The position of the BMA (UK) is that the Sangha includes (equally) the Laity and the Ordained - and that both constitute a spiritual vanguard in the progression of humanity toward Socialism and Communism! The latest article on the BMA (UK) site seeks to unite theistic monasticism (of the Judeo-Christian tradition and the Sufism of Islam) with the Buddhist equivalent: Of course, implicit in this exercise is the acknowledgement that many great evils have existed within religion - and it must be made clear that the oppression and ignorance that holds many religious teachings together is NOT being defended. To sit and meditate effectively is to breakup this "religious" ignorance and the internal pollution that the system of predatory capitalism imports into the interior of humanity! This is the premise of all further Revolutionary action in the (external) material world. Indeed, the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels is a rich and inspiring resource for self-purification. As is the work of Lenin, Stalin, Mao and Ho Chi Minh! Genuine religion must be purged of its worldly ignorance and greed! Only Marxist-Leninism-Maoism possesses the moral power to achieve this mighty and crucial task for humanity! It is the lies of the Bourgeoisie that sullies the deep spiritual waters of the Proletariat! The workers possess the only moral right to punish the corruption of the Bourgeoisie - and those who value meditation must assist every worker in this task! Marx never defined the state of "Communism" - simply because he could not! How could he? Basically, the only thing that can be said is that "It is NOT this!" The Enlightenment of the Buddha, I suspect, reflects the state of "Communism" inwardly realised in a material world that was not yet ready to manifest such a sublime (external) reality! Look within and find it for yourself and unite with the Proletariat!
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Oliver Cromwell abolished the absolute monarchy that ruled Britain for centuries (in one form or another) in 1649 - and it was NEVER reinstated! What was established in its place was a 'Constitutional' monarchy allowed by Act of Parliament - and institution that is more 'theatre' than institute of governance - and which possesses NO real power (as it is legally and lawfully 'subordinate' to the Will of Parliament). This makes perfect sense - as this marks how the Bourgeoisie (or the 'middle-class') usurped political power from the Aristocracy - even though King Charles I made the valid point that as all the power of the British State resided in his personage (and his personage alone) - Parliament did NOT possess the legal right to a) try him, or b) inflict any sentence upon him. King Charles I, from the perspective of the aristocracy - retained ALL the power of the State in his personage which was represented only by his Will! In other words, his word was law. This arrangement was formulated centuries before by aggressive groups that simply assumed political dominance over the populace - and then enforced this dominance with arbitrary 'violence' termed 'justice'. Added to this dominance was the equally false assumption that this situation was 'Willed' by a God concept - and was therefore beyond dispute or alteration! Any attempt at altering this situation was viewed as contradicting the divine Will of God! This explains why Cromwell, although a very devout Christian, nevertheless, believed that the State enforcement of a religion (any religion) was wrong because it was 'evil'! He changed the definition of 'God', 'State' and 'Religion' - and he did this by fundamentally changing the relationship between these three distinct entities. As this was the case, Parliament pulled the legal rug from beneath the King Charles I feet, leaving him no legal or lawful defence following his complete military defeat. What is interesting is that NOTHING changed with the so-called 'Restoration'! Cromwell's basic re-definition of these relations stayed in place (empowering and justifying the Bourgeois seizure of political power) and still form the dominant legal framework today - despite a superficial legal fiction that gives the false impression that a 'Constitutional' monarch is the same as an 'Absolute' monarch - an assumption that is an obvious absurdity! If the British Crown today attempted to exercise any type of political power - Parliament would immediately 'abolish' it. If this is the case, what is the point of the British Crown? As an institution it signals which class the Bourgeoisie politically favours (that is, the 'Aristocracy' it overthrew) and which class it does not favour (the Proletariat - or that class which comprised the soldiers in the Parliamentarian 'New Model Army')! Although Cromwell's political orientation was the exact opposite - when his influence was overthrown in 1660 - the emerging Bourgeoisie abandoned its support (and promises made) to the ordinary masses that had fought and died for its cause - and instead switched its allegiance to the class it had fought against! By continuously supporting the aristocracy over the workers - the workers (although numerically superior) are politically the least powerful and are unable to influence society in their own favour.
