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Curious1991
USA
10 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 10 2015 : 12:31:44 AM
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Background: Begun my spiritual journey beginning of this year and only practice Deep Meditation for now. I acknowledge that the root cause of suffering is my attachment to illusions, (i.e my desires, ego, body, possessions, etc.) Raised in typical upper middle class
Preface: The following post is political in nature I hope not to offend anyone or come across as pompous.
The reason there is poverty in this world is because of the economic system of capitalism where, private owners control the means of production. In order to become a wealthy millionaire, business owners will need to pay workers minimum wage to afford their lifestyle and keep overwhelming amounts of profit. To be a billionaire, many set up shop in nations with poor human rights where workers are paid pennies hourly. This is hierarchy has a huge gap because in order to rake extraordinary (i.e billions) profits, you can not pay your workers a living wage. This is a fact. (recent article: http://www.theguardian.com/global-d...rn-125-a-day )
Personally, I am a socialist. I do no believe in a classless system because if an individual chooses to pursue money that is their own choice. As long as they don't exploit (i.e pay slave wages) their workers. Just as there are laws to punish rape, murder, and theft there should be laws to prevent exploitation. Workers should be able to unionize, have ownership in what they produce with their own hands. I doubt there can be billionaires in a socialist society but there could be millionaires depending how ambitious the individuals are.
I believe a socialist based economy would significantly reduce physical suffering of poverty (disease, hunger, housing, etc.----I'm not sure if it would end all these problems for sure 100%). However here is my question. Is this natural? Not just the economic system itself which I believe is more compassionate it but I don't think it is human nature to be compassionate. Since the beginning of time there seems to have been some sort of tribalism, the kinship of families and similar groups of people based on race,culture, or whatever.
In the spiritual journey, I meditate to become one with everything, to rid myself of the ego and become liberated. As much as I believe in it and want to achieve it, I sometimes question the phrase "it is our true nature". I mean even in the evolutionary sense, the stronger male who acquired more status via his acquisitions via hunting/gathering food mated with the most women. At the beginning of this time, there was no monogamy so those who wear physically weaker and could not hunt were deemed unattractive and their genes did no carry on. At this time, there was no technology or entertainment of any sort to distract early humans for their only desire of survival.
To tie this back, to economics, capitalism follows this very primal model it seems. That the strongest stay strong and reap not just social benefits but the most necessities such as food and sex, despite there is enough to go around. It seems to tie back to evolution and darwinism.
This is getting too long, essentially my question is AYP and other spiritual schools say that the genuine compassion that comes with nonduality and discovering your true self is really human nature, I believe nonduality & genuine compassion are very real and I do strive for it but I just think the real human nature is to look out for one's best interest and immediate family for the sake of passing genes along (something i am not striving for).
Thanks guys |
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kumar ul islam
United Kingdom
791 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2015 : 09:23:23 AM
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all work is performed by the gunas of prakriti ,but he whose mind is deluded by egotism thinks '' i am the doer
but o mighty arjuna ,he who knows the truth about the gunas and action ,and what is distinct form them,holds himself unattached ,percieving thatit is the gunas that are accupied with the gunas......krishna in his dialoge with arjuna ....the gita |
Edited by - kumar ul islam on Apr 10 2015 09:24:53 AM |
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1534 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2015 : 09:28:37 AM
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Dear Curious ,
We say that Human Nature is one of compassion because we actually experience it so. Keep at your practices steadily and in a few months you will experience same and the lightbulb will go off.
Sey  |
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JohnWL
USA
12 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2015 : 10:14:45 PM
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The reason there is poverty is because it is part of the experience here. It's not because of a political/economic persuasion. There will always be a disparity of material wealth between people.
Spiritual growth can occur in any economic situation though. |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
Posted - Apr 11 2015 : 1:30:30 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Curious1991
Not just the economic system itself which I believe is more compassionate it but I don't think it is human nature to be compassionate. Since the beginning of time there seems to have been some sort of tribalism, the kinship of families and similar groups of people based on race,culture, or whatever.
I have no doubt there is compassion in the human nature. But there is also fear, insecurities and the impulse to hang on to dear life. Inequity is easily imposed on people who can be blackmailed by playing on their fears. If our insecurities have less of a hold on us, we are harder to blackmail. Yoga does that - it lessens the hold of our insecurities.
Sey is right, keep up your practices and you will find your own nature. The mind has a great ability to rationalise what seems intuitively to be right. Rational thinking and arguments like this one will not elicit our ultimate nature. Meditation and yoga are a much better bet in my opinion. |
Edited by - BlueRaincoat on Apr 16 2015 08:32:36 AM |
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jusmail
India
491 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2015 : 08:09:54 AM
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| All posters have given you a piece of the puzzle. If there is more to learn and experience, we will come back in another incarnation to experience them. Yoga is one method that hastens the process a bit. Go through the lessons. At least, the road ahead is clear. |
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fusions
Netherlands
18 Posts |
Posted - Apr 18 2015 : 10:21:21 AM
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I think we may differentiate human nature, as in our soul, and human learning.
As in our true nature of spirit exists of oneness and love while human learning may contain violence, greed etc. |
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FakeYogi
India
100 Posts |
Posted - Apr 18 2015 : 4:00:58 PM
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"In order to become a wealthy millionaire, business owners will need to pay workers minimum wage to afford their lifestyle and keep overwhelming amounts of profit."
Have you looked at the salaries paid in the silicon valley? |
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What is Human Nature?
