Liberation

One way of achieving enlightenment in ancient prescriptions is striving for emptiness. Emptiness implies letting go of ego and a cluttered mind. Meditation is a traditional method for practicing emptiness of mind and liberation from suffering.

While I understand these concepts, I feel the ancient concepts of enlightenment and liberation are relevant in a very different way in modern society. As we become liberated from religion through science, our minds can open to many other ways to achieve liberation from suffering. For example, some would see pharmaceutical technology as a substitute for meditation or psychoanalysis in the pursuit of personal insight and evolution.

The problem with technological substitutes or alternatives for meditation and reflection is simple. Most of us cannot develop our own technological substitutes for these activities. In other words, liberation in a full sense is impossible, since we depend on a factory to make the pills which may take the place of practice. Capitalism fosters this dependence on product as a substitute for practice.

The beauty of practice as an approach to liberation from personal suffering is its empowerment. It requires no dependence on pills, gurus or mentors. By emptying a life of dependence and taking full responsibility for its suffering, a seeker who develops a daily practice of meditation and mindful investigation of being achieves one first step toward liberation.

Fireworks

strolling tired in summer heat
long day of july independence
moving against a human tide
madly rushing to water's edge

avoiding addled drugged stares
pairs and triads of angry men
seeking source or target of pain
along steaming paved streets

near empty subway rumble ride
loud asian syllables in the air
yearning for quiet in my rooms
interrupted by more angry eyes

ambling along to my own street
suddenly peopled with strangers
climbing the low hill with relief
old wooden door unlocked yields

flashing and booming fireworks
there outside my own window
now shrugging with wide yawn
happily drifting to sweet sleep

Addiction

I am impressed by the current trend in U.S. society to accept binge drinking and public intoxication. In the urban environment, it is matter of course to see inebriated people in public in the middle of the day. On weekends, drunk young people are commonplace during the afternoons on city streets.

Thirty years ago, this would have been unacceptable public behavior, associated with sociopaths and derelicts. Not so today. What has happened?

Well, the U.S. was led for eight years by an alcoholic, who, despite claims of longterm sobriety, managed the government like an unruly drunkard. President Obama chose to resolve a serious racial incident, involving a cop and a Harvard professor, by having a beer with them. When did drinking alcohol become a panacea?

While I believe it is useless to try to control human behavior, like drinking alcohol, by stern prescriptions of sobriety, I am concerned that all the ills associated with addiction will once again blossom with the inevitable social repercussions. Domestic and random violence are among the worst of these.

Personal and social peace is dependent on the mindfulness of individuals. Alcohol/drug use is antagonistic to mindfulness. Mindfulness requires a useful, alert brain. Managing brain function cognitively is difficult enough in itself without adding external intoxicants.

The occasional medicinal use of alcohol, cannabis or other intoxicants may have some beneficial effects for some people. However, the routine, habitual use of intoxicants has no beneficial effect for any individual or society. Learning this lesson is a necessary first step for many on their path to personal growth.

Terrorism

Yes, let's wage a war against terror.

Let us wage war against those who teach their children homophobia, sexism, selfishness, materialism, violence, elitism, brutality and hatred, whether they be Protestant, Catholic, Jew, Mormon, atheist or Muslim.

Let us wage a war against those who greedily accumulate wealth from sweat, fear and trepidation of those who actually do the world's labor in the Americas, in Europe, in Asia, or in Africa.

Let us wage war against those who poison our air, our food, our water with irresponsible child-rearing, huge cars, fast food, sewage, and toxins.

In other words, let us wage war against our own human laziness and fear of change. Let each of us become a practicing warrior against materialism, jealousy, indolence, greed, stupidity, gluttony, addiction, prejudice, rudeness, hypocrisy, mindless reproduction and indifference. Let each of us practice looking toward the light of right thought and right living. This practice colors everything with new light. There is no shadow in this practice where terrorism can breed.

Anger

Anger is a drug. It stimulates the body's hormonal responses when allowed to escalate into a raging tantrum. It provides a high. It also brings the temporary secondary gain of inducing fear in the object of that anger. This is all basic animal behavior. Getting hooked on anger is easier for some than for others. Those who do become addicted to their anger tend to become isolated and depressed over time, unless they have the misfortune of pairing with another anger addict or a masochist. Taking control of anger is perhaps the most powerful tool on the way to mindful human evolution. When recognized and harnessed, the natural anger response is a generator of tremendous energy for change. This is the basis of martial arts, for example. My practice includes learning to harness my anger and to deflect the anger of others.

Workaholic

I have recently read several articles about young people in America's middle class who take pride in working 70-100 hours per week at corporate jobs. In these materialistic, socially irresponsible times in America, this is seen as commendable. America ranks 5th in per-hour productivity, according to one study, behind four European nations, where work hours are much shorter and vacations much longer and more frequent. In other words, these compulsive American workers are doing less in more time. What are they trying to avoid? Are they trying to avoid conflict with insatiably greedy corporate bosses, who pay themselves exorbitantly and lavish luxury and liesure on themselves and their families? They will obviously avoid meaningful cooperative relationships with other human beings. Those relationships require time, attention and consistency. Is it any wonder that some reports indicate that sexuality among these workaholics is more and more alcohol/drug laced and utilitarian. What does it mean for a society when its educated achiever class are isolated by work which precludes quality social and cultural contact? The answer is already quite visible in newspapers and on the streets. Quality of life requires diversity of life experiences and moderation in all things. This quality lies within the Middle Path of Buddhist practice.