Enlighten Wallstreet: Open Letter to the Occupy movement.

zondag 23 oktober 2011

Foot print

Let me start by stating that I deeply symphatize with the Occupy movement. The current crises conditions - caused by the destructive powers of turbocapitalism - demand drawing a line, taking a stand, and raging against the machine.

But….

I don’t think occupation is the way to a fundamental societal change. It’s education! Occupation is the start, but education is the finish. We need to Enlighten Wallstreet

Why?

Greed won’t go away by naming and shaming corporations, nor by rebelling against their destructive acting. We need to go much further and deeper than that. To create a fundamental system change, we need not to rise against the system, but rise above the system. We can do this by acknowledging 3 things:

1)

We can’t change corporations, because there are no such as corporations. A corporation is nothing more and nothing less than a bunch of people working together. We need to humanize ‘Wallstreet’. We need to stop shouting and start speaking from people to people. ‘Wallstreet’ is made up by people just like you and me. People that want to be happy. The people from ‘Wallstreet’ aren’t intrinsically bad; they just have a bad interpretation of what ‘happy’ is all about. In ‘Wallstreet’ happy equals money. Which –off course – is an delusional recipe for disaster. If we want to change ‘Wallstreet’, we need to show –teach- people the difference between money and happy. We need to stop giving ‘Wallstreet’ our collective criticism, and start giving it’s people our individual compassion! They just don’t know better…

2)

Fundamental system change will never happen if we remain focussed on the acting dimension. Acting or doing is namely at the end of the (human) line. Doing is always preceded by thinking and feeling. And thinking and feeling are always preceded by being. The mind is the source. Buddhism teaches us that the untrained and untamed mind is the cause of all suffering. To end suffering, we need to transcend ignorance, greed and hate, a.k.a. known as The Three Poisons. We need to attain wisdom and skillful action. If we really want to change ‘Wallstreet’, we don’t need a collective revolution, but an individual transformation. We need to start deep into the minds of the people of ‘Wallstreet’.

3)

We need to stop fighting the system. It’s delusional. The reality is that ‘Wallstreet’ is caused and conditioned. It’s destructive origin is dependent. It didn’t happen by coincidence. We created ‘Wallstreet’. We therefore need to acknowledge that there is no ‘us’ versus ‘them’. We are all ‘Wallstreet’. It’s not just corporations that are guilty. We are all equally guilty. ‘Them’ corporations did what they did because of ‘us’. ‘Them’ could only behave as corporations, because ‘us’ behaved as clients. Production and consumption co-exist. They form a system. If ‘them‘are greedy corporations, then ‘us’ are greedy consumers! That’s why we must not look for a better future outside the system, but within the system. We don’t need dualism, but realism!

So dearest, bravest people of the Occupy movement; stop protesting against everything that is hideous in this system, and start manifesting everything that is virteous in this system. Stop camping and start working! Leave your campsites and enter the ‘Wallstreet’ workplace. ‘Wallstreet’ needs you! ‘Wallstreet’ needs compassionate, conscious, people. Capitalism is what we –‘them’ ánd ‘us’- make it. Capitalism can be destructive and/or it can be constructive. It’s up to us to make it constructive and collaborative. So… stop screaming for change, and be the change! Lead us to a better future by a being a better example! Be a lamp unto yourself ánd ‘Wallstreet’; Enlighten ‘Wallstreet’!

May all living beings be happy... and understand the difference between happy and money J

Much Metta,

Kees Klomp,

Karmanomics.