A Quiet Watercourse

I wandered into the New Scientist website earlier, as you do, and came across an interesting piece on primate behaviour. In fact, I’ll post a link to it here.

The interesting bit is the third section “No Reward”, it seems that the chimps will help out without expectation of reward. From the article: “Such altruistic helping behaviour is common in humans, but had never been documented in other animals before.”

It seems to me that there are people who like to make out that followers of their given religion are the only source of good. I wonder what they’d make of this? I personally find it reassuring tht altruism seems to be built in to animals to some degree, that it’s not just a thing contrived by humans.

So, Tony Blair has gone on record as saying he will only be judged by God for his decision to go to war in Iraq.

The leaders of the Muslim faith have warned that this will further divide Christians and Muslims. They’ve been criticised in the press for that as they have the same view of divine judgement as Tony Blair. Some have questioned his sanity, which I think is going a bit too far.

I think the fact that he’s made such a statement may show uncertainty about the rightness of his actions, hence the invocation of his faith, if he was so sure about things, he wouldn’t need to try to one up everyone like that.

The thing is, he’s an elected politician, what he’s saying amounts to a snub to both the British people and anyone who isn’t a Christian. It says, I don’t care what the people who I represent think, I answer to a higher power. Well, a politician answers to the electorate first, a large portion of who are non-Christian.

Speaking as a Non-Christian, I don’t subscribe to the belief of judgement at the end of the life. The actions of Bush & Blair will have repercussions for future generations, they need to start trying to make things right in this world, never mind hiding behind faith in another one.

I’ve been thinking about change and myself. Since starting meditation I can sense that my mental processes are starting to change, the world seems different now I’ve been practising for a few weeks.

I’m finding that the best way to change is to start internally, the future flows to the past, but it does so through your mind. Think about it, the way you see your future, the way you view your past is largely a matter of mental attitude. But in the middle of it all is the present moment, and in it, you. It is your attitudes in the present moment that can give you a bright future and/or a positive view on your past.

Taoism tells us to live in the present, it’s where Wu Wei happens, not in the future or past. Want a more positive future? Start making small changes, appreciate and enjoy the present moment, make the most of it. I think that meditation with it’s ability to gently resculpt your mental landscape is the perfect place to start.

Well, I threated to bore everyone with a second article, here it is!

I was mulling over the Taoist cred of Free and Open Source Software, the result is “Free Software and The Watercourse”, it’s currently lurking over on my Google Pages waiting to devour innocent readers! 3;-)

On a far more serious note, the BBC is reporting that Birmingham UK columnist Maureen Messant has been arrested for questioning over recent claims that she killed a dying, terminally-ill aunt with Morphine in an act of Euthanasia in the 1960s. Apparently, the police are now consulting with the Crown Prosecution Service over further action.

I’d just like to take this chance to express my support for her and to send her my best wishes.