In my estimation, we possess four natural human qualities: we are intrinsically peaceful; we are naturally happy; we are continual seekers and we exist in a state of love. Over the next four weeks, I would like to explore each of these concepts.
At present, we are doing a terrible job with the idea of love, aren’t we? I have the BBC App on my phone and of the 20 stories that are presented each morning at 6:30, most are either violent or negative or simply filler: “feel good” stories that have no value — a royal baby is born or some Maharaja’s son is getting married. What we are left to focus on is the inconceivable brutality of man. He is a truly disgusting beast. Mass murder has now become a spectator sport: each progressive atrocity more startling in its demonic creativity: no love here! But, where is this man? I have never met him, have you? Does he lurk behind the door in our office or is he stealthily moving along the street, hiding himself from our view? Does he control Mephistopheles, like Dr. Faustus in Christopher Marlowe’s seminal play? (1)
Mephistopheles: Why this is hell, nor am I out of it.
Thinkest thou that I, who saw the face of God,
And tasted the eternal joys of heaven,
Am not tormented with ten thousand hells
In being deprived of everlasting bliss?
O Faustus, leave these frivolous demands,
Which strike a terror to my fainting soul.
Faustus: What is great Mephistopheles so passionate
For being deprived of the joys of heaven?
Learn thou of Faustus manly fortitude,
And scorn those joys thou never shalt possess.
Or is he even more sinister? I put it to you that he doesn’t exist. He is a construct of the military-industrial complex to sell more weapons. The purpose of the news is to simply scare us so we readily acquiesce to this charade. Of course, we need more machine guns, (2) when the enemy is upon us. The question is, “Who is is the enemy?” In truth, the foe is the self. If we want to subscribe to a world that is presented to us in our news and on our devices, it exists. If we want to see mankind as a loving species, he also is. There is little room for naiveté in what I am expressing. Of course, bad things occur in our reality. They just are such a small statistical anomaly that they have no bearing, whatsoever, on our daily life. (3) There is no excuse for us to feel fear and be inhibited in our philosophical development. “Those who denigrate self-love are thinking of people who seek the greatest honors and pleasures only for themselves. A good person who is self-loving will seek only what is best for himself or herself, which will be consistent with what is best for all. A good person will do seemingly unselfish acts, such as taking risks for friends or giving away money, but will do these things because they are noble and are motivated by self-love … Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. The best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake.” (4) The great pastor, sage and human-rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 — 1968), leaves us with a thought: I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.
A closing thought: I think that a large part of this desire for peace can begin as simply as acknowledging the other. The cell phone is exceptionally pernicious is isolating human beings from one another. How many times have you almost been run over by someone texting and paying no attention to their surroundings? This can change if we remind people not to be so thoughtless. Yes, it is up to us: each individual must take responsibility for humanity. If we see an aberration, we must speak up, nicely of course, but still, speak up. It is our job as a part of the human race. Additionally: if we truly believe in love, we owe it to ourselves to become informed. The merchants of death, the armaments industry, cannot conceivably want peace. “War is good business: invest your son.” (6)
To sum up: This week, we spoke about love. Why is it so hidden and how will we uncover it? We stated that fear is being created to justify the increased militarism in the world: the same old ruse used for millennia to justify weaponry and institutional murder.
A sardonic encounter: The safest job in the US Air Force is arguably the flying of drones over Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. They are flown from a base in Nevada. Now the pilots are refusing to “take the mission” or are simply not signing up. It appears that their moral conscience is finally getting to them. This is not a video game. “We are killing real people.” Without a trial, I might add. (6)
Just for fun: Tina Turner – What’s Love Got To Do With It
This week, please try to do one act of kindness for another human being: hold a door, for example.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.
Quote: Thou shall not kill: this is one of the most important commandments. Let us remember that killing is not human and, ultimately, evil.
Footnotes:
2) Ministry inks deal for 285 sets of Mk44 chain guns
3) The True Odds of Airborne Terror Chart
4) The Nicomachean Ethics: Aristotle (384 – 322 BC)
5) The Fall of America: Poems of These States 1965-1971: Alan Ginsberg (1926 — 1997)
6) A chilling new post-traumatic stress disorder: Why drone pilots are quitting in record numbers