Tuesday, May 6, 2008

The End of Politics

After spending valuable time reading the NY Times along with many other online publications (including the Sampradaya Sun), i've come to a conclusion. There is no end to politics.

Politics is about finding fault. Finding someone to blame for our misery. Projecting a demon outside the self. Making a hero out of the false ego, a king out of a beggar.

I read an article about feminism infiltrating Iskcon. Another condemning most of the human population of the world as meat-eating Abrahamic donkeys (referring to every living Jew, Christian and Muslim). These articles were written by thoughtful devotees. It shocked me at first, until i realized that devotees are no different than any other conditioned soul, until they develop real humility and tolerance as taught by Mahaprabhu (trnad api sunicena).

Jnana is not that much different than ignorance until the heart becomes purified and is lit up from realization. Enlightened. Just as power or any opulence can be used for good or bad, so too can knowledge. Ravana was a brahmin.

So the world goes on perpetuating lies about itself. Lies that I am number one. Or as Prabhupada said, quoting the demoniac mind: I am God. That's the essence of politics. I cloak myself in any manner of holy garb: as an ayatollah, guru, monk, priest or president. But whatever my dress, politics means that I have the answer and that the problem is somehow out there, threatening, foreign, to be attacked. That's the false ego projecting the shadow of its own darkness. A perfect example of illusion that is impossible to overcome without surrendering to the Perfect Intelligence.