been more about food hygiene and lift safety etc than Government Policy as such. Our crisis in the NHS, police, army, education are ALL of our own making. 

"We will spend our own money as we see fit"

REALITY. All reputable analysis shows that there will be NO Brexit dividend, no extra money at all. Currently we each pay just 1p in the Pound to the EU of the tax we pay. This contribution ensures Food Supplies ( in the form of Farming Subsidies ) and also goes towards building up the weaker European economies, thus addressing the so called "migrant crisis" at source.

"We will be able to negotiate our own Trade Deals".

REALITY. The implication is that they will be better. Why? We surely cannot get a better deal than we already have with the countries of the EU. In fact, the likely outcome is that any deal will be worse. China? My own view is that the UK will not be able to get anything better than what is negotiated by the EU, which has the clout of 27 countries behind it. Why or how could it be better? The USA? Really, anyone trusting the word of Donald Trump must be living in La La Land. The US Farming Lobby, one of the strongest, will surely insist upon our accepting food standards set lower than the EU's, thus impacting and jeopardising our food trade with the EU. The US Pharmaceutical Companies are very keen to get more of a grip on our NHS. And again, really, WHY would any deal be better than that already negotiated by the EU? 

La La land

What is left? The Commonwealth countries, most who remember how we treated them when we joined the EU. India has already intimated that any new deal must include making it easier for their Nationals to gain entry visas to the UK. Thus in such a case, we "lose control of our borders".

Lastly, it must be remembered that we are not speaking here of additional trade.

The WTO rules? Jacob Rees-Mogg, a great advocate of such, was exposed on a Radio Phone-in as having not a clue what they are. But we can always hope for the best. Jacob tells us it will be 50 years before we know the full impact of Brexit. Unlike Jacob, the vast majority were not born with an inheritance of £120 million to cushion them should the impact be bad.

Mr Rees-Mogg (I'm saying nothing)

The story so far:-

1. A large number of people, mainly those who favour a de-regulated economy of low taxes and low wages, never accepted the result of the EU Referendum in the 1970's. Mainly Right-wingers with very little sympathy towards what we could call "the rest of us". By means of control of the Media, mainly the Express, Mail, Sun and Telegraph - all owned by multi-millionaires, one not even British - a continuing tirade of stories, editorials and news items was constantly released blaming virtually each and every wrong in our country on the EU and/or Immigrants. 

2. In an attempt to end all dispute within his own Party, Dave Cameron called a Referendum. A referendum that according to the constitution of our country, grown organically over 800 years, could only be "advisory". The vote was to Leave. Dave retired to his shed to join the fairies at the bottom of his garden and write his memoirs.

Dave Cameron heading for the bottom of his garden

3. Since then the "will of the people" must be obeyed. All who oppose it are dubbed "undemocratic" , "traitors", "enemies of the people" and "saboteurs" (and worse, as I have found to my cost on Tabloid Comments Sections ) For those aware of the inter-war years in Germany, such slogans can be understood as indicators of a nascent fascism.

4. But we MUST go ahead. Just as someone who accepts a proposal of marriage must go ahead. Even after finding out that their future spouse is a serial killer who is already married. "Democracy" DEMANDS that we go ahead.

But as David Davis, ex Brexit Secretary, himself said, "a Democracy that cannot change its mind is no longer a democracy."

The worth of our EU Nationals.

1. Virtually all young and able bodied, here to work. Statistically less liable to be on benefits than our native population, and making a net contribution to the Exchequer. Therefore not a drain on our Services at all. (Please, for any real "drain" look first at deliberate underfunding by our current Government)

2. Our Services, mainly the NHS, are suffering a growing staff crisis as many EU Nationals, feeling unvalued and unwanted, return home.

On this last point, there was a spike in racially motivated hate crimes immediately after the Referendum result. And apparently the Police are preparing for another spike soon after we leave the EU next March.

To be honest, I feel ashamed. "Getting our country back"? Heaven help us.

The Daily Express at it again

A final word detailing the activities of those spoken of as driving Brexit:- Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski, raised in England since the age of 7, born in Poland (ironic?) Doubles his MP's salary as a consultant for the Electrum Group. This group are investors/speculators in "safe haven" assets, notably gold, known to grow in value when economic catastrophe looms. Mr Kawczynski writes on the news site of Arron Bank's, co-founder of the Leave.EU Campaign. His latest pieces have argued for a Hard Brexit, for Mr Rees-Mogg as PM and of the virtues of Donald Trump.

Gold spiked in value against the Pound just after the Referendum result and can be expected to make further gains following any Hard Brexit.

While thousands may well lose their jobs, plenty of speculators will consider it a job well done.

(Thank you "Private Eye" - a UK satirical and investigative magazine - for the substance of this particular story)

All rather sad considering that many claimed to have voted Leave to give the Establishment "a kick in the teeth." At least we can be reassured that Mr Kawczynski - and many more like him - will be well able to afford a new set of dentures)

A typical cover of "Private Eye"

That's all folks. Namu Amida Butsu!

