| Letter 14 Producing/Living/Being |
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| Brief
1 Chinese levenskunst krijgt gestalte in het Vondelpark Brief 2 Brief 3 Brief 4 Brief 5 Brief 6 Brief 7 Brief 8 Brief 9 Brief 10 Brief 11 Brief 12 Brief 14 Brief 16 Brief 17 Brief 18 Brief 23 |
Producing Today’s society is dominated by production. The extent to which this production is taking place resembles a country at war. Therefore this „war machine" has the utmost priority, as everything else has become secondary. Those who work in this production sector behave like soldiers. They fight against everything and everybody: against their competitors, their customers, all kinds of institutions, against time, against inflation, against failure and losses, against the boss, against the shareholders, against taxation, against the speed of change, against their wives...against themselves, against nature. However, like in real war those working in the production sector enjoy the major material benefits of society. They have (high) salaries, insurances, bonuses, shares and stocks, houses, positions, influence, holidays, luxeries, employment, „valuable" social contacts, „culture" and education. This „army", quite comparable to countries where the army actually has a dominating position in society (e.g. Asia) controls, executes and exclusively benefits from its position in such a way, that anybody who is not a part of it is excluded. The disaster about this all is that this army is really destroying much that comes in its way. Profit has to be made in order to invest. Investments in growth have to be made in order to remain competitive. Production has to continuously increase to keep or extend its share in the market. New resources have to be used to meet the demands of „innovative" technology. The result (as you will know): global environmental destruction. And the „workforce ?" She becomes less and less relevant, because of automatization. She has become so marginal, that even moving to „Third World" countries doesn’t seem profitable anymore. The soldiers, like in every wartime are the first to be sacrificed. Hence the huge unemployment rates in Western „welfare" states. Living „Naturally" the army has its „home front". While the fighters are „in the field" everybody at home has to do all they can to keep the fabric of (normal) society intact. They are the wartime’s „voluntary" workers. They do not share the benefits of those who work in the production sector. To the contrary. Although the productives couldn’t go on for one day without their support, the „home workers" are considered to be of lower status and value. Hence less or no payment for house wives, unemployed, retired persons, creche holders, social volunteers, nurses, mothers on social security, students, artists, small farmers, the self-employed, the middle class, homeless people or foreigners. Quite opposite to the production sector this is the area of normal life though: of social contacts, commitment, availability, support, (voluntary) „honest" work, cosiness, care, pleasure, helpfulness and friendliness. Thus compared to the „battle field" the rest of society represents the web of life. Indispensable LIFE that receives such low appreciation though, that those involved live in cheap(er) houses, often lack necessary insurances, don’t have attractive bonuses, don’t have stocks and shares, no powerful or influencial positions, sometimes no holidays at all, suffer from marginal incomes, don’t possess luxeries, don’t have entrances into career, culture or education. However there is also an (slight) advantage: They are only indirectly exposed to the hell of war making. They belong to the (not too) „soft" sector (anymore). As the war makers are the head, the home front represents the body of society. Just like individuals in society the head is exploiting the body. The „male" is exploiting the „female" part. The irony is that nowadays both the exploiters and the exploited are on the verge of burning out. Hence, yet for how long LIFE is going to support death? Being Society used to be built up of production workers, the „home front" and of a third category: the wise (Enlightened) men and women. Together they represent the mind, the body and Consciousness respectively without which neither organisms, human beings nor societies can stay healthy. To be healthy these three have to be continuously balanced in such a way that they are able to benefit each other mutually. Taking payment, salary or income as the criterium for appreciation, it immediately will be clear that there is a scale from the production sector („regular work") to the living sector steeply downwards to a „sector" for which society (still) has no name. Here the sharp separation between „doing" and „being" becomes apparent. Being doesn’t have any meaning in a society dominated by functionality. Unlike e.g. in India where until today ( really ) enlightened persons are given the place they deserve: a „sacred corner" where they are able to cultivate their receptivity toward the Ultimate. They are allowed to continue their „holy non-doing" and are maintained by the (local) community, committed individuals, groups or (religious) organizations. It may not immediately pay off in visible benefits. In the framework of the culture however, the wisdom and compassion of Realized Beings will certainly make a difference. They are the link with „Heaven", hence they are the spiritual guides of society. While for the previous sector all kinds of social pressure groups are active to improve the situation of the deprived, nobody actually is trying to create a position for „Beings" in Western society, a situation in which the latter would be able to „pursue their spiritual goals" without being forced to take care of the material side of their lives. Their wisdom, vision, inspiration, leadership and love could prove of very great need in this most desperate of times though. © 2000 Copyright by Han M. Stiekema. All rights reserved. Last update:08/30/06 |