Posted 7:41 AM by tom
When I mentioned to my brother that there was a meditation/chant tonight and I was thinking about attending, he informed me that he was aware of a recent surge of meditation activity around town - people getting together and group meditating - all in the name of peace. I wasn't aware of any purpose attached to this evening's chant session. I just thought it would be nice to engage in a group meditation, as I hadn't done that for awhile.
As we discussed the notion of "chanting for peace", it occurred to me that this was yet another misguided Boomer-driven attempt to co-opt something spiritual and turn it to their own purposes. In this case, the purpose could be described as avoiding confronting the real issues that are at the root of the conflict we find ourselves in.
Consider the quote, attributed to Karl Marx: "In the birth of every system are sown the seeds of its own destruction." (Details, source, corrections gratefully accepted).
Then consider American society, our Constitution, and capitalism. One of the great things about the American experiment thus far has been the apparent adaptability of our system of rules, as defined in the Constitution. This system continues to operate after 200 years, and three major economic ages: Agrarian, Industrial, and now the Post-Industrial/Information age. What insight, what wisdom the Founders had, in defining such a malleable system. It is truly a marvel. The timing of it was spectacular.
Just before the Industrial Age was about to see it's first dawn, a group of renegades from Europe staked a claim to a vast landmass of then-boundless resources, interior water routes for transportation, and generally agreeable weather. The set of rules they established encouraged free thinking, the right to profit from one's ideas and labors, and the free flow of goods. And the Industrial Age was just getting underway. Capitalism was born, and what a healthy newborn it was. Consumerism had to evolve, too. How else to provide the massive pull on production, to drive an economy fueled by our bounty of natural resources, ingenuity and labor?
And therein lies the rub. Consumerism coupled with the Western tradition of focusing on other rather than self creates the juggernaut that may yet prove to be our undoing. And no amount of meditation is likely to change it - especially if we're "meditating for peace" ("other," not "self"). Which is why the title of this rant is "Chantin' in the Mansion." We want both - but it's the mansion that will be our undoing. Champagne socialism is still the goal, the ideal that many Americans aspire to. How can families earning $100k a year (with both parents working) possibly be considered among the "working poor," when that amount of household income is probably among the top one percent in the world?
The truth is, that meditating for peace won't work. It may help people feel better about living the excessive lifestyles we have come to expect in this country, but it won't assuage our detractors' animosity toward us. And backing off on consumerist behavior, on the desire for more, is not an option the majority of Americans will be willing to embrace.
So in the end I think we are in a precarious position. Twenty years ago it would have been hard to fathom how Marx could have been right about the seeds of destruction - "not this time" would have been the likely retort. I wish I could feel more optimistic about the future, but I don't. I think he was right. And it ain't gonna be pretty.
