Tagged: euthanasia

On control and manipulation

The disciple asked the master about the significance of control in society.

The master replied: “ In society there is a need to impose a will over another. For example the belief in widgets as the way to improve society, will encounter many who will not believe in that. Therefore, a will needs to impose for a belief to rule. Manipulation means to influence another to accommodate their will to our own personal ideas, beliefs. Manipulation and control come together.

In society, a belief will encounter many obstacles, such as rejection from others which will have a reactive consequence. Every disagreement, every fight is an opportunity to display violence over another to subdue that one, to win. In this context, winning is to impose over another.

Life does not work that way. Life shows the path, the direction and we align or oppose. Every opposition is a bitter lesson to learn, but nonetheless; useful for our conscious development.

For example is we observe the climate changing from hot to cold, we dress accordingly. If we believe that things should be the same, there will be a consequence for us. On another level, Life will show death to every person at a particular time. Acceptance is to go with the way. Rejection, fight, implies that there is a personal will with ideas and beliefs, opposing Life. What could be some of the consequences of that? Society has many problems to solve from dysthanasia, euthanasia, orthothanasia, combined with several religious beliefs, moral values involved and such. Society wants to come up with a solution that will be applicable to all; and that belief will be imposed to others to follow in the name of righteousness. Society has its way. Life has another. Observe that Life is completely impersonal and its movement tends to balance different forces. Society usually relies on personal opinion which comes from conditioning, tradition, personal interests and deep rooted beliefs.

Every time we are unwilling to observe the signals that Life is giving us and we stubbornly hold on to a belief for we believe that to be right, we are opposing to what is. To discern “what is now” is one of the greatest awareness we could have.

Life will teach us to respect, to acknowledge and to move on. Thus, become flexible like a palm tree who does not have a rooted belief as to where the wind needs to come from, and to which direction the tree should move to be right. If you observe this carefully, you will discover that every belief a person has is deep rooted in something ideal which Life uses sooner or later, to teach us to open up, to accept and to move on.

Confrontations, control, manipulation are human ways to obtain what a group wants. In that scenario, look for a common ground and take that. Sooner or later the common ground is bound to appear for at the end, we are all breathing the same air to survive. That is the common good.

Will resume writing on April 22. Until then! 🙂

Karma: The inaccuracy of simplicity – part 2

Is Euthanasia “good or bad”?
Isn’t that killing?
There is a big debate on that. Different laws in different countries will say different things. In Nature, to kill is neutral.
A falcon will kill to eat. The intention is to feed himself, to survive. It is not a business “for profit.” It is not to keep carcasses for another day and sell it or to teach that animal a “lesson.” On the other hand, humans have cynical reasons when it is about killing.

For instance, humans will kill deer (The nice label used is “hunting”) to manage the growing population of deer. Humans have killed the natural predators of deer as well.
Humans believe that human lives are above any other species.

Nevertheless, Humans will suffer the effects of those actions, as Nature requires a balance of species, which happens naturally without the thinking “help” from humans.

For Nature, there is no difference between a human life and an ant’s life, for those species are not seen as separated but are interdependent.
It is the belief of human beings to be “superior.” Thus, the intention behind the activities of humans will be tinted with that “superiority.”
That “Superiority” complex is depicted in human thought and belief systems.

As the intention behind human killing is hiding behind “economical reasons” or to preserve their own species overlooking others, then Nature will respond to balance those issues with a Natural disaster or humans themselves will kill each other as in a war.

Paradoxically, the “economical progress” and all perceived benefits in killing other species will be, washed away once Nature does its “cleaning job.”
It is called “zero balance.”

Of what help is human morality in “real life” (Nature)?
Not much. But yet, as a society we have selected a particular view of the world. We have created the “Office World.” That point of view is not an absolute by any means.