2023-02-19 Ecns.cn Editor:Jing Yuxin By Li Hanxue
(Journalist from CNS) (CNS)-- Since Buddhism was introduced from India to China more than 2,000 years ago, it has not only merged with Chinese culture and philosophy, but also deeply integrated into the daily lives of Chinese people without their noticing. Buddhism comprises three major schools: Han, Tibetan and Southern, each with a different language. Has the Sinicization of Buddhism been completed? Can the historical process be interpreted as the secularization and Sinicization of Buddhism? SHENG Kai, vice president of Tsinghua University's Institute of Ethics and Religion and deputy director of the Institute of Buddhist Culture of China, explored these topics in an exclusive interview with China News Service's "W.E. Talk". Excerpts from the interview: Buddhism Sinicization is a brand-new process China News Service: How can we accurately understand Sinicization of Buddhism? Why can't we take this as Sinicization and secularization? SHENG Kai: Buddhism was introduced to China from India around the beginning of the Christian Era. To take root and develop in China, Buddhism had to be compatible with the traditional inheritance of Confucian and Taoist cultures, blended into the faith and belief of the Chinese ritual culture, systematically accepted by the monarchy, sustained by the society through communication, and well supported by a booming economy. So discussion of the historical connotation of the Sinicization of Buddhism means exploring the process and laws of Buddhism’s transformation from an alien civilization to Chinese religion, recording the continuity, separation, heritage, and innovation between Indian and Chinese Buddhism, and examining the conflicts, interpretations, and fusions with Confucian and Taoist cultures as a result of interaction with Chinese society. In contrast to the migration of other religions, Buddhism from India to China has four fundamental characteristics. First, its cultural communication is characterized by a "missionary as communicator" mode. The linkage between Indian and Chinese Buddhism is mainly the translation and dissemination of classical texts. Monks acted as individuals and had no relationship with organizations of Indian Buddhism, so the propagation of Buddhism never caused any war. Second, it is the original cultural integration process. The traditional Chinese culture of Confucianism and Taoism is the background for the development of Buddhism in China. Although there were conflicts between monasticism and filial piety, the original classical interpretation and theoretical innovation of Chinese Buddhism resolved the ethical conflicts among the three religions. They promoted the cultural integration of the three on the common understanding that their distinctive beauties should all be preserved. Third, its cultural practice has mainly been undertaken by the elite and the public. The Sinicization of Buddhism for thousands of years is not simply a creation by elite Buddhists and literati but the joint work of worshipers in Chinese Buddhism. Fourth, an integration of globalization and localization. As a result of the Sinicization of Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism is not only a local transformation of religious civilization from overseas but also a rediffusion to East Asia and Southeast Asia. Indian Buddhism was introduced to the Central Plains of China around the beginning of the Christian Era, and Tibet in the 7th century, and Yunnan in the 11th. It blended with different cultures and regions, forming three primary schools of Chinese Buddhism with different temperaments, forms, and characteristics: Han Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Southern Buddhism. They use Chinese, Tibetan, and Dai languages to carry forward the significance of Mahayana, Tantra, and Theravada Buddhism. Therefore, the Sinicization of Buddhism is not based on any single nationality. For example, Southern Buddhism is practiced by the Dai, Blang, Deang, Achang, and some Wa and Yi ethnicities. Even Han Buddhism did not undergo the process of Sinicization because it was created by the monks of the Han, ethnic minorities, and even overseas Chinese expatriates. Foreign monks from West Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia, as well as those from Khotan, Qiuci, Shule, and other places in Xinjiang, traveled across China to translate Sutras and evangelize Buddhism. Of the eight primary schools of Buddhism in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Three Treatises, Vijnaptimatrata, Avatamsaka, Tantra, and Dhyana were founded directly by non-Han monks or with their joint efforts. Han Buddhism integrates the collective multiracial wisdom of the monks and the public. It blends pluralistic cultures with Buddhism and reflects the complicated characteristics created by multiple nations. Between Chinese Mahayana and Indian Mahayana, the relationship is a creative transformation and innovative development. Although the fracture is bigger than the continuity, they are not opposites. Innovation is greater than inheritance but still keeps the fundamental spirit of the Buddha. Thus, it is not possible to use the linear historical view to explore the relationship between the two by saying that the previous generation is always better than the present, nor can we use the word “secularization” to describe the development of Han Buddhism. The connotation of secularization in the contexts of Western culture is related to sacredness, as Mircea Eliade wrote in the preface of his book The Sacred and Profane: "Sacredness is the opposite of profane." The Western narrative of secularization is that the propagation and development of Buddhism in China is a process of constant degradation and decline. However, the Sinicization of Buddhism is not simply about Buddhism in China, but refers to a process of interpretation and creation of Indian Buddhism by Chinese Buddhists, which finally took root and developed into a new form of Chinese Buddhism. The ideology of human Buddhism is the right way tothe Sinicization of Buddhism CNS: Recently, the reform of human Buddhism has effectively changed the Buddhist community. It calls for self-salvation and renewal to adapt to contemporary society. Please describe the background and significance of the ideology and reform of human Buddhism. How do you see the relationship between Sinicization of Buddhism and the vitality of Buddhism in China today? SHENG: Buddhism encountered crises in different periods. