I'm feeling contrite after that last post. I really need to make good after denouncing everyone else's hard work and calling it luck and telling the destitute and desperate to go ahead and find somewhere to live, just not in my building. Oh, yeah - hand me a double shot of karma with a splash of goodwill and no ice.
Because, wouldn't you believe it karma is a commodity now. Just like everything else. There is a Karma Foundation that has been set up just in time for Christmas (possibly a Christmas miracle but we leave Today Tonight to ponder the miraculous around here) that allows you to buy karma vouchers for charities to give to your loved ones. Which I suppose is good for the charity but does anyone else feel suspicious about an organisation that plays on people's greed to get them to give? Is that a little sick? I can understand the whole giving of goats to villages in Africa (provided I get to see the goat to make sure it exists, yes I am a cynic) but I suppose that's just because I'm a sucker for animals.
The principle of karma (according to wikipedia - the definitive source on everything) is the same as the principal in physics that every action as an equal and opposite reaction. Every action. Not just the goodwill you give at Christmas time (despite what the carols say we're expected to be kind, jolly, joyous and if you're a merry gentleman to rest and not dismay all year round). Like the man said we're supposed to treat people the way we'd like to be treated. It's not just science, Bhudda, Vishnu and Jesus that get into this theory, the same principal underpins every religion and spiritual organisation (that I can think of). Because how much would the world suck if we didn't at least try to be nice. But our world doesn't work that way does it - we'll go out and buy our 4 wheel drives and cut old ladies off in traffic as long as we can palm off a twenty at Christmas to some two-bit organisation promising to look after our eternal soul or our next reincarnation or whatever (we're hedging our bets - just in case).
We feel so guilty about our lot in life - but we don't do anything to change it. We're spiritually lazy. My local shopping centre (which sadly is Carousel - read previous post before you give me crap about shopping in Cannington) has positive affirmations written all over it. We feel so guilty about being part of a consumer culture that even the shopping centres know it. So they tell us to "live life" and "play" and "connect". "It's ok," they're saying, "you can shop here, you're part of a community, we're not a big heartless corporation - we're your friend and we know how to make you happy". Apparently some survey has told the good people at Westfield that people feel guilty about shopping - but they'll still do it. We want to live a consmerist life - but we don't want to be reminded of it.
Is consumerism that bad? I know we all get cranky when the Christmas decorations arrive in shopping centres in mid September and I know trying to get wrapping paper in Kmart on December 23 is no-one's idea of fun, but is buying gifts really going to end with us burning in hell? Or is it the fact that we'd just as soon trample small children in the rush to get an iphone in any other month but December that is going to damn us? And why are the same people who besmirch Christmas for being a Hallmark Holiday the same people who don't want any Jesus references? What are they celebrating then? Apart from the opportunity to eat their weight in turkey? Are they just celebrating that in our society there's no such thing as enough, so long as you can buy karma at the end of the year?
Thursday, November 22
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3 spiteful snarks:
"Save me Jeebus!"
Exactly. Karma vouchers, guilt-riddance, karma cleanser. What's next? Spray karma in a can. I am sure some wizard will soon sell perfume on that promise: just spray it around, everybody happy right on time for Christmas.
Yann Martel said something in today's Globe and Mail interview about our spiritual laziness and also about today's cultural laziness, where most people assimilate reading good literature and listening classical music to work, too complicated. (I bet Harper has not done his "homework" yet).
Strange world, indeed. Reading your thoughts makes sense, though, of my current haze of questions. It's a whole society yearning for values yet not knowing where to look, and looking outside. Arts and literature as means of self-knowledge and of a social value for subjects (versus individuals) are real, and have the practical quality of enriching us inside while being something concrete to offer. Like words on paper, or screen, for self-recognition and as a navigational radar. Thanks for yours.
Smoo, was it this whole "But I don't even believe in Jeebus" attitude is what got you the nickname "Satan" in class? Or was that the beardy? Or was it the fact that you're hard-core?
Ann Marie, I suppose Harper would have us believe he's too busy running a country or something, pfft. No wonder people associate reading a book with work, we're encouraging a culture in which no-one, from world leaders to the janitor can respect knowledge or expanding the mind.
You're right we don't know where to look - perhaps that's because we've been taught to mistrust organised religion. But what worries me is that instead of just doing the right thing by people we want our salvation from the internet and prewrapped. But what ever happened to introspection and soul searching? What happened to just taking a moment to evaluate what you can offer the world? Even if you don't like the answer.
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