Watching with a growing sinking feeling
We seem to be having something of a false dawn in the UK, in terms of the economy. There is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel, but I have the funny feeling that it’s a flamethrower. I’ve been looking round various financial forums, keeping an eye on some blogs, and wondering how the heck we let ourselves sleepwalk into this mess.
We’ve all been quite blind, and it’s interesting to watch the global reaction. It seems, at least to me, that there is a feeling of waking up but also a desire for “just 5 more minutes”, people are not letting go of the old illusions easily. Who can blame us? It’s the start of a very long journey, and it will not be easy. Watching the U.S. reaction to Obama, I’m inclined to think that there are some there who underestimated how change would happen. It’s going to be a long and difficult road, there is no shortcut.
I was mulling the Tao Te Ching again, of all the books of philosophy/spirituality in the world, I find this one the most worthwhile. I found a verse that says it all:
Holding a cup and overfilling it
Cannot be as good as stopping short
Pounding a blade and sharpening it
Cannot be kept for longGold and jade fill up the room
No one is able to protect them
Wealth and position bring arrogance
And leave disasters upon oneselfWhen achievement is completed, fame is attained
Withdraw oneself
This is the Tao of Heaven
We have tried to fill the cup to the brim, in our greed we have tried to extend the cup, we’ve tried to use complex financial methods to outfox reality. Reality always wins, you can’t beat it. Those in positions of wealth and power have behaved arrogantly, and the consequences are now being visited on all of us.
[Tao Te Ching verse from www.Taoism.net and Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths in 2006]
While I agree that the rich and powerful have laid waste to this planet and much of its population in a most egregious way, we really need to affix the blame to all of us in the “western world”. It’s our lifestyles that are causing most of these vexing problems. This especially is true for those of us on this side of the pond. Rich or poor, black or white, gay or straight, we bear a great deal of the responsibility.
Hear, hear!