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, for example, Buddhism met the legitimacy problem of Dharma, and there was a debate about the relationship between Chinese and foreign cultures. In the mid-late Ming dynasty, talent lacunae and monastery malfunction happened. Masters like HanshanDeqing, YunqiZhuhong, ZibaiZhenke, and Yuyi Zhixu strongly advocated religious reform to rejuvenate Buddhism in the late Ming Dynasty. After the Opium War of 1840, the Chinese Buddhism community faced national peril and the decline of the religion. Human Buddhism was established and promoted as a way of modernizing Buddhism by consolidating doctrines, reforming teaching sources, and popularizing catechism. The announcement of human Buddhism has not only pushed forward the transformation of Buddhism from the old to the modern but also set an excellent example of retaining the past glory and inspiring future honor for the development of contemporary Buddhism. Human Buddhism was first advocated by Master Tai Xu as a correction to the unearthly ills of traditional Chinese Buddhism, which was guided by the principles of Buddhism doctrines and opportunities and focused on exposing and criticizing the accumulated ills of Buddhism and the decay of teachings during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The theoretical construction and the practical development of human Buddhism are not only consistent with but also reinforce each other. After Master Tai Xu’s passing, many masters, such as Grha-pati Zhao Puchu and Master Jing Hui in Mainland China, Masters Yin Shun and Sheng Yen in Taiwan, and Masters Yan Pei and Lung Kan in Singapore, all adhere to the path of pluralistic and parallel development towards human Buddhism. Human Buddhism is a way of modernizing and synchronizing Buddhism, not a new Buddhism departing from tradition. It inherits traditional conventions, adapts current Buddhist thoughts, and underlines that religion shall conform to the national status quo and the current background of modern civilization. Sinicization of Buddhism has different historical connotations in different periods, such as the establishment of schools in the Sui and Tang dynasties, the religious reform in the late Ming Dynasty, and contemporary human Buddhism. Human Buddhism is a sensible choice for Buddhism to integrate its traditional inheritance with modern Chinese Buddhism. Summing up the historical experience of Buddhism Sinicization and the landmark of 100 years of human Buddhism, we realize that the Sinicization of Buddhism is continuing forever in a conscious and sustainable manner. It is the key to keeping Buddhism vital in China. Dual expectations and directions of self-renewal for contemporary Chinese Buddhism CNS: What challenges do you think Chinese Buddhism may encounter in today’s China? How does Buddhism continue to develop or rejuvenatealong the direction of Sinicization? SHENG: As part of Chinese traditional culture, Buddhism still exerts far-reaching influence in China and around the world, attracting the preference of Chinese today with its traditional charm. However, as an active religious society in contemporary China, its premodern institutional systems, customs and beliefs may contradict modern civilization. And some thoughts and doctrines are not in line with today's political and social situations. In the 21st century, Buddhism in mainland China faces a dilemma of dual expectations. The purity and tranquility of great monasteries in famous mountains are the spiritual home for people nowadays to heal their bodies and souls. But a big, invisible economic hand has reached out to the spiritual need and fostered the denounced commercialization of Buddhism. Following the development of the tourism economy, monasteries make for pure spiritual space but fail to meet the public's expectation of purity. At the same time, the Party and state authorities hope that Buddhist society will maintain traditional farming and praying daily and gear into the modern economy and social life norm. Adapting to the corporate system of assets and finance management is an example. The Buddhism community needs to solve its talent cultivation and survival issues. The discipline of religious life and the inheritance of doctrines are keys to enhancing the total quality and morale of Buddhist groups and to encouraging monks’ return to the fine Buddhist traditions, such as preaching, annotating scriptures, teaching the Dharma, educating people, meditating, chanting sutra and other inner practices with peace in mind. It is also necessary for the state and society to support the Buddhist community in working out its religious ways for monastic living and economic development. The Buddhist community should respond to the needs of society. The monastic groups shall be able to regenerate and benefit the public. Monasteries shall organize activities to promote the Dharma and the public interest and to help people in need with particular support for its charity businesses instead of conducting activities directed to the monasteries' interests. Buddhist society should respond to the concerns and needs of the Party and the state, adapting to the new situation and its requirementsfor a comprehensive modern socialist country.It should cultivate Buddhists of high quality, promote the contemporary interpretation of Buddhist classics, tamp down the ideological foundation for the Sinicization of Buddhism, develop and improve the internal standard of operation for modern Buddhism and strengthen the relevant policies of Buddhism's Sinicization. Historically, Buddhism has made important contributions to the formation and consolidation of a pluralistic society in China. Today, Buddhism still plays a significant role in unifying Chinese people and fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. In the meantime, it also has unique advantages in operating public charity businesses, facilitating the cross-strait relationship with peaceful development, and enhancing Sino-foreign friendship. (Translated by WANG Yunhong) Author’s Note: The book entitled ‘The German Ideology’ was written by Marx and Engels around 1846 – but could not be published at that time (despite