by Joe Kandra and Kathie MM
Tag: greed
Global Resources and Challenges for 2016 ©
guest author: Anthony J. Marsella, Ph.D.
The new calendar year is upon us . . . in every sense of the word! We use the New Year as an opportunity for renewal — a chance for a fresh start. We leave behind the accumulate residue of the past year, and respond now with a blank slate of possibilities — an imagined vision of what could be . . . “If only.” Yes, it is the “If only,” constraining us and inspiring us. I once wrote a wisdom bite: “If! A two-letter word, simple in sound, profound in consequence.”
So here we are! Wanting a new start, but clear we have much unfinished business from last year. There is wisdom in knowing the challenges we face, for life is never free of them. It is also useful to know the resources we possess, even if they may be inadequate to the task. It is useful to explore the dynamics of resource-challenge relations. There will always be tradeoffs and compromises, and these are disappointing. Yet, they constitute a reality that cannot be ignored. So what does 2016 look like from the resource-challenge perspective?
In my opinion, there are reasons for fear, and reasons for hope. Has it ever been anything different? Hasn’t history shown us each age was filled with its challenges and resources? Yes, this is true. But what is different this year – 2016 – is the “global stage” in which the challenges and resources are being tested and contested. We are unprepared for the magnitude of stage. And, the problem is resources are always fewer in number than challenges. But is their power less?
There is something noble and inspirational about the willingness to assert human and environmental dignity and worth via various resources. There is something noble about joining causes to bring positive changes. This may be the most important thing! It is hard to speak of the nobility of the human spirit when we consider the widespread abuses and insults human have engendered. But perhaps the “process” of responding to challenges reminds us of the essence of life itself – a felt force seeking and pursuing, not only survival, but growth, development, and becoming. Go for it!
Anthony J. Marsella, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822.
Show, by your actions, that you choose peace over war, freedom over oppression, voice over silence, service over self-interest, respect over advantage, courage over fear, cooperation over competition, action over passivity, diversity over uniformity, and justice over all.
I want what I want when I want it
This mantra, especially when combined with an unshakeable sense of entitlement, links the culture of violence with its intimate buddy, the culture of greed. Watch this video for a compelling picture of this destructive relationship.
Sadly, many people believe the U.S. Constitution entitles them not just to pursue happiness but to have it hundreds of times over in whatever form they wish.
On a national level, this belief powers the pursuit of resources that belong to other nations and communities. It mobilizes our troops to go off to die on behalf of the security of the wealthy and powerful.
It permeates the military industrial and banking complex as they starve the poor, replace workers with machines, deplete the middle class, plunder the environment, and pile more and more goodies into their trophy bags. It energizes exploitation, abuse, punishment of dissenters, and rape both inside and outside the military.
On the level of the ordinary citizen, this belief can lead to unchecked use of credit cards, sacrifice of the next generation’s future, and financial burdens that benefit the rich.
This poem by Tom Greening describes the process well:
WEALTH
I will not let your unemployment
infringe upon my own enjoyment
of life’s resplendent luxuries
or dampen my rich fantasies
about how God should guarantee
vast wealth to citizens like me.
My craving for great opulence
is never meant to give offense,
but simply should be gratified
and holy Mammon deified.
Please, during this holiday season, resist all the entreaties to spend, spend, spend. The rich are rich enough. Give love instead. There is never enough of that.
And because I want to finish this post on a happy note, please view this brief video, and be inspired by its message of generosity.
Kathie Malley-Morrison, Professor of Psychology
Yoga and peace
To be at peace in the world we must be at peace within ourselves.
In recognition of Yoga Day U.S.A. on Saturday, January 21, Engaging Peace offers some reflections on yoga as a means for discovering and cultivating inner peace.
The Sanskrit word for peace is “shanti.” Many students of yoga are familiar with the phrase “Om shanti, shanti, shanti” as a blessing for peace.
Another word for shanti is equilibrium, as in mental balance. When we feel at peace, we are in balance, and have a sense of equanimity. It’s easy to forgive others and to let go of our own ego-driven desires when we are in balance.
As athletes, martial artists, and yogis know, to be in balance is to be in a position of strength. Inner peace is not weakness; it is a source of resilient energy.
The practice of yoga promotes contentment, or “santosha.” Would we see so many wars around the world if nations and societies experienced contentment? No, war is fueled by discontent–greed, hunger for power and resources, and fear.
Peace and contentment arise from a willingness to respect others and to live with humility. The greeting and closing used in many yoga classes is “namaste,” which means “I bow to you,” or “I honor the light within you.”
Would war’s acts of violence and inhumanity even be possible if warriors honored the light within their opponents?
Let us all find ways to cultivate peace within ourselves. Yoga is but one path for doing so. Find the path that works for you, and enjoy a life of serenity, balance, and contentment.
Then share your sense of peace with others so that it may grow throughout the world.
Om shanti, shanti, shanti. Peace, peace, peace.
Pat Daniel, Managing Editor of Engaging Peace and Kripalu Yoga Teacher