A Spiritual Journalist

The question for me personally that I am exploring in this post is how much I want to take sides and be immersed in the fight between the Magician, the Journalist and the Common man.

I don't want to battle the Magician. Unlike many other Journalists, I don't see the Magician as inherently evil. I know that hierarchy and culture have always existed in the world. I know that the Magicians of today are simply imposing their will on the Common man. That is what Magicians do. If the imposition of will of one person on another is violence, who is the exception to the rule? Who in this world does not commit the violence of imposing their will on another?  Is it practical to stop ourself or others in committing this violence?

Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita says, "In every action there is fault but one should not stop doing one's duty." Krishna accepted the violent nature of the world.

So from an ultimate spiritual perspective, I feel that Journalists who are trying to arrest the Magicians in the name of the Magicians committing violence is misplaced. Violence in this world is inevitable. This is a point that even Kahlil Gibran made in "The Prophet." I know that this is not a popular perspective. But it is real.

I am not condoning violence. But I do agree that the ultimate nature of the physical material world is violent. From a spiritual perspective one should avoid doing violence. But from a practical perspective, violence is inevitable and unfortunate aspect of this material world. It doesn't take a lot to show the hypocrisy of anyone who believes in absolute non-violence. We are killing micro-bacteria even in the course of breathing while reading this sentence. Let's not get too carried away with how non-violent the world can get. We might end up paralyzing the world.

I feel that belief in karma and the after-life helps in digesting the violent nature of life. 

That doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the Journalists moralizing. I feel that they play a very important role. In the same way that the Magicians are doing their job, I feel that the Journalists should continue doing theirs as well. The Journalists job is to be outraged with immorality and a lack of social justice on the world stage. Someone has to do it. And there are many Journalists in the world who do an excellent job to them. Kudos to them.

In the bigger picture, I don't think that I would want to live in a world strictly ruled by Journalists (collectivism or communism) or one ruled by one tyrant Magician hell-bent on world domination by hook or crook (Hitler style). The world is a dirty place and the checks and balances between the power struggle between the Magician and the Journalist achieves a dirty dynamic equilibrium. The surface of the world is filled with this dirt. Cleanliness can only be found in the depths of where the Buddha's consciousness is.

The Common Men are confused from a macro perspective and very clear from a micro perspective. From the micro perspective they know what they like and know how to pursue happiness for themselves. When they either get too articulate or ambitious and are ready to take their micro-perspective and impose it on others, they take on the role of the Journalist or the Magician.

So I see the dynamics between these three forces every where in the world. I feel no need to react to any of these three forces. It is no surprise that these three forces exist, though it is a continual surprise for me personally about all the different ways that these dynamics manifest. 

My wish is just that each of these, where ever they are, understand the importance of holistic health. I feel strongly that our ultimate nature is to be detached from this material world and to awaken our dormant spiritual nature. My practice of Vipassana has increased my faith in my belief.

So from that perspective, I would like to play the role of a spiritual Journalist. I would like to be an apologist of holistic health.