attempting to do so) for various reasons (indeed, it is remarkable to consider that this text was not eventually published until 1930). As history unfolded - and world events took shape - this manuscript became forgotten and was even gnawed by mice! Forty years later in 1886 (and three-years after the death of Marx in 1883) - Engels rediscovered this very important manuscript and penned a mature overview of it entitled ‘Feuerbach and End of Classic German Philosophy’ (from which two quotes are extracted in this essay). As ‘Buddhism’ and ‘Ancient India’ are mentioned – this material can be added to the ever-growing body of research data related to Marx and Engels regarding this subject. Although during the 1800s the ‘Theosophy’ movement was busy reinventing Eastern religious thinking and practice in its own (Eurocentric) image, it is important to remember that Buddhist Enlightenment is not ‘god’, the Buddha was not ‘Jesus’ and the ‘mind’ does not (and cannot) generate the material world through the power of its thought! Within the Buddhist teachings the mind is impermanent and only (temporarily) exists whilst a living (human) body is in-touch with the material environment it inhabits – via the six sense-organs perceiving the corresponding six sense-objects. When this interaction is broken, the mind ceases to exist and therefore does not (and cannot) pre-exist the physical conception of the individual body - or post-exist the death of that body, etc. Probably through the correct influence of Karl Koppen, Marx and Engels appear never to have fallen into the ‘Theosophy’ trap which has done so much to re-shape Asian Buddhism into its Western (Bourgeois) equivalent! The historical (Indian) Buddha placed the physical universe as the basis from which all existence evolves. It is only in the Bourgeois appropriation of Buddhism that the ‘mind’ becomes an all-knowing and all-conquering ‘god’ that creates the material world upon a whim! This is nothing but an ‘inverted’ myth which millions of people in the West dedicate themselves to following generation after generation – as it has become a very lucrative aspect of consumer capitalism! Marx and Engels, whilst recognising the existence and importance of Buddhism, nevertheless, never quite manage to include it in the same subject as theological religion. Of course, although NOT a religion in the conventional sense, Buddhism does sometimes serve that function for individuals and communities, and so whilst being distinctive and useful to the ideology of Marx and Engels, its religious associations can never quite be fully ignored either! ACW (20.1.2023) ‘If Feuerbach wishes to establish a true religion upon the basis of an essentially materialist conception of nature, that is the same as regarding modern chemistry as true alchemy. If religion can exist without its god, alchemy can exist without its philosopher’s stone. By the way, there exists a very close connection between alchemy and religion. The philosopher’s stone has many godlike properties and the Egyptian-Greek alchemists of the first two centuries of our era had a hand in the development of Christian doctrines, as the data given by Kopp and Berthelot have proved. Feuerbach’s assertion that “the periods of humanity are distinguished only by religious changes” is decidedly false. Great historical turning-points have been accomplished by religious changes only so far as the three world religions which have existed up to the present – Buddhism, Christianity and Islam – are concerned. The old tribal and national religions which arose spontaneously, did not proselytise and lost all their power of resistance as soon as the independence of the tribe or people was lost.’ Friedrich Engels: Feuerbach and End of Classical German Philosophy (1886), Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels Selected Works (In One Volume), Lawrence and Wishart, Third Edition, (1973), Page 602 - (Entire Article Pages 584-622) - First Edition (Progress Publishers) 1968 – USSR ‘We will now in addition deal only briefly with religion, since the latter stands furthest away from material life and seems to be most alien to it. Religion arose in very primitive times from erroneous, primitive conceptions of men about their own nature and external nature surrounding them. Every ideology, however, once it has arisen, develops in connection with the given concept-material, and develops this material further; otherwise, it would not be an ideology, that is, occupation with thoughts as with independent entities, developing independently and subject only to their own laws. That the material life conditions of the persons inside whose heads this thought process goes on in the last resort determine the course of this process remains of necessity unknown to these persons, for otherwise there would be an end to all ideology. These original religious nations, therefore, which in the main are common to each group of kindred peoples, develop, after the group separates, in a manner peculiar to each people, according to conditions of life falling to their lot. For a number of groups of peoples, and particularly for the Aryans (so-called Indo-Europeans), this process has been shown in detail by comparative mythology. The gods thus fashioned within each people were national gods, whose domain extended no farther than the national territory which they were to protect; on the other side of its boundaries other gods held undisputed sway. They could continue to exist, in imagination, only as long as the nation existed; they fell with its fall. The Roman world empire, the economic conditions of whose origin we do not need to examine here, brought about this downfall of the old nationalities. The old national gods decayed, even those of the Romans, which also were patterned to suit only narrow confines of the city of Rome. The need to complement the world empire by means of a world religion was clearly revealed in the attempts made to provide in Rome recognition and altars for all the foreign gods to the slightest degree respectable alongside of the indigenous ones. But a new world religion is not to be made in this fashion, by imperial decree. The new world religion, Christianity, had already quietly come into being, out of a mixture of generalised Oriental, particularly Jewish, theology, and vulgarised Greek, particularly Stoic philosophy.’