But maybe a further word, of "nascent fascism" and of the "can't happen again" mentality. Just after the end of WW2 came the partition of India, into India, West Pakistan and East Pakistan. Millions of people forced to move home. Yet, by comparison, nothing compared to the trauma that WW2 inflicted upon Europe. Compare now. Some analysts consider the subcontinent as being the place where a nuclear conflagration is still most likely, trade is sparse between Pakistan and India, and more often than not they are on opposite sides of most international issues. Yet the thought of (say) France and Germany being again at war with each other is now unimaginable. The EU, for all its faults, for all the challenges ahead, has created this climate of peace and reconciliation. 

It is said that Steve Bannon, chief architect of Donald Trump's unlikely election triumph, now tours the EU capitals, seeking support for his far-right agenda. Such a man (however mocked by some), such an agenda, poses a danger, given the rise of the various right-wing, Nationalist Parties across the continent. 

Can it all happen again? 

The latest art work of my Grandson, who in 50 years time will know the outcome of Brexit.

We all have special needs

My daughter visited recently and spotted the Blook of this blog. Well, to be honest, I made sure she spotted it. 

Who could miss it?

Anyway, interested, she took it away with her to read "as and when". I am not particularly vocal in offering my views, particularly on "the meaning of life". Maybe I'm wrong but as I see it, the more vocal you are, the less you are inclined to actually live your convictions. The more Buddhism, the less Buddha. Something like that. But I'm drivelling as usual. 

Well, just last week, my daughter told me that she really liked a poem I had quoted in one of my blogs, "The Two Headed Calf" by Laura Gilpin. She told me how it made her think of how the young lad she looks after might see the world. He is a lad with what are called "special needs", starved of oxygen during birth, but he does love watching rugby. (His love, also, of Manchester United I gracefully, if reluctantly, forgive)

In the museum

Here is the poem again:- 

Tomorrow, when the farm boys find this
freak of nature, they will wrap his body
in newspaper and carry him to the museum. 

But tonight he is alive and in the north
field with his mother. It is a perfect
summer evening: the moon rising over
the orchard, the wind in the grass.
And as he stares into the sky, there
are twice as many stars as usual.

At the time of first quoting I said that for me the poem was about "acceptance, of difference, of each of us being unique...…..and other things". Yes, it is - and you are invited to think of "other things". But relating this to some previous things in blogs about every cut being the best, I think now that all of us have special needs. Some perhaps just need them more than others! This is where empathy, a good ear, even being aware of our own vulnerability, comes in. Communion, not mere communication; certainly not just a speaking at others. 

Moving on, long ago on a Buddhist Forum, I admired one particular poster simply because he often tried to relate his buddhist convictions to the actual world of current affairs around him. I have found this far more difficult than it would seem. Anyway, just recently, caught up in the debate ( well, it has to be called something! ) over Brexit, I have come out of retirement and entered the realm of the Tabloid newspaper comments sections. Quite illuminating! Quite easy to be pulled down and end up throwing out a few "black eyes" of my own, especially after being called "thick", "traitor" and told to clear off to Russia if I didn't want to accept the "will of the people". All good stuff in the rough and tumble of the British psyche.

Our glorious tabloids defend our "sovereignty"

But in respect to acceptance, of difference, the subject comes up of our immigrants, both from the Commonwealth and the EU. Take it from me - trust me - those that habitually read one or two ( or three! ) of our daily tabloids will have been treated to a continual assault of news items, editorials, features and articles where many of the ills in our society are blamed upon the EU/immigration.

Just to mention one thread recently regarding how lack of co-operation between the UK and EU Security Services, of a breakdown in such post Brexit, could cause an influx of unsavory characters entering the UK. It was soon inundated with anti- immigrant diatribes; of the unsavoury who had already entered. The general view expressed was that we had "no control over who came and went" because of the EU policy of the free movement of people, thus allowing the unsavory ( full details supplied on request! ) to flood our land. Also, the assertion made that the EU laws made it impossible to deport anyone.

Free movement!

 I entered the debate, referring to the explicit EU directive that "free movement " is NOT an unqualified right, and can be restricted by ANY country on "grounds of public policy, public security or public health." Therefore that the UK has had, and does have, as good a control as its own border checks wish, or are able, to impose. 

As far as not being allowed to deport anyone under EU Law, once again an explicit EU directive gives the UK the right to deport those who threaten "public security" and who do not comply with "public policy". I pointed out that under such directives, 5,301 EU nationals had in fact been deported in 2017, a 20% rise over the previous year. Well, suffice to say that the thread dried up after my own posts. 

The average poster? (Who can spot me?)

The tragedy - and tragedy is not too strong a word - is that my own direct observations tell me that the self same anti-immigrant posters will continue to express the very same opinions on subsequent threads, undeterred by facts. Why bother with facts when you have your prejudices to guide you?

Brexit divides the nation

 Yes indeed. Not only are all of us the very best cut of meat. Each of us has our very own special needs. Perhaps some more so than others.