the dragon

seems to me the best way to strike a fatal blow to the heart of the rapacious dragon of consumerism is to bring people to the understanding of their interconnectedness--- to a Knowing of the ecology of all things. such an understanding amounts to a spriritual revival or rebirth. yes, that's why the so-called christian right has seen some success in pursuing its agenda, has grown its ranks. they, at least, recognize the importance of attaching politics to values and morality. the left has lost that understanding. the christian right, of course, has it wrong; their clever organizers are merely using this knowledge (of the need to connect politics with values) as a tool to dupe the fearful masses--- and gain their votes.

what i propose above is something more fundamental than merely clever, political application of simple social psychology. what the world awaits is humankind's rise to the next, inevitable level of consciousness; our graduation, as it were, from simple, animalistic, reactive, self-oriented behavior to an awareness of the unity of all things and the attendant depersonalization (to use a Buddhist term) of our perception of the universe and a recognition of our place in it as intrinsic rather than dominant or subordinate.

despite all our technology (and, in some cases, because of it), we still live largely on the surface of perception and understanding. if we could perceive the depth of things, see the intrinsic oneness of the whole of creation, we could not help but to transform ourselves; that paradigm shift would be the transformation.

how to drive a stake then into the heart of the dragon? how to bring people to this new consciousness? i suspect the way is not paved in fear or combativeness, though i find myself still clinging to the notion of being a warrior for truth. when is a warrior not a warrior? when his weapons do not harm his enemy but enrich and enlighten him, thereby removing the enemy's threat. aikido.