Friedrich Engels: Feuerbach and End of Classical German Philosophy (1886), Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels Selected Works (In One Volume), Lawrence and Wishart, Third Edition, (1973), Page 618 - (Entire Article Pages 584-622) - First Edition (Progress Publishers) 1968 – USSR Dear Gillian
They tell Mr Moonie is God... S Korean forces killed more than Japanese killed in 36 years A completely random find in English! In China the Korean War is called the 'US War of Aggression in Korea' - whilst North Korea (a close ally of China) excludes all mention of Chinese involvement in the conflict! The US encouraged the Koreans that had fought for Japan during WWII (Korea had been a Japanese colony since 1910) to form a 'new' anti-leftist (a deliberately 'vague' definition at the time) military force that eventually murdered hundreds of thousands of South Koreans prior to (and during) the Korean War (1950-1953). I live near to New Malden - which is the only place outside of the US that South Koreans are allowed to migrate (temporarily) to - for work in the Korean car industry. The children of South Korean people go to school with my children - and over the years we have heard the stories of South Korean oppression. This is why British born Koreans often refuse to go back to South Korea - because life there is terrible in that country! The US has complained about this phenomenon but the Tories (who possessed no qualms deporting 500,000 Chinese Nationals from the UK during Covid-19 on the spurious grounds that 'Chinese people spread disease') will not deport non-White (Korean) children born here - although this attitude of strictly adhering to the law does not apply to ethnic Muslims born in the UK - the US lawyers astutely counter. If anything, this demonstrates the flexible nature of British racism! If you have read this far, this is not even the worst of it - as I was researching the (November) 2021 case of a 60-year old South Korean Buddhist monk who apparently possessed the strength to beat to death a local layman (with a stick) who came to the temple to complain about the noise of the morning prayers (a deliberate act designed to produce the maximum loss of face and the greatest offence)! This has something to do with the US missionary work in South Korea which seeks to wipe out Buddhism by 2050 (New Malden is saturated with 'Korean Only' Churches all positioned along the Main Road leading to Worcester Park). When reporting this case in English the US directed racism presents the Buddhist monk as a typical Asian madman because his lawyers claimed 'Self-Defence' in Court - but does not give the historical or socio-economic context. The English language South Korean press acts as if it is writing for a 'White' US audience rather than the ethnic Koreans the news is about - a clear demonstration of the essence of White colonialism. The layman in question, or so I have discovered in non-English language sources, was a 'Christian' deliberately sent to the temple to cause trouble. I say 'Christian' in the broad sense as he was a 'Moonie'. The Buddhist monk was expelled from the Sangha [correct action in accordance with the Vinaya Discipline he violated by allowing a 'hateful' thought to a) form in his mind, and b) 'manifest' as violent behavioural actions in the body and through the environment which led to c) the taking of a life] and tried as a layman. He was found 'Guilty' of murder and sentenced to twenty-years in prison. He is quoted as saying: 'The irony is that I used to sit in a cell and meditate voluntarily - now I have to sit in a cell and meditate involuntarily - it is just a matter of moving my meditation cushion.' The South Korean 'Christian' community issued a joint message condemning the ex-monk and praising the Court - stating that: 'This situation demonstrates the 'heathen' nature of Buddhism and fully justifies the US attitude and policy toward Korean Buddhism, which has proven historically untrustworthy in opposing the enemies of the US in the past and has often served as a hotbed of 'Socialistic' attitudes and other types of similar evils!' The stuff of soap operas, indeed! Thanks Adrian Author’s Note: I encountered the article referenced below – not in its original ‘English’ rendering – but in fact in a Russian-language translation featured as an informative post uploaded onto the ‘Грибник Илюша Chat’ (Ilyusha Hrybnyk Chat) Telegram Channel. When I translated the Russian-language text back into English (before I located the original English-language version) – I found that the Russian author had arranged the data from the research into a more efficient representation of the findings – and had achieved this by ‘tidying-up’ the original presentation. It is the English translation of the Russian interpretation that I have referenced below*, as I feel it possesses a greater insight and clarity into the findings of the research with regards to ‘expansive awareness’. Essentially, different parts of the brain are simultaneously ‘enhanced’ or ‘reduced’ in their functionality (disrupting the genetic blueprint of ‘balance’ provided through natural selection) when subjected to the ingesting of mind-altering drugs. This process generates a perceivable ‘distance’ or ‘dissonance’ (often described as a ‘three-dimensional’ and ‘all-embracing space’ within which all things seem to ‘manifest’ and ‘appear’) in the manner through which the human subject experiences the inner (subjective) and outer (objective) world. Indeed, such designations as ‘subject’ and ‘object’ appear to dissolve into insignificance as all things seem to be ‘unified’ whilst maintaining their inherent ‘diversity’. As the brain is striving to ‘balance’ the chemical processes to enhance the (evolutionary) chances of survival for the subject concerned – the ‘creative’ impulses are dramatically enhanced! This explains why ‘inspired’ and ‘unique’ artistic creations are often the result of this type of transformational experience. The point I make below, is that certain spiritual and religious ‘rituals’ replicate (overtime) the dramatic (existential) effects of entheogen chemicals – but that these ‘rituals’ achieve this transformation through psychological discipline and radical behaviour modification - having no reliance upon an external chemical agency. Finally, science is proving that genuine spiritual or religious experience is ‘real’ but that it is NOT the product of an external theological entity ‘protecting’ the transformation process into the individual concerned, as a ‘reward’ for devotional or faithful living! Such an experience, although unusual, is entirely natural and is subject to explanation through scientific investigation. ACW (7.7.2022) Although when human subjects living within modern (‘individualistic’) societies (as opposed to ‘collectivised’ primitive, traditional or tribal societies) ingest mind-altering drugs - there is little or no preparation for the resulting transformative experience. Therefore, the experienced ‘event’ is perceived as