One last item: An intention is not a “whishy washy” thought. Something like: “I had the intention to help you, but something happened.”
That is not what I am referring to as “intention” although the dictionary may say so.
An intention is a feeling. It is what some will define as “inner voice.” That feeling which is the real drive to perform an action could be dressed up with thoughts and rationalization.
That is what thinking humans are good at. Rationalization is to come up with reasons to justify as to why we are acting in a particular way even though that inner feeling, feels otherwise.
For instance, John may voice how much he likes cows. Although his real intention is not to keep the cow alive but to kill it so he can gain profit. That greed is his real intention which could be rationalized in different ways to “look good and proper.”

Once we observe how tricky it could be for a society to pinpoint the real intention in an individual, then it becomes easier to come up with a line between “good actions” and “bad actions,” and to make a story as to why something is “good or bad” and thus “karma.”

When we understand that our human tendency is to “dress ourselves up” to look good, then spirituality is no longer a “practice” or something “to do to groom ourselves” but rather it becomes an issue of stripping down every belief, every learned story, every point of view, every thing that we could hold on to as a “savior” for the sake of being completely naked… then we could see that Nature is not separated from us, but us.

The fight will continue until it is over


Raysha and Ananda’s father, keeps “fighting for his life” at the hospital.
He is hooked up to feeding tubes and a respirator, which provides 75% of his breathing.

Ananda’s mother is suffering by seeing that scene. Ananda’s father is conscious but unable to communicate. He seems to “come and go” from that state.

Even though the doctors know that there is “no hope,” their role is to keep him “alive” as much as possible.
Euthanasia is forbidden in that country, for the catholic belief is that “ an innocent life is being taken.” “Human life has a dignity which needs to be absolutely respected.”

Lost in words and concepts, “respect” becomes another philosophical debate of “pros” and “cons” which legislature will be fond on getting into.

But that doesn’t solve the “experience” of Ananda’s father. The “black and white” belief of a religion supported by legislature is meaningless when your father is the one experiencing their rigid views.

Raysha took her father’s hand and told him about the story of “life after this life.”

Ananda spoke with Mathias, the wise tree; about this incident.
Mathias: “Do you think that your father is suffering in that experience?”
Ananda: “Yes and No. When he is conscious of the hospital it is yes. When he is conscious of the other experience that he had with you and Raysha in a different realm, obviously not.”
Mathias: “ Your father wants to keep fighting. He requested that to the family in a conversation about death and dying. The question was, what would you like to happen if you are in a hospital unable to speak for yourself? He said: “Fight it until there is no more.” Do you remember that? “

Ananda: “Yes… but there are others seeing that scene as well….why continue with this when there is no hope? Why go through that suffering?”
Mathias: “ Suffering is the way that life has to make someone bow down. When there are layers of arrogance and pride, suffering will break that mentality. Don’t you think that when you feel as if your heart is about to explode from your chest, that this is the best time to learn and think about detachment in life?”

Ananda: “No. “
Mathias: “Yes. It is. That lesson will be learned rapidly in that intensity. It is necessary for the next stage when Mathias will present you father to the Gods of Olympus. You know that there is no death. If Ananda knows that, what should be his attitude to others who are suffering by watching the scene? The answer is not intellectual. Feel it.”

Ananda:” To accept things as they are. To feel compassion towards my family clan. We are all together in this, related. Compassion because I feel their suffering, but at the same time, I know that a lesson of life needs to be learned.”

Ananda’s mother didn’t want to go to the hospital to see her husband in that condition. She felt pressured by the “ El que diran” (The unspoken belief in latin-american culture that every person’s actions in society are subject to the scrutiny and criticism of every person they know.) Ananda gave her comfort by assuring her that no one in the family will judge her. She needs to recuperate. Everyone has a limit and she has reached hers.

The “black and white” laws and religious beliefs are completely unaware of human intention. The action is not the problem but the intention is.

Since we cannot “measure” intentions with honesty, we cannot create laws for society. That is why, laws are only based on actions and to label them as “good and bad” becomes necessary.

Inner honesty is the main requisite which will allow someone to live harmoniously… even to sleep well, until death arrives.
Be true, open and enjoy the lessons in life which will bring a different consciousness, to look at things from yet another perspective.
No dogma included nor laws to abide.