I’ve often wondered if laws are a stop gap compensating for the lack of insight because of how we have objectified everything. With no reverence we need laws? With reverence you could not disrespect your neighbour, and of course bad law is not law. You could not steal, nor turn your back when they were in need. Laws allow indifference. Laws allow you to be exempt because it’s not your “legal responsibility.” All spiritual teachers have cautioned against making an idol of laws.
But it does objectify a code of conduct which protects people, well… It is supposed to. Objectifying a code of conduct makes us keep it? Make a law and you make the exception. We have those laws and people still do those things. Is there evidence they do them any less, or just do them in a stylized manner? If I kill you because I’m angry, I have committed murder. If I kill you in the name of a mechanical law, I’m a cop. Is there any more wisdom in the second situation?
Cops are allowed to kill, at least in the USA. They just have to have their facts straight, get the books right, and if the paperwork is in order they don’t get in any trouble. Also, in defence of others supposedly, a cop just has to judge mortal danger, but to get back on reverence, or rather its complimentary side irreverence…
Many laws are too often used as a vehicle to commit crime. That’s corruption, no reverence in that. I fully agree, no reverence. If we have reverence, which is a sense of the sacred, of the vital in life, we can also sense clearly what is twisted. We will not mistakenly give our reverence to a false ideal. But in this day and age, irreverence, or the perception of things as being unworthy of reverence, has become twisted. A fad to show how smart you are.
Is there not the saying, give reverence to those who deserve it? That is the saying indeed, but not the practice. If you stand for nothing, disrespect everything, then you will disrespect everything including self. What harm can come from this?
And receive disaster. Indeed, disaster guaranteed, and is this not what we have?
So the combination of gullible and irreverence is not a good thing, but they sure go hand in hand? Oh, not hand in hand, but gullible and extremism do. There is an old Chinese saying I am forced to paraphrase. He who treats me badly is my enemy. He who treats me well is my leader.
Extremism is just an expression of weakness. I agree. Reverence is perhaps the spirit of leadership, because to effectively lead a people you must respect them as a people. Do our current systems do this? In my observation no, but being a rebel without reverence is without virtue as well. It’s mindless and incapable of life centered change. So discernment is called for, but not judgement.
Like suicide bombing? True. Suicide bombing would be an example of the former rebellion without reverence.
Judgement is a stamp, a mark we make on things and the world. Discernment is perception and distorts nothing. Discernment is realizing that a cat is not a dog, and that not everything serves life and well being. No judgement involved, nor necessary. With reverence and growth in the practice of discernment what path would you be on?
A better future. Yes, as individuals and as a people. No blood sacrifice to twisted ideas over reverence for life as itself.
I believe there is a realm where reverence does exist and we are on the path that leads there. Excellent. It’s a good belief, motivating. Reverence is not in ideas, but in what they will make you do. Believe reverence is possible and you will act like it is.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~