being ‘peak’, highly ‘unusual’ and sometimes even ‘traumatic’ as it separates the perception of the subject from the ordinary world that is ‘familiar’ to the senses. This is because the sensual experiences have not been anticipated and prepared for through the agency of spiritual, religious or communal ‘ritual’ that educates, acculturates and prepares the experiencing mind and body for this shift in awareness. This ritual can vary in length, but when linked to established religious practice (such as that found within the many and various ‘monastic’ or ‘meditative’ traditions of the world), it can take numerous years of training involving extensive study, discussion and guidance before a ‘breakthrough’ occurs that is accomplished not through an ingestion of a chemical agent – but rather through the application of a ‘spiritual’ technique designed specifically for this purpose. This can be contrasted with the reality found within modern societies wedded to ‘secularism’ and ‘individualism’ - where a person simply decides to ingest a mind-altering drug with no preparation and sits back to observe the consequences! The 2014 research paper published by Dr Robin Carhart-Harris of King's College London (and his colleagues) referenced below, observed the effects of ‘psilocybin’ (‘Magic Mushrooms’) on the chemical functioning of the brains of fifteen volunteers and concluded in-part: *“It was found that under the influence of a hallucinogen, the same parts of the brain are activated as during sleep - the hippocampus, which is involved in the formation of emotions, and the anterior cingulate cortex, which is responsible for the decision-making process, sympathy and emotional state. At the same time, the processes related to higher nervous activity, for example, to self-awareness, were not coordinated with each other. All this together, according to the researchers, gives the effect of ‘expansion of consciousness’." Those interested in this research should read and study the full findings of this study referenced below. As with any study of the chemical functioning of the ‘brain’ (and how this might relate to the ‘mind’) - the field of study is fluid, changeable and always subject to radical reinterpretation as more evidence becomes available. In other words, it is a continuously developing area of study, clarification and breaking new ground. I suspect that the ‘preparation’ involved with Buddhist meditative study orientates the practitioner to ‘integrate’ each new and unique subjective experience into his or her objective existence without the usual ‘dissonance’ reported by those who ingest mind-altering chemical substances merely as an exercise of the agency of momentary ‘individual’ choice. Although the Buddhist practitioner often reports ‘momentary’ breakthroughs in enhanced awareness – these are seldom traumatic and generally serve as an incentive toward further study. What the successful Buddhist practitioner does achieve is the eventual ‘permanent’ breakthrough in the expansion of awareness that reconciles entirely with the existential circumstances of the objective world! Perception is radically altered through the scientific process described above – but without the accompanying ‘alienation’ of the individual from a) the experience itself, and b) the objective world they inhabit. This spiritualised process represents the difference between decades of preparation through rigorous psychological and physical self-discipline – and the ‘momentary’ whim inspired through superficial social interaction and the wish to momentarily ‘escape’ sensory perception as experienced during everyday experience. English Language Research:
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/152867/new-study-discovers-biological-basis-magic/ Russian Language Source: https://t.me/c/1624019600/1505 Religionists ‘imagine’ that their belief system is comprised of a higher knowledge which ‘survives’ the ‘dying’ process and even pre-exists the ‘conception’ and ‘birthing’ mechanisms! Of course, there is no evidence for either of these conjectures with ALL evidence being to the contrary. Therefore, the truth claims are not correct. However, as a regulatory device within society, and given the deep habit religion still maintains throughout much of human society, religion can be useful. The problem is that those who existentially adhere to the teachings of religion, also literally believe in the extraordinary claims of those religions. In other words, religion is not merely a vehicle for existential regulation, but is also a guarantor for what is believed to be what comes after physical death. If an individual or group dedicate their lives to following the religion here and now, then the promises made by the theology are believed to come into play (regardless of the outrageous nature of those claims). As these pre-birth and post-death claims have no basis in observable fact, there is no reason for existential society to be premised upon these claims as it is a pointless exercise and a lack of resources. There is no point constructing a physical society in a manner which reflects the unscientific claims of theology and religious philosophy. Although an interesting experiment in the combination of the human imagination and the ability to physically organise and construct buildings whilst directing all human endeavour, science is neither recognised or even known! In such a society, progression is stultified with the present always defined as conforming to a regressive ideal that that has emerged arbitrarily from the human imagination. As each such religious ideal is intolerant toward difference and totalitarian in both essence and deployment, each human grouping that has developed such am ‘inverted’ organisation of society is a priori antagonistic to all other competing modes of human social and cultural organisation. Marx identifies that a thought in the head is mistaken as a concrete object in the material universe. In other words, a set of thoughts appearing in the mind are mistaken for a set of processes in the physical universe. As there is no corresponding physical presence or mechanical process in the material universe, it becomes obvious that such religious constructs are ‘inverted’ in nature. Religion them, is a thought in the head mistaken for an object in the physical universe – an object that does exist. Religion is comprised of the shadows of the human imagination which generates phantasms as manifestations of human fear of the unknown. Buddhism, of course, is an interesting exception to this analysis which has the potential of clearing the human-mind of all regressive and inverted mind patterns and can reveal the raw dialectical reality that Marx and Engels appear to have been born knowing quite naturally. In this regard, when Buddhism is freed of its accrued religiosity, it can be used productively for Revolutionary organisation, that is to change society from its regressive and exploitative stage to that of progressive Socialism in preparation for Communism.
Awareness probably preceded rational thought by millions of years within human evolution. Long before humans were ‘human’ they traversed various species of animals and started their evolutionary development with a vague ‘awareness’ of being ‘here’ - before learning to visually distinguish between light and dark. This progressed to mediating with the environment through violent instinct before finally developing the ability to produce rational thought. The ‘vague awareness’ that distinguished the primordial life from inert matter has never left humanity and has been continuously misconstrued to represent and justify the ‘religious’ instinct. Whereas this ‘vague awareness’ used to ‘sense’ the dark (tree) canopy within which early humanity existed – today it is used to ‘imagine’ the presence of God (or some similar imaginary underlying substance). Worshipping God today was worshipping the (tree) canopy yesterday. From the canopy all life has emerged and is sustained, and to the canopy all life shall return. A dark damnation lies below – whilst a limitless ‘brightness’ exists above! The mistake of human perception is a basic ‘inversion’ of reality. Whereas the canopy ‘pre-exists’ each new life born into it – the human ‘awareness’ of the canopy DOES NOT pre-exist the sensing of the canopy each new life experiences when born into it! The idea that human ‘awareness’ pre-exists the individual beings that experience its presence is a major misconception and error of judgement. Unlike the pre-existing canopy which possesses a separate and distinct material history outside of the minds and bodies of those who are born into it – the capacity for human ‘awareness’ does not possess an ‘external’ origination (which would see it projected or broadcast into each human mind from afar) - but originates within the bio-chemical deep structure of the psychic fabric of each separate brain-mind nexus. Although human consciousness is a special organisation of matter, this ‘awareness’ emerges from a number of specific bio-chemical reactions which create the illusion of lucidity in the mind – a lucidity which serves to ‘reflect’ and ‘mimic’ the world of external materiality. This is the correct chain of events and pathway of logical evolutionary development despite the religious urge to perceive reality the wrong way around. The point is that nothing can be known to exist outside of ‘awareness’ for each human-being regardless of the external world pre-existing and post-existing each individual life. Material existence carries on regardless of the status of each individual human existence. Awareness begins, for sake of argument at the point of conception and ENDS at the point of bio-chemical death. Admittedly, during the dying process raw awareness may be the last human agency of communication to dissolve – but dissolve it undoubtedly will - leaving no sensory-capacity to discern the imaginary world of religiosity!
Given that the inner content of the mind is a reflection of the external world, then all religiosity is false in that it is a misreading of that external stimuli. For any spiritual path to be effective, it must ‘see through’ the fog of religion and the confusion of the inner mind. None of the images constructed in the inner fabric of the mind represents anything other than what they are – namely ‘disconnected’ and ‘disparate’ phantoms of light and shade. Religion is constructed from this jumble of nonsense when the capacity for logical thought is applied to it. The logic capacity of the mind chops and resizes all this mad kaleidoscopic light show and generates a type of ‘plausibility’ that fills in the huge gaps of credibility through mindless ‘faith’. None of it is real, but due to a cultural and historical lack of clarity of thought, even the most intelligent of individuals still consider it a possibility that the irrationality this religiosity represents might well be ‘true’ when viewed in the right light, or given the right conditions, etc. The fact that none of it ever makes any independent sense, is lost even on the greatest of minds! Meditation, when uncoupled from its associated religiosity becomes a vehicle through which the empty nature of the inner mind can be perceived. This is achieved by the ‘attention’ capacity ‘detaching’ itself from the ‘thought content’ so that it is no longer experienced through the illusion of some kind of substantiality. When detached, these thoughts no longer present anything than what they are – phantoms and light shows within the inner mind. Instead of the ‘awareness’ capacity being limited to the thought constructs themselves, it ‘spreads’ to encompass the entire physicality of the inner mind itself, generating an ‘expansion’ of awareness. This is a very real experience. Furthermore, as the awareness is now fully extended throughout the terrain of the inner mind, it is emphasised and extended through the six senses so that the awareness also permeates the inner body. This appears to extend into the physical environment through the sense-organ – sense data dichotomy. This is how the ‘awareness’ capacity when freed from attachment to thought constructs and the misreading of inner (irrational) phantasms as cogent religion – appears to ‘expand’ into and ‘through’ the physical environment. This is not a mysterious event but rather an evolutionary necessity that has become lost through the complexities of modern living. The point is that it is possible to free the awareness from the tyranny of constructed and conditioned thought forms and thought patterns, etc. When this happens, the thought capacity appears to manifest as if in a deep pool of silver-like water, which ‘reflects’ inwardly all it encounters in the external environment. Despite the accuracy of this reflection, religiosity derives from the natural distortion of this capacity (which appears to be a by-product of human evolutionary adaptation). Whether accurate or inaccurate, however, none of these reflections are ‘real’ in the material sense. Thought forms are the creations of bio-chemical interactions that ‘cease’ at the point of physical death. It is possible to understand all these processes prior to death, and to free the awareness of attachment to form following a relatively straightforward course in meditative self-development. Not only is the awareness capacity ‘freed’, but so is the logic capacity which evolved to ‘order’ thoughts. When freed from the rigid thought constructs conditioned throughout history, this type of enhanced logic can be used to strengthen and develop Socialist science to an ever-greater degree! Physical death then becomes an exercise in the logical closing-down of the bio-chemical processes of the body which sees the perception capacity quite literally ‘folding-in’ upon itself. There is nothing to fear and everything to gain!
Dear Adrian, It was the birthday of John Lennon earlier this month, and I've been listening to some of his music to mark the occasion. He was one of the most talented and greatest rock and pop musicians who ever lived. His song, Imagine, which is often voted as the best and most profound pop song ever written, is one of my favourite songs of all time. It echoes my sentiments perfectly and has a strong atheistic flavour, and I'm a self-confessed atheist. Lennon said that Imagine is virtually the Communist Manifesto. I think that religion and superstition are exactly the same; it's just that religion is ritualised superstition. They arose from primitive man's fear of the unknown, and we haven't yet evolved enough to discard such insecurities. Neither religion nor superstition is rational or provable. One of the best policies that the Chinese Communist Party implemented was to promote atheism and discourage superstition. I believe that all communist countries have declared themselves officially atheist. As I've mentioned before, communism is more advanced than capitalism, so atheism is more advanced than religion or superstition. However, humans are still emotionally and psychologically not advanced enough to discard such primitive thoughts and practises. It certainly strikes me as paradoxical that we now have technologies like the internet and mobile phones and even the ability to travel through space to explore other planets - yet some people still in ghosts, psychics, clairvoyance and fortune-telling etc. I've yet to hear of a clairvoyant who's correctly predicted the lottery numbers! Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today... Aha-ah... Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion, too Imagine all the people Living life in peace... You... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world... You... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one Kind regards, Waiman Dear Waiman
Thank you for your interesting email. The key point about Socialist thinking is that it is a natural dialectical process that cannot be rushed or forced. Socialism emerges from the brain patterns of the individual when inner and outer conditions permit. Socialism obviously expands into the body (and through progressive patterns of behaviour) into the environment! As Socialism advocates 'class' as the vehicle of material struggle - then the outer structures of objective Socialist culture serve to reinforce and strengthen the inner Socialist convictions of each participating individual. Marx talks about this in the 'Theses of Feuerbach'. Although our behaviour must be transformed away from superstition and ignorance - the key to this lies not in forced (external) compliance but rather through the positive process of good and sound education. The central point of this permanent 'change' of humanity lies firmly within 'freedom of thought' and nothing else. If the mind is allowed to 'cascade' its way through all the trivia of existence - it has been my experience working with hundreds of students - that eventually, even the most conservative and steadfast in their ways eventually experiences an epiphany whereby all vestiges of bourgeois pollution drop away in an instant and an entirely new way of viewing the world becomes evident! Religion in China exists to a) support the building of a Socialist State, and b) assist each interested individual in a 'private' capacity to develop their mind and body to be 'better' Socialists! Socialism and spirituality are merged without contradiction. This is because most, if not all Asian religions are naturally left-wing in ideological interpretation of the world. It is only when Asian religions are polluted by Western religious thinking and capitalist ideology that this 'left-wingism' is lost. Buddhism, for instance, strive to uproot greed, hatred and delusion, and this a priori 'anti-capitalist' in nature. Confucianism supports education as well as good and virtuous behaviour toward one another - but firmly rejects exploitative profit making! Daoism often fully rejects the world of ordinary life and settles instead for a high mountain-peak from which the four-seasons that define a 'year' can be quietly observed. Eating and not-eating are all the same to the Daoist! You see, even religion has its place within building the Socialist State - but if Marx and Lenin are correct, then eventually the pain and suffering that generated religion in the first place will be slowly (and naturally) eradicated as structures of the 'new' Socialist society become apparent and start the process of guiding humanity into a 'Communist' reality that is 'free' of any structures of controlling 'State'. It is this latter reality - from Socialist 'State' to Communist 'non-State' - that John Lennon is singing about. Marx does toy with the idea of 'instantaneous' Revolution (I think in 'The German Ideology'), but thinks better of it on the grounds that the workers need time to gather together, organise and agitate! Best Wishes Adrian |
AuthorAdrian Chan-Wyles PhD - Political Commissar and BMA (UK) Historian & Researcher. Archives
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